HAMIGDALOR CONGREGATION AM HAYAM Market Street, Unit C, Ventura, Ca Phone (805) Fax (805) Website:

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1 HAMIGDALOR CONGREGATION AM HAYAM 4839 Market Street, Unit C, Ventura, Ca. 93003 Phone (805) 644-2899 Fax (805) 644-2887 Website: www.amhayam.

religious freedom. It was a victory of the few over the many, the weak over the powerful.

Pearl Harbor Day will receive special notice this year as we mark the 75 th anniversary of the Battle of Pearl Harbor, in which 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded.

This, too, became a case of the few against the many, and the weak against the mighty. In 1936 Germany and Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact, joined by Italy the following year.

When Rome-Berlin Axis became a military alliance in 1939, it was called the Pact of Steel, and when the three powers signed the Tripartite Pact (1940), many felt them unstoppable.

1 1 HAMIGDALOR CONGREGATION AM HAYAM 4839 Market Street, Unit C, Ventura, Ca Phone (805) Fax (805) Website: From The Rabbi s Study December 2016 Some Days Will Live in Infamy This month we celebrate Chanukah, when we commemorate the very first battle in history that was waged for the principle of religious freedom. It was a victory of the few over the many, the weak over the powerful. This year, however, the joy of the holiday will come in sharper relief, coming just two weeks after we mark National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, popularly known as Pearl Harbor Day. Pearl Harbor Day will receive special notice this year as we mark the 75 th anniversary of the Battle of Pearl Harbor, in which 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded. The attack led to our country s entrance into World War II, as President Roosevelt declared war on December 8, famously asserting that the date of the attack will be a date that will live in infamy. This, too, became a case of the few against the many, and the weak against the mighty. In 1936 Germany and Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact, joined by Italy the following year. Italy and Germany were already treaty partners. When Rome-Berlin Axis became a military alliance in 1939, it was called the Pact of Steel, and when the three powers signed the Tripartite Pact (1940), many felt them unstoppable. Germany s succession of victories over much of Europe in the first year of World War II seemed to confirm such fears. We can be grateful that the greatest generation rose to the occasion as the Maccabees of yore. In both cases, the menace to Jewish and Western cultures, respectively, was not recognized early enough by most. Many Jews only saw the advantages of Hellenism, while most Americans were firmly entrenched in a noninterventionist mood. In both cases, only dramatic events the sudden oppression of Antiochus IV and the sudden attack on Pearl Harbor led to a change. continued

2 In both cases, there was civil strife. Jews not only argued the merits of Hellenism, but some actively supported the Syrian Greeks. In the United States, active pro-fascist forces were strong, even after the failed Business Plot of 1934 to try to execute a coup d etat of the US Government. Such groups as the American Liberty League, the German-American Bund (they held a major rally in Madison Square Garden in 1939), the American Legion (remember when Mussolini spoke almost yearly at its annual convention), the Christian Front (remember Father Charles Coughlin), the Silver Shirts (under William Dudley Pelley, a presidential candidate in 1936), the Khaki Shirt (under Major L.I. Powell), the America First Party (under Gerald L.K. Smith), the National Blue Star Mothers of Pennsylvania (under Agnes Waters), and others. While President Roosevelt seemingly ignored the proto-fascist forces in this country, who were out to get him in great part because he was considered a Jew-lover, he did give Executive Order 9066, paving the way for the incarceration of more than 110,000 Americans of Japanese descent. In both cases, military battles could not and did not get to the root of the more essential problem. For us Jews, how to manage living in a free society, how to live both in Jewish and American cultures simultaneously, and how to live with multiple identities are all vital issues that render Chanukah eternally relevant. In the United States, some 892 hate groups continue to operate, and most of these include an anti-semitic agenda. Indeed the Jewish Journal recently highlighted the rise of cyberantisemitism. So for me Chanukah takes on additional poignance and purpose this year even as it continues to retain its joy. Dr. Paul Romanoff (curator of the museum at the Jewish Theological Seminary during the 1930s and early 1940s) wrote: For centuries the Menorah burned constantly In its light a nation walked, By its inspiration a people lived. The spark that kindled a person (like Mattathias) or a people illuminates the causes in which we are involved and fires us with the energy and conviction to carry on, with that light directing us. The Maccabees of old and the greatest generation each proved that those who possess such a spark will leave their brand on history. But the cause continues to require us to rekindle the chanukiah as well as our vigilance in seeking to spread the light of hope, of freedom, of peace. Perhaps significantly we spend the last days of the 2016 calendar year basking in the light of the chanukiah. May that light continue to shine through 2017 and beyond. Hag Ha-Urim Samei-ah! May you and yours have both a meaningful National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and Chanukah. Rabbi J.B. Sacks 2

3 Message from Brenda Rich Greetings: Can t believe that we are in the month of December and will be soon greeting 2017. I want to wish everyone at this time a very Happy Chanukah.

3 3 Message from Brenda Rich Greetings: Can t believe that we are in the month of December and will be soon greeting I want to wish everyone at this time a very Happy Chanukah. May the festival of lights bring much joy to your homes and your families and good health and peace throughout the coming year. The High Holy Days have passed many months ago but the warmth of the Services has not been forgotten. It takes a lot of work and dedication to present these services in a meaningful manner. Not only do we owe a lot of thanks to Rabbi Sacks and Cantor Mitzi Swartz but also to Fran Lande who once again led her class before the start of Ne ilah services. Without the hard work of Roz Resnick who arranged all the honors and her helper Ruth Resnick the services would not have run so smoothly. And without Neal Abramson who blew the Shofar so beautifully our services would have suffered. Incidentally, he did wonders with our sound system so that everyone could hear every word. Thank you all. Upcoming in December are our Services on Friday, December 2 nd at 8 p.m. and on Saturday, December 3 rd at 10 a.m. Please come to these services as we bid a sad and fond farewell to Miriam Rubinstein as she is moving to be closer to her family. Miriam is sponsoring the Kiddush on Saturday in honor of CAH and all her friends. Miriam has been a loyal and devoted member of CAH. CAH holds a special place in her heart. She has always supported our programs and events. She attended services whenever she could get a ride. Her husband, Rabbi Moishe Rubinstein, of Blessed memory, led us in many services and several High Holy Day services. We will sorely miss her smiling face but wish her much happiness and good health. Thanks for the wonderful memories, Miriam. On Friday, December 16 th and Saturday. December 17 th we will be doing something in honor of Chanukah. So please be sure to come then. On December 18 th, the Significant Book club will be discussing The Collected Stories by Grace Paley. Her short stories cover love and conflict between parents and children, between husbands and wives, the struggles of aging single mother and disheartened political organizers moving from the hilarious to the tragic and back again. You do not have to have read the book to come to the discussion. It will be held at the home of Brenda & Arnie Rich at 1 p.m. Also please save the dates for our empowering, provocative and thoughtful lecture series that will begin on February 16 with Gabriel Cordell, followed on March 22 with Rebecca Costa and ending on April 30 with Ronni Sanlo. Please see flyer elsewhere in the Migdalor. Let your friends and family know about this amazing series of speakers we will be having. See flyer elsewhere in this issue. Again a very Happy Chanukah to all. Shalom, Brenda

4 4 CONGREGATION AM HAYAM Remember!!!!!! SCRIP = GIFT CARDS Purchasing scrip means buying gift cards!! CAH can meet all your needs: Markets; Restaurants; Dept. Stores; Entertainment; Gas Cards; Brent s Deli; Ventura Kosher Market and more Contact Brenda Rich at brenda.bashful16@gmail.com or Need a special order???? Just ask!!!!! We are here for YOU!!!!! Holidays are coming!!!!!!!!!

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6 6 In Memory Of Ruth Resnick IMO Hilda Rosen Ruth Resnick IMO Alfred Kirsch Mondays with Mort There WILL NOT BE any sessions of Mondays With Mort until December 12 th. Unfortunately because the internet on the cruise ship is so slow I can t send my regular about the Parshah. I m really sorry about this. Question of the Month: How do we determine the Hebrew date that Chanukah is celebrated based upon its Hebrew name? The answers can be found at Also be sure to check out the entire Mondays with Mort web site at Mort and the CAH web site at

7 7 Federation to Honor Brenda and Arnie!!! On Sunday, December 4, 2016, Brenda and Arnie Rich will be honored by The Jewish Federation of Ventura County with the CHAI AWARD, which is given in recognition of those wonderful people in our community who have dedicated a lifetime of service to help the most vulnerable, enrich Jewish life, support Israel and secure the Jewish future. The event will be held at the Herzog Wine Cellars from 4-6 p.m. We could not agree more with the Federation s selection! We are very proud of Brenda and Arnie and want to share our feelings of gratitude and honor. Rabbi J.B. Sacks and the CAH Board of Directors In Honor Of Eva Lowe IHO Arnie & Brenda Rich being honored by Federation Ruth Resnick IHO Arnie & Brenda Rich being honored by Federation Roz & Mort Resnick IHO Arnie & Brenda Rich being honored by Federation Nancy and Herb Stein in honor of new Great Grandson Micah Allen Leitru In Honor of CAH The Kozak Family Stan Golub IHO Rabbi Sacks

14 Arlene & Gerald Davis 16 If your birthday or

8 8 December Birthday s Myrna Winer 3 Gail Packer 16 Neill Fingerhut 3 December Anniversaries Neal & Betty Abramson 14 Arlene & Gerald Davis 16 If your birthday or anniversary is not acknowledged please me at bfrosen@gmail.com

9 9 CHAVURAH INTEREST The Membership Committee is sending you this form to discover if you have an interest in joining a Chavurah. A Chavurah is a small group of families, couples or individuals who share common interests and desires. These groups meet together, usually monthly, to study, socialize, cook, camp, or participate in any other activities. Each group sets their own schedule and plans their own activities. A Chavurah is a wonderful way to build and nurture strong friendships within our Congregation Am HaYam family extending beyond the schedule of community services and events After receiving back this questionnaire, an organizational meeting will be set to get everyone together to make further plans. Name(s) Address Phone # Name and age of other members in your household Please circle age group you prefer: Over 60 Please circle the situation that best applies to you and your family: Single Adult Adults Only Family (events with children) Other What type of events do you expect from a Chavurah (e.g. Judaic Studies; Social Activities; Sporting events; Discussion groups; Jewish cooking; Book groups; Theater groups, other Interests?) Please fill out this form and return it to: Brenda Rich; 4030 Nice Court; Oxnard, CA FORM AVAILABLE DIGITALLY AT

10 10 From the Adult Education Committee On Sunday, November 6 CAH members gathered at the home of Brenda and Arnie Rich for a delightful afternoon of food, friendship and community. Participants brought a sample of a dairy or pareve recipe that had some meaning to them and that they wanted to share with others. The afternoon began with a discussion of the connection food had for each individual. We then spoke about the importance eating together as a community as seen throughout Jewish history. Participants spoke about the importance of feeling gratitude for what they eat and then being able to put that gratitude into action by helping others who may not have access to food. Rabbi Sacks then provided us with a cooking demonstration of a vegetable casserole. It was very entertaining as well as informative. With the help of Ryan Moore and Andrew Shoup, Rabbi showed each step of this healthy and tasty casserole. He had made one the night before so all were able to taste it when we sat down to eat. After the demonstration, everyone eagerly filled their plates with tastes of all the food. For a few minutes, the room was quiet as the food was eagerly eaten. When conversation resumed, people continued to share their memories around food. Fran ended the day by challenging everyone present to take this experience and find a way to help others who are not as fortunate as those present. Some of the ideas included bringing food to CAH for Food Share and connecting with local resources for helping the homeless. A sheet of questions to further the thought and action were available to take home. Fran would also like to thank everyone for participating and bringing food. She would also like to thank Marc Goldman, Ruthy Resnick and Fil Barton for helping to clean up the kitchen. Rabbi Sacks deserves much gratitude for the cooking demonstration. Finally she would like to thank Brenda and Arnie for the generous use of their house.

11 11 ADULT EDUCATION PRESENTS SIGNIFICANT BOOK CLUB 1. The first event is Sunday December 18, 2016 at 1 pm at Brenda and Arnie's House. The book is The Collected Stories by Grace Paley. On Sunday, December 18, 2016 at 1:00 pm., the Significant Book Club will meet at the home of Brenda and Arnie Rich to discuss the book The Collected Stories by Grace Paley which is a 1994 National Book Award Finalist for Fiction. Paley was known for pacifism and for political activism. She wrote about the complexities of women's and men's lives and advocated for what she said was the betterment of life for everyone. The Collected Stories brings together selected stories from the author's previous volumes of fiction: The Little Disturbances of Man (1959), Enormous Changes at the Last Minute (1974), and Later the Same Day(1985). As you read the book, please let Fran Lande know the two or three stories that you would like to discuss at fblande@gmail.com. All are welcome to attend for an afternoon of learning, discussion, and community. 2.The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara by David Kertze The extraordinary story of how the vatican's imprisonment of a six-year-old Jewish boy in 1858 helped to bring about the collapse of the popes' worldly power in Italy. Bologna: nightfall, June A knock sounds at the door of the Jewish merchant Momolo Mortara. Two officers of the Inquisition bust inside and seize Mortara's six-year-old son, Edgardo. As the boy is wrenched from his father's arms, his mother collapses. The reason for his abduction: the boy had been secretly "baptized" by a family servant. According to papal law, the child is therefore a Catholic who can be taken from his family and delivered to a special monastery where his conversion will be completed. With this terrifying scene, prize-winning historian David I. Kertzer begins the true story of how one boy's kidnapping became a pivotal event in the collapse of the Vatican as a secular power. The book evokes the anguish of a modest merchant's family, the rhythms of daily life in a Jewish ghetto, and also explores, through the revolutionary campaigns of Mazzini and Garibaldi and such personages as Napoleon III, the emergence of Italy as a modern national state. Moving and informative, the Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara reads as both a historical thriller and an an authoritative analysis of how a single human tragedy changed the course of history. 3.Six Days of War by Michael Oren Though it lasted for only six tense days in June, the 1967 Arab-Israeli war never really ended. Every crisis that has ripped through this region in the ensuing decades, from the Yom Kippur War of 1973 to the ongoing intifada, is a direct consequence of those six days of fighting. Michael B. Oren s magnificent Six Days of War, an internationally acclaimed bestseller, is the first comprehensive account of this epoch-making event. Writing with a novelist s command of narrative and a historian s grasp of fact and motive, Oren reconstructs both the lightning-fast action on the battlefields and the political shocks that electrified the world. Extraordinary personalities Moshe Dayan and Gamal Abdul Nasser, Lyndon Johnson and Alexei Kosygin rose and toppled from power as a result of this war; borders were redrawn; daring strategies brilliantly succeeded or disastrously failed in a matter of hours. And the balance of power changed in the Middle East and in the world. A towering work of history and an enthralling human narrative, Six Days of War is the most important book on the Middle East conflict to appear in a generation. 4. In My Brother's Image by Eugene Pogany is the extraordinary story of Eugene Pogany's father and uncleidentical twin brothers born in Hungary of Jewish parents but raised as devout Catholic converts until the Second World War unraveled their family. In eloquent prose, Pogany portrays how the Holocaust destroyed the brothers' close childhood bond: his father, a survivor of a Nazi internment camp, denounced Christianity and returned to the Judaism of his birth, while his uncle, who found shelter in an Italian monastic community during the war, became a Catholic priest. Even after emigrating to America the brothers remained estranged, each believing the other a traitor to their family's faith. This tragic memoir is a rich, moving family portrait as well as an objective historical account of the rupture between Jews and Catholics.

12 Food Share Collection Food Share The Good News and the BETTER News The good news is Food Share came and emptied an entire barrel of non-perishable food donated by members of CAH.

12 12 Food Share Collection Food Share The Good News and the BETTER News The good news is Food Share came and emptied an entire barrel of non-perishable food donated by members of CAH. The BETTER news is that the barrel is again empty, sitting in the lobby, and waiting for more of your donations! Please take a paper bag and return it full of non-perishable foodstuffs to help the one in six people of Ventura County who are food insecure. Let this be your first Mitzvah of the New Year! A Community of Caring We are a family, and sometimes our members need to know there are people who are concerned about them. If you or someone you know in the CAH family is ill, bereaved or in need of consolation, condolence or acknowledgement of a happy event, please contact Brenda Rich so she can alert our volunteers who will reach out to offer a caring voice or helping hand.

13 13 Get Well Ann Jacobs Norma Van Riper Rachel Kozak Mort Resnick Dianne Ruthman Fred Rosen Ann Sperber Herb Stein Kenny Halpern Roz Resnick Lee Rothschild Barbara Miner Beth Morales Betty Abramson Bob Packer Sheila Myles Fran Lande Gail Packer Miriam Rubinstein Irv Jacobs Dawn Kennedy Elaine Hanig Jerry Davis Maurice Kozak Arnie Rich Lois Lebman Nancy Stein Donna Gustafson ATTENTION ALL JEWISH WAR VETERANS MEMBERS JWV Post 602 meets in the Veterans Administration Clinic, Recreation Building 22, Plummer Street, North Hills, CA. They meet the 1st Sunday of each month, at 10:00 am and all Jewish Veterans are welcome to attend. Please join us there.

14 14 YAHRZEIT December 2 Joseph Bergman, Father of Irv Bergman *Edith Rosenthal, Mother of Alma Golden Rose Kupperman, Mother of Mark Kupperman Meyer Fogel, GrandFather of Myra Matlin Martin Myles, Husband of Sheila Myles Loretta Zeller, Mother of Sheila Myles *Irene Rich, Mother of Arnold Rich Sam Wolfson, Father of Ilana Wolfson December 16 Meyer Sobol, Grandfather of Cookie Dimant *Saul Kupperman, Father of Mark Kupperman Lina Hirsch, Mother of Eva Lowe Sylvia Fogel, Grandmother of Myra Matlin Maurice Packer, Father of Bob Packer *Baylis Resnick, Husband of Ruth Resnick & Brother of Mort Resnick Pearl Berman, Mother of Jackie Saltz *Marion Wayne, Mother of Ann Sperber *Max Sperber, Father-in-Law of Ann Sperber Goldie Stein, Mother of Herbert Stein Charles Trister, Father of Harry Trister Samuel Kurnick, First Husband of Norma Van Riper Betty Perrick, Mother of Martha Zoloth Harry Perrick, Father of Martha Zoloth *Inscribed on Memorial Wall

15 15 December 2016 Kislev/Tevet5777 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Candle Lighting 4:29 pm Services 8pm Services 10:00 AM Shabbat Ends 5:27 pm Happy Birthday Myrna Winer & Neill Fingerhut NO Monday's with Mort 4:29pm Candle lighting Shabbat Ends 5:28 pm Ritual Meeing 10 AM Board Meeting 11:30 AM Book Club 1 PM Monday's with Mort at 10:30 Happy Anniversary Neil & Betty Abramson Ways & Means Meeting 7 Marc Goldman Home Candle Lighting 4:31 pm Services 8pm Happy Birthday Gail Packer Happy Anniversary Arlene & Gerald Davis Services 10:00 AM Shabbat Ends 5:31 pm Monday's with Mort at 10:30 4:34 pm Candle lighting Shabbat Ends 5:34 pm Monday's with Mort at 10:30 4:39 pm Candle lighting Shabbat Ends 5:39 pm

16 OUR VOLUNTEERS PAST PRESIDENTS Mort Resnick Arnie Fingerhut Jerry Ruthman z'l Peter Shack z'l Brenda Rich Kiddushim - Brenda Rich Oneg Shabbat -Fil Barton Librarian Programming Tributes Telephone

com phone#323-387-0096 BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Brenda Rich brenda.bashful16@gmail.

16 16 OUR VOLUNTEERS PAST PRESIDENTS Mort Resnick Arnie Fingerhut Jerry Ruthman z'l Peter Shack z'l Brenda Rich Kiddushim - Brenda Rich Oneg Shabbat -Fil Barton Librarian Programming Tributes Telephone Purchasing Yahrzeits Migdalor Sunshine Webmaster Publicity Donna Gustafson Bev Rosen Ann Jacobs Ruth Resnick Bev Rosen Jef Bratspis Rabbi J. B. Sacks rabbijb@aol.com phone# BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Brenda Rich brenda.bashful16@gmail.com phone# VICE-PRESIDENT TREASURER - Lois Lebman SECRETARY - Donna Gustafson CORRESPONDING SECRETARY-Ruth Resnick WAYS & MEANS VP - Andrea Massion MEMBERSHIP VP - Miriam Mack RITUAL VP - Roz Resnick RITUAL VP Emeritus Milt Rothschild HOUSING VP - Neal Abramson IMMEDIATE PAST PRES - Brenda Rich ADULT EDUCATION VP - Fran Lande DIRECTORS Marc Goldman,, Elaine Hanig, Janice Aharon-Ezer, Rick Newberger

4839 Market Street, Unit C, Ventura, Ca Phone (805) Fax (805) Website: From The Rabbi s Study February 2016

1 HAMIGDALOR CONGREGATION AM HAYAM 4839 Market Street, Unit C, Ventura, Ca. 93003 Phone (805) 644-2899 Fax (805) 644-2887 Website: www.amhayam.com From The Rabbi s Study February 2016 Take a Walk! From