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Dear members, friends and supporters,
We wish everyone a happy and healthy 2008. Many new and exciting challenges await our congregtion in the coming months. Together we can certainly achieve many things.
Looking back we recall what a wonderful Hanukka week we experienced in December. Our calendar was so full and congregational activities so many, that something was happening every day of the holiday, allowing a diiferent group to light the Hanukka candles each evening. How gratifying to have such an active community life. Please note below an updated list of our regular activities and classes.
Our annual congregational Hannuka party was a bright and happy event. Our sanctuary was filled with members and guests, and there was barely an empty seat to be found. Rabbi Irit Shillor led services, retelling the Hanukka story and lighting the first candle of our silver Hannukia. The children of our religious school performed a Hanukka skit, dramatically showing how the Macabees fought for religious freedom—a cause to fight for even today. Our synagogue choir “Shalom” expressed their holiday joy in a short musical program. Choir member Faina Pelts led our newest musical group “Shalom, Jr.” In their debut, the children sang traditional Hanukka songs, delighting all assembled. Our culinary experts Lubov and Elena set a latke and jelly doughnut laden table. Everyone enjoyed the Festival of Lights with good friends, songs and delicious food.
Our congregation travelled to Düsseldorf to return a visit from the Orthodox Jewish Congregation there. Our community had been their hosts here a few months ago. Besides visiting the synagogue and taking a tour of Jewish Düsseldorf, our members enjoyed a visit to the city art museum viewing the exhibit “Bonjour Russia.”
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January Celebrations
Our congregation will celebrate the incoming year 2008 with a New Year's party on Thursday, January 3rd at 5:00 p.m. An organizational committee met in late December to plan the event. It will certainly be a nice evening and we hope many members will attend.
We're pleased that Rabbi Irit Shillor will be with us for Tu BiShvat this year. On Monday, January 21st, we will celebrate the holiday with a Tu biShvat Seder. Please join us as we celebrate the New Year of the Trees. During the Seder, we will eat the different “first fruits” and be reminded of our responsibility of “Tikun Olam”— healing the world. Our tradition is to plant on this holiday. We will have a planting table available, enabling everyone to plant a bulb or seedlings for the spring.
Activities and Courses
We wish to thank all those members of our congregation who, through their volunteer work, make our community life richer. We are blessed with such dedicated members. They each add to the variety of activities—social, religious and cultural—that make our congregation such a lively place. Here, then, is an up to date roster:
Mondays at 10:00 a.m. Polina Pelts offers German classes for Russian-speakers. Once a month, Volodymr Pesok joins the class for a session in Judaism in Russian. The Yoga class meets with Emma Lebedinska on Mondays at 12:30 p.m.
Tuesdays, 4:00–7:00 p.m., “Russian Afternoon” is offered by Mrs. Olvovska and Mrs. Schhapira. A fascinating art history lecture is presented once a month, as is a video afternoon, organized from Faina Pelts. Films are shown in either German or Russian.
Wednesdays finds our congregational library open from 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon, staffed by Josef Pelts. Stop by for a chat and a book recommendation. From 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Boris Markhaseev teaches a dance class. Newcomers are always welcome.
Thursday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. is Dieter Vogelhuber's German class. The Yoga class meets again from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. every other week, our Israeli Schlicha, Sivan Gaides teaches our children from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. After working with the youngsters, she instructs the B'nei Mitzvah class for an hour and rounds it all off with a Hebrew class for adults from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Faina Pelts teaches the youngsters Jewish songs at 4:30 p.m.
Fridays Josef Pelts opens the synagogue library from 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon. Every other Friday we celebrate Kabbalath Shabbat together, followed by a festive Kiddush.
Shabbat/Saturdays we celebrate Shabbat every Shabbat morning at 10:00 a.m. After Kiddush we spend an hour with Torah study, discussing the portion of the week. Please join us.
Sundays, once a month, at 3:00 p.m., we offer “Sunday Café.” We tell stories, sing songs and generally relax with one another over a steaming cup of tea. Thanks to Polina for this new idea.
New! Inter-religious Women's Group
A new women's initiative will meet for the first time on Tuesday afternoon, January 22nd at 4:00, in our congregational rooms. Christian, Moslem and Jewish women will sit together and discuss their different cultures, religions and customs. We are pleased that our rabbi, Irit Shillor, will be with us for this first meeting. She will recite a prayer for international understanding and will offer her thoughts about feminist inter-religious dialogue. Each religious group will be represented by 10 women. Register by calling the office. We expect the group to meet three times a year. This affords us an opportunity to understand each other better.
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Rabbinical Support
We are pleased that Rabbi Shillor will continue to serve our congregation on a monthly basis in 2008. We hope more members than ever will take advantage of her services and classes. It is wonderful to have such a welcoming and tolerant spiritual leader. The Torah study sessions are especially enjoyable with her.
Rabbinical student Adrian Schell will also continue his visits in 2008. Adrian has fit in well in our community, and we look forward to his visits.
Greetings from Australia
While on vacation, our congregational president was able to visit our friends Eva and Harold Brown. The Browns invited Rachel Dohme and her husband for a family get together. Eva Brown is Dr. Siegmund Kratzenstein's, of blessed memory, granddaughter. Many remember meeting Harold Brown when our congregation assisted the family in setting the stone for Dr. Kratzenstein. Even though they are half a world apart, the connection between the Brown family and our congregation remains strong. We hope to host them in Hamelin in November, when we observe the 70th anniversary of the Pogrommnacht 1938.
Annual Membership Meeting — February 24, 2008
Please mark your calendars for an important membership meeting on Sunday, February 24th. Members will receive an invitation with this newsletter.
Contributions
We wish to thank all those who contributed to our congregational life and/or synagogue-building fund this past month.
Meschede-Krasa family, Mr. Cliff Manko, Mrs. Angelika Bollinger, Mr. Stefan Dlugaiczyk, and Mr. Allen Kirschenbaum. We thank Mr. Arthur Herz and Mr. Mark Kingdon, who both contributed extremely generously. May all be blessed for their generosity.
 Tree of Life
A new leaf has budded on our Tree of Life. The parents of Benyamin Meschede-Krasa, our exchange student from America, have contributed a leaf. It reads: “Thank you Jewish Congregation of Hamelin from Benyamin 2007–2008.”
“Leaves” can be ordered on this secure server or by calling the synagogue office. Each leaf cost $54 and is a fundraising project for our building project.
Mazel Tov
Mazel Tov to our member Dr. Oleg Rubanov who established a palliative network with five other Hamelin doctors.
We congratulated the WUPJ and the Moscow movement for Reform Judaism on the purchase of a building in Moscow, which will house the FSU Headquarters, Machon Educational Center, and a synagogue and community center. This is a major step forward for the Reform movement in the FSU.
Thank You —Todah Rabah
Once again, we wish to thank all those who offer classes and activities on a volunteer basis in our community.
January Birthdays
We wish all those celebrating a January birthday the very best wishes for health and happiness. After Friday night services on January 25th, we will celebrate our January birthdays together. Join the party!
Refuah Schlama — Get Well Wishes
We wish all who are confined to their homes or in the hospital a complete recovery. If anyone wishes a home visit, please call Mrs. Berta Friedmann or the synagogue office.
Unveiling
Rabbi Irit Shillor conducted an unveiling service for the stone of Genrikh Leimunskis on December 5, 2007.
 January Yahrzeits — We remember:
Chaja-Rahel Kruchkovitch — January 29, 2003 / 26. Shvat 5763
May her memory be a blessing. Please join us at services as we recite Kaddish with her family members. Yahrzeit candles are available through the synagogue office.
Shalom,
— your synagogue board
Program for January 2008 • Tevet–Shvat 5768
Office hours: Mon., Wed.& Fri., 8:00 a.m.–12:00 noon and Tues. & Thurs., 9.00 a.m.–4.00 p.m. |
| Thursday, Jan. 3 |
5:00 p.m. |
Congregational New Year's Party |
| Saturday, Jan. 5 |
10:00 a.m. |
Saturday morning services and Torah study with R. Dohme |
| Monday, Jan. 7 |
12:00 noon |
Introduction to Judaism in Russian with V. Pesok |
| Tuesday, Jan. 8 |
9:00 a.m.
4:00 p.m. |
Monthly Board Meeting
Video Afternnon with F. Pelts |
| Thursday, Jan. 10 |
1:30 p.m.
3:30 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
5:30 p.m. |
Class 8, Schiller Gymnasium with R. Dohme
Young and Jewish, Jr. Hameln with S. Gaides
B'nei Mitzvah class with S. Gaides
“Schalom, Jr.” with F. Pelts
Hebrew for adults with S. Gaides |
| Friday, Jan. 11 |
3:30 p.m.
5:00 p.m. |
B'nei Mitzvah class
Kabbalath Schabbat with Rabbinical Student A. Schell |
| Saturday, Jan. 12 |
10:00 a.m. |
Saturday morning services and Torah study with Rabbinical student A. Schell |
| Wednesday, Jan. 16 |
10:30 a.m. |
Informational meeting with M. Souslovic, social worker |
| Friday, Jan. 18 |
3:00 p.m. |
Poetry hour with J. Pelts and Shabbat candle lighting |
| Saturday, Jan. 19 |
10:00 a.m. |
Saturday morning services and Torah study with R. Dohme |
| Monday, Jan. 21 |
3:30 p.m.
5:00 p.m. |
B'nei Mitzvah class
Tu bi Shvat Seder, Rabbi Irit Shillor |
| Tuesday, Jan. 22 |
10:00 a.m.
4:00 p.m. |
Giyur class
Inter-religious women's meeting with Rabbi Irit Shillor |
| Thursday, Jan. 24 |
3:30 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
5:30 p.m. |
Young and Jewish, Jr. Hameln with S. Gaides
B'nei Mitzvah class with S. Gaides
“Schalom, Jr.” with F. Pelts
Hebrew for adults with S. Gaides |
| Friday, Jan. 25 |
5:00 p.m. |
Friday night services with D. Vogelhuber |
| Saturday, Jan. 26 |
10:00 a.m. |
Saturday morning services and Torah study with D. Vogelhuber |
| Sunday, Jan. 27 |
3:00 p.m. |
Sunday Café with P. Pelts |
| Tuesday, Jan. 29 |
4:00 p.m. |
“Russian Afternoon” with M. Olvovskaja |
Events Outside the Congregation |
| Monday, Jan. 28 |
6:00 p.m. |
City Memorial service for the Holocaust, Weserberglandzentrum |
| Tuesday, Jan. 29 |
6:00 p.m. |
Hospice Association Bad Pyrmont Podium discussion with R. Dohme |
| Thursday, Jan. 31 |
4:00 p.m. |
Society of Christians and Jews, Lecture: “Modern Nazis” with Police Commissioner R. Schneider in the Ev. Ref. Church Hamelin |
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