Category Archives: 5776
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THESE UPCOMING EVENTS
Please mark your calendars for these upcoming events during the week end of October 30-31 and November 1, 2015. (Cheshvan 17-19, 5776.)
- Friday evening, 10/30/2015, 7:30 P.M.: Kabbalat Shabbat services led by Rabbi Ruz Gulko, at the YWCA. Oneg to follow.
- Saturday morning, 10/31/2015, 10:00 A.M.: Torah study, led by Rabbi Ruz Gulko.
- Saturday lunch host for Rabbi Gulko: Meriam Nagel
- Saturday afternoon, 10/31/2015, 5:30 P.M.: Community milchig (dairy) Potluck at the YWCA. Followed by adult discussion led by Rabbi Ruz Gulko. Please bring a dairy or vegetarian dish to share.
- Sunday morning, 11/01/2015, 10:00 A.M.: Continued Torah study led by Rabbi Ruz Gulko at the YWCA, with no-host lunch to follow somewhere downtown.
Due to ongoing construction at The Bethel, our community gatherings are being hosted temporarily at the YWCA, 220 2nd Street North. Our thanks go out to the YWCA for allowing us to use their space while the usual space we use is being renovated.
WEEK END HOSPITALITY OCTOBER 30-31 NOVEMBER 1, 2015
Todah Robah to the following Congregation members who have offered their hospitality to Rabbi Ruz Gulko and to provide the oneg:
- Friday, October 30, 2015, Airport pickup: Helen Cherry
- Friday evening, October 30, 2015, Dinner hosts: Jerry and Nadyne Weissman
- Oneg: Mimi Wolf
- Saturday Lunch: Meriam Nagel
- Sunday: Daylight Savings Time Ends. Don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour.
Please contact Helen to sign up.
ASK BIG QUESTIONS II: WHAT SHELTERS YOU?
EDITOR’S NOTE: Posted with permission from Rabbi Elana, CBA, Billings. I know this is late, but still worth contemplating, in my opinion. Joy
Hillel International has a program called Ask Big Questions which we have appropriated for use in Billings, MT, at Congregation Beth Aaron (where I am the student Rabbi). Each week, I will pose a different “big” question to allow us to ponder a different aspect of our lives and how we live them. This particular textual immersion was on the question: “What is shelter for you?”
There are no questions with each text, as they are meant to stir different things in each person. Please enjoy the texts and delve into them. They are meant for either personal contemplation or communal reflection. If you would like to engage me in conversation, I am more than willing to participate. Please email me at elana.nemitoff@huc.edu
Elana Nemitoff
Rabbinical Student – HUC-JIR, 2018
enemitoff@gmail.com
Follow my Journey at: http://jewishwanderings.blogspot.com
Dear Congregation Beth Aaron,
I hope all is well! I write to send you the questions from the second in the set of Ask Big Questions. This is about what shelters you. I invite you to delve into the texts and discover what shelter means to you and how you find shelter. Please feel free to share your thoughts or reactions with me; I’d love to hear what you think!
Shavuah tov,
Rabbi Elana, CBA, Billings
What is shelter for you?
Lunch and Learn
Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot ~ 3 October 2015
Student Rabbi Elana Nemitoff
Leviticus 23:4243
כָּלהָאֶזְרָח,
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, ; בַּסֻּכֹּת תֵּשְׁבוּ, שִׁבְעַת יָמִים
יֵשְׁבוּ, בַּסֻּכֹּת. לְמַעַן, יֵדְעוּ דֹרֹתֵיכֶם, כִּי בַסֻּכּוֹת
הוֹשַׁבְתִּי אֶתבְּנֵי
יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּהוֹצִיאִי אוֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ
מִצְרָיִם: אֲנִי, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם.
You shall dwell in booths seven days; all the
citizens in Israel shall dwell in booths; that
your generations may know that I made the
children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I
brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am
Adonai your God.
Jonah 4:5
וַיַּעַשׂ לוֹ שָׁם ; וַיֵּצֵא יוֹנָה מִןהָעִיר,
וַיֵּשֶׁב מִקֶּדֶם לָעִיר
סֻכָּה, וַיֵּשֶׁב תַּחְתֶּיהָ בַּצֵּל, עַד אֲשֶׁר יִרְאֶה, מַהיִּהְיֶה
בָּעִיר.
Then Jonah went out of the city, and sat on
the east side of the city, and there made him
a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he
might see what would become of the city.
Isaiah 4:56
וּבָרָא יְהוָה עַל כָּלמְכוֹן
הַרצִיּוֹן
וְעַלמִקְרָאֶהָ,
עָנָן
יוֹמָם וְעָשָׁן, וְנֹגַהּ אֵשׁ לֶהָבָה, לָיְלָה: כִּי
עַלכָּלכָּבוֹד,
חֻפָּה.
וּלְמַחְסֶה, ; וְסֻכָּה תִּהְיֶה לְצֵליוֹמָם,
מֵחֹרֶב
וּלְמִסְתּוֹר, מִזֶּרֶם, וּמִמָּטָר.
And God will create over the whole habitation of
mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud
and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming
fire by night; for over all the glory shall be a
canopy . A nd there shall be a p avilion for a
shadow in the daytime
from the heat, and
for a refuge and for a covert from storm and
from rain.
Psalm 31:21
תַּסְתִּירֵם, בְּסֵתֶר פָּנֶיךָמֵרֻכְסֵיאִישׁ:
מֵרִיב לְשֹׁנוֹת. ; תִּצְפְּנֵם בְּסֻכָּה
You grant them the protection of Your
presence from the plottings of man; You
shelter them in a pavilion from the strife of
tongues.
Job 36:29
תְּשֻׁאוֹת, סֻכָּתוֹ. ; אַף אִםיָבִין,
מִפְרְשֵׂיעָב
Yea, can any understand the spread of the
clouds, the crashings of God’s shelter ?
Hashkiveinu
הַשְׁכִּיבֵנוּ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ לְשָׁלוֹם וְהַעֲמִידֵנוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ לְחַיִּים.
וּפְרוֹשׂ עָלֵינוּ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ וְתַקְּנֵנוּ בְּעֵצָה טוֹבָה
מִלְּפָנֶיךָ וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ וְהָגֵן בַּעֲדֵנוּ. וְהָסֵר
מֵעָלֵינוּ אוֹיֵב דֶּבֶר וְחֶרֶב וְרָעָב וְיָגוֹן וְהָסֵר שָׂטָן
מִלְּפָנֵינוּ וּמֵאַחֲרֵינוּ וּבְצֵל כְּנָפֶיךָ תַּסְתִּירֵנוּ כִּי אֵל
שׁוֹמְרֵנוּ וּלְשָׁלוֹם מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ
הַפּוֹרֵשׂ סֻכַּת שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל
יְרוּשָׁלָיִם.
Grant that we may lie down in peace, Eternal God, and
awaken us to life. Shelter us with Your tent of peace
and guide us with Your good counsel. Shield us from
hatred, plague and destruction. Keep us from war
famine and anguish. Help us to deny our inclination to
evil. God of peace, may we always feel protected
because You are our Guardian and Helper. Give us
refuge in the shadow of Your wings. Guard our going
forth and our coming in and bless us with life and
peace. Blessed are You, Eternal God, whose shelter of
peace is spread over us, over all Your people Israel,
and over Jerusalem.
Ray LaMontagne
“I tell you what we’re gonna do. You will shelter me, my love. I will shelter you.”
David Brooks, “The Power of Marriage,” The New York Times, November 22, 2003
Marriage joins two people in a sacred bond. It demands that they make an exclusive commitment to
one another and…take two discrete individuals and turn them into kin. Few of us work as hard at the
vocation of marriage as we should. But marriage makes us better than we deserve to be. Even in the
chores of daily life, married couples find themselves…coming closer together, fusing into one flesh.
Married people who remain committed to each other find that they reorganize and deepen each other’s
lives. They may eventually come to the point when they can say to each other: ‘Love you? I am you!’
Anonymous
we sit here in our sukkot
built with love
decorated with…fruit…vegetables…sweet pictures
enjoying the fall breeze
we sit here in our sukkot
inviting guests
to dine with…meat…vegetables…fruit…sweet drink
enjoying the bounty
we sit here in our sukkot
while thousands seek shelter
running from…fear…war…rape…death
hoping for life
we sit here in our sukkot
and ask:
we built it with love
we invite guests
how do we open it to the (hundreds of) thousands seeking shelter?
we sit here in our sukkot
SHABBOS PROJECT MONTANA 2015
From Chattanooga to Colmar, Edison to Efrat, Santa Fe to Srirangapatna, more and more cities are coming together from around the world to take part in The Shabbos Project 2015!
Among the new exotic locations being pinned to the Jewish Map in 2015 are Maui (Hawaii), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Srirangapatna (India) and Puerto Iguazu (Argentina).
Enjoy our first roundup of a taste of what’s happening all over the world.
Shutting down Pico Boulevard for the biggest Shabbat table in history.
Join 3 000 of LA’s finest for a Shabbat dinner under the stars.
Pull up a chair here.
Picnic blankets, good wholesome food, meditation and inspiration. Get on over to Caulfield Park in Melbourne for a Kiddush/lunch to remember. Get the details here.
Four days into the trek, at an altitude of 13 000 feet, a group of adventurers will bring in Shabbat to coincide with Jews all over the world.
“We will possibly be the first group to spend the whole of Shabbat in that camp [Barranco Wall]. We will daven Kabbalat Shabbat, light the Shabbat candles, make Kiddush and sing zemirot.”
Find out more about their amazing journey here.
Havdallah time is party time in Mexico come The Shabbat Project 2015. Get down with Maccabeat melodies from 9pm in Mexico City.
Find out more here.
Rabbi Ryan and Tova Goldstein will be taking a tour to Krakow for The Shabbos Project.
“This tour is a positive and uplifting experience which illustrates the incredible will and determination of the greatest nation on earth! We will be joined by all ages, singles, young couples, parents and bobbas!” says Simone Penn.
The mayors of Ashkelon, Ariel, Rehovot, Tsefat, Jezreel Valley, Netanya and Sderot have all endorsed The Shabbos Project, offering support in the form of billboards and advertising space, general publicity and the use of public venues, as well as dedicated project managers to run the event in their cities.
The mayor of Tzfat, inspired by the fact that Lecha Dodi and Shalom Aleichem were both composed in his city, has pledged to host a special commemorative Kabbalat Shabbat. The mayor of the Jezreel Valley has arranged events and activities in each of the four main settlements, and one central event to be held at the railway station in Kfar Yehoshua. And the mayor and chief rabbi of Netanya will be uniting for a special tisch.
“Mayors Tables” are being held in many locations, with the mayors inviting citizens to share a Friday night meal with them. The mayor of Sderot, for example, is hosting a communal dinner for 1 000 people.
So pull up a chair with your local mayor in the Holy Land, and Keep It Together wherever you are!
With hundreds of events streaming in for this week’s Shabbat Project, here are some highlights from Jerusalem, Columbus, Hong Kong and London.
Dan Ariely, world-famous behavioural scientist, best-selling author and TED talk celebrity, explores the unique benefits of keeping it together.
Watch it!
Jerusalem is hosting a Shabbat dinner at the Old Train Station. Enjoy great food, wine and beer and meet young Israelis and Jews from all over the world.
Rap-reggae superstar Matisyahu has produced a song especially for The Shabbat Project.
“The ideas of Shabbos have the unique ability to bring people together when they may otherwise not be together. Disconnected from distraction and reflecting G-d in a simple state of Oneness. I’m honoured to have been asked to write a song for the project, and to contribute towards bringing a little more closeness between our brothers and sisters.”
Join in the delicious Seudah Shlishit for young people with disabilities and their families and friends in Melbourne followed by an optional 20-minute walk to the communal Havdallah Concert at Caulfield Park.
Parents and tots will get together in Saint-Laurent, Montreal to make Shabbat crafts for The Shabbat Project, on 21 October at 6pm. The crayons will come out at the Beth Ora Congregation.
30 Columbus, Ohio synagogues and Jewish organisations of all denominations are coming together for a historic unity Shabbat. The celebrations include six community-wide challah bakes.
Twelve-year-old Arad Eylon Fruchter has invited the whole of Tel Aviv – and the Beastie Boys – to his Shabbat Project bar mitzvah.
Find out more!
Join Hong Kong’s Jewish community as they kick off Shabbat in grand style with a Sushi/Lechaim/Kabbalat Shabbat event at the Discovery Bay North Plaza.
Racheli Fraenkel, the transcendentally courageous mother of Naftali Fraenkel, will be presiding over a challah bake at the Tachana Harishona in Jerusalem.
Hatzofim – Israel’s biggest youth movement – has committed to sending out tens of thousands of its scouts to organise Shabbat meals and activities in neighbourhoods across the country.
London’s Pinner Shul will be distributing a keeping it together “Pinner Care Package”, consisting of food, candles and grape juice, to elderly and ill community members.
OHIO INVITATION TO VISIT ISRAEL
join us
9 SMALL CONGREGATIONS
TRIP FOR ACTIVE SENIORS —
WITH RABBI MARGIE MEYER
from $2,525 land only
MARCH 6 – 16, 2016
9 Nights accommodation in selected hotels in Tel
Aviv, Galilee, Haifa & Jerusalem
Breakfast daily and several dinners
Sightseeing per itinerary in a modern air-
conditioned motor coach with panoramic
windows, reclining seats and footrests
Services of a friendly and professional English-
speaking Expedition Educator throughout the trip
Entrance fees as per itinerary
All hotel and airport portage and tipping included
TRIP INCLUDES
Go to arzaworld.com and search
under Small Congregations to view
full trip itinerary and highlights
TOLL FREE 1-888-811-2812
Dear Friends,
I’m writing with an update. Its really quite exciting that we have interest from folks from all over the country and, as of now, I am pretty sure we will be a “go” with the trip. If you haven’t made your reservation commitment I urge you to do so soon, if possible by the end of October so that we have a better count of who is definitely coming with us.
Some of you have had questions regarding the trip and arrangements, some of which I will try to answer here.
1) If you are traveling alone and want to be paired with someone in a room, although the tour company doesn’t arrange this, I will be glad to share email addresses of those who give me permission so that some of you can find each other and decide if you want to be roommates. I know some people prefer to pay the supplement and have their own rooms.
2) You WILL be met at the airport in Israel and transported to the hotel in Tel Aviv. If you make your flight reservations through ARZAWorld they will have your information. If you do your own flight arrangements, please let them or me know your flights and times.
3) The starting date is March 6. This is the day you leave the U.S. March 7 is the actual starting date of the tour in Israel. Some of you might be traveling earlier to stop in Europe or just get to Israel earlier. Please remember that the group begins its tour on the 7th in Tel Aviv, and let us know if you will not be coming directly from the U.S.
4) As someone who is also a member of the Senior citizen category and has traveled quite a bit, I strongly urge you to take out travel insurance, including insurance that covers your airfare. ARZAWorld works with Traveland, a travel and insurance group, and will recommend them to you for your insurance. If you want to comparison shop, Travelguard and Allianz are two other reputable companies you can find on the web.
Please feel free to contact me, by email with any further questions. If you have any friends who are interested, I’ll be glad to talk to them as well. I look forward to hearing from you and to traveling with you to Israel this coming March.
Regards,
Rabbi Margie Meyer
Cincinnati, OH
margaretjmeyer1@gmail.com
Rabbi Margaret J. Meyer has been a resident of Cincinnati for more than
40 years. As an English teacher and university lecturer she taught in
area high schools and then at the University of Cincinnati, from which
she has a M. A. in English Literature. Ordained a rabbi from the Hebrew
Union College in Cincinnati in 1986, Rabbi Meyer has served
congregations in Middletown, OH and small towns in the mid-west and
south on a part-time basis. She has also been on the staff of the Hebrew
Union College, as Director of Alumni Relations, 1998-2000, and
instructor and mentor to 2’ career students.
Rabbi Meyer has been active in community service for many years,
beginning with being board member and secretary for the North
Avondale Neighborhood Association in the late 60’s and early 70’s. She
has been a Board member of the Jewish Community Relations Council,
and currently represents it on the MARCC Board, where she is a vice president.
She served on the Cincinnati Commission on Human
Relations, 1996-98, is a past president of the Cincinnati Board of Rabbis,
and is a member of the Cincinnati Interfaith Committee for Worker
Justice. She currently serves on the the Human Services Advisory
Committee of Cincinnati. A graduate of Miami University, Rabbi Meyer is
a member of the Board of the Miami University Hillel Jewish Student
Organization.
THE NAMES OF THE HEBREW MONTHS, THEIR HISTORY, AND THEIR MEANINGS
Where did the Hebrew Months and Days get their names? Yashanet has in interesting article on the derivation of those names, available at www.yashanet.com/library/hebrew-days-and-months.html
As always, you can find an updated Jewish calendar at JewFAQ.
U.S. HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM MT OFFERING
HISTORICAL TRAUMA: A SYMPOSIUM
Wednesday, November 4 – Thursday, November 5
University Center
University of Montana
32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT
This interdisciplinary symposium explores emerging Holocaust research on historical trauma, as well as current research on these topics in Native-American and African-American studies.
_________________Register: ushmm.org/trauma-symposium___________________
THE SHABBOS PROJECT, OCTOBER 23-24, 2015, 10-11 CHESHVAN, 5776
Our Cemetery Has an Entrance Road!!
Max Weissman and Boy Scout Troop 26 completed building an entrance road for the Eaton Road Jewish Cemetery this afternoon (10/10/15) as his Eagle Project. The road should now be nice and level for those that want to visit the cemetery.
Tomorrow morning, October 11 at 10am, a number of us are going to gather at the cemetery to bury old prayer books. The boys of the Troop prepared a nice area for the book burial. If you would like to participate in the book burial, please make a point to arrive at the cemetery no later than 10am.
The Aitz Chaim Ram's Horn 