New Office Hours
     Please make appointments with Mrs. Pelts. In order to work more effectively, we’ve set new office hours.

• Monday and Thursday — Social worker (outside appointments)
• Tuesday and Wednesday —.8:00 -12:00 Social worker (appointment necessary)
• Friday — Documentation work

Planning session for the Hameln Synagogue, the first Reform Synagogue in post-war Germany, with architect Mr. Neugebauer and JAF’s Rabbi Jo David

Dear members and friends,
     January was a very important month for our congregation. Our New Year’s party was lovely thanks to Valerij Fridman and Feana Engler and all those who helped.
     Rabbi Jo David honored us with a visit during the last 2 weeks of January. Rabbi David served the community ,did pastoral work and led an excellent seminar on congregational building. Her visits with our president to various politicians, banks, the Hameln Tourist office and the local newspaper help present our synagogue building project. Wherever we went, we were met with friendly interest and a desire to help. Rabbi David’s positive energy and creativity was very contagious!
     Rabbi David will visit us again in May and June. Her presence aides our spiritual and congregational development. Her guiding hand will help us build the 1st Reform synagogue in post-war Germany. This historical step will not only serve our congregation but will also be a service to the city of Hameln.

News and Information

Congregational Buiding Seminar
     Rabbi Jo David led a one-day seminar for fifteen participants from five different German Reform congregations. Rabbi Podet, principal of Abraham Geiger College (German Rabbinical Seminary) and two members of the Union of Progressive Jews of Germany also took part. The seminar was excellent with very many practical, hands-on suggestions. The afternoon session dealt with reorganization, procedures, fundraising and interpersonal dynamic skills. Thank you Rabbi David.

Annual Membership Meeting
     We hope to see all of you at our annual membership meeting at 3:00 p.m. on Feb.10. We have lots to discuss. Refreshments will be provided. Special guest: Mr. Marter, city cemetery official.

Goodbye Rabbi Ash — Hello Rabbi Shillor
     We must say goodbye to Rabbi Robert Ash, who served our congregation with monthly visits, thanks to a grant from the World Union for Progressive Judaism. Rabbi Ash will graduate from Leo Baeck Seminary in June and be taking a pulpit. We thank him for his work with us and wish him all the best in his career. We hope to have Rabbi Ash as a guest in our congregation from time to time.
      Rabbi Irit Shillor, also a Leo Baeck student rabbi, will begin serving our congregation in March. She’ll be with us on a monthly basis and some visits will be extended to several days. Join us in welcoming her on March 22, 2002.

JAF executive director Rabbi Jo David and JGH President Rachel Dohme with JAF's newest brochure about German Progressive congregations

Our Community Center
     An agreement was reached with our landlord that will allow us to retain our space for another year. The conditions were a rent hike of 250 Euros monthly. Our state association of Progressive synagogues awarded us a grant, covering the additional costs. We are grateful. All members are asked to begin looking now for a new space as a transition until our synagogue is built.

No Smoking
     We ask all members and friends to observe the no smoking regulations in our community center and in the hallways. Smokers are asked to please go outside the building.

Tzedaka Boxes
     Reminder: Please empty your Tzedakah boxes of DM and bring the money to the office. We will transfer the funds to our building fund. Anyone can, in addition, at any time make direct contributions to the building fund. Bank info is: Dresdner Bank Hameln Bank code: 254 800 21 Acct. # 4434032202. Please continue filling your Tzedaka boxes in Euros!

Thank You — Todah Rabah
     We thank the following people for their generous contributions. May they be blessed for their generosity. Mrs.C. Brackhage, Mrs. Zieseniss, Dr. F. Dohme, Mr. D. Vogelhuber, Mr. B. Arnovitz, Mrs. F. Pelts, and Mrs. D. Vinnytska

Tree of Life
     Starting in January, “leaves” for our Tree of Life will cost 55 Euros. As you know, the money for the leaves (after paying for the engraving ) goes to our building fund. Please buy leaves. Not only do you beautify our sanctuary, but every leaf helps us raise the money for our synagogue!! New leaves were contributed by: Mr. L.Vaismann, Mrs. A. Dreyzer, the 9th grade class of the Theodore Heuss school, Hameln, and Mr. V. Pesok’s leaf has been hanging for months, but we forgot to acknowlege him. Sorry!

New Members
     Our newest member is Mr. Alexey Rybin. Meet him at our next Friday night service!!

Frendeskreis
     Our Freundeskreis has grown to 51 members. We welcome the Grabowski family, Rabbi Irit Shillor and Ms. Constanze Stein.

Jahrzeit
      February Jahrzeit: Frau Anna Raik 12 Feb. 2000 / 6 Adar II 5760. May her memory be for a blessing.

February Birthdays
     Feana Engler, Lilia Tschugaewskaja, Lia Strogonowa, Yevgenij Yevdokimov, Felix Golbereg, Majy Banschukov, Ewa Schkolnikowa, Ron Fischer, Susanna Drabkina, Marija Bilopolskaya, Vikto Schilzow, Rimma Rubanova, Albina Vaisman, Anna Soour, Regina Rovner, Sergei Lazer, Irina Alexandrina, Ekaterina Mindlin, and Alexey Voronov.
     Birthday Kiddusch: February 22, 2002.

Get Well Wishes — Refuah Schlama
     We pray for complete healing for all those who are ill.

SHALOM!