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Dear members, friends and supporters,
We hope you all enjoyed a relaxing summer. July and August were quieter than usual for our active community as they are for most congregations but we still want to name a few special events like our congregational trips to Bielefeld and Bad Pyrmont, the heart-warming concert of the youngsters from Brjansk, our community's participation at “Music and Word” and the wonderful benefit concert of traditional Jewish music from Bohemia for our synagogue building project generously provided for us by the Southern Moravian Choir of Stuttgart.
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Vice President Polina Pelts presents the congregation’s gift to Bar Mitzvah Julian.
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A very special moment was Julian David Dohme's Bar Mitzvah service. We say Mazel Tov and are assured of a sound future for our congregation. We are also blessed with a new young family, the Brueckners, who became members of the Jewish People in July.
September and the High Holy Days usher in Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year of 5765. Services this year will be led by Leo Baeck rabbinical student, Arkady Gegel with support from Rachel and Rebekka Dohme and Abraham Geiger rabbinical student, Alina Treyher on Yom Kippur. We ask everyone to bring a vegetarian dish to share on Erev Rosh Hashanah. The Fall month of September ends with Sukkoth. For the third time, we will celebrate this beautiful holiday with members and neighbors in the Sukkah which we will build on our land.
High Holy Days
Rosh Hashanah ushers in the Jewish New Year. Yom Kippur, 10 days later, concludes these holiest of days in the calendar of every Jew. The 10 days give us the opportunity to atone for our mistakes and shortcomings, between us and our fellow men and between us and God. We attain this atonement through Teshuvah –repentance, Tefillah-prayer and Tzedakah-charity.
Please join us for services. We begin on Erev Rosh Hashanah at 5PM. After services, we'll greet the New Year with apples and honey and enjoy a family style meal. Make sure you bring a vegetarian dish to share! Services commence for Rosh Hashana Schacharit at 10 a.m. the next day. The haunting beauty of Kol Nidre on Erev Yom Kippur will open our hearts for the holiest of days, Yom Kippur. With sundown on September 25 and after our final prayers and Jiskor, we'll break the fast. Please remember that young children and the elderly or ill are not expected to fast!
Erev Sukkoth falls on September 29. Rebecca asks all willing bakers to join her at 3 p.m. in the synagogue kitchen to help bake challot. At 4 p.m. all helping hands are needed on our land to erect and decorate the Sukkah. A short service will be led by visiting scholar, Dr. Annette Boeckler and Rachel Dohme at 5 p.m. for congregants and interested citizens of Hameln.
Rosh Hashana Gift
Last year our members received the book Judaism has many Faces in Russian, thanks to the Abraham Geiger College. We want to continue this tradition and have a surprise gift planned for our Russian-speaking members. We hope to distribute the gifts at Erev Rosh Hashana services on the 15th.
Synagogue Building Project
Hurrah! We've received acknowledgement from the state governmental agency that our Foundation, “Liberal Synagogue Hameln” is as of August 13th an officially registered foundation. During the next few weeks, the foundation board will name members of the curatorium and advisory board. The congregation is aware of the awesome symbolism that the building of the synagogue will represent. The German Jewish Liberal tradition, represented in two-thirds of all German synagogues before the war will be re-established with this new synagogue.
Until the foundation sets up it's own bank account, contributions for the building project can be made to Dresdner Bank Hameln, # 4434032202, bank # 254 800 21, or through our secure server.
Annual Conference of the Union of Progressive Jews of Germany
The annual conference of the Union of Progressive Jews of Germany was held once again in our nation's captiol. It was the largest conference ever. Seven members of our congregation took part. The UPJ's new general secretary, Irit Raub- Michelsohn, was introduced and led a very sucessful workshop. Dr. Graumann, member of the board of the Central Council of German Jews addressed the conference. He brought greetings from the Central Council and spoke of the procedures necessary to allow the inclusion of the liberal communities in the Central Council. As a first show of support the Central Council has offered grants monies for integration projects in our communities. Our congregation applied for two grants and our proposals were accepted. Even with this first good news, we are aware of the fact that the change of attitude of the Central Council toward our communities is due to the constant political pressure exerted on the Central Council by the Reform Movement in Israel and the USA.
See this special issue of WUPJNews, “REPORT ON A VISIT TO GERMANY, HUNGARY, AND POLAND, JULY 15–25, 2004, BY RABBI JOEL OSERAN, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, WORLD UNION FOR PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM”. (PDF document; you will need Acrobat Reader to open. Download free.)
UPJ Summer Camp in Denmark
Our children are happily back home after a super camp experience. We especially want to mention our Inna Golbereg who worked as a camp counselor. This year, three youngsters from our community attended and we hope next year even more will participate.
Rabbi Shillor
Beginning in October, Rabbi Shillor will serve our congregation two days a week. We are pleased to have Rabbi Shillor return to us for another year and look forward to her visits. We thank the generousity of the European Region of the World Union for Progressive Judaism for this support. Without their financial assistance, we could not afford rabbinical services, so essential to the spiritual growth of our community.
Informational Meeting concerning Neo-Nazis in Hameln
Based on an article in our local newspaper, congregation leaders learned that Neo-Nazi Juergen Rieger planned to hold concerts and political meetings in the building (old cinema) he owns in our town. Our president reacted immediately, contacting the mayor's office and the police. We also sent out letters to church and civic leaders appealing for solidarity. We emphasized that Neo-Nazis are not only a problem and danger for Jews but for all citizens. We were encouraged by the resounding response and the repeated message, “You are not alone!”
The Hameln chapter of the Anti-fascist Organization held a public meeting on August 12th. Our congregation was represented by our president and rabbi. We shared with other concerned citizens our information and concerns.
Julian reads his Torah portion
as Rabbi Shillor looks on.
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Todah Rabah — Thank You
We wish to thank Yevgenij Jevdokimov for the beautiful paintings of the seven days of creation he painted which now adorn the wall above our Aron Hakodesch. We thank Rudi Breuckner and Felix Golbereg for painting the interior of our synagogue. It looks new and fresh in time for the High Holy Days. Our synagogue doors beckon members thanks to Genrich Limunski's new wood staining work. We thank Aron Kaplan and Dieter Vogelhuber for their problemsolving skills in cemetery matters.
Mazel Tov — Congratulations
Mazel Tov to our sister congregation in Bad Pyrmont on receiving their very own sefer Torah. The Torah was presented to community leaders by Rabbi Joel Oseran, WUPJ at our July conference. May Torah light their way. Mazel Tov to Julian David Dohme who celebrated his Bar Mitzvah with family, members and friends on August 14th. Last but not least, we wish the Breuckner family Mazel Tov on their Gijur (conversion). We are blessed with this young, active family.
Contributions for the congregation and Synagogue
We wish to thank the following for their generous contributions to the community and/or the synagogue building fund: N. Baum, R. Dohme. M. Deutelmoser and the collection at the House of Religion after a concert sung by our choir, “Shalom”. We thank also the many anonymous contributions we received.
Tree of Life
We intend to create an album for our Tree of Life. The album will be a record of the “leaves” which grace our “tree”. We are looking for a volunteer to help. Who has beautiful handwriting and would like to take over this project? Please give us a call in the office! Five new leaves have been added to our Tree. They were contributed by
the Dohme Family:
- Heinrich Rostmann 1926-2004
- Samuel Arnovitz
- Mazel Tov Julian on your Bar Mitzvah
- Mazel Tov Max on your graduation
- Welcome home Rebekka
It is especially appropriate to honor a loved one with a leaf for the High Holy Days. Each leaf costs 50 Euros/dollars. Forms are available online as you can pay with our secure server — just click on Tree of Life.
September Birthdays
Happy birthday to all our members enjoying September birthdays. A birthday Kiddush will be held on September 15th after Erev Rosh Hashanah services. Please join us.
Refuah Schlama — Get Well Wishes
Get well wishes to all those ill at home or in the hospital. Please call the office if you would like a visit or if you are interested in visiting someone. Remember, it is a Mitzvah – “Bikur Cholim” to visit the ill and cheer them up.
Condolences
Condolences to Dr. Leo Hepner on the loss of his beloved mother, Margot Hepner, nee Silberstein and to the Rostmann family on the loss of Heinrich Rostmann. May their memory be for a blessing.
Jahrzeit
In September we remember Simon Avrus: September 3, 1999; 22 Elul 5759. We will remember him in our prayers.
Shalom!
— Your board
Program for September 2004; Elul 5764–Tishrei 5765
September 3
4 p.m. Religious school for children
5 p.m. Friday night services
September 7
5 p.m. Video Club
High Holy Day Services
Led by Rabbinical Student Arkady Gegel, Alina Treyger,
and Rachel and Rebekka Dohme
September 15
5 p.m. Erev Rosh Haschanah services followed by communal meal
September 16
10 a.m. Rosh Haschanah morning services
September 17
3 p.m. Religious school for children
5 p.m. Friday night services
September 24
5 p.m. Kol Nidre
September 25
10 a.m. Yom Kippur
5 p.m. Yiskor/ Neila; sundown: Break-the-Fast meal
September 21
5 p.m. “Russian Afternoon” 18th century French art
September 26
2 p.m. Introduction to Judaism in Russian
September 29
3 p.m. Challa Bake-off with Rebecca
4 p.m. Building and decorating the Sukkah
5 p.m. Public Sukkoth celebration on our land,
service led by Dr. Annette Boeckler and Rachel Dohme
Activities Outside the Congregation
September 10
8 p.m. “Peace Festival” at the Muenster Church, Hameln,
R. Dohme and congregational choir, “Shalom”
September 12
Concert, “Shalom” at Stadthagen's city observance
of the “Historical Sites Day”
September 13
8 p.m. Lecture, “Is critisism of Israel anti-semitic?”
Sumpfblume, Hameln, Dr. W. Enders
September 21
8 p.m. Lecture, “Poland”, Weserberglandzentrum, Hameln
September 28
8 p.m. Lecture, “Forms of Prayer in Judaism”, St. Elisabeth Church,
Hameln, Dr. Annette Boeckler
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