Temple Beth Sholom
Rabbi Elliot Rosenbaum
December 2014 5775
Why Do We Celebrate Chanukah?
By 169 B.C.E. (2183 years ago) the ruler of the Northern Greek Empire (created by Alexander the
Great) was the King of Syria. An egotistical tyrant, Antiochus the Fourth, added “Ephiphonus” (“Gd on Earth”) to his title. In an effort to unite his kingdom, made up of many different peoples with
many different religions, Antiochus passed a series of laws designed to force all of his subjects to
convert to the Greek religion, Hellenism (Zeus, Apollo, Mount Olympus, etc.)
For the people of Israel, who were ruled by the Syrian king, this series of laws became more
and more difficult to follow. Rebellions began to take place throughout Israel. A great soldier,
Judah the Maccabee, arose to lead the Jewish army against the Syrians sent by Antiochus. The
war raged for 3 years, ending in a victory for Israel. Israel was once again an independent nation.
After their victory over the Greeks, the Israelites returned to the Great Temple in Jerusalem to
find it desecrated and in ruins. As legend has it, there was only one small vessel of oil with which
to light the Menorah that would have lasted only one day. The miracle was that the oil lasted eight
days, enough time to make more oil for the Temple.
A year later the rabbis of the time created a new festival, designating that, beginning with the
25th of Kislev, eight days of Chanukah are to be observed on which praise and thanksgiving were
to be said. This declaration was recorded in the Talmud.
How to Celebrate Chanukah
 Kindle the Chanukah menorah on each of the 8 nights of Chanukah after nightfall.
 Use olive oil or paraffin candles, large enough to burn for half an hour.
 Use a "shamesh" (helper candle) to kindle the lights, and place it in its special place on the menorah.
 All family members should be present at the kindling of the Chanukah lights.
 The Chanukah lights should be displayed in the front window or by a doorway.
 It has become traditional to give gifts or “gelt” (money) on Chanukah.
 Traditional foods made with oil (to commemorate the Miracle of the Oil) such as
Latkes (potato pancakes) or Sufganiote (jelly donuts fried in oil) may be eaten.
(Continued on page 4)
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December 2014 / 5775
At the 2014 Oscars, they celebrated the 75th anniversary of the release of the
“Wizard of Oz” by having Pink sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, with highlights from the film in the background. But what few people realized, while listening to that incredible performer singing that unforgettable song, is that the music is
deeply embedded in the Jewish experience.
It is no accident, for example, that the greatest Christmas songs of all time were
written by Jews. For example, “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was written by
Johnny Marks and “White Christmas” was penned by a Jewish liturgical singer’s
(cantor) son, Irving Berlin.
But perhaps the most poignant song emerging out of the mass exodus from Europe
was “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. The lyrics were written by Yip Harburg.
He was the youngest of four children born to Russian Jewish immigrants. His real
name was Isidore Hochberg and he grew up in a Yiddish speaking, Orthodox Jewish home in New York. The music was written by Harold Arlen, a cantor’s son. His
real name was Hyman Arluck and his parents were from Lithuania.
Together, Hochberg and Arluck wrote “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, which was
voted the 20th century’s number one song by the Recording Industry Association
of America (RIAA) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
In writing it, the two men reached deep into their immigrant Jewish consciousness
– framed by the pogroms of the past and the Holocaust about to happen – and
wrote an unforgettable melody set to near prophetic words.
Read the lyrics in their Jewish context and suddenly the words are no longer about
wizards and Oz, but about Jewish survival:
Somewhere over the rainbow, Way up high,
There’s a land that I heard of, Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream, Really do come true.
Someday I’ll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That’s where you’ll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can’t I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can’t I?
The Jews of Europe could not fly. They could not escape beyond the rainbow. HarPage # 2
December 2014 / 5775
(Continued from page 2)
burg was almost prescient when he talked about wanting to fly like a bluebird
away from the “chimney tops”. In the post-Auschwitz era, chimney tops have taken
on a whole different meaning than the one they had at the beginning of 1939.
Pink’s mom is Judith Kugel. She’s Jewish of Lithuanian background. As Pink was
belting the Harburg/Arlen song from the stage at the Academy Awards, I wasn’t
thinking about the movie. I was thinking about Europe’s lost Jews and the immigrants to America.
I was then struck by the irony that for two thousand years the land that the Jews
heard of “once in a lullaby” was not America, but Israel. The remarkable thing
would be that less than ten years after “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” was first
published, the exile was over and the State of Israel was reborn. Perhaps the
“dreams that you dare to dream really do come true”.
Via email
Yartzheits
Miriam Coffield
Remembered by Stan Coffield
on December
2
Annette MacKenzie Remembered by Vivien Simon
on December
13
Stanley Gore
Remembered by Lester Galst
on December
14
Sylvia Serota
Remembered by Madeline Galst
on December
18
Henry Stern
Remembered by Paul & Judy Selberg
on December
31
Lena Simon
Remembered by Vivien Simon
on January
5
on January
12
Connie Jean Peters Remembered by Jill Fetz
Temple Beth Sholom
Rabbi Elliot Rosenbaum
2014 TBS Board of Directors
President
Stan Coffield
[email protected]
Vice President
open
Secretary
Andrea Coffield [email protected]
Treasurer
Stuart Flamm
Members at large Linda Dux and Jill Fetz
Past President
Stuart Flamm
President’s Corner
My fellow congregants, Have a HAPPY CHANUKAH and a joyous New Year!
Shalom, Stan Coffield
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December 2014 / 5775
(Continued from page 1)
 On Friday afternoon the Chanukah lights are kindled BEFORE the Shabbat candles are lit.
NOTE: From the time the Shabbat candles are lit until Shabbat ends, the Chanukah menorah
should not be relit, moved or prepared. After Shabbat ends, the Chanukah lights for Saturday night
are kindled.
How to light the Chanukah Candles:
On the first night of Chanukah, one light is lit and on each successive night another light is added
until the eighth night when all the lights are lit. On the first night, light the candle on your extreme
right. The following night add a candle immediately to the left of the first and kindle it first. Then kindle the light of the previous night. Follow the same procedure each night always adding from right
to left but always lighting from left to right. The reason for this procedure is that the additional
light recalls the greatness and growth of the miracle.
1. Hold and light the Shammes (helper) candle
2. Recite the blessings:
Praised are you, Lord our G-d,
King of the universe,
whose mitzvot add holiness
to our life and who gave us the
mitzvah to light the lights of Chanukah.
Praised are you, Lord our G-d,
King of the universe,
who accomplished miracles for
our ancestors in ancient days,
and in our time.
On the first night add:
Praised are you, Lord our G-d,
King of the universe,
for granting us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to
reach this day.
3. Kindle the candle(s)
4. Sing Ma-oz Tsur:
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December 2014 / 5775
Rock of ages, let our song praise
Your saving power.
You, amid the raging foes,
were our sheltering tower.
Furious, they assailed us,
but Your arm availed us,
(And Your word broke their sword,
When our own strength failed us.)-2
How to Play Dreidle
The Game
The four letters which appear on the four corners of a dreidel allude to the miracle of Chanukah.
Taken one after the other they spell out (from right to left): Nes Gadol Haya Sham: A Great Miracle
Happened There
(In Israel the Shin-Sham-There- becomes a Pay which stands for Here)
Here's How:
All players get an equal amount of pennies, chocolate coins (gelt), candies, raisins, or tokens.
All players put one token in the pot in the center.
The dreidel is a four sided spinning top with a different Hebrew letter on each side. Players take
turns spinning the dreidel.
The player acts according to the letter which is facing up when the dreidel stops spinning.
nun- Nes:
1.
3.
player does nothing
2.
hay- Haya: player takes half
of the tokens in the pot
gimel- Gadol: player takes all the
tokens in the pot
shin- Sham: player must put
one token into the pot
4.
The winner is the one with the most tokens
.
Joe's Mom's Potato Latkas
4 Large potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled, then cut to fit the shredding tube of a food processor1
Large Egg1 Medium Onion, cut to fit the shredder of a food processor2 Tbls. Of Flour1 teaspoon of
salt Freshly Ground Black Pepper Oil to Fry1. Place potatoes and onion in food processor and
grate.2. If Potatoes give off a large amount of liquid then drain in colander.3. Add the flour, egg and
spices. Mix well.4. Form Latkas and fry in oil. Notes: To check if oil is hot enough, drop a little shredded potato into the pan. They should sizzle immediately. This recipe will make 16- 20 Latkasslightly larger than a silver dollar.
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December 2014 / 5775
Sponsors are needed for Oneg Shabat.
Oneg sponsorship requires that you supply refreshments for the congregation
or simply donate $30.00 to buy the items.
Our thanks for donations from the following congregants
To Andrea Coffield for her wonderful home made treats
and to Jill Fetz for the DELICIOUS home baked challahs
Schedule of Upcoming services
Friday Evening Shabbat Prayers: December 12- 7:30 PM
Saturday Shabbat Torah Class: December 13- 10 AM
CHANUKAH: begins the evening of Tuesday, December 16
and ends the evening of Wednesday, December 24
TBS Chanukah Party: Saturday, December 20- 7:30 PM
Open to the public, $10 per person, reservation required
Friday Evening Shabbat Prayers: December 26- 7:30 PM
Saturday Shabbat Torah Class: December 27- 10 AM
Friday Evening Shabbat Prayers: January 9- 7:30 PM
Saturday Shabbat Torah Class: January 10- 10 AM
Friday Evening Shabbat Prayers: January 23- 7:30 PM
Saturday Shabbat Torah Class: January 24- 10 AM
Friday Evening Shabbat Prayers: February 13- 7:30 PM
Saturday Shabbat Torah Class: February 14- 10 AM
Our Next Board Meeting will be held Tuesday December 23
6:30pm at the Temple.
We will attempt to have ALL board meetings
on the last Tuesday of each month
Plan on attending, show your support of TBS Everyone is welcome
Newsletter editor and webmaster
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Stan Coffield
December 2014 / 5775