|
Dear members, friends and supporters,
Our congregational rooms were well used last month. It seemed that something was happening every day. This documents the vitality of our community life. We celebrated festivals, held memorial services, honored members, and rejoiced in Israel’s 61st birthday. Interested school classes and church groups visited and left with a deeper understanding of Reform Judaism and Jewish life in Hamelin today.
The month’s high point was certainly our community Pesach Seder, led by Rabbi Irit Shillor. More than 80 members came together as we read from our Haggadoth in Hebrew, German, and Russian. We also thank our rabbinical student, Yan Tsipris, who traveled from Berlin to celebrate Pesach with us. Yan brought the congregation together with his sweet voice and soft guitar music.
The youth of our religious school added to the Seder by asking the “Four Questions” and also had a special presentation. Together with their teacher, Lior Blase, the children read “interviews,” which they had written, in which they questioned the main characters in our Pesach story. Moses, Aaron, and Miriam had fascinating things to say to our young journalists. Of course, the children ransomed the Afikomen for desert. Everyone enjoyed a piece of the hidden piece of matzah and the homemade sweet matzah cakes. After the Seder there was plenty of time for talking, singing, and laughter. Boris Marhaseev got everyone up to dance.
We thank Wladimir Pesok for translating and all the helping hands that decorated the tables and prepared the traditional foods for our Seder. Special thanks go out to Feana Engler, Polina Pelts, and Larissa Dvortsis for their help. The homemade matzah ball soup and gefilte fish were delicious. It was truly a community Seder.
We gathered together again on April 21st to commemorate Yom haShoah. Rachel Dohme and Wladimir Pesok led the memorial service, which began with six members lighting six yellow candles, symbolic of the Six Million who were murdered in the Holocaust. The candlelight added to the somber mood as we promised never to forget. Faina Pelts’ singing of “El Male Rachamin” was particularly stirring. Deeply moved, we returned to our homes in silence.
On Sunday, April 26th, the congregation honored Maya Olvovska and Larissa Chapira on the 10th anniversary of their initiative, “Russian Afternoon.” Month for month and year for year, “Russian Afternoon” has provided our members with an art history class of the highest quality. Endless hours of preparation go into each class. Mrs. Olvovska was art historian at the world famous Ermitage in St. Petersburg. Her lectures were excellently presented and fascinating for all over the years. Mrs. Chapira organized the sessions.
The congregation thanked the ladies with a colorful program organized by Matvej Dvortsis, Janna Vainberg, Arkadij Zyryanov, Mark Ovsievych, Felix Peres, Wladimir Pesok, Soya Pupiseva, and Elena Grabovska, which needed no translation and left everyone with a smile on their face. The congregation thanked the ladies
for their ten years of volunteer service with bouquets and lovely vases and the request that "Russian Afternoon" will go on for at least another ten years!
The month ended with the observance of Yom haAzma’ut, Israeli Independence Day. Dieter Vogelhuber delivered an interesting lecture about Israel’s minister presidents from 1948 until today. Dieter has visited Israel many times and shared his view of Israel’s development over the years. We thank him for the fascinating afternoon which was concluded with the communal singing of “Hatikva.” Aterwards, there was time to talk and enjoy a piece of cake—naturally shaped like the Israeli flag!
Our Internet Presence
Those of you reading this newsletter in English are reading the Internet version. The newsletter is also available in print form in German and Russian for members and supporters here in Germany. (You may download and print PDF versions in English, German, and Russian at the top of the Web page.) Many hours and many hands and heads go into producing this monthly informational newsletter. Keeping us “online” is no small expense for our small community of 90 percent Russian Jewish immigrants. We recognize the importance of this media tool in connecting and informing others of our congregational efforts and developments. This newsletter has been the most efficient and successful outreach tool in our attempts to network internationally. Many new relationships have been established and built as a result, and we are grateful to all involved. If you would care to help insure that we can stay online, please contact Rachel Dohme at racheldohme@jghreform.org. We appreciate any and all support.
Jewish May
The holiday of Lag baOmer falls this year on May 12. “Lag” is a word constructed from the Hebrew for the number 33. According to legend, a horrible plague befell the students of the great Rabbi Akiva, but on the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, the plague miraculously ended. It has become traditional on this day to celebrate with picnics and bonfires. It is a time of celebration and we intend to celebrate!
As is our tradition, we will celebrate this happy holiday with a picnic in the garden of our future neighbors, the Lutheran church. The picnic will be held on May 15, and our rabbinical student, Yan Tsipris, will lead the service. We ask everyone to bring either a vegetarian salad or a desert. Kosher hotdogs and drinks will be provided by the congregation. We hope to see many members and guests there and wish to thank Pastor Hoffmann and his congregation for this annual show of hospitality.
The following evening our rabbinical student wishes to share a very special evening with us. He will lead Havdallah services followed by a Havdallah concert of Hebrew and Russian music. The beauty of Havdallah, in which we symbolically celebrate the separation between the holy and the mundane and formally take leave of Shabbat for another week, is a moving ceremony not to be missed. We will say the prayers, smell the sweet spices and extinguish the last light of Shabbat in wine, wishing everyone a good week. Yan will soften the evening hours with his lovely voice, and we hope to see everyone there.
The month will end with our festive holiday of Shavuoth. We celebrate receiving the Torah as each one of us feels as if we stood at Sinai. The Torah is often compared to milk and honey, and so we traditionally eat cheesecake at the Oneg. Our Hamelin tradition will follow. At 8:00 p.m., Rabbi Shillor will offer a study night. Our topic this year is Reform Judaism. We will study and discuss the 35 principles of Reform Judaism. We will also examine progressive Halacha and modern Responsa. It is sure to be an enlightening evening. Of course, we will be treated to Dieter’s “midnight soup” to keep us going all through the night. On Shavuoth, Rabbi Shillor will lead a Mincha service. We hope to see you all there.
Cultural events in May
We extend an invitation to all our members and friends to observe Memorial and Remembrance Day on May 9th with us. We will remember and honor those members who fought against the Fascists in World War II. Matvej Dvortsis has organized a program of poetry, readings and music. The afternoon will conclude with a meal.
The May Senior Café invites everyone to an afternoon with the Russian-Israeli author, Grigori Schmulenson. Mr. Schmulenson’s humorous stories and anecdotes will surely leave everyone chuckling.
Russian Book Club
The organizational meeting of the newly established Russian Book Club met on April 15th. The participants discussed how they hoped the club would work. Books were selected and the group’s leader and initiator, Mrs. Konstantinova is looking forward to book presentations at the May meeting. Interested members can join in on May 13th at 11:00 a.m. The Book Club hopes to meet monthly to discuss the books over a cup of tea.
Donations — Tzedaka
- We are grateful to the many people who continually support our work and our plans to build a new synagogue.
- We thank all those individuals, who gave so generously.
- We thank the following: Business High School of Hamelin, Class 11C, the Sportsmen Club of Hamelin, Mr. H. Bernhardt, Mr. Lior Blasé and the Meschede family.
May all donors be blessed for their generosity.
Tree of Life — Etz Chayim
Who will contribute the next leaf? Each leaf not only adorns our sanctuary but also helps us raise funds for our synagogue. Leaves can be ordered through our office or by contacting Rachel Dohme or on this Web site: Tree of Life. Each leaf costs a minimum of $100 (quadruple chai plus expenses). Please contribute a leaf and help us to build our synagogue!
Mazel Tov — Congratulations
Mazel Tov to Joshua Wendt on the excellent job he did in his school’s play, “Chaos in the House of Tudor.” Joschua had the leading role. Kol haKavod! Well done!
Thank you — Toda Raba
- We wish to thank our member Heidi Braun, who offered another excellent workshop for our board members this past month.
- Special thanks to Pastor Hoffman and his congregation for allowing us to use their garden for our Lag baOmer picnic.
- We are grateful to each and every person and every organization, in Germany and America, for their support of our community.
- We appreciate and thank our community members who helped make our holidays, services and celebrations special.
- We thank Julian Dohme who helped us with the graphic layout of this newsletter.
Condolences
Our condolences to Mrs. Martinova on the death of her beloved husband, Gersch Kogan. Services were led by Wladimir Pesok on March 23rd. The urn will be buried in Ekaterinenburg.
May Yahrzeit — We remember:
- Betja Kholmer — May 8, 1997 / 1 Iyar 5757
- Evgenia Benderskaja — May 24, 2001 / 2 Sivan 5761
- Vladimir Rubanov — May 14, 2002 / 3 Sivan 5762
- Sofia Kaspler — May 13, 2008 / 8 Iyar 5768
May their memory be for a blessing. Please join family members during Sabbath services as we recite Kaddish. Yahrzeit candles are available in the office.
Shalom,
—Your Synagogue Board
|
Archived Newsletters:
|
|
|
