On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog

Author of "Embracing Auschwitz" and "Mensch•Marks: Life Lessons of a Human Rabbi - Wisdom for Untethered Times." Winner of the Rockower Award, the highest honor in Jewish journalism and 2019 Religion News Association Award for Excellence in Commentary. Musings of a rabbi, journalist, father, husband, poodle-owner, Red Sox fan and self-proclaimed mensch, taken from essays, columns, sermons and thin air. Writes regularly in the New York Jewish Week and Times of Israel.

Friday, November 22, 2002

Double Shabbat-O-Gram, Nov. 22-29, 2002 and Kislev 17-24, 5763

Double Shabbat-O-Gram, Nov. 22-29, 2002 and Kislev 17-24, 5763

SHABBAT SHALOM Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, Temple Beth El, Stamford, Connecticut

DON’T FORGET OUR BIG HANUKKAH CONCERT ON SUNDAY AT 4!

To see what happened on this day in Jewish history, go to http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/bhyom/

Previous Shabbat-O-Grams can now be accessed directly from our web site (www.tbe.org)

There will be no Shabbat-O-Gram next week (so I’ve packed two week’s worth into this one)

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING THE CONGREGATIONAL SHABBATON: You likely received a card this week announcing that our annual MLK Weekend Shabbaton has sold out. We are delighted at the overwhelming early response – and we were also caught completely by surprise. Dozens of reservations came flooding in late last week, just before the early bird deadline, putting us over the top (and then some) before we had the chance to warn the congregation that we were closing in on our limit of 150. In fact, the last-minute rush put us well over that 150 mark, fully a month before our final deadline of Dec. 15. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. We are compiling a (growing) waiting list are working to find ways to increase our capacity. There are space limitations in the rooms we’ll be using and it is important to keep numbers manageable to foster a sense of community. Nonetheless, if it is at all possible, we do want to accommodate those who want to be with us. So if you would like to come with us, I encourage you to e-mail Barb Moskow at eddir@tbe.org, to get onto our waiting list as soon as possible.

JUST THE FACTS: Services and Such

Friday Night:

Candles: 4:13 PM

Family Shabbat Dinner (reservations required, contact the education office at 322-6901 X306)

Family Friday Services (for all ages) at 7:30 PM, in the sanctuary

Next Tot Shabbat Service with Nurit: Dec. 6

Shabbat morning:

BETH EL CARES SHABBAT – AIDS – HIV AWARENESS SHABBAT

Guest speaker: Susan Turner: “When HIV Hits Home in a Jewish Family”

(As always, children are welcome at our main services; but we do advise parents to make use of our childrens’ services especially this week, due to the mature subject matter of this topic)

Susan Turner is a certified social worker who has worked in the field of HIV/AIDS as an administrator, mental health clinician and/or consultant for the past 10 years. She currently works part-time as the senior mental health clinician at the AIDS Family Mental Health Clinic of Westchester Jewish community Services. She is also a social work graduate school adjunct professor teaching courses in human behavior, social justice, community organizing, social work with AIDS, etc. In her clinic job she facilitates a Family & Friends Support Group for folks who have a loved one living with HIV/AIDS, a support group called Positive Moms for mothers who have HIV/AIDS, and provides individual and family counseling. She also specializes in grief counseling for individuals who lose someone to AIDS and for HIV/AIDS workers to help them deal with the pain of the work.

Service: 9:30 AM, Kahal – congregant led service, plus lunch

Children’s services: 10:30 AM, hosted by our 3^rd graders.

Torah Portion: Va-Yishlach (The story of Jacob continues, as he wrestles with an angel and encounters his brother Esau)

Read the Masorti commentary at http://www.masorti.org/mason/torah/index.asp. JTS commentary is at: http://learn.jtsa.edu/topics/parashah/. USCJ Torah Sparks can be found at http://uscj.org/item20_467.html. UAHC Shabbat Table Talk discussions are at http://uahc.org/torah/exodus.shtml. Other divrei Torah via the Torahnet home page: http://uahcweb.org/torahnet/. Test your Parasha I.Q.: http://www.ou.org/jewishiq/parsha/default.htm. CLAL's Torah commentary archive: http://click.topica.com/maaaiRtaaRvQhbV2AtLb/. Nehama Liebowitz archives of parsha commentaries: http://www.torahcc.org/nechama/gilayonarchives.htm. For a more Kabbalistic/Zionist perspective from Rav Kook, first Chief Rabbi of Israel, go to http://www.geocities.com/m_yericho/ravkook/index.html

Morning Minyan: Daily at 7:30 AM, Sunday at 9AM, Thanksgiving Day at 9:00 AM

Next week:

Friday night: Candles at 4:10 PM (and we light the first Hanukkah candle before the Shabbat candles – read why at http://www.ohr.org.il/special/chanukah/yomi202b.htm).

Service at 7:30, in the lobby.

Shabbat Morning Service at 9:30 AM, Children’s services at 10:30 AM

Portion: Va-yeshev (The Joseph saga begins): Shabbat Hanukkah

HOMECOMING SHABBAT – WE WELCOME BACK COLLEGE STUDENTS

Mazal Tov to Brian Freilich, who becomes Bar Mitzvah next Shabbat morning

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HERITAGE: ABBA EBAN AND THE JEWS

Abba Eban died early this week. While he never reached the heights of popularity of a Ben Gurion or Golda in Israel, his impact on the whole of world Jewry, especially here in America, was profound. Read his obituary from the Jerusalem Post: Abba Eban, father of Israeli diplomacy, dies at 87. A brief timeline of his life can be found at : http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/biography/Eban.html.

Eban was Israel’s voice to the world during her most formative and perilous hours. His speeches, especially at the U.N., were brilliant, both in content and delivery, as he often stood alone in the face of the world’s hypocrisy. Go to http://www.historychannel.com/cgi-bin/frameit.cgi?p=http%3A//www.historychannel.com/speeches/archive/speech_78.html to hear his speech after the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Ha'aretz has links to the texts of a few of Eban's key speeches (from the Israeli foreign ministry site) along with its obituary. So we journey back to 1949, as the Armistice agreement is signed following Israel’s War of Independence (http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH018l0). And then to June 1967, one when the world heard Eban’s passionate defense of his embattled and nation: (http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0dyv0)

“To blockade, after all, is to attempt strangulation; and sovereign States are entitled not to have their trade strangled. To understand how the State of Israel felt, one has merely to look around this table and imagine, for example, a foreign Power forcibly closing New York or Montreal, Boston or Marseille, Toulon or Copenhagen, Rio or Tokyo or Bombay harbour. How would your Governments react? What would you do? How long would you wait? But Israel waited because of its confidence that the other maritime Powers and countries interested in this new trading pattern would concert their influence in order to re-establish a legal situation and to liquidate this blockade. We concerted action with them not because Israel's national interest was here abdicated. There will not be, there cannot be, an Israel without Eilat. We cannot be expected to return to a dwarfed stature, with our face to the Mediterranean alone. In law and in history, peace and blockades have never co-existed. How could it be expected that the blockade of Eilat and a relaxation of tension in the Middle East could ever be brought into harmony?”

Eban’s wit and quotes have become legendary. He was the one after all, who first said that the Palestinians have never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity. He was our generation’s master practitioner of the type of subtle sarcasm that for centuries was the only weapon in our people’s arsonal. Collections or individual quotes can be found on the Web at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/a125087.html , http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Quote/eban3q.html, http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Zionism/zionqtoc.html, and I like the one at http://centre.telemanage.ca/quotes.nsf/quotes/c3e1d22832bb757b85256976000c978e: History teaches us that men and nations only behave wisely
once they have exhausted all other alternatives.” And there’s also: “A consensus means that everyone agrees to say collectively what no one believes individually.” In this way, Eban was the Jewish Ben Franklin.

His monumental series “Heritage: Civilization and the Jews,” was had remarkable impact on American Jewry when it appeared on PBS in the mid ‘80s. This nine-part series won the coveted Peabody Award for its in-depth coverage of five thousand years of Jewish culture. In it, Eban projected proudly the case for all Jews to have pride in our heritage, and especially in the creation of Israel. Read more about it at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/heritage/ and buy yourself the DVD boxed set for Hanukkah. It’s worth it!

And I’ll never forget Eban’s visit to Beth El for the Hoffman Lecture in 1987, my first year here. His connection to Stamford had a long history, through his visits with former Hadassah leader Rebecca Shulman (for more on this relatonship and the Stamford connection, see http://www.jewishsf.com/bk970411/ob100.htm). Before he spoke to a packed house of over 1,000 people (the High Holiday platforms were in use), he went up to the triple classroom to speak for a few moments with our Merkaz Torah high school students and he even took a picture with a few of them. He was ever the gentleman, formal, polite, aware that he himself was part of the pantheon of modern Jewish heroes for these students (and the rest of us). And he spoke with great passion, humor and wisdom that night.

Here’s what Eban said about Israel at the time of her 50^th anniversary (see the full transcript of this interview, which also includes Elie Wiesel, at http://www.commongroundradio.org/transcpt/98/9817.html Eban’s thoughts throughout this interview appear overly quixotic right now, but maybe that’s exactly what we need to balance the stark realities we currently face):

“I never envisaged an Israel that would be as successful as Israel has been. Israel is a massive success story. It's a story of growth, the growth of a people: 650,000 when its independence was proclaimed and now a society of 5 million Jews and nearly 6 million citizens of Israel. That's created by intensive movements of immigration into Israel. Israelis do regard Israel as their natural home. And there's been an economic success because Israel now lives at a level almost equivalent to that of most of the countries of the European Union. Nobody expected that to be the condition some time ago. Israeli's also have strategic predominance. In other words Israeli forces are far superior in their equipment and in their technologies to anything that anybody in the Arab world can demonstrate. Israel in fact is the leading regional power. Therefore I would say that in general Israel has succeeded beyond any legitimate expectations of what Israel could be, when I look back on how we began with this small population and these very limited armaments. And an almost total absence of an ability to react against violence. I think that if I were to take Israel as it is today and Israel as it was 30 or 40 or 50 years ago I would say that Israel has not, has not failed the Jewish people in the expectations that Israeli independence evoked. Israel really is a very spectacular success story. And therefore I believe that the Israeli nation is entitled to look back with certainly an element of pride on the achievements that have been recorded in these last 50 years.”

For the latest on today’s horrific bus bombing in Jerusalem: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/A/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1037850921721 and http://www.debka.com/

A Zillion Hanukkah Links – guaranteed to last for eight nights (and then some)!

Nice articles on the spirituality of lighting the candles: http://www.jewishealing.com/ and http://www.rebgoldie.com/Candlelighting.htm

Listen to (and watch, via streaming video)) Israel’s song in the 2002 Eurovision contest, “Light a Candle,” sung by Sarit Hadad. It’s half in English and half in Hebrew, and in its simple yearning for hope captures beautifully the mood in Israel today: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Arena/2013/2002.html

Links and lots of material: http://www.uahc.org/va/bnai_shalom/hanukkah/hanukkah.html

Educator Cherie Kohler Fox's eight ways to celebrate Hanukkah meaningfully:
http://www.jewishfamily.com/jc_a.php?text=http://www.jewishfamily.com/jc/holidays/hanukkah/meaningful_hannukah.txt

Chanukah educational links, coloring books, songs, etc http://www.j.co.il

Hanukkah @ JTS http://learn.jtsa.edu/hanukkah/

Virtual Jerusalem - Chanukah Megasite http://207.168.91.4/vjholidays/chanukah/index.htm

613.org: Real Audio (blessings, classes, songs) http://www.613.org/chanuka.html

Chanukah Fun & Coloring Book (Torah Tots) http://www.torahtots.com/holidays/chanuka/chanuk.htm

Kidskourt Hanukkah Coloring Pages http://www.kidskourt.com/Holidays/HanColor.htm

Kid's Domain Chanukah Coloring Pages http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/chanukah/color.html

My Hebrew Dictionary - Chanukah Related Words http://www.dictionary.co.il

Akhlah for Kids (includes blessings) http://www.akhlah.com/holidays/hanukkah/Hanukkah.asp

Everything Jewish: Hanukah http://www.everythingjewish.com/Hanukah/origins.htm

Being Jewish: Chanukah Gateway http://beingjewish.com/yomtov/chanukah/

About.com: Chanukah http://judaism.about.com/religion/judaism/library/holidays/chanukah/bl_chanukah.htm

Jewish Holiday Consumer - Chanukah http://www.jewish-holiday.com/chanukah.html

Project Genesis - On-Line Menorah http://www.torah.org/learning/yomtov/chanukah/

ORT's Hanukkah section http://www.ort.org/ort/edu/festivals/hanukkah/index.html

Torah From Dixie Chanukah Articles http://www.tfdixie.com/holidays/chanukah/

NCSY: Chanukah Articles http://www.shamash.org/nerncsy/publications/index.html#chanukah

Neveh Zion Chanukah Pages http://www.neveh.org/chanukah/

Halacha sheet for Chanukah http://faculty.biu.ac.il/~hm16/chanukah.htm

Darche Noam Chanuka Page http://www.darchenoam.org/articles/web/holidays/ar_chan_home.htm

Israel Museum: Galleries of Menorah (English & Hebrew) http://www.imj.org.il/menorah/galleries.html

Machon Chagim: Chanukah (English) http://www.chagim.org.il/chanukkaheng.html

Machon Chagim: Chanukah (Hebrew) http://www.chagim.org.il/chanukkah.html

Jewish Agency: Chanukah (Easy Hebrew) http://www.jajz-ed.org.il/ivrit/corner/hanuka/index.htm

Judaism 101: Chanukkah http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday7.htm

Chanukah Gateway http://www.freeyellow.com/members6/yomtov/CHgateway.html

JIS: Online Chanukah Course http://www.jewishstudies.org/courses/HHC/information.htm

Chanukah on the Net http://www.holidays.net/chanukah/

Nishmas: Customs of Chanukah http://www.nishmas.org.il/minhagim/chanukah.htm

For Every Jew: Chanukah http://www.foreveryjew.com/chanukah.html

DundaWare ShockDreidel (req. Shockwave) http://www.dnai.com/~dunda/SW/ShockDreidel.html

CleverMedia: The Hanukkah Dreidel Game (req. Shockwave) http://clevermedia.com/game.cgi?dreidel

ZigZag Hannukah Lights (req. Java) http://www.zigzagworld.com/hanukiah/

Chanukah Word Search (req. Java) http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/chanukah/games/word2.html

Not Just for Kids: Hanukkah Certificates http://www.night.net/kids/cert-hanukkah.html-ssi

Hanukat: Celebrate Hanukkah with the Kids http://www.hanukat.com/

It's not your Father's Hannukah (Yet it is...) http://www.caryn.com/holiday/holiday-chan.html

Billy Bear's Hanukkah http://www.billybear4kids.com/holidays/hanukkah/hanukkah.htm

Surfing the Net: Hanukkah Coloring Book http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/holiday-cb.htm

History Channel: Amazing Hanukkah Feats (largest...) http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/holidays/hanukkah/feats.html

Hanukkah in CyberSpace http://www.designsbydaybreak.com/holidays/hanukkah/index.html

ICJI: Chaunkah http://www.biu.ac.il/ICJI/Competition/chapter7/723.htm

Misrash Ben Ish Hai (Sepharadim customs) http://www.midrash.org/halakha/hanukkah.html

WZO - Holidays with a Twist (Humor, 1996) http://www.wzo.org.il/en/resources/expand_subject.asp?id=133

Virtual Chanukah (Russian, 1999) http://www.chanuka.ru/

Clipart for Hanukkah Clipart http://www.kidskourt.com/Holidays/HanClip.htm

Free Graphics Chanuka Graphics http://www.freegraphics.com/images/downloads/chanukah/index.html

Bitsela Hanukkah Clipart http://www.bitsela.comcm@bitsela.com/hanukkah.htm

Hanukah - Jewish Agency Pedagogic Center http://www.jajz-ed.org.il/festivls/hanuka/index.html

JOI Hanukkah Activities http://www.joi.org/celebrate/hanuk/index.shtml

Adam Sandler's Hanukkah Song (Humor) http://www.asandler.com/lyrics/hanukah.shtml

Chanukka Midi Music http://www.jr.co.il/music/midi/jewish.htm#chanukka

Chanukka Humor http://www.jr.co.il/humor/chanuka.htm

RFCJ: Hanukah Recipes http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/rfcj/category.cgi?category=HANUKKAH

Epicurious: Chanukkah Recipes http://www.epicurious.com/e_eating/e06_jewish_cooking/recipes/recipes.html#HANUKKAH

Blue Mountain Animated Greeting Cards http://www.bluemountain.com/eng/hanukkah/index.html

Care2 Animated Greeting Cards http://www.care2.com/send/cathanukkah1.html

123 Greetings http://www.123greetings.com/events/hanukkah/

Sealing Wax Greeting Cards http://www.sealingwax.com/category_view?came_from=Hanukkah

Awesome Animated Greeting Cards http://www.marlo.com/heb/chanukah.htm

Judaic Greeting Cards by Raz http://www.designsbydaybreak.com/jewishgreetings/mycards_hanukkah.html

Greetz Greeting Cards http://greetz.com/chanukah/

Hanukah.com Greeting Cards http://www.hanukah.com/cards/

Israel and the War on Terrorism

A streaming video history of Israel in a nutshell (thanks to Beth Boyer for forwarding) http://www.conceptwizard.com/nutshell3.html

An E-Jihad against Israel and the United States: Read about it and what to do about it, at http://jewishinternetassociation.org/archive_memos/memo_20021120.php

So is it War? By Bret Stephens, (Jerusalem Post, 11/14) http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/A/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1037248935539

Will Iraqi Troops Collapse or Fight? - Ann Scott Tyson (Christian Science Monitor)

The Iraqi military lost about half its Army and Air Force during the Gulf War. Many of its 2,200 main battle tanks, 3,700 armored vehicles, 300 combat planes, and 2,400 artillery weapons are obsolete, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
The regular Iraqi Army, with about 300,000 troops stationed mainly around Iraq's borders, is demoralized, low-paid, and unlikely to fight, experts say.

Say No to Divestment - Nelson Moussazadeh and Sam Yebri
Israel is the only nation that has offered statehood to the Palestinians. Israel's Arab citizens exercise full voting rights and serve in the Israeli Parliament. Regardless of race, religion, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation, every person in Israel enjoys freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and due process. Israel has the only independent judiciary in the Middle East; its Supreme Court even protects the civil liberties of homicide bombers. (Yale Daily News)

Amram Mitzna Wins Labor Party Election
Haifa Mayor Amram Mitzna, who has promised to withdraw from the territories and negotiate with the Palestinians under fire, was elected chairman of Israel's Labor Party on Tuesday. (Ha'aretz)

Learning to Live with Israel - Barbara Amiel
Without genuine Arab acceptance of a Jewish state, the only "withdrawals" that can possibly cure the tensions between Arab and Jew is the total withdrawal of Israel from the Middle East. Holding negotiations now is like working out a marriage contract for a bride who isn't interested in going to the altar. The details are fine but meaningless so long as there is no one to negotiate them with. (This is London - Evening Standard - UK)

Saddam Can be Beaten in Four Days - Ralph Peters
The U.S. war to oust Saddam Hussein began last week with a series of newspaper reports outlining our military strategy. The Department of Defense wanted summaries of its war plan published as the beginning of a psychological operation to convince the Iraqis that we're serious, we're coming, and we mean to win. Leaking parts of the plan was intended, above all, to reach Hussein's military commanders, to convince them not to give orders to employ weapons of mass destruction, to suggest they jump sides at the earliest opportunity, and to persuade them to fear us more than they fear Hussein. (Washington Post)

Senators: Hit Hizballah and Hamas First
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla. told CNN on Sunday that the U.S. should launch attacks on Hizballah and Hamas headquarters and training camps. Graham said the U.S. made a major mistake in the 1990s when "al Qaeda was training hundreds, thousands of people in the skills of terrorism in those camps in Afghanistan. We had the capability to take those camps out. We chose not to do so." "In my judgment, it is a dereliction of duty to the American people not to disable those organizations to the maximum extent possible before we get into that position where we are the bull's eye of Saddam Hussein's attack, and we have the capability of such disablement."
Committee Vice Chairman Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., added, "Hizballah and some others are probably the A team, not the B team or the C team, as far as potential terrorist threats to this country." The U.S. must start planning to take out Hizballah "before they take us out." (CNN)

Israeli Diplomatic Pioneer Abba Eban Dies
Abba Eban, the famously eloquent statesman who helped persuade the world to approve the creation of the Jewish state, died Sunday at age 87. Born in South Africa, Eban grew up in England, spoke 10 languages, and served as Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Ambassador to the U.S., and Foreign Minister. David Ben-Gurion, Israel's first prime minister, called Eban "the voice of the Hebrew nation." (Washington Post)

Telling It Like It Is - Max Singer (National Review)

Telling the truth to Arab governments is the best way for the U.S. to pursue peace, and it also meets the needs of the current U.S. fight against militant Islam. The U.S. should say clearly:

Israel is a legitimate state based on law and justice. The Jewish people have ancient roots in Palestine. The League of Nations established the international authority for a Jewish homeland in Palestine - and its decision was formally endorsed by the U.S. and never superseded by the UN.
UN Security Council Resolution 242 does not require that Israel relinquish all territory acquired in 1967. Israel is not occupying Palestinian land. It is occupying disputed territory to which it has a substantial claim and which was never under Palestinian sovereignty, while trying in good faith to negotiate about the disposition of that land as required by Resolution 242.
Israeli neighborhoods and settlements in Jerusalem and the disputed territories are not illegal.
Palestinian refugees do not have a "right of return." The Arab interpretation of UN General Assembly Resolution 194 is incorrect. They must be resettled like all other refugees in the world.
Jerusalem as a city is central to Israel and to Judaism. The claims and interests of Palestinians and Israel in Jerusalem are profoundly asymmetric.
The deliberate killings of innocent Israelis is terrorism. The Palestinian/Arab definition that anything done to "resist occupation" is not terrorism undercuts the fight against international terrorism.
The only hope for peace is to compel the Arab world to give up its illegitimate weapons: terrorism and the denial of resettlement to Palestinian refugees.

Questions About the Jewish Population Study http://www.thejewishweek.com/top/editorials.php3

Quotes of the Week:

"Every time I come to such a site, I can't escape the thought that a living person entered the bus, and he saw the young kid of 6, 7 years old sitting, and he blows him apart. This is something that you have to see to understand how terrible it is." (Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert, on the Jerusalem bus bombing Thursday morning, from CNN)

“The majority of the people in Israel have already seen where the last year and a half have led us. There is no security, no economy, no society, no education—nothing.”—Newly elected Labor Party leader Avram Mitzna, thanking his supporters and promising to offer a “bright and clear alternative” as a candidate for prime minister in elections scheduled for January 28, 2003. (New York Times, Nov. 20)

"After 10 years of terrible terror with the Palestinian Authority, is there anyone left who does not understand that the PA intends to destroy [Israel]?… They nurture their children to aspire to the destruction of the State of Israel, and anyone who does not understand that, does not live in the real world." –Foreign Minister and candidate for prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu, saying he would refuse to be a member of a government led by Sharon if the prime minister refuses to abandon his support of a Palestinian state. He stressed, however, that he would not have to confront this problem, as he expects to win next Thursday's leadership election. (Ha’aretz, Nov. 20)

“Israel is facing elections and is headed by a right-wing government which will be judged by its own constituency if [the terror attack that killed 12 Israelis in Hebron last Friday] is allowed to pass without what they consider to be an appropriate response against the Palestinians…It is no coincidence that the attack was carried out at this time and in this place because the perpetrators want to generate a reaction from the Jewish right wing which will play into their hands. The dilemma for Sharon is that if he does nothing, he runs the risk of paying a price in the Likud primaries, whereas a harsh reaction will almost certainly end any hopes for a cease-fire and could earn condemnation from the U.S. and the international community.”—Counterterrorism expert Dr. Boaz Ganor, director of the International Policy Institute for Counterterrorism at Herzliya’s Interdisciplinary Center, maintaining that the attack by Islamic Jihad in Hebron is one of the worst blows to Israel’s security forces since the outbreak of Palestinian violence. (Jerusalem Post, Nov. 17)

THIS WEEK IS BETH EL CARES’ AIDS SHABBAT, IN RECOGNITION OF THE UPCOMING WORLD AIDS DAY

Guest Speaker: Susan Turner

Topic: “When HIV Hits Home on a Jewish Family”

Hanukkah Concert

Nov. 24 @ 4:00 PM

Fun for all ages, as we get ready for the holiday

a musical celebration, and lots more (with a dreidel spinning contest too!)

With our Junior and Adult Choirs

Led by Cantor Deborah Jacobson.

Accompanied by Simona Frenkel on keyboard & piano

and Nurit Avigdor on guitar and vocals.

Potato latkes, sufganiyot (jelly donuts), cookies & drinks.

Raffle Drawing (CD players and much much more)!

A gift for every child to take home!

DON’T MISS IT!

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This Thanksgiving: Talk Turkey, But Think Matzah!

This proposal has already drawn significant response -- please let us know if you are interested ASAP. Note the deadline below

On this Thanksgiving Day (which is also the weekend of Hanukkah), as you gather with your families to spin dreidels and talk turkey, please take a few moments to think about that next great family gathering on the calendar: Passover.

We are, for the first time, considering having a congregational Second Seder. Over the years people have been asking for it – now it actually may happen. The idea is that we all go to our family seders on the first night, and then bring the extended family to Beth El on the second night (April 17), for a community seder led by Rabbi Hammerman, Cantor Jacobson and Barb Moskow, and coordinated by our sisterhood, with active participation by all. It would be a hassle-free catered event, with costs kept as low as possible, but realistically in the “double chai” range for adults. It would be incredible fun, with games for the kids and lots of great singing and discussion, fostering a feel of real community. It would also be of assistance to those (and there are many) who have no family in the area and no Seder to go to.

This type for program requires lots planning and early commitments to the caterer. So we have to know very soon whether there is enough interest for this to be a “go.” Thanksgiving/Hanukkah presents a perfect chance to discuss this with your family. So, talk it over, then let us know by Dec. 13. Thanks, and a Zissen… I mean a Happy Hanukkah!

Cut and Paste this and e-mail to rabbi@tbe.org

NAME _______________________________________________

TELEPHONE NUMBER AND E-MAIL ADDRESS ______________________________________________

_____ I AM SOMEWHAT INTERESTED IN ATTENDING A COMMUNITY SEDER

_____ I AM VERY INTERESTED IN ATTENDING A COMMUNITY SEDER

____ APPROXIMATE NUMBER WHO WOULD BE ATTENDING FROM YOUR IMMEDIATE AND EXTENDED FAMILY

_____ I THINK THIS IS A GREAT IDEA AND WOULD LIKE TO HELP PLAN IT!

ADULT EDUCATION ONGOING CLASSES

The Accessible Talmud

with Barb Moskow

In this introductory course, we will spend the first session cracking the secrets of Talmud study before moving on to actual text study. Each subsequent week will feature a different text, illuminating the diverse styles and ideas represented by sages. Knowledge of Hebrew, Aramaic, Old French and the ability to read Rashi script Not Required! We will utilize the Steinsaltz English edition of the Talmud for our studies.

DATES: December 5, 12

TIME: 7:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.

“What’s a Nice People like the Jews

Doing in a Mess Like This?”

with Rabbi Joshua Hammerman

This class will trace the roots of the Israeli Arab conflict, with a special focus on understanding the various streams of Zionism. A historical exploration, using video and text, of how the Jewish people returned to Israel and how they coped with what they found when they got there. The class will also discuss ways to become informed advocates for Israel (making the case forcefully and with historical background) while also understanding the nuances, complex, and tragic nature of “the situation.”

DATES: December 5, 12

TIME: 8:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.

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HOMECOMING SHABBAT

WE WELCOME BACK ALL OUR COLLEGE STUDENTS

Shabbat morning, Nov. 30 @ 9:30

RSVP if you (or your collegian) will be there --we’re ordering special Hanukkah gifts

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Sisterhood Paid-Up Membership Brunch

Ready for a new look for the New Year? Come to our brunch and get inspired. December 8, 2002 from ten o’clock to twelve o’clock at Temple Beth El. Meet Melinda Buchman, consultant for Bobbi Brown cosmetics, from Neiman Marcus. She will be demonstrating the season’s new looks for 2003.

We would appreciate your R.S.V.P. as soon as possible.

Lisa Arons-323-8436

Kelly Sabloff-322-5281

Admission for Sisterhood members is free.

Pay your dues at the door.

New members are welcome to join.

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Learning & Latte”

A series of monthly dialogues hosted by Borders

Tuesday, November 26^th at 7:30 P.M.

JOURNEYS THROUGH GENESIS

This Month: The Temptation of Adam and Eve

Groundbreaking conversations led by

Rabbi Joshua Hammerman of Temple Beth El

and the Rev. Dr. Douglas McArthur, Senior Pastor

of the First United Methodist Church

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SAVE THE DATE

Sunday, December 15, 2002

4:00 – 6:00 PM

Temple Beth El, 350 Roxbury Road, Stamford

Topic: “Update on US politics and Israel”

Guest Speaker: David Gillette, AIPAC Senior Lobbyist

The Israel Task Force is a co-sponsor with AIPAC.

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YOUTH ACTIVITIES

Kadima Overnight (Grades 6-8)

December 7^th - 8^th

8:00 p.m.

Kesher (Grades 3-5)

Havdalah & A Movie

Saturday, December 14^th

6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

ATID (Kindergarten-2)

Mother Earth Mining Company

Sunday, December 15^th

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

USY NIGHT (Grades 9-12)

Sunday, December 15^th

6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Pizza will be served.

Kadima (Grades 6-8)

Dinner and a Service

Friday, December 20^th

6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THIS Special Life Service Project by one of our teens, David Ratner, AND PLEASE BRING A USED CHILDREN’S BOOK TO DROP OFF WHEN YOU COME HERE. THANKS!

“I will be collecting children books and donating them to the Boy's and Girl's Club for the holiday season. In order to do this I will be setting up five drop off locations listed below. These drop off stations will be open for two weeks, in which, I hope to collect and reach my goal of 200 books. In addition, I will be building a bookshelf for these books and plan on advertising this collection in the newspaper. As soon as I get permission from the selected locations the book

drive will begin. After two weeks, I will collect these boxes, clean out the books and organize them into different piles according to their size. I will then build a bookshelf for these books. I have chosen this project, because I know myself, that there are many families in Stamford whose kids who have outgrown their early childhood books. As a result, these books are put away in an attic or basement never to be seen again. Many less fortunate kids have very few books to read. When

I donate these books, I will know that I have given many less fortunate children more chances to read.”

Drop off Locations

1. Agudath Shalom

2. Temple Sinai

3. Temple Beth El

4. St. Bridget

               5. Bethany Assembly of God

The Web link for this week's Shabbat-O-Gram is - http://www.tbe.org/sog/021122.htm - The site is continually updated during the week with corrections and additions. Feel free to forward this link to your friends. People can subscribe to the weekly Shabbat-o-Gram at www.tbe.org. I also send out mailings to college students, Gen Xers and teens, so let us know if you wish to be placed on any of those lists. If you wish to unsubscribe, contact office@tbe.org.