Hanukkah

The Hanukkah celebration at my Temple embraces activities that are primarily for very young children and their families.  My family and I didn’t feel very connected to these programs that our Temple offered therefore, I decided to organize and direct a Hanukkah play for the religious school children to be performed on the first Shabbat during Hanukkah.   I found a wonderful play written by Meridith Shaw Patera titled Chanukah Rap that highlighted the history of Hanukkah through rap, rhythm and song.  Each rap focussed on a character from Hanukkah’s past woven together with a chorus we all sang: Nes Gadol Hayah Sham.  I invited all grades to participate by designing a poster using a photograph of some of the children who had already committed to the play.  For the poster, the kids dressed up as rappers with hats and sun glasses.  By using a black and white photo image of the children with a brick wall as a backdrop, we were able to create a fun look for our very serious rappers.  We had a drum, tambourine and a few microphones that we used for props.  I spent the summer advertising at our Temple and in our e-chavurah, describing the play and what parts were needed.  When it was time to start the play practices, we had 10 rappers ranging in age from 5 - 13.   All of them were very enthusiastic about the play and eager to get started.  I used several preprogramed percussion arrangements from my keyboard for each rap and chorus.  The chorus had a sweet little tune with a clapping and stomping configuration that was fun to perform and easy to stay on beat.   The play began with an introduction that spotlighted each character.  We had Alexander The Great, King Antiochus,  A Greek Soldier, Judah Maccabee, Mattathias, Hannah, Judith, Holofernes, A Dreidle, Latkes, and Candles.  For the soldiers’ shields we made them from unused pizza board wrapped in tin foil, and for the Dreidle, Latke and Candle parts, we made sandwich boards.   The children designed a beautiful Chanukah Rap poster with their original handprints and artwork.  After several Sunday afternoon practices, we performed our play in front of our congregation on the third night of Hanukkah.  We had a full house and the kids performance was fantastic.  The congregation very enthusiastically joined in the chorus during the production which energized everyone, and I believe helped the children with their own performances.  After the play, we all gathered into the community court for some light bites and refreshments.  When we finished our nosh, we continued celebrating Hanukkah with a Shabbat service and a lovely hanukiyot lighting ceremony.  The evening concluded with a traditional Hanukkah dinner with our favorite dessert, sufganiyot.  It was a beautiful celebration for everyone.

HOW DOES YOUR SYNAGOGUE CELEBRATE HANUKKAH?

Shabbat Music

Shabbat Shalom!

As I look back to the very beginning of my journey into Judaism, I can vividly remember my first impressions of the Shabbat service at Temple.  When I first heard the music,  I was struck by how familiar it all seemed, and yet I had never heard the Hebrew language before.  The musical melodies were calming, joyful.   And although I didn't understand one word of the Hebrew language, I felt a connection and a desire to learn more.   I began listening to Shabbat music from various artist, and I slowly started to learn the songs from the Liturgy with the help of transliteration.  Our family is very musical, so it was natural for all of us to gravitate towards the music.   I purchased the Shireinu for our family, and we began the process of learning the Shabbat music through participation at services and at home practicing the songs for our own Shabbat.  Both my husband and daughter play guitar and we all love to sing.   It was exciting for me to learn that all the songs from the Liturgy are actually ancient Hebrew prayers and this gave me more incentive to learn the Hebrew along with the beautiful melodies.

Our musical journey brought many wonderful changes for our family.  Singing and learning together provided an opportunity to express ourselves as a family unit.  Our home was filled with a joy and a desire to be openly creative.  All of us were on a different path of learning,  but it was the music that brought us together and we celebrated that oneness through song.  My husband joined the T'filah all volunteer band at our Temple for about two years, my daughter, for her Bat Mitzvah project, became a song leader for the Shabbat services at a retirement center.  She is in her 3rd year now as a song leader at this senior retirement home, and she is loving every minute of it.  This senior community has warmly embraced my daughter, and they have taught her many important life lessons, lessons about wisdom, kindness, patience, understanding, forgiveness, and giving to the community.

Today, my family and I are still playing the music at home.   Every Monday evening we get together, my husband and daughter on guitar and I on the drums and we have a music lesson with Bradley Fish.  I have learned two basic rhythms on the bongo drum, and I must admit that I have a new respect for drummers.  It is more difficult than I ever imagined, but what a blast to learn.  Bradley is teaching both my daughter and spouse different arrangements and techniques for the guitar using Shabbat music as well.  

For my family, it all began with the music.  The music helps us separate Shabbat from the rest of week.  Through song, we can just be in the moment, let the worries of the week go, and love each other. 


HOW DID YOUR JOURNEY BEGIN?

Shabbat Shalom! 

Gratitude

When I have gratitude in my life, I am centered, grounded, and filled with an attitude of acceptance.  Acceptance of where I am in the world and all things around me.  I am simply ready and willing to let the good "in".

Sukkot is the perfect holiday to celebrate presence and acceptance.  Every year we build a Sukkah in our backyard with friends.  Building the Sukkah prepares me for eight days of gratitude.  Through the building process, we as a community come together in body and spirit.  As we raise the Sukkah, our spirits are elevated, our community is one.

This year we were fortunate in having several families and friends help us build the Sukkah.  We all gathered together on an unusually warm Sunday afternoon in early October beginning with a late lunch,  sharing food, friendship and song.

After lunch, we began the building process laying out the materials for the three walls.  Our Sukkah is made from lumber, nails, rope, burlap and corn stalks.  Each person willingly takes on an important role in the design and creation of the Sukkah.  This year we decided to buy 2 x 4's that were 10 feet high instead of the usual 8 feet.  As you can imagine, raising each wall was an amazing sight and it took some extra time to rope and secure each 1 x 2 across the top of the Sukkah to create the slats that house the corn stalks.   As I watched my friend carefully wrap the rope around each board, always maintaining the proper tension as well as remembering the design pattern, I noticed how peaceful and happy he looked.

During the 8 days of Sukkot, I met with several members of the community in celebration.  Spending time in the Sukkah brought me closer to many families from my congregation as they opened their hearts and shared their lives with me.   It felt sacred, and I was honored.

SUKKOT, GRATITUDE:  WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

Celebrating Sukkot with the Day School

The Sukkah

My husband, daughter and I in our Sukkah 

The vertical taspestry reads:  Ufros Aleinu Sukkat Shlomecha

Blessing for the Arba Minim