MOSHAVA CHADASHOT CHANUKAH 5775 Things have been super busy. Camp registration is at its highest it has ever been over the 7 years I have been director, with a record 217 campers already registered, certain bunks are already sold out!!! Thank you for making it happen and for your loyalty to Camp Moshava. Vince is hard at work in the cold replacing B2 and G1. We can t wait to see the finished product. Staff interviews are well under way. Stay tuned for updates on Rosh Mosh and Rashei Eidah. I am looking forward to greeting you all at the reunion at the end of January! Continued on page 2. Volume 16 Number 3 From the International Desk of Moshava Ennsimore Shabbat Chanukah / Mikeitz Jerusalem: 3:58/ 5:18 Moshava : 4:17 / 5:25 Toronto: 4:35 / 5:38 Montreal: 3:54/ 5:03 New York: 4:12/ 5:17 Los Angeles: 4:28/5:28 Ramat Gan: 4:18/ 5:20 Tzfat: 4:13/ 5:15
This past weekend, the Montreal community welcomed Edon Pinchot and his dad, Dov. Edon made the Jewish people proud when he competed in America s Got Talent in 2012 at the age of 14. While wearing his kippah with pride, he conducting himself in an honourable fashion and won the hearts of America and moved all the way into the semi-finals. Over Shabbat Edon participated in a Friday night tisch at TBDJ -thank you to Cote St Luc kosher (the Brook Family and Mrs. Roth) for sponsoring and for all the Moshava tzevet for helping out. On Motzei Shabbat we welcomed over 300 people to the Oscar Peterson Concert Hall for a great evening. We started with the Camp Moshava video, then presented gifts to the co-chairs of the event, Lawrence Witt and David Diner and Ronnie and Debbie Cons for their efforts in the journal. We then held a Camp Moshava havdallah with help from Josh Orzech and Stevie wise and over 50 Moshava campers. We sha sha shavua toved all the way to Edon who then thrilled the crowd with an hour show including his newest selfcomposed Channukah song 8 Days http://youtu.be/ul-tmf4_rjq. Snack and pizza was sold and Edon greeted his fans for over an hour signing anything and everything. Thank you Edon and the entire concert committee for a job well done. A big Yasher Koach to all of our sponsors, together we raised $40,000 for scholarship.
This week we are celebrating the holiday of Chanukah. In the story of Chanukah we know about the cad shemen katan that lasted 8 days. That spark of light and fire brought hope to the Jews that made them unite and created ACHDUT among them. Then they battled the Yevanim who were so numerous and greatly outnumbered the Jews, although because of their ACHDUT they managed to overcome the Yevanim. And then of course, we also celebrate together as a family with ACHDUT. When I think about Camp Moshava, the first thing that comes to my mind is ACHDUT. Last year was not only my first year at Moshava, it was my first experience at sleep away camp. I really enjoyed agam, drama, shekem and I will never forget all the new friends I made. But most of all, I was relieved and very impressed to find out how warm and welcoming everyone was. That quality was what made my experience at Camp Moshava so special to me. Achdut was also, quite fittingly, one of the camp themes. Happy Chanukah and looking forward to seeing you all soon!
What is Chanukah? This question is found in Masechet Shabbat (21b). Rashi is troubled by this seemingly juvenile question, and explains that the authors of the Gemara are trying to clarify which miracle was the "main miracle", the reason this holiday came to be established for all generations.the story of Chanukah contains two miracles. The first was the victory of Maccabim a small, paramilitary force over the Greeks a world super-power, and the second was nes pach hashemen, a small quantity of oil burning for eight days. Which one was the deciding factor in declaring a holiday? And is there a connection between the two? The Gemara answers that Chanukah commemorates "When the Greeks entered the sanctuary [of the Beit hamikdash] and defiled all of the oil, when the Hasmonean kingdom won the war, they checked [for oil] and only found one small jug that was sealed with the stamp of the Kohen Hagadol. But there was only enough oil to last one day, there was a miracle and it lasted eight. The next year they decreed a holiday." It is clear from here that Chanukah was established because of the miracle of the oil, and not the miracle on the battlefield. The Maharal (Ner Mitzvah) has a hard time with this answer. He rationalizes that the miracle of the war redeemed the people of Israel from the oppression of the Greeks, giving them the freedom to keep all of Torah and mitzvot, whereas the miracle of the oil gave them the opportunity to perform one single mitzvah, which they would have had the opportunity to perform in one week's time. Why, then, is the former miracle not the principle miracle? The Maharal answers that Chanukah really was established to commemorate the miracle of the war, but because a military victory could very easily be mistaken for a natural victory, the miracle of the oil was given the spotlight, in order to remind us that just as the oil lasting eight days is clearly a miracle from G-d, so too was our success in the war. Similarly, the Ramban (Parshat Bo), explains that the purpose of all "obvious miracles" is to remind us that everything in our lives is a miracle. Miracles, in general, remind us that there is a higher power running the show; that G-d is always watching over us, sustaining us and tending to the every need of every creation. Our ability to walk, talk, and breathe is just as big a miracle as the splitting of the Dead Sea, but because they are more common, we forget how miraculous they are we get used to them and so G-d performs obvious miracles to remind us of all the "natural" miracles in our lives. Miracles, allows us to reexamine the thread of the supernatural that is woven within all of reality. The eight days of Chanukah compel us to realize that thread within ourselves. Just as all miracles show us the hand of G-d that is all of creation, the miracle of Chanukah illuminates the divinity that is within ourselves. Shabbat Shalom, Rav Elan Mazer Time: 30 minutes: 2 tablespoons shortening 1/2 cup white sugar 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 6 tbsp plain yogurt 1 quart oil for deep frying 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, cinnamon sugar or cocoa powder for dusting Equipment: Mixing bowls and spoons Measuring cups and spoons Rolling pin Skillet Slotted spoon In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well blended. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the sugar mixture alternating with the yogurt. Roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/3 inch thickness. Cut into doughnuts using a donut cutter, or shape by hand into donuts or donut holes. Let stand for about 10 minutes. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Fry doughnuts in the hot oil until golden, turning over once. Drain on paper towels. Dust with confectioners' sugar, cinnamon sugar or cocoa powder while they are still warm, and serve immediately. Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/super-easy-doughnuts/
As per the Jewish calendar, Shabbat Chanukah usually falls on that of Parshat Mikeitz. While some might view this as mere coincidence, the truth is that it seems almost intentional. Chanukah is a story that seemingly has a happy ending the Greeks terrorize the Jews, but then the Maccabim defeat them and subsequently establish Torah rule over Israel and everyone seemingly lives on happily ever after. What people tend to miss is that the Maccabi kingdom lasted for another few hundred years. However, near the end of their kingdom, the Maccabim ended up becoming corrupt and evil. In fact, they ended up turning into the very same Greeks that they had fought so hard against. So really, Chanukah is the story that tells of the happy beginnings of the Maccabi kingdom, which ultimately ends badly with their shameful demise. On the flip side, the story of Yosef in Mikeitz portrays the exact opposite. At the beginning of the Parasha, Yosef is in prison, easily one of the lowest points of his life. However, after more than two years in jail, Yosef interprets Pharaoh s dreams, becomes the viceroy of Egypt and is eventually reunited with his family. Yosef s story starts off negatively, but has a positive ending. Perhaps the occurrence of Parshat Mikeitz with Chanukah is trying to teach us something very important. Chanukah had the beginnings of something wonderful, but ended in disaster, while Yosef s story had the beginnings of something awful but ended up in being something wonderful. As the year goes on, we tend to start dropping spiritually after experiencing the highs of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Chanukah. Chanukah symbolizes our year a great start, but a dip near the end. Mikeitz reminds us that we need to avoid what became of the Maccabim, and finish the rest of the year just as positively as we started it. An important thing to do for ourselves is to be constantly finding ways to give our year meaning. Each person needs to find something that is meaningful to them. Camp is that meaningful event that helps me extend meaning from the start of my year, to the end of it. May we all be able to find that meaningful cause in order finish our year as strongly as we began, and give this year meaning throughout.