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WHAT IS MAJCO?

What Is MAJCo?

The Montana Association of Jewish Communities (MAJCo) is an umbrella organization that includes representation from Jewish communities across the length and breadth of the great state of Montana. Membership in MAJCo is open to any Jewish community, whatever the “stream,” within Montana.
(Acceptance by the current communities is required.)

Small Jewish communities in rural areas do not exist in a vacuum. Almost three decades ago, the Jewish communities throughout the state created MAJCo, an association of all the organized Montana Jewish
communities. Through MAJCo, we keep in touch and have created a community throughout this great big beautiful state.
The Jewish communities in the Big Sky currently include:

  • Congregation Beth Aaron, Billings
  • Chabad Lubavitch of Montana, Bozeman
  • Congregation Beth Shalom, Bozeman
  • Congregation B’nai Israel, Butte
  • Congregation Aitz Chaim, Great Falls
  • Helena Jewish Community, Helena
  • Glacier Jewish Community/B’nai Shalom, Kalispell-Whitefish
  • Chabad Lubavitch of Missoula, Missoula
  • Congregation Har Shalom, Missoula

Anyone wishing to be on the MAJCo email list may contact Brian Schnitzer at bschnitzer3@msn.com.

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THESE UPCOMING EVENTS

Please mark your calendars for these upcoming events.

  • Saturday-Sunday, 12/24-25/2016, 24-25 Kislev, 5777: Christmas at the Mercy Home. Please see separate article in Ram’s Horn.
  • Saturday, 12/24/2016—Saturday, 01/01/2017, 24 Kislev — 3 Tevet, 5777: Chanukkah.
  • Saturday, 12/24/2016, 24 Kislev, 5777, 5:30 P.M.: Erev Chanukah. We will light the first candle of the Diane Kaplan Memorial Chanukkiah at the Civic Center. If you come at 5:30.30, you’ll probably miss it, especially if it is cold.
  • Sunday, 12/25/2016, 25 Kislev, 5777: First day of Chanukah. We will light the second candle at the Civic Center at precisely 5:30 P.M.
  • Monday, 12/26/2016, 26 Kislev, 5777: Second day of Chanukah. We will light the third candle at the Civic Center at precisely 5:30 P.M.
  • Tuesday, 12/27/2016, 27 Kislev, 5777: Third day of Chanukah. We will light the fourth candle at the Civic Center at precisely 5:30 P.M.
  • Wednesday, 12/28/2016, 28 Kislev, 5777, 12:00 P.M.: Menorah lighting at the Montana State Capitol in Helena, followed by a MAJCo meeting at 1:00 P.M.
  • Wednesday, 12/28/2016, 28 Kislev, 5777: Fourth day of chanukah. We will light the fifth candle at the Civic Center at precisely 5:30 P.M.
  • Thursday, 12/29/2016, 29 Kislev, 5777: Fifth day of Chanukah. We will light the sixth candle at the Civic Center at precisely 5:30 P.M.
  • Friday, 12/30/2016, 1 Tevet, 5777: Sixtht day of Chanukah. We will light the seventh candle at the Civic Center at precisely 5:30 P.m. From there we will go to the home of Jerry and Nadyne Weissman, 2777 Green Briar Drive, for the annual community Chanukah party. Please bring a milchig (dairy) dish to share, and a hearty appetite for latkes and Sufganiyot.
  • Saturday, 12/31/2016, 2 Tevet, 5777: Seventh day of Chanukah. We will light the eighth candle at the Civic Center at precisely 5:30 P.m.
  • Sunday, 01/01/2017, 3 Tevet, 5777: Eighth day of Chanukah.

SAVE THE DATE!

Please mark your calendars for these upcoming events. We will share more information as it becomes available.

Saturday, April 23, 2016, 5:30 P.M.: Aitz Chaim Community Passover Seder at Clark and Lewie’s.

May 6-8, 2016: Week end with Rabbi Ruz Gulko, place TBA.

RABINICAL STUDENTS COMING TO GREAT FALLS TONIGHT

CHABAD-LUBAVITCH OF MONTANA INVITES YOU TO…
PLEASE JOIN ELI & BEREL, THE VISITING YESHIVA STUDENTS, WHO WILL ATTEND THE GRAND MENORAH LIGHTING @ THE CIVIC CENTER
TONIGHT DEC. 10, 5:30 PM
SUFGANIYOT FROM NEW YORK WILL BE SERVED

UPDATE: The road conditions for these young men were just too great to overcome. After the meetings and funeral in Helena, Nadyne, Aaron and Jerry returned in time to assist in lighting the Menorah in front of the Civic Center. We gave out the Sufganiyot from Brooklyn and they were enjoyed. The final box of these sugared jelly filled fried pastries were taken to Paris Gibson Square and given to them for their art opening on Thursday evening by Mimi and Gary Wolf.

Again thanks to Lubavitch Montana for providing.

ARE YOU COMING TO NADYNE AND JERRY WEISSMAN’S TO COOK AND EAT LATKES?

That’s the place to be Sunday evening after the lighting of the first candle of the Diane Kaplan Memorial Chanukkiah at the Great Falls Civic Center at precisely 5:30 P.M. Who knows, maybe one of the following 17 latke recipes from the Los Angeles Times will be served there, and become the new Aitz Chaim Congregation favorite.

http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-17-latke-recipes-hanukkah-20151203-story.html

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THESE UPCOMING EVENTS

Please mark your calendars to remind you of these upcoming events.

  • Monday, 12/07/2015—Monday, 12/14/2015: Chanukkah.
  • Sunday, 12/06/2015, 5:30 P.M.: Erev Chanukah. We will light the first candle of the Diane Kaplan Memorial Chanukkiah at the Civic Center. If you come at 5:30.30, you’ll probably miss it, especially if it is cold. From there we will go to the home of Jerry and Nadyne Weissman, 2777 Greenbriar Drive, for the annual community Chanukah party. Please bring a milchig (dairy) dish to share, and a hearty appetite for latkes and Sufganiyot. Please see separate article in Ram’s Horn.
  • Monday, 12/07/2015: First day of Chanukah. We will light the second candle at the Civic Center at precisely 5:30 P.M.
  • Tuesday, 12/08/2015: Second day of Chanukah. We will light the third candle at the Civic Center at precisely 5:30 P.M.
  • Wednesday, 12/09/2015: Third day of Chanukah. We will light the fourth candle at the Civic Center at precisely 5:30 P.M.
  • Thursday, 12/10/2015: Fourth day of chanukah. We will light the fifth candle at the Civic Center at precisely 5:30 P.M.
  • Thursday, 12/10/2015, 12:00 P.M.: Annual MAJCO Chanukiah lighting at the Capitol Rotunda in Helena. Please see separate article in Ram’s Horn.
  • Friday, 12/11/2015, Fifth day of Chanukah. We will light the sixth candle at the Civic Center at precisely 5:30 P.M.
  • Saturday, 12/12/2015: Sixtht day of Chanukah. We will light the seventh candle at the Civic Center at precisely 5:30 P.m.
  • Saturday, 12/12/2015, 4:00 P.M.: Helena Community Chanukah potluck and celebration. Please see separate article in Ram’s Horn.
  • Sunday, 12/13/2015: Seventh day of Chanukah. We will light the eight candle at the Civic Center at precisely 5:30 P.m.
  • Monday, 12/14/2015: Eighth day of Chanukah.
  • Thursday/Friday, 12/24-25/2015: Christmas at the Mercy Home. Please see separate article in Ram’s Horn.

COMMUNITY CHANUKAH PARTY DECEMBER 6, 2015

With many, many thanks to Jerry and Nadyne Weissman, the Aitz Chaim Chanukah party will be on the evening of Sunday, December 6, 2015. We will all gather at the Diane Kaplan Memorial Chanukiah at the Civic Center at 5:30pm, light the menorah, and then caravan to 2777 Green Briar Drive for an evening of latkes, sufganiyot and conversation.

Sound like fun?

Something to be aware of: the Great Falls symphony Association’s Holiday Concert begins at 3:00 P.M. and should be concluding about 5:30 P.M., so parking will be at a premium, and we may have an audience.

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING FUN TO DO THE SECOND WEEK END IN OCTOBER?

NJCOS-Logo-CircleRWhy not come to the Eaton Road Cemetery October 10-11 around ten A.M. and help Max Weissman with his Eagle Scout project, graveling about 200 feet of the road to the old cemetery? This will be a monumental project. We want to get this done before the snow flies, or at least before the frost freezes the ground too hard.

We will also need to mow and weed the area so that the road can be properly leveled. Anyone with a mower or a weed whacker or a burning desire to run one would be most welcome to help with this project.

Another way to help is to donate towards the purchase of the gravel, which will be approximately $700.00.

We also have several old Siddurim that we no longer use that we could bury during the project. If you have anything else that you would like to bury properly, bring it with you or let us know. We will aim to do this on Sunday the 11th.

Another option for helping with this project is to provide food or drink for those doing the work.

There are two cemeteries in the Great Falls area where Jews are buried, one older than the other. The staff of Mount Olivet Cemetery has the responsibility of taking perpetual care of the graves of the persons, including the Jews, who are buried there. The Aitz Chaim Community takes responsibility for the perpetual care of the graves of the Jews buried in the Eaton Road Cemetery.

We will let you know more as the plans for this project become finalized. Thank you in advance for your help.

YOM KIPPUR 2015 HOSPITALITY

Todah Robah to the following Congregation members who have offered their hospitality to Rabbi Ruz Gulko:

  • Tuesday, 09/22/2015: Airport pickup for Rabbi Ruz Gulko: Marty foxman
  • Tuesday, 09/22/2015: Dinner hosts for Rabbi Ruz Gulko: Don and Helen Cherry

YOM KIPPUR SCHEDULE 2015

Please mark your calendars for these upcoming events.

Kol Nidre

Tuesday evening, 09/22/2015, 7:00 P.M.: Kol Nidre, led by Rabbi Ruz Gulko, at the YWCA.

Yom Kippur day schedule

  • Wednesday, 09/23/2015, 10:00 A.M.: Yom Kippur Morning services, led by Rabbi Ruz Gulko at the YWCA, followed by a break.
  • Wednesday afternoon, 09/23/2015, 3:00 P.M.: Discussion.
  • Wednesday afternoon, 09/23/2015, After Discussion: Prepare the room for Break The Fast — set up tables, etc.
  • Wednesday afternoon, 09/23/2015, 5:00 P.M.: Yizkor
  • Wednesday afternoon, 09/23/2015, 5:30-6:15 P.M.: Neilah
  • Wednesday evening, 09/23/2015, 6:30 P.M.: Break the Fast Potluck, traditionally dairy (milchig.)
  • The space at the Bethel is temporarily unavailable due to site renovation. The address of the YWCA is 220 Second Street North.

    As is Aitz Chaim tradition, and since we are fasting, please pay it forward and bring nonperishable food items to Yom Kippur services for the Great Falls Food Bank. Helen will collect and distribute the food items. Thank you, everyone.

    Helen also has the sign-up sheet for what to bring for Break
    The Fast. You may contact her at 727-2572 or helen@aitzchaim.com or bring something without signing up. We have enough fruit/vegetables/drinks; we need salads, hot dishes, or dessert. We could also use bread/bagels/chips with spreads. This is a traditionally Milchig (dairy) meal. Thank you in advance for all you do for the Aitz Chaim community.