The holiday of Shavuot, which this year occurs on Sunday, May 27, is one of the Shalosh Regalim, the three major Jewish pilgrimage festivals (along with Succot and Pesach).

Shavuot is a Hebrew word meaning "weeks" and refers to the Jewish festival marking the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Shavuot, like so many other Jewish holidays began as an ancient agricultural festival, marking the end of the spring barley harvest and the beginning of the summer wheat harvest. Shavuot was distinguished in ancient times by bringing crop offerings to the Temple in Jerusalem.

Shavuot, also known as the Festival of the Giving of the Torah, dates from biblical times, and helps to explain the holiday's name, "Weeks." The Torah tells us it took precisely forty-nine days for our ancestors to travel from Egypt to the foot of Mount Sinai (the same number of days as the Counting of the Omer) where they were to receive the Torah. Thus, Leviticus 23:21 commands: "And you shall proclaim that day (the fiftieth day) to be a holy convocation?" The name Shavuot, "Weeks," then symbolizes the completion of a seven-week journey.

Special customs on Shavuot are the reading of the Book of Ruth, which reminds us that we too can find a continual source of blessing in our tradition. Anther tradition includes staying up all night to study Torah and Mishnah, a custom called Tikkun Leil Shavuot, which symbolizes our commitment to the Torah, and that we are always ready and awake to receive the Torah. Traditionally, dairy dishes are served on this holiday to symbolize the sweetness of the Torah, as well as the "land of milk and honey".

In festival spirit, here’s a Shavuot quiz for you.  See how many of the following questions you can answer correctly:

 

1) The Book of the Bible that is read publicly on Shavuot is . . .
a. "Megillat Shir HaShirim"
b. "The House that Ruth Built"

c. "Megillat Ruth"

 

2)             A delicious treat associated with Shavuot is…

a. chicken soup with matzah balls
b. sweet and sour chicken

c. cheese blintzes

 

3) Megillat Ruth (the Book of Ruth) is about the origin of . . .

a. King Saul
b. King Charles

c. King David

 

4) The Torah was given on Mount . . .

a. Everest
b. McKinley
c. Sinai

 

5 )A custom of the Jewish people is to . .

a. read the Haggadah all night on Shavuot
b. eat cheese cake all night on Shavuot
c. study Torah all night on Shavuot

6) The word "Regalim", as used in the expression "Three Regalim" comes from the word for:

a. the hand
b. the nose
c. the foot

7) The word "Shavuot" means . . .

a. days
b. months
c. weeks

8) Ruth was a(n) . . .

a. Indian princess
b. loyal mother-in-law
c. loyal daughter-in-law

9) Shavuot is NOT the holiday of . . .

 a. "bikkurim" (first fruits)
b. the giving of the Torah
c. matzah and maror

 

 

B’Shalom,

Barbara G. Margulis

 

 

P.S.  [If you selected all the “c” choices, you’re a Shavuot Maven.  MAZEL TOV!]

 

Four questions at Passover?  How about Eight!

As we begin our preparations for Passover, I thought it would be fun to share a bit of trivia with all of you.  Answers can be found at the end of this post.

 

1. Passover, the popular Jewish holiday, is celebrated in remembrance of the Exodus of the Jews from:

a.  Babylonia

b.  Persia

c.  Egypt

d.  China

 

2. There is no fixed date of the Passover. The date of this festival is dependent on:

a.  the whim of the Rabbis

b. the phases of the moon

c.  Easter

d.  the local schools’ Spring Break  

 

3. The term, Passover, specifically refers to the passing over of the first-born Jewish males, when the _________ plague hit Egypt.

a.  Blood

b.  Frogs

c.  Death

d.  Bubonic

 

4. The Seder meal takes place on the first, sometimes even second, night of Passover, and comprises of a festive family meal.   The word Seder means:

a.  Order

b.  No Bread

c.  Book

d.  Story

 

5. Although he is mentioned only once in the Haggadah, the most important human figure is the Passover story is: 

a.  Pharoah

b.  Abraham

c.  Moses

d.  Noah

 

6. During World War I, in Vilna, Poland, when it was very difficult to find kosher wine, the rabbinical authorities made a special announcement  that,  instead of the traditional four cups of wine the Jewish community would be allowed to drink:

a.  Tea

b.  Coffee

c.  Milk

d.  Selzer

 

7. The name of the religious Jewish text which explains the complete story of Passover is:

a.  Siddur

b.  Machzor

c.  Hagaddah

d.  Tanach

 

8. Which of these terms is NOT a name for Passover:

a.  Pesach - literally meaning the Passover sacrifice

b.  Hag Hamatzot - Festival of Unleavened Bread

c.  Z’man Heirutenu - the Season of Our Freedom.

d.  Dayeinu – Enough Already!

Happy Passover to all,

Cantor Barbara Margulis

 

Answers:

1 c

2 b

3 c

4 a

5 c

6 a

7 c

8 d

Hamantashen is the name for the tri-corner pastries Jews eat during Purim.  What is their history?  Why are they triangular?

 

The name hamantash (המן־טאַש) is a reference to Haman, the villain of Purim, as described in the biblical Book of Esther. The pastries are supposed to symbolize the defeated enemy of the Jewish people, and thus resemble the "ears of Haman" (Haman-taschen).

 

Another possible source of the name is a folk etymology: the original Yiddish word מאָן־טאַשן (montashn) or German word mohntaschen, came from the words for poppy-seed (mohn) and pockets (taschen).  Record of a pastry called montash goes back as early as 16th Century Germany.  When the Jews fled Germany for Eastern Europe in the late Middle Ages, they took the poppy seed pastry with them but added the Yiddish prefix “ha”, meaning “the”  The word then became hamantash, which sounded like “Haman’s pocket.”

In the United States, many Jews regard the shape as a representation of Haman’s hat.

 

As mentioned above, the original hamantashen was filled with poppy seeds.  In 17th-century Bohemia and Czechoslovakia, a prune filling, which was sometimes cooked for days, was added. Sometimes the flaky dough was swapped for supple yeast dough and filled with a savory buckwheat and onion mixture.

 

In addition to poppy seeds or prunes, many Hamantashen today also can be found stuffed with apricots or other fruits.  According to an New York Times article, there is a large bakery in Tel Aviv, called Lehamim , where customers can find filled with marzipan, sour apple, dates with sweet red wine and cinnamon, halvah, and chocolate chip cream.  They also offer unusual varieties such as Hamantaschen made from spelt flour filled with sugar-free preserves, and savory quiche-like versions stuffed with potatoes and sesame seeds or feta cheese and beets.   Other bakeries have such unconventional fillings as amaretto, meringue with cream,

marshmallows, dulce de leche, strawberries and orange jam, and pistachio with rosewater.

Just for fun, I have thought of other possible flavors to explore:

 

• Yum Kippurs (herring stuffing for those who want to feel religious while not fasting on the Day of Atonement).
• Sour Grapes (for the impatient consumers who are displeased at not getting their original flavor choice)
• Fish (for your houseguests; they’re only good for three days)
• Potato and spinach (knish me quick!)
• Matza Ball (to help prepare for the next Jewish festival)
• Extra Prune (for those preparing to take a test; this will help them pass)
• Tasteless (need I say more?)

 

Got other suggestions?  Please email me at cantor@kehillatchaim.org to share them with me.

Happy Purim,

 

Cantor Barbara Margulis

I am excited to announce an important event for the Atlanta Reform community.  On Sunday morning, February 19, the GARC (Greater Atlanta Reform Clergy) is hosting URJ Mitzvah Day 2012.  This event will offer its participants a chance to choose issue areas that they care about, and then get out in the community to do some meaningful work at a worthy organization that deals with those issues.  Target issue areas include Hunger, Environment, Homelessness, Aging and Healthcare.  Please note that all groups will meet at The Temple in midtown Atlanta before separating into target tracks.

Not only will it be an opportunity to make a difference in the greater Atlanta community, it will also be a fun opportunity to strengthen our bonds within the Reform Jewish Community, across congregational lines.

In order to participate you must register at:  https://templesinai.wufoo.com/forms/urj-mitzvah-day-sunday-february-19-2012/.  The event is free, and all participants will be given T-shirts and brunch upon arrival. 

                                                                                URJ MITZVAH DAY SCHEDULE:

9:15-9:30am    Arrival at The Temple (1589 Peachtree Road, Atlanta 30309).  Get Nametags, T-shirts, Brunch & Coffee available - bagels, dairy, etc.

                                   

10:00 - 11:00am  Study in respective volunteer tracks with assigned rabbi

11:00am  - 1:00pm     Depart The Temple and head to assigned volunteer site

If you are unable to attend but still would like to be a part of this Mitzvah project, please consider making a donation to MAZON, a Jewish Response to Hunger.  To donate online, go to: https://mazon.org/donate/.

Detailed information on the Volunteer Tracks:
·    Aging Track - Through the JF&CS Aviv Older Adults Division, volunteers will assist senior adults who reside in a NORC(Naturally Occurring Retirement Community) in the Lenox/Toco Hills/Buckhead area with needed home services they can no longer perform themselves.  Task could include organizing, cleaning, sorting, yard work, etc.
 
·   Environment Track - Volunteers will be with  Upper Chattahoochee River Keepers to assist with river/tributary clean up, including trails.  Volunteers should prepare to get dirty and/or wet.  Minimum age:  10 years old.

·   Healthcare Track - Volunteers will be going to MedShare to sort and help package medical supplies for economically challenged and communities throughout the world.  Underfunded hospitals directly order needed supplies from MedShare, which are then shipped globally to their communities.

·   Homelessness Track - Volunteers will be going to one of three locations to help serve and prepare meals, interact with residents, clean and beautify the shelter and grounds.  Based upon registration, locations will include first The Atlanta Mission, then The Atlanta Day Shelter for Women and Children, and finally The Gateway Center.

·    Hunger Track - Volunteers will be going to the Atlanta Community Food Bank to assist with food sorting.  The ACFB distributes nearly 2 million pounds of donated grocery products each  month to more than 700 nonprofit partner agencies serving those wrestling with food  insecurity.  NOTE: This track can only accommodate 25 volunteers.

 

 

CALLING ALL SINGERS!!!

 

Love to sing?  One of these groups may be for you!

 

It is not too late for your child to join the TKC Junior Choir!  This choral group is open to all Kehillah religious school students in grades 2 through 6.   We rehearse approximately two Sunday afternoons per month, not to conflict with Junior Youth Group meetings and activities.  Junior Choir Members eat lunch during a 15-minute period immediately following Religious School dismissal.  We then move into the Sanctuary, where we will rehearse from 12:45 until 1:30.  During these rehearsals we prepare songs for various worship services at the Kehillah.

 

No audition is required.  However, I will require a commitment from each member to attend all rehearsals and performances.  There be a nominal charge of $36 to cover the costs of music, the uniform shirts and other materials.  Interested?  Please contact me for more information, or for registration materials.

 

CALLING ALL ADULTS:  Many of you have told me how much you enjoy the music of our adult choir.  Sometimes you’ve gone on to say that you’d love to sing with us, but you don’t think your voice or Hebrew is good enough.   Well, I have news for you.  Believe it or not, several of our current choir members once felt the same way!  The truth is, you don’t need a professional voice, or any musical sight-reading or Hebrew reading ability.  But you do need two things: 1) a fierce desire to lend your voice and fervor to our Adult Volunteer Choir as we continue in our mission to add beauty and spirituality to our Services, and 2) a commitment to attending Tuesday night rehearsals (Tuesday and Thursday night rehearsals for the weeks preceding the High Holy Days) and scheduled Choir performances.  We all learn the Hebrew together, and I can show you how your very own voice can produce the most beautiful sounds.

 

Call me at the Temple (770-641-8630) for more information.  My advice: Call me at your first opportunity!  Don’t let your passion to join us cool off!

 

B’Shalom,

Cantor Barbara G. Margulis

HOW TO SPELL (in Hebrew Letters) Chanukah              

                                                (pronounced khah-noo-kah)

 

Why is it that everyone seems to spell the name of the holiday differently?  And which way is correct?  Does it begin with a “c” or an “h”?  Does it end with an “a” or an “h”?  Should there be one “n” or two in the middle?  Is there one “k” or two?

 

The answer is:  all of the above.  Since the word is transliterated from Hebrew, and there are Hebrew grammar rules that don’t necessarily apply to English, we could answer “yes” or “no” to any of the above questions.

 

I think a better question would be “How do we celebrate the holiday?”  Unlike Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover & Shavuot, this is not a major festival we are required to observe in the synagogue (however, I would love for you and your family to join us in our sanctuary on Friday, December 23 for our Family Shabbat & Chanukah—yep, that’s how I spell it— observance).

 

The Hebrew word “Chanukah” means “dedication”, and refers to the liberation and rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem following the Maccabees’ victory over the Syrian armies in 165 BCE.  In modern Israel, Jews have a tradition of eating jelly doughnuts.  In Israel, and around the world, Jews celebrate by lighting a chanukiah (9-branch menorah), playing dreydel, singing special songs, eating latkes, and joining with family and friends.

 

Want to do more?  The Union for Reform Judaism suggests the following Social Action projects for this season:

 

Ner Shel Tzedakah (Candle of Righteousness) - A Project for the Sixth Night of Chanukah; a project in which families and individuals devote the 6th night of Chanukah to learning about the problem of poverty. They donate the value of the gifts (or the gifts themselves) that they would otherwise exchange on that night to organizations that assist the poor.

 

A Light Among the Nations; commemorate Chanukah by taking action to address the climate change crisis. This nation-wide campaign is engaging the Jewish community in education, advocacy, and concrete action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Support Our Troops; Are you looking for a way to support Jewish military personnel serving in Iraq and elsewhere, particularly during the Jewish holidays? You still have some time to send them cards and care packages for Chanukah. For information on a number of opportunities for individuals and congregations to offer support to Jewish troops, visit Support Our Soldiers.

 

Sustaining the Light: A Social Justice Program Guide for Chanukah—a new program guide from the Commission on Social Action that highlights social justice themes of Chanukah -- the environment, economic justice, children’s issues, religious liberty -- and describes the activities that flow from them. In the guide you will find social action program ideas for families, social action committees, youth groups and other synagogue groups. We hope this material will assist you in making your Chanukah observance one that inspires acts of tzedek (justice) and tzedakah (righteousness).

 

For more ideas, go to: http://urj.org/holidays/chanukah.

 

However you plan to celebrate your festive observance, my family and I wish each of you a happy Chanukah, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Hanukka, Hanukkah, Hanukah, Hanukka, (or however you care to spell it)!

 

B’Shalom,

Barbara G. Margulis

 

 

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday that comes once a year.   It is a very American holiday, conjuring up visions of Puritans and Indians sitting down to a delicious meal together.  Each group offers up thanks to the Spirit they worship for what they have, and they pray for continued good fortune.

 

Did you know that there is a Thanksgiving in our cycle of holidays?  And did you know that there is a Thanksgiving prayer that is a regular part of our liturgy?   Thanksgiving has been an important part of Judaism since biblical times.

 

During all our worship services, whether Shabbat, Holiday or Weekday, we read a prayer called the Hoda’ah, where we gratefully acknowledge that God is our Sovereign; and it is from God that good things, mercies, blessings and protection flows.  (Look on page 58 of our prayerbook Mishkan T’filah.)

 

The festival of Sukkot (which we celebrated last month) can be called a Thanksgiving holiday as well.  Sukkot is a major festival that is full of meanings, but, I’m afraid, so often under-observed and under-used by us.   We usually associate Sukkot with the harvest; the ancient farmers lived in booths (sukkot is Hebrew for booths) during the harvest time, so as not to waste time and energy moving to and from their fields during this very busy time.

 

But the Torah tells us something very different.   In Leviticus, Chapter 23, verses 42 through 43, God commands us to live in the sukkah seven days “in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt…”  This does more than commemorate a harvest.  It makes us aware, again, that we owe thanks to God for our entire existence as a people.  He miraculously brought us out of mighty Egypt, He took care of us as we wandered about the desert for forty years, and He has preserved us and enabled us to reach this season.

 

So here’s to a happy Thanksgiving 2011.  As our families gather to celebrate, let us not forget God’s gracious regard for us and for our People.

 

B’Shirah,

Cantor Margulis

 

Who among us was unmoved by the beautiful contribution of the TKC Adult Volunteer Choir?  Our Adult Choir has been meeting twice week for the past month and a half, practicing diligently to add to the beauty, majesty and spirituality of our services.  I hope all our Kehillah members will personally let our choir members know how much we appreciate the contribution to our High Holy Days.

 

I also would like to thank our Junior Choir for leading the music for our Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur Children’s Services.  Do you have a child who would like to sing with us?  I invite all children in grades 2 through 8, (also any 1^st graders who can read) to join us.  We rehearse approximately two times per month, usually on Sunday afternoons, directly after Religious School.  The Junior Choir sings at most of the monthly Family Shabbat Services.  This year we also hope to schedule a few performances at off-campus venues.  We always have a great time!

 

Junior Choir is a great way to supplement your child’s Jewish and Hebrew education.  We discuss the meanings of the songs and prayers we sing, and, not unimportantly, we learn the correct way to pronounce the words!  It is not necessary to know how to read music, or how to read Hebrew for that matter.  We all will have a great time learning what we need to know in order to perform.  Interested?  Registration will be during the Sukkot picnic immediately following Religious School on Sunday, October 16.  Additional registration information will be available on the table in our Lobby beginning that same week. 

 

Our first rehearsal will be Sunday, October 23 at 12:45.  Participants should plan to bring a “quick” lunch (eaten in Social Hall from 12:30—12:45).  Parents should pick up their children in the Sanctuary promptly at 1:30. 

 

Please call me at 770-641-8630 for further information.

 

B’Shirah,

Cantor Barbara Margulis

The summer is waning, and it is time to get back to business.  Isn't September is a great month in which to start a new year?  Summertime is vacations and camp; baseball games and theme parks; irregular meals, late hours, and occasionally sleeping in.  Day to day work doesn't stop exactly, but it often slows down, and loses much of the urgency that characterizes it and challenges us to keep up.  I always have thought that the summer was a fitting season in which to bid the old year good-bye, and to rest up, take stock and gird up for the new year which is coming.

 

Children seem to do a lot of growing in the summer.  With the approach of the new school year they seem to shed another particle of their precious innocence and are suddenly… older.  The approaching Rosh HaShanah tells us that the wheels of our life have made another revolution, the total allotment diminished by one more.  Lazy hazy summer, when we sometimes have to stop and think a moment to figure out what day of the week it is, goes away and is replaced by real life with its calendars and its appointments once again.

 

I think this cycle is a good thing.  Different perspectives allow us refreshment and growth, and then Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur come along to lessen the trauma that accompanies this growth.  These two old friends tell us that new adventures await us, that somehow there is order and constancy in a changing universe that it is OK to make an error, to make a resolution, to move on and improve.  Sh'ma Koleinu (hear our voice), oh God, and hold our hand as we enter this New Year.

 

L’Shana Tovah Tikatevu!  (May you be inscribed for a good year)

Cantor Margulis

TKC’S TOP TEN REASONS

WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN

OUR ADULT VOLUNTEER CHOIR

FOR THE

HIGH HOLY DAYS

 

10)           You’ll receive your own free notebook with all the music

9)             You’ll be guaranteed a reserved seat in Sanctuary for all services

8)             You’ll gain a better understanding of our prayers

7)             You’ll be setting a great example for your kids

6)             Knowledge of music or Hebrew is not required

       5)             Your friends will think you’re really cool

       4)             You’ll learn something more about the High Holy Days
       3)             You’ll get to know some really neat people
       2)             In spite of what others say, you know you have a terrific voice

                        AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON:  

 

 

       1)              It’s fun!! 

        Remember, there is no audition required.  If you are interested in joining us, and are able to
        commit to regular Tuesday night rehearsals, or if you have any questions, please call me at
        the office (770-641-8630) or email me (Cantor@KehillatChaim.org). 

 

 

 

  In the meantime, have an enjoyable Summer!

 

  B’Shalom,

  Cantor Barbara G. Margulis