Dear members, friends and supporters,
With the High Holidays behind us, we hope everyone has gained strength and is well prepared for the New Year. Unfortunately our rabbinical student Joseph Skloot became seriously ill and wasn't able to lead our Yom Kippur services. We were thinking of him and send him our best wishes for a full and complete recovery. We look forward to seeing him again in Hamelin next year. Our sincere thanks to him for the lovely Rosh Hashanah services he led. The synagogue was filled to the brim throughout the High Holy Days. We thank all our members who joined together to lead Yom Kippur services. A sincere “THANK YOU” to everybody who lent a helping hand. The Jiskor prayer in the afternoon was very touching. Finally we celebrated Havdala and shared a little “break-the-fast-meal” together before returning to our homes.
Sukkoth services were led by Abraham Geiger rabbinical student Jona Simon, who we welcomed to our synagogue for the first time. The Sukkoth rains fell and for the first time in four years hindered our building the Sukka on our land in the Bürenstrasse. We brought the Sukka into the sanctuary, hanging all the decorations the children from our religious school had made. A local church group joined us, bringing greens from their garden and our synagogue was transformed into a Sukka under which we all sat. The synagogue was flooded with the delicious smell of challah. This year Rudi Brückner headed the “challah bake-off” and the result was delicious. Last but not least, Simchat Torah completed the festive days. Susanne Keßler, Dieter Vogelhuber and Vladimir Pesok led the joyous service and everyone had an opportunity to dance with the Torahs. After services, our dance teacher, Boris Markhaseev and his class treated us all to a program of Israeli dances.
Benefit Concert
Once again our congregant Uwe Woladowitsch has organized a benefit concert to raise funds for our new synagogue. Uwe has invested countless hours of planning and the concert promises to be a musical treat. Performers are: Duo Chalil, Mark Rovner, Alina Treyger, Duo Khaloymes and our very own group, Shalom. The pieces will be in Yiddish, Hebrew, and German and are sure to delight everyone. The concert will be held in the Münsterkirche of Hamelin beginning at 7.30 p.m. on Saturday evening, November 4th. Tickets cost 10 Euros and the money raised will go to the synagogue-building project. Uwe welcomes any and all organizational help. Please pass the word to all your friends and neighbors that this concert is not one to miss!
Remembering the “Reichspogromnacht” on November 9, 1938
Together with the city of Hamelin and the Society of Christians and Jews we will gather at the memorial in the Bürenstasse, to remember the victims of the “Pogrommnacht.” This year we also honor the life of the beloved doctor and last leader of the Jewish Congregation of Hamelin, Dr. Siegmund Kratzenstein, whose stone setting took place last month. (See article in “In the News)
Peace Festival
Once again, our congregation will take part in the annual Peace Festival. This festival was originally organized in commemoration of September 11th.Our congregation will read a Psalm in Hebrew, Russian and German. Our “Young and Jewish Jr.” group will present their paintings of the Jewish holidays and sing two songs about peace. They will be led by Rebecca Brückner and Michal Tal. Our music group, Shalom, will also perform at this inter-denominational event.
Rabbinical Student Jona Simon's Visit November 17 and 18
Our Abraham Geiger rabbinical student this Jewish year is Jona Simon. Jona is a competent and friendly young man and we look forward to his visits to our community. On Friday he will teach our B'nei Mitzvah class at 3.30 p.m., followed by a Kabbalath Shabbat services. On Saturday morning there will be a Shacharit morning service, followed by a Torah study session. Welcome to Hamelin, Jona!
Foundation Liberal Synagogue of Hamelin
A very special day is planned on November 23rd. We will be hosting the Patrons of our Foundation, Rabbi Dr. Henry G. Brandt, Bishop Dr. Horst Hirschler, Bishop Dr. Josef Homeyer and former minister president of Lower Saxony Dr. Ernst Albrecht. After touring the future site of our new synagogue, they will hear a short talk about the past and future of the Jewish Congregation of Hamelin. Following tea and cake, a press conference will be held during which Hamelin architect Frank Taylor in cooperation with design architect Arnold Oppler will present the plans for the new synagogue. The day will be climaxed with a podium discussion at Schiller Gymnasium titled “Jews and Christians—what do we share-what makes us different”. An information display of the planned synagogue will be set up. The discussion begins at 7.00 p.m. There will be no entrance fee but contributions for the synagogue project are more than welcome.
Jewish cookbook from our Congregation
We'd love to create our own kosher cookbook. Please give your favorite recipes to Dieter Vogelhuber. The proceeds are intended for the new synagogue-building project.
Torah group
With Simchat Torah behind us, we would like to read the Torah from beginning to end together. Join us every Shabbat morning at 10:00 a.m. as we read and study the parashah of the week! These sessions will be communal and lay-led except for weekends when our Rabbi or our rabbinical student is with us.
Mazel Tov
Our congratulations go to the family of Harold and Eva Brown (grand daughter of Dr. Siegmund Kratzenstein) in Australia. They now are grandparents of a healthy baby girl named Tia. The happy parents are son Michael and wife Vanessa.
Tree of Life
Although autumn has arrived, new leaves continue to grow:
- The Wendt family: On becoming members—
Todah Rabah, Elul 15 5767
New leaves have been ordered from:
- The Dohme family—stone setting, Dr Siegmund Kratzenstein, Elul 14 5767
- In honor the life of Holger Lampe
- Wedding of Julia and Alexander Mohaupt
- Heidemarie Braun: God's blessing for Mascha and Blanka
Leaves are available for a minimum of “Triple Chai” ($54) and can be purchased online with our safe server. Every leaf helps to bring our dream of our own synagogue a little closer. May you be blessed for your generosity.
Contributions
We thank the following people for their generosity: Edith Hövelmann, Mark Schwartz, the Pesok family, Susanne Keßler, the Dohme family, Heidemarie Braun, the Hamelin Baptist Church and Dr. Rudolf and Magdalene Brockhaus.
Todah Rabah
Again we want to give a warm “thank you” to all the persons who helped during our High Holidays, as well those who prepared delicious food or helped to decorate the synagogue sanctuary.
Birthdays in November
Happy birthday to all who have a November birthday. Join us on Friday, November 17th, for a special birthday Kiddush after services.
Refuah Schlamah — Get well wishes
We wish all who are ill a speedy and complete recovery. Anyone wishing a home visit should call Mrs Berta Friedmann.
Yahrzeit — We remember:
Revold Banschukov, 1999 November 28 / 19. Kislev 5760
Jan Olvovski, 2001 November 25 / 10. Kislev 5762
Riva Voronova, 2002 November 16/ November Kislev 5762
Please join the congregation and the families to say Kaddish for them at services.
Shalom,
—Your Synagogue Board
November 2006 • Cheshvan–Kislev 5767
Friday, November 3 5:00 p.m. Kabbalath Shabbath
Saturday, November 4 7:30 p.m. Benefit Concert for the new synagogue,
Münsterkirche in Hamelin, Tickets for adults:
10€; pensioners & students 5€
Monday, November 6 12:00 a.m. “Introduction to Judaism” with V. Pesok
Thursday, November 9 11:00 a.m. Lecture: “Israel” with D. Vogelhuber
4:00 p.m. Laying of a wreath in cooperation with the
city of Hamelin and the Society of Christians
and Jews, Bürenstraße, Hamelin
8.00 p.m. Lecture: “Dieter Bonhoeffer,” Forum Hamelin,
Hamelin Public Library, tickets 6 / 5 Euros
Sunday, November 12 6:00 p.m. “Peace Festival,” Münsterkirche in Hamelin
Tuesday, November 14 4:00 p.m. “Jews and Christians in dialogue” in
cooperation with the Society of Christian
and Jews, St. Augustinus Kirche, Hamelin
Thursday, November 16 3:30 p.m. “Young and Jewish Hamelin Jr.” with
Michal Tal
4:30 p.m. B'nei Mitzvah class
5:30 p.m. Hebrew class for adults
8:00 p.m. Lecture: “Hannah Arendt—a German woman?
—a Jewish woman” with Gábor Lengyel from the
Abraham Geiger, Berlin, in cooperation with
the Society of Christian and Jews and the
Library Association, Hamelin Public Library
Rabbinical Student Jona Simon's visit:
Friday, November 17 3:30 p.m. B'nei Mitzvah class
5:00 p.m. Kabbalath Shabbat
Saturday, November 18 10:00 a.m. Schacharit morning service
Thursday, November 23 7.00 p.m Visit of the Foundation Liberal Synagogue
of Hamelin patrons; panel discussion in the
Schiller Forum: “Christian-Jewish dialogue”
with Rabbi Dr. Henry G. Brandt, Lutheran
Bishop Hirschler, Bishop Homeyer, and the
Former Prime Minister of Niedersachsen
Albrecht
Tuesday, November 28 4:00 p.m. “Russian Afternoon” with M. Olvovska
Thursday, November 30 3:30 p.m. “Young and Jewish Hamelin Jr.” with Michal Tal
4.30 p.m. B'nei Mitzvah class
5.30 p.m. Hebrew class for adults
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