the Shofar Rabbi Novak

Transcription

1 the Shofar 14 Kislev Tevet 5770/December 2009 Inside this issue: From the Rabbi 1 Food Cupboard 2 President s Perspective 3 Tikkun Olam 4 Religious School 4 Booknotes 4 Calendar 5 Ma aser Sheni 6 Advertisements 7 Chanukah Guide 8 Our Chanukah Dedication Rabbi Novak C hanukah is not just eight days it is every day. The word ʺchanukahʺ is part of the superscription to Psalm 30, ʺA Psalm of David, a song for the dedication of the Temple.ʺ Psalm 30 is part of daily worship throughout the year. In beginning our prayers each day we rededicate ourselves and our sanctuaries to our relationship with God. In these prayers we ask that God continue to be present to us, to be, in a word, ʺDedicated to hearing our voice, listening to our plea, feeling present. This is not any different from the feeling of those on the ground during the reconsecration of the Temple at the time of the Hasmoneans. In feeling oppressed by outside forces, the people wanted to know that God did, in fact hear them and respond to them. Whether it was God making the miracle or the peopleʹs dedication to God and the Jewish people that brought about the miracle of Chanukah, we are reminded in their voices and in their actions that we, too, struggle to make our voices heard by God, and, in turn, experience Godʹs response. There is another aspect of Chanukah that is particularly appealing to moderns: the expansion of light at a time (in the Northern Hempishere) when natural light is most limited. For eight consecutive nights, we light our chanukiyah, expanding the brightness cast. In this light we see ourselves, we remind ourselves of the dedication of our ancestors and revel that like those who came before us, we are here to celebrate miracles both ancient and modern. If you would like to be one of the people to light our community chanukiyah out on Israel Congregation s front lawn, please call me or the synagogue office. Each of us brings light to the community the ICM community, the Manchester and Southern Vermont community, and the greater world. Chag Urim Sameach (Happy holiday of lights!) Chanukah Celebration And New Member Shabbat C ome one, come all as ICM celebrates Chanukah together on Friday evening, December 11. Our service will be especially exciting as the community, on behalf of the Board and members, welcomes our new members. Joining us will be the Shalom Rav Singers who will again bring Chanukah music to our ears and hearts, including Ocho Kandelikas, a beautiful Chanukah song in Ladino, the Spanish language of the Jewish People. After worship concludes we will all proceed to the social hall and light our chanukiot (menorahs). Our dinner that evening will feature wonderful foods of Chanukah including potato latkes and jelly donuts. Each table will have a set up for playing dreidel. Mark December 11th on your calendar and join us for this most special evening.

2 Page 2 srael Congregation has about 230 I member families of diverse Jewish backgrounds, both full time and part time residents of southern Vermont. We provide weekly Shabbat and holiday services, a religious school, adult education, life cycle events, and cultural and social programming in a warm and welcoming environment. An integral part of Jewish life in the Northshire for more than 70 years, Israel Congregation has been at its current location on Rte 7A, 1.2 miles north of Rte 11/30, since Our building is ADA accessible. David Novak, Rabbi Michael Cohen, Rabbi Emeritus Karen Dreiblatt, Administrator Board of Directors Morton Bunis, President John Sobel, Vice President Arnold Katz, Vice President Stan Lisman, Treasurer Merrily Lewis, Corresponding Secretary Cathy Kimmel, Recording Secretary Marlene Skulnik, Immediate Past President Directors: Mark Aronowitz, Mindy Bloom, Barry Brown, Sandy Castelbaum, Ed Glazer, Sandra Koffman, Georgette Levis, Gary Marmer, Jodi Stark, Rob Zeif Shofar Editorial Board: Doris Bass, Karen Dreiblatt, Marlene Skulnik, Laurie Sullivan, Cheryl Ullman Kabbalat Shabbat Service: 6:30 pm, Friday (followed by Congregational Dinner) Shabbat Service: 9:30 am, Saturday Religious School: 3:50 pm to 6:15 pm, Wednesday Office Hours: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday Thursday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Friday Telephone: office@icmvt.org Website: P.O. Box 1050 Manchester Ctr. VT Rabbi's Schedule 14 Kislev Tevet 5770/December 2009 ICM Scholarship for High School Seniors B ound for college? The Marilyn Glatt Lingley Endowment Fund offers scholarships toward funding for books and other necessities to help with your first year expenses. Applications are available in the office and are due back to us by April 15. Call Karen at for your application now. Community Food Cupboard December Wish List T he two things every holiday meal has in common are leftovers and dirty dishes. These items will help everyone have a happy holiday! Aluminum Foil, Plastic Wrap, Food Storage Bags & Containers, Sponges, Dish Detergent. If you have any old yarn gathering dust around your home and want to help the clients at the Community Food Cupboard this winter.pick up your needles and knit someone a scarf! Any size, any color, any pattern for man, woman or child. Just drop it off at the synagogue office and we will get it to the Food Cupboard for distribution. This will make you feel good, keep someone warm and clear out your yarn stashes. any congregants have asked to visit with me and I welcome M this. You can always make an appointment with me through the synagogue or through calling my cell phone at is also a terrific way to be in touch with me: rabbi@icmvt.org. Finally if you drive by the synagogue and see my car in the driveway you should feel free to stop in. If I am available I will be more than happy to talk with you. Of course in case of emergency please contact me at any time. Happy 95th Birthday Clara Koffman December 26

3 14 Kislev Tevet 5770/December 2009 President s Perspective R ecent ICM activities sponsored by the Library Committee have sought to imbue us with a sense of the Yiddish language, its spirit, its face and its sound. I felt that a bit of the history of its origins might help us more fully understand what it was and what it has come to be. Yiddish was, at one time, the international language of Ashkenazi Jews, (the Jews of Central and Eastern Europe). A hybrid of Hebrew and medieval German, Yiddish takes about three quarters of its vocabulary from German but borrows words liberally from Hebrew and the many other languages from the lands where Ashkenazi Jews have lived. It has a grammatical structure all its own and is written in an alphabet based on Hebrew characters. Yiddish was never part of Sephardic culture, (the culture of the Jews of Spain, Portugal, the Balkans, North Africa and the Middle East). They had their own international language known as Ladino or Judesmo, which is a hybrid of medieval Spanish and Hebrew in much the same way that Yiddish combined German and Hebrew. At its height less than a century ago, Yiddish was understood by 11 million of the world s 18 million Jews and many of them spoke it as their primary language. Today, less than a quarter of a million people in the United States speak Yiddish with about half of them in New York. It is generally believed that Yiddish became a language of its own somewhere between 900 and 1100CE, the uncertainty stemming from the fact that in its early days, Yiddish was primarily a spoken language. It is believed that written Yiddish was first formulated by the writing of words of the local language in Hebrew characters just as Americans today transliterate in their prayer books by writing Hebrew in Roman letters. Yiddish is referred to as Mama Loshn which means mother tongue. Although it is not clear whether this was a term of affection or derision, Mama Loshn was the language of women and children, to be contrasted with Loshn Koydesh, the holy tongue of Hebrew that was studied only by men. It should be noted that most gentile women and many gentile men of that time could not read or write at all, while most Jewish women could at least read and write Yiddish. Indeed, Page 3 there is evidence of the publication of a Yiddish siddur intended for use by women. The Yiddish language thrived for many centuries and grew farther away from German, developing its own unique rules and pronunciations and creating a rich vocabulary of terms for the human condition, expressing our strengths and frailties, our hopes and fears and longings. Many of these words have found their way into English where there is no English word that can convey the depth and precision of meaning that the Yiddish word can. Yiddish is a language full of humor and irony, expressing subtle distinctions of human character that other cultures barely recognize, let alone put into words. What other language distinguishes between a shlimiel, (a person who suffers due to his own choices or actions), a shlimazl, (a person who suffers through no fault of his own), and a nebech, (a person who suffers because he makes other people s problems his own). An old parable explains the distinction: a shlimiel spills his soup, it falls on the shlimazl, and the nebech cleans up the mess. As Jews became assimilated into the local culture, particularly in Germany in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Yiddish language was criticized as a barbarous, mutilated, ghetto jargon that was viewed by many as a barrier to Jewish participation in German society and would have to be abandoned if Jews hoped for acceptance by their non Jewish neighbors. At the same time that German Jews were rejecting the language, Yiddish was maturing with the development of writers, actors, and composers whose efforts would help to create a rich body of Yiddish literature, theater and music which would continue to thrive into the twentieth century. Our efforts this year at ICM to involve ourselves in the joys and wonders of Yiddish will culminate in a trip that is planned for the Spring to the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Mass. I invite you all to watch for the announcement of the date and to mark your calendars to attend. Ich vuntsch eich allemen meine hertzlichste griessen fahr a lichtigen un gebentschten yontiff. Zeit gezunt un shtark, shpiel dreidel un ess latkes. FREILICHEN CHANUKA. I wish you all my heartfelt greetings for a bright and blessed holiday. Be well and strong, play dreydl and eat latkes. HAPPY CHANUKAH. Morty Bunis

4 Page 4 14 Kislev Tevet 5770/December 2009 Tikkun Olam Update O ur Second Annual Tag Sale was a huge success and it persuaded us to do it again next year. Once again, the sale will take place at the end of summer; mark your calendars now for August 22. So save your collectibles and other goodies and, if any of your friends are cleaning house, see what you can save from their goody pile. In the meantime, we made more money than last year at the Tag Sale and that s the good news. However, the overall budget that we have to work with is smaller this year because we did not have a raffle that s the bad news. Whether or not to hold a raffle is obviously an important item to be discussed in upcoming Tikkun Olam meetings. Irrespective of the amount of TOC s budget, we thanked the community for participating in our efforts to raise money for various charitable causes. A very heartfelt thank you letter to the Manchester community, from Israel Congregation s President, Morty Bunis, was published twice in the weekly papers. Thank you Manchester! We ve already started distributing our available funds. Two thousand dollars was given to the Rabbi s Discretionary Fund and $150 was sent to the Summer Lunch Program of the Interfaith Council of the Northshire. $150 is the amount that we raised by selling hot dogs, hamburgers, water and other items on the day of the Tag Sale. It will go towards the expenses of next summer s program for children. Micki Lisman BOOKNOTES ICM Reads Continues I CM Reads is a series of three programs sponsored by the library, revolving around the book Outwitting History by Aaron Lansky, founder of the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Mass. Program One was a gala, centered around a discussion of the book, but also featuring food, music and stories. Program Two featured the movie Tevya, in Yiddish with English subtitles, as well as traditional treats such as authentic egg creams and babka cake. Religious School Celebrates Family Shabbat And Chanukah E ach December Israel Congregation celebrates our winter holiday: Chanukah. This year we will first celebrate our monthly Family Shabbat on Friday, December 6 with our family friendly prayer book and the special guest music of Gary Marmer! We are excited about having Gary join us again and hope that you will all come and sing along to make our Shabbat especially exciting. Our annual Chanukah celebration is on Friday, December 11. During the Friday evening service we will be joined by the Shalom Rav Singers. We will also all light our chanukiyot after services in the social hall. The eveningʹs meal will include special Chanukah delicacies including potato latkes and jelly donuts. Each table will be outfitted for dreidel playing with M&Mʹs as the currency. It is sure to be a special evening. School meets for its regular sessions on December 2, 9, and 16. Bʹnai mitzvah training will also continue through December with classes scheduled for all on December 9 and 16. School vacation means that Religious School will take its annual winter break for the last two weeks of December. We will resume meeting on our regular schedule on Wednesday, January 6 at 3:50 p.m. Parents, please remember to ask your children about their Religious School homework to make sure it is done from week to week. This will greatly help with the amount of material that is learned. The entire faculty and staff of the Religious School wishes you a happy Chanukah and a wonderful (secular) new year. Rabbi Novak Program Three will feature a trip to the National Yiddish Book Center. The exact date and arrangements will be announced shortly. Please watch the Shofar and your for further announcements. If you haven t read the book yet, stop by the Israel Congregation library to pick up a copy. Stan Reisman For the Library Committee

5 14 Kislev Tevet 5770/December 2009 Page 5 Sponsor a Shabbat Dinner e encourage members to W support our communal Shabbat Dinner by sponsoring a dinner in honor of a life cycle event, achievement, anniversary, birthday, or for any other simcha. The cost to sponsor a dinner is $180, which covers the food, serving, and clean up expenses regularly provided by the synagogue. Attendees are still expected to augment the meal by bringing a potluck dish. Please contact Karen in our office for more information. A Shabbat Dinner FAQ Sheet is available. Chanukah Supplies Look to ICM for your (basic) Chanukah supplies. We have candles and dreidels that you can purchase. Candles are $1 a box and the dreidels are 25 cents each. Available in the ICM office to brighten your Chanukah. Afternoon of Music S unday, December 6 brings an afternoon of music with the Michael Rudiakov Music Academy. Students of violin and cello will gather for a 3 pm performance at Israel Congregation. All are invited to this free recital by students ranging in age from child through adult. Come for a delightful afternoon and support emerging artists. Dec. 1 Dec. 2 Dec. 4 Dec. 5 Dec. 6 Dec. 9 December Calendar Of Events 7:00 pm Women in the Bible: Rebecca. The story of Isaacʹs Wife and the Mother of Esau & Jacob 3:50 pm Religious School 6:30 pm Family Shabbat with Gary Marmer 9:30 am Shabbat Worship, Parashat Vayishlach 11:00 am Modern Conversational Hebrew with Yuval Sela 3:50 pm Religious School 5:00 pm B nai Mitzvah Class Dec. 11 4:00 pm Chanukah Begins at Sundown 6:30 pm New Member Shabbat & Chanukah Celebration Sponsored by the Board of Directors Dec. 12 9:30 am Shabbat Worship, Parashat Vayeshev Dec :00 am Modern Conversational Hebrew with Yuval Sela Dec. 15 7:00 pm Women in the Bible: Tamar and Other Tricksters Dec. 16 3:50 pm Religious School Our Torah Reader will be Sandy Castelbaum Our Torah Reader will be Morty Bunis 5:00 pm B nai Mitzvah Class Dec. 18 4:00 pm Last Night of Chanukah 6:30 pm Friday Evening Shabbat Worship Sponsored by Janet Kleinberg & Harvey Flaxman In Honor of Harvey s Birthday Dec. 19 9:30 am Shabbat Worship, Parashat Miketz Our Torah Reader will be Mindy Bloom Dec :00 am Modern Conversational Hebrew with Yuval Sela Dec. 25 6:30 pm Friday Evening Shabbat Worship Dec. 26 9:30 am Shabbat Worship, Parashat Vayigash Our Torah Reader will be John Sobel Jan. 1 6:30 pm Friday Evening Shabbat Worship Sponsored by Cheryl Ullman in memory of Peter Jannke Got Naches? Share the joy and send your announcements to Karen at office@icmvt.org by the 15th of every month for inclusion in the Shofar. Let us kvell with you!

6 Page 8 14 Kislev Tevet 5770/December 2009 Ma aser Sheni T he Torah required three tithes of the Israelites. The first, Ma asher Rishon, was given to the Temple priests. The second, Ma aser Sheni, supported the general community, benefiting both giver and receiver. The third, Ma aser Shlishi, provided funds for the poor. Our congregants participate in the mitzvah of Ma aser Sheni by contributing to funds that benefit the synagogue and its members. GENERAL FUND Maddie & John Sobel in memory of Bruce Wasserstein Marjorie & Michael Weiss in memory of Michael s beloved father Jarvis Weiss Laney & Larry Davis in memory of Paul Gottlieb Arnold Gussin Susan Cole in memory of her father Daniel Cole Theodor H. Friedman in memory of Frances Friedman Norman & Paul Waters Marion & Justin Mueller Irene & Ed Glazer in memory of Bob Taylor Tibby & A.D. Ross in memory of Harry J. Rosenblum RABBI S DISCRETIONARY FUND Mindy & Allan Bloom Susan Cole Ina & Al Rubin in memory of Max Rubin and Herbert Cohen Carol & Philip Goldsmith in memory of Bruce Wasserstein Paula & Harvey Alpart in memory of Lillian Hoffman Sandy & Marty Castlebaum in memory of Bruce Wasserstein and Bob Taylor Marion & Justin Mueller Jessie & Rob Meyer Phyllis & Arthur Angstreich Minnie & David Neuwirth in memory of Fanny Ptaszek, Robert Ptaszek and Benny Ptaszek SHABBAT DINNER FUND Marion & Justin Mueller TIKKUN OLAM Merrily & Frank Lewis in memory of Bruce Wasserstein MARILYN GLATT LINGLEY FUND Rosalind Compain in memory of Bob Taylor MICKI & BOB HOROWITZ CHILDREN S EDUCATION FUND John Sobel in honor of the birthdays of Maddie Sobel, Franci Carieri and Michael Dreiblatt Marion & Justin Mueller Ellen & Jerry Alpart in memory of Ellen s beloved mother Jessie Dubow Micki & Bob Horowitz in memory of Bruce Wasserstein and Cameron Greenberg HIGH HOLIDAY APPEAL Loree & Rob Zeif Karen & Michael Dreiblatt Tibby & A.D. Ross Lynne & Leslie Abcug Carol & Philip Goldsmith Eleanor & Ted Ranzal Gail & George Glanzberg Roberta Forman Carole & Dick Tannen Jessie & Rob Meyer Sallyann Wekstein Rosalie & Lee Fox Richard Mazer Phyllis & Arthur Angstreich Nancy Horowitz *Please note that donations received after November 15 will be listed in the next Shofar. Special Thanks Ruth Rosenfeld and Elaine Ross for eight years of dedicated service as Israel Congregation of Manchester s representatives on the Board of Directors for the Community Food Cupboard Bryna Finer, Judy Hirschberg and Rabbi Novak for their commitment to serve as our new representatives on the Board of Directors of the Community Food Cupboard.

7 14 Kislev Tevet 5770/December 2009 Page 7 A dvertising pays! Our newsletter goes to more than 300 households in eight states. You can place ads of any size, from business cards to whole pages. For rates, contact Karen at The Tree of Life on the wall in our Social Hall is adorned with leaves that commemorate events in the lives of our congregants. To inscribe your family event or Simcha call Karen in the synagogue office at Advertising Pays ~ Call For Our Unbeatable Rates

8 The Complete Chanukah Guide (Everything You Need To Know For A Festive Holiday) Lighting the Menorah P erhaps the most recognizable symbol of Chanukah is the menorah. While all of us know that we light one candle for each of the eight days of Chanukah, there is often confusion about how to go about lighting the candles. We add one candle each night, but which candle gets lit first? On the first night of Chanukah, place one candle in the far right of your menorah. On the following night, add one candle to the left of the first one, and then add one candle each night, moving from right to left. Each night, light the shamash (helper candle) and recite the following blessings: Ba ruch A tah Ado nai E lo he nu Me lech ha olam a sher kide sha nu be mitz vo tav ve tzi va nu le had lik ner Chanukah. Ba ruch A tah Ado nai E lo hei nu Me lech ha olam she a sa ni sim la avo te nu ba ya mim ha hem bi zʹman ha zeh. [Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light. Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days, at this time.] On the first night of Chanukah, Friday afternoon, December 11, add the following blessing: Ba ruch A tah Ado nai E lo he nu Me lech ha olam she hecheya nu ve ki yi ma nu ve higi a nu liz man ha zeh. [Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.] Now light the candles, lighting the newest (leftmost) candle first each night. Place the shamash in its place of Maoz Tzur Maoz tzur yʹshuati lʹcha naeh lʹshabeach Tikon beit tʹfilati vʹsham todah nʹzabeach. Lʹeit tachin matbeach mitzar hamnabeach Az egmor bʹshir mizmor chanukat hamizbeach. Now in English: Rock of Ages let our song, Praise thy saving power; Thou amidst the raging foes, Wast our sheltʹrng tower. Furious they assailed us, But Thine arm availed us, And Thy word broke their sword, When our own strength failed us. honor and enjoy the glow of the light. While the candles burn, sing traditional Chanukah songs such as Maoz Tzor or Dreidel Dreidel. Then feast on traditional Chanukah delicacies such as latkes and sufganiot (jelly donuts). The Perfect Latke ant a latke that is light and delicious? Make sure your W oil is really hot and the potatoes will absorb less oil, making your latkes a delicate treat. To keep your shredded potatoes white, rinse under cold water before combining with the other ingredients. The Recipe: 2 cups peeled & shredded potatoes 1 tablespoon grated onion 3 eggs beaten 2 tablespoons flour 1.5 teaspoons salt.5 cup oil 1. Place the potatoes in a cheesecloth and wring, extracting as much moisture as possible. 2. In a medium bowl stir the potatoes, onion, eggs, flour and salt together. 3. In a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat, heat the oil until hot. Place large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them to form 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick patties. Brown on one side, turn and brown on the other. Let drain on paper towels. Serve hot! The Dreidel Game n the four sides of the dreidel appear four letters,(ג ( gimmel ), נ ( alphabet nun O from the Hebrew hey (,(ה and shin.(ש) These four letters are an acronym for ʺnes gadol hayah shamʺ ʺa great miracle happened there,ʺ reminding us of the miracle of Chanukah. To play dreidel, gather pennies, M&M s, nuts or some other item to act as tokens. Each person starts with the same number of tokens and the game starts with everyone putting one token into the pot in the middle of the play area. Take turns spinning the dreidel, using the following guide: Nun the player gets nothing Gimmel the player takes all of the tokens from the pot Hey the player takes half of the tokens from the pot Shin the player puts another token in the pot