Blog Archives
ROSH HASHANAH HOSPITALITY
Todah Robah to the following Congregation members who have offered their hospitality to Cantor Ruz Gulko and to provide the oneg:
- Wednesday, 09/24/2014: Airport pickup for Ruz Gulko: Aaron Weissman
- Wednesday evening, 09/24/2014: Dinner hosts for Ruz Gulko: Don and Helen Cherry
- Wednesday evening, 09/24/2014: Oneg, hosted by Ann Grobosky. Meriam Nagel will bring round Challah.
YOM KIPPUR SCHEDULE 2014
Please mark your calendars for these upcoming events.
Yom Kippur day schedule:
- Saturday, 10/04/2014, 10:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M.: Yom Kippur Morning services led by Morah Ruz Gulko at the Bethel.
- Saturday afternoon, 10/04/2014, 12:00-3:00 P.M.: Break
- Saturday afternoon, 10/04/2014, 3:00-4:00 P.M.: Discussion.
- Saturday afternoon, 10/04/2014, 4:30-5:30 P.M.: Yizkor
- Saturday afternoon, 10/04/2014, 5:30-6:15 P.M.: Neilah
- Saturday evening, 10/04/2014, 6:30 P.M.: Break the Fast Potluck, traditionally dairy (milchig.)
The address of the Bethel is 1009 18th Avenue Southwest. click here for map and directions.
INTRODUCING MORAH RUZ GULKO
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the bio sent to us by Morah (teacher) Ruz Gulko, who will lead our upcoming High Holy Day services.
RUZ (rhymes with buzz) GULKO
Ruz grew up in eastern Canada where she attended private Jewish day schools and universities in Toronto and Montreal. She has worked with most of the Jewish educational and religious institutions in the greater Seattle area since 1984, teaching Judaic Studies and Hebrew and leading prayer services, particularly at the Jewish Day School in Bellevue and at Herzl – Ner Tamid Congregation.
Ruz also trains teachers, writes curriculum, and lectures in the general community. She has led Rosh Hodesh (Jewish New Month) and Special Seder programs for women. Ruz’ passion is for exploring and sharing Torah’s radically humanistic teachings.
She started her free-lance teaching career in the fall of 2007, beginning a small school in her home –- GAN ARGAMAN (Purple Garden) – teaching all ages in all matters Jewish. Ruz is also a “chazzan-for-hire” on the local circuit, leading Shabbat services throughout the community.
She has served as the creator, organizer and Hazzanit for the participatory High Holiday services at Herzl-Ner Tamid Congregation since 1991.
Ruz loves to work with people of all ages, and believes that learning Torah and eating chocolate together could save the world.
CHAD GAD YA
Our Aitz Chaim Community Passover Seder 5774 (2014) was another rousing success. The number of participants surpassed expectations. As always, there were a few memorable impromptu moments, such as the asking of the Four Questions and the search for the Afikomen.
A special thank you to our Seder leader Aaron Weissman, who did a masterful job of guiding us through the Haggadah and the songs. Aaron has led the Seder for several years now. In order to fulfill the mitzvoth of passing on our heritage to the next generation, he says that next year there will be a few younger helpers who will volunteer (or be voluntold) to lead the Seder.
Next year, if not in Jerusalem, we plan to be again at Clark and Lewie’s. Our sincere thanks for their hospitality and expertise at preparing this symbolic meal, especially with the head count rising almost to the very hour of the Seder. After several years, they are really getting the hang of it.
Click the link below for what you may have missed, or for a reminder of the joy we shared as a community on this special night, which is different from all other nights.
Next year, wherever we are, perhaps Aaron should sing the words to an old song:
“What would you say if I sang out a tune, would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I’ll sing you a song, and I’ll try not to sing out of key.
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends. …”
And he does. Thank you, Aaron, and all the friends, old and new, who participated in our Community Seder.
Shall we take it on the road?
PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE AITZ CHAIM ANNUAL COMMUNITY SEDER 04/15/2014
EDITOR’S NOTE: The story is told of a Jew who is traveling on a ship with some merchants. They show off their merchandise and ask the Jew, “What do you have?” He taps his head and says, “Everything I own is in here.” They laugh and call him a fool.
Then a storm hits. The ship sinks and everyone is forced to swim to shore with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They reach a city, but the merchants have nothing to sell. They are forced to beg in the streets.
A few days later they see the Jew, well dressed and well fed. He drops some money in their begging cups. They say to him, “We had so much merchandise, but now we have nothing. You had nothing, but now you have so much. How can that be?”
He taps his head and says, “I told you that everything I own is in here. I have studied all my life and I have knowledge. I am working as a teacher.”
The merchants nod their heads and all agree that knowledge is the best merchandise.
Jews know what it is like to have lost everything and to have nothing, not even a home or a homeland. We have survived by holding on to our knowledge. Each time we have moved, we have brought with us our best merchandise: knowledge of our Torah, our history, our beliefs, our skills and our stories. These stories cannot be lost, stolen, or destroyed, not as long as we keep remembering them and retelling them to each new generation.
As we celebrate the second day of Pesach as a community this April 15, we will once again share our stories and beliefs as a people, and pass them on to our children. Please join us. Next year in Jerusallem! — END OF EDITOR’S NOTE
A long-standing congregation tradition, the Aitz Chaim Community Pesach Seder will be held on the second evening of Passover, on Tuesday, April 15, at the O’Haire Motor Inn meeting room at 7th Street and 1st Avenue South. We will gather at 5:15pm, the Seder service will start at 5:30pm.
The cost of this year’s meal, which will include
- matzo ball soup
- brisket with pearl onions and apricots
- honey lemon chicken
- salad
- roasted potatoes
- vegetable
- dessert
will be $27 for Adult Congregation Members and $36 for non-Members.
If there ARE any participants under 12yo let me know, and we will inquire about a child’s rate. This fee covers all of our costs for a traditional Passover Seder, including matzo, the traditional symbolic foods, kosher wine and grape juice.
Please send your reservation and payment for the meal to the congregation at 1015 1st Ave N., or via email to Laura Weiss, president@aitzchaim.com. You can also pay for your reservation through the “PayPal” link on this page. All reservations are expected to be paid before the Seder begins. We need to have a final count to the caterer by April 7. The final date when we can accept cancellations is April 10, and we will be unable to accommodate refunds if you are unable to attend and do not inform us by that date.
Submitted by Aitz Chaim Congregation President Laura Weiss
GOBBLE TOV! FROM THE GREAT FALLS TRIBUNE
EDITOR’S NOTE: The lighting of the Diane Kaplan Memorial Chanukaiah will be at 5:30 every night for eight nights, starting on Wednesday, November 27, the day before Thanksgiving.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013311200005
CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS
Please mark your calendars to remind you of these upcoming events.
- Wednesday, 11/27/2013—Thursday, 12/05/2013: Chanukkah.
- Wednesday evening, 11/27/2013, 5:30 P.M.: Erev Chanukah. Lighting 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. We will light each successive candle on each successive night of Chanukah at precisely 5:30 P.M.
- Thursday, 11/28/2013: Thanksgiving, and the first day of Chanukah. We will light the second candle at precisely 5:30 P.M.
- Sunday, 12/01/2013, 2:30 P.M.: Thanksgivukkah party at the home of Stuart and Hilary Lewin, concluding with the 5:30 lighting of the fifth candle of the Diane Kaplan Memorial Channukiah at the Civic Center.
- Monday, 12/02/2013, 12:00 noon: MAJCO Candle lighting at the State Capitol in Helena.
MAX’S BAR MITZVAH IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!
Can you believe it has been over 2 years since Sarah’s bat mitzvah? Max’s bar mitzvah is just around the corner – December 28th, 2013. You should have received your invitation in the mail by now. If not, please call or e-mail Wendy (wendy@weissman.com or 727-4098). We will need to know what events you are coming to so that we can give counts to the caterers.
As his community service project, Max will be collecting canned food and making baskets out of them to use as table decorations at the luncheon for his bar mitzvah. After the lunch, the baskets will be donated to the East Middle School food pantry.
We are asking, if you are able and willing, to donate food and/or baskets, bows, ribbon and wrapping. We also will need help assembling the baskets. Assembly will be at the Washington School at 4 PM on Monday, December 23rd. Please call or e-mail Wendy (wendy@weissman.com or 727-4098) to donate items or to help. We will be serving pizza during the assembly of the baskets so please let me know if you are coming so that we have enough food.
We look forward to seeing you all at the bar mitzvah!
In the meantime, Happy Hanukkah!
Wendy
MAY YOU HAVE AN EASY FAST!
May You Have an Easy Fast!
Aitz Chaim Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur Schedule
As we draw to an end of the Days of Awe, we prepare for Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur. We hope to see you at our services, which will all be at the Bethel, 1009 18th Ave SW, led by Student Rabbi Bess Wohlner
Kol Nidre services will begin at 7pm on 9/13/13 at the Bethel, 1009 18th Ave SW, led by Student Rabbi Bess Wohlner. Sarah Weissman will be our cantorial soloist for the Kol Nidre.
• Yom Kippur morning services will begin at 10 am on 9/14/13 at the Bethel, 1009 18th Ave SW, led by Student Rabbi Bess Wohlner.
• A discussion on Yom Kippur will be held at 3pm.
• Yizkor service will begin at 4:30pm
• Ne’ila service will begin at 5:30 pm
• A community potluck (milchig) break the fast meal will follow the conclusion of Ne’ila services. Please contact Helen Cherry to sign up for the potluck.
Mark your Calendars for Upcoming Services and Events…
- MAJCO Shabbaton, October 4-6 at Congregation Har Shalom in Missoula
- Aitz Chaim Services for October, 2013: Weekend of October 11-13, led by Student Rabbi Bess Wohlner
- Chanukah: 11/27 – 12/5. Watch your email and aitzchaim.com for more information!
- Bar Mitzvah of Max Weissman, Saturday, December 28. Contact Aaron and Wendy Weissman for more information.
The Aitz Chaim Ram's Horn 