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Dear members, friends and supporters,
The beautiful spring month of May brought much activity in our congregational rooms. Bouquets of fresh lilacs enhanced our Kiddush table.
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Congregational Seder for Passover
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Like the soft rain and warm sunshine which encourages the flowers to blossom, so it is with the development of our congregation.
We shared special times together this past month. Our Lag Ba Omer/Memorial Day party was an evening to remember. The following Shabbat, Rabbi Shillor led services for our congregation and honored guest, Mr. Alfred Spiegel and our friends from Bünde. The conversation after services with our guests was moving and fascinating. At our membership meeting on May 16, we took a historic step and voted unanimously to give our land (Synagogenplatz 1) to the Foundation “Liberal Synagogue Hameln”, which we are about to establish. The Foundation will safeguard our synagogue for the future. We toasted ourselves and special guests, Mr. Spangenberger (“Task Force: A Synagogue for Hameln”) and Mr. Vanghel (friend and lawyer from Hannover) with a glass of champagne and applause.
The program for June is full and there’s something for everyone!
Summer Camp
It’s time to sign up for summer camp. Registration forms are available in the office for youth between 8 and 17. The 10-day residential camp (July 29–August 8) will be held in beautiful Denmark. Don’t miss the chance to enjoy Jewish learning the fun way with youth leader Adi and his team of counselors!
Annual Conference
The annual conference of our national movement, The Union of Progressive Jews of Germany (UPJ), will be held once again in our nation’s capitol, Berlin! Join us July 15–18 for four days of Jewish learning and togetherness. Registration forms are available in our office or online at www.liberale-juden.de.
Keep yourself informed about the political situation of inner-Jewish discrimination by the Central Council of Jews in Germany (Zentralrat) toward the UPJ by reading English summaries of media coverage online at www.liberale-juden.de/de/Staatsvertrag.htm.
Tikkun ha Leila — “Night of Learning”
It ’s a beautiful tradition to learn through the night preceding Shavuoth. Shavuoth celebrates the receiving of the Law on Mt. Sinai. Learning in Judaism is of the highest priority — we are, after all, the “People of the Book”. Because Rabbi Shillor couldn’t be with us on Shavuoth, we decided to postphone our Tikkun until June 8th. Join us for a very special night. If you can’t stay all night, stay as long as you can. We’ll study, sing, learn and eat together!
We’re on the radio and on TV
On June 6, tune your radios to FFN between 8 and 10 a.m. and hear an interview with students of Hameln’s Viktoria Luise Gymnasium and Rachel Dohme as they describe the synagogue model project (reported in last month’s newsletter). Turn your TVs on to channel 1 (ARD) on June 13 to see Anne Worst’s film, Storybook Germany and a report about our congregation.
Young Women’s Group
Rebecca Brückner and Claudia Fischer invite young women members to a special evening in the congregation. Relax and enjoy an evening revolving around the topic of beauty. We hope in this way to encourage our children’s religious class moms to become more involved in congregational life.
Synagogue Building Committee News
We're just about to establish our Foundation, “Liberal Synagogue Hameln”. The by-laws will be read and signed by the founders and a new chapter of Jewish history in Hameln will be written. The founders will name a board. The board will name an advisory council.
A bank account will be opened. The founders will give a total of $25,000 which will be the foundation’s capital. The congregation will give the land in the Bürenstrasse (Synagoguenplatz 1). We are building not only a house of God but proclaiming our dedication to Judaism and those who came before us. With this structure, we are building on the 200-year tradition of German liberal Judaism. Thank you to Rabbi David for encouraging us two years ago to establish this foundation.
Membership Meeting
We held a membership meeting on May 16th. We worked democratically and efficiently. Invited guests were Mr. Spangenberger from the Task Force: “A Synagogue for Hameln” and Mr. Vanghel, lawyer and member of the Liberal Congregation of Hannover. 64 members took part as we voted unanimously to change the wording of our by-laws to state that we are a Reform congregation and to give the land in the Bürenstrasse to the foundation as soon as it is established. The minutes of the meeting are available in German and Russian in our office.
Todah Rabah — Thank You
We wish to extend our deep gratitude to our member, Dieter Vogelhuber, for his extraordinary gift of a beautiful, silver Torahschild. Thanks to Rabbi Shillor, who brought it from Israel. The Schild is hand-made with fine filigree work and has three bells. May the Torah ring sweetly in our congregation.
Thank you to all who bring their Tzedaka boxes to the office. If you need one, let us know. Remember, Rabbi David from the Jewish Appleseed Foundation created these boxes especially for us to collect money for our synagogue.
Mazel Tov — Congratulations
We wish to congratulate our friends of “Netzwerk Bünde”. They won a prize from Steven Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation. Netzwerk has decided to give $1000 of their prize money and become of the founders.
Mazel Tov to our sister congregation in Göttingen. They will dedicate their new community center on July 4. Kol HaKavod!
We welcome home Rebekka Dohme, who spent a year in the U.S. attending high school and living with her aunt and uncle. While there, she attended Beth Tikvah congregation and led the children’s service once a month. We’re thrilled to have her back!
New Members
We are pleased to welcome the Borischanskij family to our congregation. Please make them feel welcome.
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Our congregational choir “Shalom”
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Friends
We welcome Paul Shalom Herlinger to our “Friends”. He is our 64th member. It is through the support of our “Friends” that we are able to do many things we would otherwise be unable to do. Member of “Friends” are welcome guests at all our activities.
Contributions
We thank the following for their generousity: Mrs. U. Bömnüter, Mr. D. Vogelhuber, Mr. A. Spiegel, “Netzwerk Bünde”, Mr. M. Schwartz, Mrs. R. Dohme, „Boston Stammtisch“
Tree of Life
Leaves can be ordered online on this Web site; see Tree of Life. Leaves cost $54 and can be inscribed to honor a special event or person. The money raised goes to our building fund and the leaves grace our sanctuary. Three new leaves have “sprouted” — dedicated by:
- M. Schwartz and the Boston Stammisch: In memory of Axel Blumberg.
- R. Dohme: Thank you Irith and 5 years choir “Shalom”
- M.Schwartz has ordered a new leaf.
June Birthdays
Happy birthday to all our “June babies”. We’ll celebrate a birthday kiddush on June 25th. Join your friends and neighbors for services.
Refuah Schlama — Get Well Wishes
We send our thoughts and prayers to all those who are ill at home or in the hospital. Let us know if you would like someone to visit you. Members- please contact the office and ask who you could visit. It is a Mitzvah, “Bikur Cholim”, to visit the ill.
Jahrzeit
We remember:
Ilja Latkov — June 5 1998/ 11 Sivan 5758
Matvey Slavinskiy — June 23, 1998/ 29 Sivan 5758
The congregation says Kaddish communally at Friday night services.
Beileid
Condolences to the Borischanskij family on the loss of their beloved mother, Evgenia. The funeral took place on May 12 and was officiated by Rabbi Shillor.
Shalom!
— Your board
Program for June 2004; Sivan– 5764
June 8–9 Tikkun ha Leila “Night of Learning”
We’ll learn with Rabbi Shillor through the night
Refreshments will be provided.
June 9 Rabbi’s Table with Rabbi Shillor
Bnei Mitzvah lessons
June 11 Religious school for children with R. Brückner
Friday night services with Rabbi Shillor
June 12 Torah Study Group with R. Dohme
June 19 Concert with congregational group “Shalom”
House of Religion, Bückeberg
June 20 Judaism class in Russian with V. Pesok
June 21 Young women’s group with R. Brückner and C. Fischer
June 25 Religious school for children with R. Brückner
Friday night services with R.Dohme
June 29 “Russian Afternoon” Art history class with M. Olvovska
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Archived Newsletters:
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