Category Archives: Events
AN ONLINE OPTION FOR AITZ CHAIM TO CELEBRATE THE HIGH HOLIDAYS 2020 5781
This year, Rosh Hashanah will be Friday evening through Sunday evening, September 18-20, 1-2 Tishrei, 5781. Because of the COVID-19 virus, the Aitz Chaim Board has decided that the safest thing for our community to do is to regretfully not meet in person for the High Holidays.
One of the options we have is to join Beth Shalom congregation in Bozeman online. There is no charge, but a donation would be appreciated. In order to join the service, you must preregister by filling out the form at this link. Congregation Beth Shalom, Bozeman Then you will receive directions to join the service.
We plan to meet on Saturday, September 19, at 1:30 PM, for Tashlich at Giant Springs, 5401 18th Ave. N. This will be safer since it is outdoors.
More information will be posted as it becomes available.
DON’T MISS PART II OF THIS SPECIAL ZOOM PROGRAM FROM ISRAEL 8:00AM SUNDAY MORNING, 08/16/2020
Don’t miss Part II of this special program from Israel by Rabbi Ervin Birnbaum, a 92-year-old passenger who survived the journey of The Exodus in 1947.
Eye Witness Testimony
The amazing story of “Exodus 1947” – the ship that launched a nation
Part II: Sunday, August 16, 2020, 8:00AM MDT, 10:00AM EDT, 5:00PM IDT
Join Zoom Meeting
Submitted by Natalie Fisher Guerin
HAPPY 75TH BIRTHDAY, ELLIOTT MAGALNICK!
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is condensed from a post on Caring Bridge, where Elliott’s son Joel has been posting updates about his dad from time to time. (see article on past rabbis in The Ram’s Horn.) It would be nice to send a card.
Elliott’s got a big birthday coming
Journal entry by Joel Magalnick — August 10
Hi everyone,
I realize it has been over a year and a half since I last posted, so I thought I’d give an update. Overall he appears to be doing quite well. He has been largely stable for the past couple years with some ups and downs here and there. With the onset of Covid, he has been more or less in lockdown in his room at Brookdale, but starting to venture out a little more for meals in a physically distanced cafeteria.
Since visitors aren’t allowed in the building he has gotten a few visits from friends through the window, where they chat with masks on at a six-foot distance.
… Believe it or not, the old man turns 75 next Wednesday, August 19th. It would be great if you could call or stop by. Unfortunately it’s not as easy as just picking up the phone and reaching him. He has trouble using his phone, even if it does ring, so to have a chat you’ll need to reach out to Brookdale directly at 303-364-7149 and have them come to the room with the phone. They prefer that you set up time to do the call or you even set up a Zoom chat, which the front desk can facilitate.
…Brookdale is at 150 Quebec St. in Denver, 80230.
He would love to have visitors! Stay healthy everyone.
Joel
DON’T MISS THIS SPECIAL ZOOM PROGRAM FROM ISRAEL at 8:00AM SUNDAY MORNING, 08/09/2020
Shalom,
Here is Zoom information for an incredible program on Sunday. My 92-year-old Rabbi was on the Exodus and this program will talk about it. Rabbi Birnbaum is beyond incredible as is his entire family. He is originally from Slovakia and was liberated at the age of 14 – he’ll tell the story on Sunday. It will be fun to see you if you join in on the Zoom. Here you go.
Eye Witness Testimony
The amazing story of “Exodus 1947” – the ship that launched a nation
Part I: Sunday, August 9, 2020, 8:00AM MDT, 10:00AM EDT, 5:00PM IDT
Part II: Sunday, August 16, 2020, 8:00AM MDT, 10:00AM EDT, 5:00PM IDT
Join Zoom Meeting. Use this same link for both days.
Submitted by Natalie Fisher Guerin
AN OPEN INVITATION TO MEMBERS AND FRIENDS FROM CONGREGATION BETH AARON, BILLINGS
Shalom CBA Members and Friends,
COVID-19 has affected us all in ways we couldn’t have guessed when this year started, but I want to tell you about Hannah Simkovic-Kitterman.
Hannah and I have been working together for a while now, and at the beginning of the year, the excitement was building for her to invite her family and friends, and fill the synagogue with people excited to welcome her into the Jewish community as a Bat Mitzvah, a “Daughter of the Commandments”. We had a date set, we had plans for what it would look like, and the party was being thought about.
And then COVID-19 happened.
At first, we decided to postpone it to late summer, in the hopes that things would normalize and we would be able to do it “right.” Unfortunately, things once again did not work out according to plan. Undaunted, but a little demoralized, we pressed on.
I personally can’t imagine what it is like to have any lifecycle event during this time, let alone one as important and central to a Jewish teenager’s life journey than a B’nei Mitzvah in a time where social distancing and Zoom meetings are a regrettable necessity.
It is with that in mind that I would like to invite you to Emily’s Bat Mitzvah on Zoom, which will take place on Saturday, August 15th @ 10:30am. I am personally sending an all-call to the community to join in to watch the service and her Torah reading. Even though we can’t come together in the synagogue, we can still come together virtually for this important event.
You can join the service with this link:
Erik Uriarte is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Hannah’s Bat Mitzvah
Time: Aug 15, 2020 10:30 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
We will also be tentatively planning for an event next year, where we can gather for her to read Torah with a (safe) room full of people, and a real, honest-to-G-d party afterwards.
Respectfully,
Erik L Uriarte, MAHL
Student Rabbi and Director of Religious Programming
Congregation Beth Aaron – Billings, MT
Cell: (406) 413-5367
MAJCo – INVITATION FROM MONTANA’S PROGRESSIVE COMMUNITIES- SHABBAT ACROSS MONTANA
SHABBAT ACROSS MONTANA
July 17th, 6:00-6:30pm on Zoom
The members of the Montana Association of Rabbis, comprising clergy and leadership from Congregations Beth Aaron, Beth Shalom, Har Shalom, and the Glacier Jewish Community, and including R. Laurie Franklin, R. Mark Kula, R. Francine Roston, R. Ed Stafman, R. Allen Secher, Rabbinic Student Erik Uriarte, and Cantorial Soloist Amber Ikeman, will be leading a cooperative “Shabbat Across Montana.” We hope that you’ll join us for this amazing event to bring us all together for Shabbat. (Montana is likely the only state capable of holding any event with representation from all of its progressive Jewish communities.)
Please Join us here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84217931444?pwd=di9NbmpyNzJvQ0dvY0hhTTZkRHgyUT09
– Reform Prayer Book (Siddur) availability: If you would like to have a siddur to have at home, there are several options available to you. A free, fully online version is available through the CCAR here: https://www.ccarnet.org/publications/mishkan-tfilah-for-shabbat/
Additionally, a deeply discounted kindle version ($5) is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Mishkan-Tfilah-Shabbat-Reform-Siddur-ebook/dp/B016R0HSLU/
Submitted by Brian Schnitzer
MONTANA HADASSAH: ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITY
Dear All,
Does the opportunity for advocacy through Hadassah speak to you? If yes, this email is for you and if after reading it you would want to participate in this or lead a group, please reach out to me, Nancy, at neogeo@montana.com and I will support you as you jump in here and send you the documents. Thank you. See below:
_____________________________________________________________
Dear Hadassah Advocacy Leaders,
It’s a very exciting and important time to be involved in advocacy, and Hadassah members are continuing to make their voices heard in new and inventive ways. Hadassah introduced a VIRTUAL Day in the District Program that enables us to meet with our elected officials via Zoom.
Additionally, we hope you’ll join us for an Advocacy Meeting via Zoom on Thursday, July 16th, 2020 to learn more about the Virtual Day in the District Program and other important Hadassah advocacy initiatives, including Voter Registration.
We are offering TWO Zoom opportunities to get together. Please choose which time you prefer and RSVP to Susan Glicksberg at sglicksberg@hadassah.org and let us know if you’ll be able to join either meeting. It will be such a treat to see all of you! Have a wonderful 4th of July weekend. Stay healthy and stay safe.
Thursday, July 16th @ 1:00 pm PST – (4:00 pm EST / 3:00 pm CST)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83104291872?pwd=ZERQeFdFRDYzV0RFbnMyM3ZtcUZ1UT09
Meeting ID: 831 0429 1872
Password: 640895
To Join By Phone – Audio Only
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kclsTXnNTQ
Thursday, July 16th @ 3:00 pm PST – (6:00 pm EST / 5:00 pm CST)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85846330541?pwd=NHJnRmlsZEg0K0dvU1VEM2lsNmxzQT09
Meeting ID: 858 4633 0541
Password: 305685
To Join By Phone – Audio Only
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdYGc6BACp
Best Regards,
Stacey R. Dorenfeld
National State Advocacy Co-Chair
Hadassah Southern California Advocacy Chair
818.590.4158
“have the courage to pursue the wisdom of your soul”
HADASSAH
The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc.
Amelia & Mark Taper Hadassah House
455 South Robertson Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA. 90211
hadassah.org/southerncalifornia
HADASSAH NEWS by Montana Hadassah
PO Box 204
Butte, Montana 59702 USA
TODAY WE COMMEMORATE THE MILLIONS OF JEWS WHO PERISHED IN THE HOLOCAUST, BY RABBI GILAD KARIV, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF IMPJ
Dear Friends,
In Hebrew years that do not have the extra month of Adar II, such as the present year, “Memorial Day for the Shoah and Heroism” takes place close to the Shabbat during which we read from the Torah, Parshat “Shemini”.
This Torah portion opens with a description of the day of dedication of the Holy Tabernacle and how it became a tragedy and disaster when Aaron’s two sons, Nadav and Avihu, die in front of his eyes after they sacrificed “strange fire” on the altar (which they had been commanded not to do). Only two words are used to describe the reaction of Aaron their father, when the day of joy became one of sorrow: “and Aaron became silent” (Leviticus: 10; 3).
For many long years, most of the refugees and survivors of the atrocities of the Holocaust chose silence. Moses, Aaron’s brother, did not try to penetrate the silence of his brother on that day. Today we have the mission of respecting the silence of those survivors who chose to continue that path, but at the same time to invite them with love and sensitivity, to find the key to their hearts and memories and end their silence. Unlike Moses, we have to convince them that we are more attentive than ever and that their experiences and stories will be treated as a rich treasure, rather than a mere footnote of history.
Throughout the book of Leviticus, the ritual and spiritual role of the Kohanim (High Priests) is described. At the same time, we learn about the material remuneration they receive for carrying out their mission. This teaches us that we cannot ask the survivors of the Holocaust to raise their voices, to bear witness, and to bestow their legacy, without being totally committed to their wellbeing and dignity.
Yom HaShoah is commemorated this year in the shadow of the Coronavirus pandemic. Not all of the senior citizens who lost their lives in assisted living facilities and homes for the aged were Holocaust survivors; but many were and are. Regardless of this terrible crisis that we are all dealing with, it has had an increased impact on the elderly.
The lack of effective measures in those locations, especially at the beginning of the pandemic (and, to a great degree, to this day) must be prominent in our minds this week when we remember the Shoah. Holocaust survivors are living the past months with heightened anxiety and are in significant danger. The same is true of their cohorts, the generation who founded the state of Israel who didn’t suffer the terror of the Holocaust, but who laid the foundation for life here in Israel for all of us. Like Aaron HaKohen, many of them cannot raise their voices – it is our responsibility to do it for them.
Reform Rabbi and Professor Emil Fackenheim, coined the phrase: “the 614th Mitzvah” – the commandment obligated by all Jews not to give the Nazis victory after their defeat, to guarantee the continuation of the Jewish people, to renew our ability to give hope and to act towards Tikkun Olam; and most of all not to be silent and close off our hearts.
We must maintain the ability to listen to what the survivors have to tell us during their last years of life and have the wisdom to help them and their counterparts escape the silence and feel protected and respected during normal times, and especially during days of crises – this is the foundation of the 614th Mitzvah. Regardless, this terrible crisis has had a devastating impact on the elderly. We must each do our part to take the lessons of past generations into future ones.
I hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy during this unsure time.
Sincerely,
IMPJ President & CEO Rabbi Gilad Kariv
TIPS FOR YOUR SEDER PLATE AND DOWNLOAD OUR FAVES, FROM WWW.HAGGADOT.COM
How do you solve a problem like the seder plate?
Whether you’re replacing the shank bone or adding some new foods, we’ve got plenty of ideas – including ginger, spices & more.
Getting creative with your virtual Seder plate
Favorite Content for 2020:
The Wandering is Over Haggadah
An updated version of Jewish Boston’s family-friendly and thought provoking seder
Comedy Seder
Because we need a laugh…
2020 Favorites Haggadah
An ongoing compilation of what’s new & relevant for your seder tables this year
Minimalist Haggadah
Get right to the point with a Haggadah that’s short & simple, yet filled with wisdom.
Coloring Book Haggadah
It’s a coloring book! It’s a haggadah!
Passover In The Time Of Covid-19
Because we had to…
Recommended Clips:
Building Your Mental Health Seder Plate
Jewish World Watch Second Seder Plate 2020
Embodying Passover With Jewish Yoga
Ready-to-print Haggadahs:
Moishe House London Reverse Seder
JQ International LGBTQ Haggadah
Women’s Seder Favorites Activities, games, and songs for kids and teens.
A Seder for Young Children Videos, activities, and simple blessings for young children.
Friends Seder Haggadah A short, fun Haggadah for a friendly gathering.
VIRTUAL PASSOVER
EDITOR’S NOTE: These days everything has gone virtual so that we may practice social distancing and flatten the curve of the COVID19 Coronavirus pandemic that has (temporarily, we hope) changed the way we interact with each other. You can probably pick your favorite place on the globe and they will have a virtual service streaming for the benefit of their local congregation. We have had to find creative ways to stay connected and keep our faith and traditions alive and well during this time of uncertainty. But we have survived many other times of trial, and working together to strengthen the ties that bind us together, we will survive this one stronger than ever.
Here is a suggestion from an email to Don and Helen Cherry from their daughter Karen.
… there are a number of virtual passover celebrations you can join on your computer. this is one from the Palo Alto JCC you can join. it is 4-5:15 on April 8th. Or maybe your local congregation wants to find one to do together. It seems a lot of the JCC’s and synagogues are offering these…
Click here for the Palo Alto virtual Pasover service
Submitted by Helen Cherry
The Aitz Chaim Ram's Horn 