|
Dear members, friends and supporters,
We wish everyone Happy Chanukah! The “Festival of Lights” ends on January 2nd. We wish everyone a healthy and happy 2006. We remind all our members that membership dues should be paid as soon as possible. Dues can be paid in the office. Our dues are set and are quite low and so we appreciate any additional contribution members can make. We kindly request that “Friends of the Jewish Congregation of Hameln” also please pay their annual dues. Thank you!
January Holidays
Jews all over the world celebrate a holiday every week anew. This holiday is so holy that it is mentioned in one of the Ten Commandments, Shabbat. Shabbat means “to pause.” Shabbat reminds us of our deliverance from Egypt—from slavery to freedom. Shabbat is an eternal symbol of our people’s covenant with God. Celebrate Shabbat with your family and friends in your congregation!
 |
|
New Office Hours
Since our congregation was established nine years ago, we have always striven to serve our members’ needs-social, educational, cultural, spiritual and religious. We have done this primarily with volunteer staff. Early on, though, we realized that we needed someone in the office who was specifically schooled in the area of social work. Thanks to the subsidized support of the Employment office, we have been able to enlist the services of Faina Pelts for this work over the years. The time has come to stand on our own two feet. As of January 1, 2006, Faina Pelts will work for our community and we will use congregational funds to make this possible. We feel this is an important step to take for our community’s sense of self-dependence. We value Faina Pelts’s abilities and competence in working with her fellow FSU immigrants. She is always friendly and helpful, serving our members well. Whether accompanying members to appointments or lobbying for our members at local governmental agencies, she always leaves a positive impression of our congregation.
Ms. Pelts’s office hours will be Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Members are reminded that appointments are necessary. Ms. Pelts will also continue to assist the synagogue board, especially with the translation and printing of our monthly newsletter.
Ms. Pelts will offer an information lecture on January 18th at 10:00 a.m.
 |
|  |
She will explain new laws effecting immigrants. Ms. Dohme will explain rules having to do with our cemeteries.
Ritual Committee
We intend to establish a Ritual Committee. The first meeting for interested members will be held after Friday night services on January 20th. This group will discuss and plan the religious services and festivals in our congregation.
Chanukah Camp
Children and youth took part in the Union for Progressive Judaism Chanukah Camp from December 22nd-29th in Sulz-Burgfelden. Children from our congregation enjoyed eight days of Jewish learning, games, fun and sports together with UPJ Youth leader, Adi Weichselbaum and Shlicha Orly Kenig. The kids can hardly wait for the next camp!
New books for the library
Our librarian, Josef Pelts invites everyone to stop by the congregational library and check out a book. Additions to our library are, for adults: 60 Jahre Kriegsende (“60 Years after the War’s End”)—documenting the last days of the Second World War in Hameln, by Bernhard Gelderblom and Wolfhard F. Truchseß. For children we have three new books to choose from—David and Goliath, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, and The Story of Creation. We thank Mrs. Meesters for a collection of books on various Jewish themes from her late husband’s personal library. Library hours are Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 to 12.00.
Klezmer Konzert
January 27 is National Holocaust Remembrance Day in Germany. World famous Klezmer musician Giora Feimann and Matthias Eisenberg will give a concert in the Münster Church St. Bonifatus at 8:30 p.m.
Tickets are on sale now. The congregation has a limited number of tickets on a first-come-first-served basis. The church and Mr. Feidmann have agreed to allow us to set up a Benefit Table for our Synagogue Building Project. We will offer concertgoers our new brochure, “A Synagogue for Hameln,” and we will be selling paperweights made especially for us for a contribution of 5 Euros. Monies collected will go to our Foundation Liberal Synagogue Hameln. We hope to see you all there.
Beutel Seminar
Rachel will participate in the Beutel Seminar in Jerusalem from January 5th to 15th. There she will study and learn with other lay leaders of Reform congregations from around the world. Participants are expected from Germany, France, Spain, Brazil, Costa Rica, India and Australia. This exciting seminar will certainly enhance Rachel’s leadership qualities and add to our congregation’s spiritual development.
New Members
Our congregation continues to grow. This month 4 young families with children joined our community. We look forward to these active new members and to educating their children. Young families are the assurance that the Jewish Congregation of Hameln has a solid future.
New Members in the Friends of the Jewish Congregation of Hameln
We welcome Mr. and Mrs. Taube in our “Friends.” We thank all our “Friends” members for their support. We look forward to seeing them at our congregational events.
Mazel Tov
We congratulate Mrs. Christa Bruns, member of our “Friends.” Liberal Synagogue Hameln Foundation advisory board member and good friend of our congregation for receiving the German Medal of Honor. Among invited guests from politics, civic and religious life was our president, R. Dohme, who presented Mrs. Bruns with a gift from our congregation.
Mazel Tov and Kol haKavod (congratulations and well done) to Uwe Wolandowitsch on completing his Gijur course. We will celebrate Uwe at Friday night services on Jnauary 20.
Last but not least, we congratulate our “Friend” Bernhard Gelderblom on his most recent publication, 60 Jahre Kriegsende (“60 Years after the War’s End”)—documentating the last days of the Second World War in Hameln. The book can be borrowed from our library.
Tree of Life
We have the only tree that grows new leaves in the winter! Four new “leaves” adorn our tree. “For our Congregation” was sponsored by a congregational collection. Heidi Braun purchased three leaves for her family members: “In memory of grandfather, Johann Braun,” “In memory of grandmother, Elisabeth Braun,” “In memory of father, Heinz Braun.”
New leaves have been ordered by:
- Elena Gorbachova: “For our Congregation”
- Larry and Barbara Jacobsberg: “Our 20th wedding anniversary”
- Gertrud Lind: “In memory of Lilly Blum Meyer”
- Karin Niebuhr: “In honor of Christian’s life from his parents”
We thank all the contributors. Leaves can be ordered on our safe server on our Tree of Life page. Leaves cost $54, and the money raised brings us one step closer to our dream of our own synagogue.
 |
|
Todah Rabah — Thank You
We wish to express our thanks to Mrs. Heidemarie Jende from Hameln Marketing and Tourism for creating a page on their Web site about our Foundation Liberal Synagogue Hameln. See Jüdische Geschichte. We thank Mrs. Meesters for her contribution of books. We thank our member Rudi Brückner and his assistants for their work on our Youth Room.
Contributions to our Congregation and Synagogue Project
We thank Pastor Karl-Hans Schnell for his generosity. Pastor Schnell recently celebrated his 75th birthday and instead of presents asked his guests to contribute to our synagogue fund. Pastor Schnell and guests contributed over 500 Euros and we thank him sincerely. We also wish to thank the following people who contributed—may they be blessed for their generosity: Mark Harry Schwartz, Cantor Bernard Lowe, and Adolf Späth.
January Birthdays
Happy birthday wishes go out to all who share a January birthday. A special birthday Kiddush will be held on January 20th after Friday night services.
Refuah Schlama — Get Well Wishes
We wish all who are ill at home or in the hospital a speedy and complete recovery. If you wish a visit from the “Bikur Cholim” group, please contact Mrs. Berta Friedmann at 5151 13204.
Condolences
Our condolences to the Drabkine family on the passing of their beloved husband, brother, father and grandfather, Grigori Drabkine. Funeral services were held on December 14th, 2005. May his soul be bound up in the covenant of Life.
Yahrzeit — We remember:
Chaja-Rahel Krutchkovitsch — Jan. 29, 2003 / 26 Shevat 5763
May her memory be for a blessing.
The congregation will say Kaddish during Friday night services. Yahrzeit candles are available in the office.
Shalom,
—Your Synagogue Board
Program for January 2006 • Tevet–Shevat 5766
January 5 4 p.m. After-New-Year’s Party
6 5 p.m. Friday night services
9 3 p.m. Religious school for children
12 11 a.m. Lecture: “Israel”
3 p.m. B’nei Mitzvah class
4 p.m. “Young and Jewish Hameln” youth club
5 p.m. Hebrew for adults
18 10 a.m. Informational meeting: immigration laws
and funeral guidelines
20 5 p.m. Friday night services
22 2 p.m. Judaism class in Russian
23 3 p.m. Religious school for children
26 3 p.m. B’nei Mitzvah class
4 p.m. “Young and Jewish Hameln” youth club
31 4 p.m. “Russian Afternoon” art history lecture in Russian
In Hameln
January 27, National Holocaust Remembrance Day
6 p.m. Lecture: “The Deportation of Hameln’s Jews”
Weserberglandzentrum
8:30 p.m. Klezmer Concert: Giora Feidmann and Matthias Eisenberg
Münster Kirche
|
|
|
Archived Newsletters:
|
|
| 
