Author Archives: Joy Breslauer
MAY 4-6 WEEK END SCHEDULE
Here is the week end schedule for May 4-6.
- Friday evening, May 4, 7:30 P.M.: Shabbat services led by Student Rabbi Rebecca Reice at The Bethel. Oneg to follow.
- Saturday morning, May 5, 10:00 A.M.: Adult Education led by Student Rabbi Rebecca Reice at The Bethel.
- Saturday evening, May 5, 5:30 P.M.: Adult discussion and milchig potluck at the Bethel.
- Sunday morning, May 6, 10:00 A.M.: Hebrew School at the YWCA
Don’t forget to bring diapers for Diaper Sunday.
Hope to see you at one or more of these events.
“UNLESS YOU REMEMBER” — PLEASE WATCH AND SHARE THIS YOM HASHOAH VIDEO
Adam Farberman has produced a memorial video for the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal for this year’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom HaShoah. It is important for all of us to watch it.
Submitted by Don and Helen Cherry
HELENA JEWISH COMMUNITY NEWS AND EVENTS
Shalom!
This is the last week to catch the impressive Marc Chagall and Ben-Zion display that is currently at Carrol College’s Art Gallery, in St. Charles Hall. The exhibit runs through April 20th, 9a.m. to 9p.m. Definitely worth seeing and contemplating.
In conjunction with the weeks long multi-cultural and multi-ethnic program that Barry Ferst has been directing at Carroll, this Thursday night, April 19th, at 7:30pm in the Carroll College Student Center, main floor lounge, there will be a Holocaust Remembrance event. In addition to speakers, a student panel and candle lighting ceremony, the MAJCO (Montana Association of Jewish Communities) Holocaust poster exhibit will be on display.
Ofer Goren, Israeli mime, will be in Helena on Wednesday, May 2nd. He will perform a program both poignant and entertaining, starting at 7pm in The Forum at Touchmark, on Saddle Dr. Public invited. Ask a friend to attend with you!
On Sunday, April 29th, Rabbi Chaim Bruk will be in town to offer a one hour talk entitled, “Who Knows Ten”, a teaching about the Ten Commandments. This program will start at 1pm. Venue to be determined.
It is time to start planning for the Hazon Environmental bike riders who will be coming to and through Helena on the weekend of June 22nd-24th. They will be staying at Carroll College where we will share potluck meals with the group, enjoy Shabbat services led by Rabbi Ed Stafman, have the opportunity to take a walking tour of “Jewish Helena” and more. Do plan to attend what promises to be a wonderful and very special Shabbat weekend right here in Helena. Also, if you are up to it, consider making the 90 mile bike ride to Bozeman, with the group on that Sunday morning. Rabbi Ed and several congregants from Beth Shalom have already signed up for the challenge.
Lots going on! Hope you can join in. Janet Tatz
VIOLINS OF HOPE
Meriam Nagel brought this to my attention.
In 1996, Israeli master violinmaker Amnon Weinstein began to collect and carefully restore violins that had extraordinary histories of suffering, courage, and resiliency. These violins are precious artifacts from one of the greatest human tragedies. Some were played by Jewish prisoners in Nazi concentration camps; others belonged to the Klezmer musical culture, which was all but destroyed in the Holocaust.
Today, Amnon receives visitors bearing priceless instruments in shambles. The restoration process is complex, sometimes taking years to revive a single instrument. But when a violinist moves his bow across one of these instruments, the message resounds.
A project of national significance comes to Charlotte in April 2012
The Violins of Hope have never before been exhibited or played together in North or South America. With the support of the Charlotte community and our partners in the arts and education, the College of Arts + Architecture at UNC Charlotte presents a project that promises to inspire, illuminate, and educate.
In April 2012, UNC Charlotte’s College of Arts + Architecture will bring Violins of Hope to Charlotte for a series of exhibitions and performances focused on 18 instruments recovered from the Holocaust. Acclaimed musicians from across the country and around the world will play alongside Charlotte musicians, giving voice to the violins’ former owners and expressing the hope that comes with restoring to these instruments the power to play again.
For more information, please visit these web sites:
http://www.violinsofhopecharlotte.com
http://www.violinsofhope.org
http://www.shlomo-mintz.com/violinsofhope
Also search for violins of hope on YouTube.
THE NIGHT AFTER SEDER
‘Twas the night after Seder, and all through the house
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The matzah, the farfel, the charoset I ate,
After both the Sedarim, had gone to my waist.
When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked over to shul (less a walk than a lumber),
I remembered the marvelous meals I’d prepared;
The turkey with gravy, the beef nicely rared,
The wine and the matzo balls, the Migdal pareve cheese
The way I’d never said, “I’ve had enough; no more, if you please.”
As I tied myself into my apron again
I spied my reflection and disgustedly, then —
I said to myself, “you’re such a weak wimp”,
“You can’t show up at shul resembling a blimp!”
So–away with the last of the meatballs so sweet ,
Get rid of the turkey, chopped liver and meat.
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
“Till all the additional ounces have vanished.
I won’t have any more macaroons from the box,
I can’t wait til next week. (Ah, the bagels and lox.)
I won’t have any luxion, farfel or p’chah,
I’ll munch on a carrot or wire shut my own jaw.
It’s a three day yom tov and shabbas is still
Ahead of me with another fleshiks meal to fulfill.
If I have to cook one more chicken, I think I will riot.
So a zisn pesach to you all and to all a good diet!
SOME PASSOVER SONGS
(Sung to the tune of “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music)
Cleaning and cooking and so many dishes
Out with the hametz, no pasta, no knishes
Fish that’s gefillted, horseradish that stings
These are a few of our Passover things.
Matzah and karpas and chopped up haroset
Shankbones and kiddish and yiddish neuroses
Tante who kvetches and uncle who sings
These are a few of our Passover things.
Motzi and maror and trouble with Pharoahs
Famines and locusts and slaves with wheelbarrows
Matzah balls floating and eggshell that clings
These are a few of our Passover things.
When the plagues strike
When the lice bite
When we’re feeling sad
We simply remember our Passover things
And then we don’t feel so bad.
Elijah
(Sung to the tune of “Maria”)
Elijah!
I just saw the prophet Elijah.
And suddenly that name
Will never sound the same to me.
Elijah!
He came to our seder
Elijah!
He had his cup of wine,
But could not stay to dine
This year–
Elijah!
For your message all Jews are waiting:
That the time’s come for peace and not hating–
Elijah–
Next year we’ll be waiting.
Elijah!
The Seder Plate Song
(Sung to the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”)
(By Dan Ochman)
Shank bone on my Seder plate
Helps to make the Seder great
Charoset and some wine to sip
Don’t forget the greens to dip
Bitter herbs and an egg complete
our Seder plate so now let’s eat!
Pharoh, Pharoh
(Sung to the tune of “Louie, Louie”)
CHORUS:
Pharaoh, Pharaoh
Oh baby! Let my people go! HUH!
Oy oy oy oy oy oy!
Pharaoh, Pharaoh
Oh baby! Let my people go! HUH!
A burnin’ bush told me just the other day
That I should come over here and stay.
Gotta get my people outta Pharaoh’s hands
Gotta lead my people to the Promised Land.
CHORUS
The Nile turned to blood! There were darkened black skies!
Gnats and frogs! There were locusts and flies!
The first born died, causing Egypt to grieve,
Finally Pharaoh said, “Y’all can leave!”
CHORUS
Me and my people goin’ to the Red Sea
Pharaoh’s army’s comin’ after me.
I raised my rod, stuck it in the sand
All of G-d’s people walked across the dry land.
CHORUS
Pharaoh’s army was a comin’ too.
So what you think that I should do?
Well, I raised my rod and I cleared my throat
And all of Pharaoh’s army did the dead man’s float.
CHORUS
Coda:
Pharaoh, Pharaoh
Oh baby! Let my people go! HUH!
Oy oy oy oy oy oy!
Pharaoh, Pharaoh
Oh baby! Let my people go! HUH!
I said, we gotta go.
I said, we gotta go now.
Let’s go!
Aitz Chaim TO HOST MIME ARTIST OFER GOREN MAY 3
The Aitz Chaim board has received the following e-mail message.
From: Motti & Chaviva Isaak
Date: March 10, 2012 3:48:14 AM MST
Dear friends
Shalom,
I hope you are well and enjoying a very happy Purim!
Ofer Goren, our wonderful mime artist, will be in the USA between April 29 and May 13. He will perform with his new program.
Please let me know ASAP if you are interested in his visiting your community.
As soon as I hear from you, I will send you a proposed schedule for his visit.
Thank you and all the best,
Motti
Ofer Goren’s program has been a good one, but our audience participation in the past has been rather minimal. If we are interested in having him come, then we need volunteers to organize it, and to help set it up and take it down.
An event organizer would be responsible for the following:
* Secure Location for the event
* Secure Lodging for Ofer
* Arrange Advertising for the event
Stephen Boyd has volunteered again to organize this event. Please watch your Ram’s Horn for further information as it becomes available.
PASSOVER POETRY
Passover / Pesach begins either in March or April, when the beauty of Springtime and the renewal of life blossoms before our eyes. This has inspired many Jewish people to write Passover poetry. Passover poetry / Pesach poetry consists of anything from a poetic description of the Passover / Pesach rituals performed, such as those for the festive meal(s) known as the Passover / Pesach Seder, to a poetic comparison of the Passover / Pesach festival with the magnificence of the Springtime season.
“Passover Suite” : Poems For Passover
by Ray Shankman
Why Is This Night Different?
Why is this night different
now that we are older
and our children are with us
each one of us crosses the same desert
helping the stragglers
lifting the forlorn and lost
helping life into life
helplessness into healing hope
we are here together
hearing each story as if it were our own
committed to keeping the story alive
the journey going
Dancing Into Freedom
Why is this night different
from all other nights?
Tonight we found Israel
in each other
and I danced with Deena
first daughter of Israel
giggling at our miracle
dancing leaps joyous
before the Lord
The wine was sweet
our eyes drank to eternity
every sip warmed our love
gave us life.
Even Elijah stayed for a dram
saying, “Your fare is simple, mere matzot and cheese
but that’s the way it used to be
when we truly wondered
in our freedom.”
Seder Renewal
Brothers and Sisters
let us order ourselves around this table
to negotiate new covenants;
let’s rewrite our tragedies;
let’s renew history;
let’s translate our enslavement into the freedom of this moment.
Together we endured suffering; now
let’s share a certain future:
past afflictions can be transformed
into renewed blessings;
let us break bread and sing praises to life;
let our Hallelujahs resonate deeply as a tikkun nefesh.
Heal my soul. O Lord heal others so I can be healed.
Let us sing on each cup of wine that zest for life
that brings us home to this table,
to the singing of this story,
our arms about one another
Dancing into freedom.
Source of the above Passover poems article: Canadian Jewish News, v.31(16) April 5, 2001, page B7. Re-printed with permission from The Canadian Jewish News.
—————————————————————————————————————-
The Telling
by Brenda Spigelman Ajzenkopf
Why is this night unlike all others
Are questions the youngest must say
We recline, we pray, we ask the Almighty
Please deliver us from Egypt this day.
Bitters and herbs are ours to consume
To remember the Exodus then
We eat, we drink, we cross the waters
Are pursued by Pharaoh and his men.
The Haggadah reading commands that we tell
How our ancestors toil, how they cry
We plead, we bend, we climb with Moses
And receive the tablets at Mount Sinai.
Elijah is here my father sings out
All bear witness as he flies
We tremble, we hide, we wait as he nears
We peer down through his ancient eyes.
Source of the above Passover poem: The Canadian Jewish News, March 31, 1999, volume 29 (13), page B2. Re-printed with permission from The Canadian Jewish News.
TALMUD and the art of Ben-Zion and Marc Chagall
The title TALMUD is appropriate for this show of over FORTY prints that brings together the Biblical work of two of the most important Jewish artists of the 20th Century. Even though Talmud deals traditionally with text and not image, these images are commentaries on the text of Scripture in the best of the Talmudic tradition.
MARCH 12TH through April 20th, 2012. At the Carroll College Art Gallery in Helena
The gallery is open from 9am to 9pm weekdays and is closed weekends and college holidays.
Here are directions to the art gallery, for those unfamiliar with the Carroll campus:
Enter the south end of St. Charles Hall, go up one flight of stairs and it’s in the art studio off to the left (glass doors, so you can see the art exhibit from the hall).
There is also a conference:
Click to access Not_One_Without_The_Other.pdf
Contributed by Karen Semple
MAZEL TOV JERRY AND NADYNE WEISSMAN
On March 18, 2012, Chabad Lubavitch is celebrating 5 years in Montana. At their celebration they are honoring a couple that has contributed to the continuance of Judaism in Montana for many years. This year, the specific honorees are Nadyne and Jerry Weissman. The dinner celebration will be at 5:30 P.M. at the Museum of the Rockies. For more information about this fundraiser for Chabad Lubavitch, please visit
https://jewishmontanacom.clhosting.org/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/1777628/jewish/Celebrating-5-Years-of-Chabad-Lubavitch-of-Montana/lang/en
The Aitz Chaim Ram's Horn 