Kislev/Tevet 5780

Call 206-567-9414 for event details or see our online calendar here.

December

• 8 Bagels, Coffee & Conversation
• 14 Coordinating Committee Meeting
• 22 Chanukah Party – First Night of Chanukah
• 25 Movie & Chinese Food
• 30 Super Supper

January

• 24 Shabbat
• 27 Super Supper

February

• 8 Tu B’Shevat
• 9 Coordinating Committee Meeting
• 24 Super Supper

COMMUNITY

Nearly fifty years ago, down to his last few dollars, Leo Fried juried in to a stall at Pike Place Market where he and Terry sold his jewelry for the next thirteen years.  Eventually, he opened a small jewelry store on Front Street in Poulsbo near Boehm’s Chocolates where he was for another thirteen years until moving to his present location also on Front Street.  Along the way were travels to gem shows and Thailand where Leo sought out beautiful stones for his work.   Many years ago, when we received our Prague Torah on permanent loan from England, Leo made us the great gift of a beautiful silver and crystal pointer to serve as our yad whenever the Torah was to be read.  So now, nearly fifty years after Leo began his career teaching himself the fine craft of jewelry-making, he has decided to retire. We wish him all the very best as he pursues old and new interests and are so grateful for his artistry and generosity to our chavurah.  Yesher Koach!

BAGELS, COFFEE & CONVERSATION

Sunday, December 8, 10:30 am

Bagels, coffee and interesting conversation at Jane and Bob Greenberg’s community room at Ericksen Cottages.

Reflections about their trip to Portugal and what  they learned about Jews in Portugal before and after the Inquisition and synagogues from 15 th century and today.

RSVP not necessary but helpful so I make enough coffee and tea. 206-780-9942

CHANUKAH PARTY

Sunday, December 22 at 4 pm at the Rappaports’ home.

Please join us to celebrate the first night of Chanukah with candle lighting, singing, dreidels, latkes, discussion and a potluck supper.

For more information contact Carol Rappaport or call 206-567-9414.

MOVIE & CHINESE FOOD

Following a great Jewish Tradition we are hosting a Movie and Chinese Food night on Christmas, December 25th (obviously) at 5 PM. I am requesting that folks RSVP so we know who is coming and we can get a wishlist of what to order.  We can just split the bill in equal shares. Joy Luck in Kingston is fortunately open that night. None of the Chinese restaurants Poulsbo restaurants were open on Christmas. We can have a movie choice picked out ahead of time by those folks who RSVP to attend. Any questions email Robin  or call 206-567-9414 . Hope to see you there! 

COORDINATING COMMITTEE

Upcoming Coordinating Committee meetings are as shown below. All members are welcome at CC meetings.

• Saturday 12/14 10 am – Sharon’s
• Sunday 2/9 10 am – Carol’s

CAY’S TRAVELOGUE

I’m just getting organized after having some time off with a bit of travelling….  and taking some time with Jewish destinations that some of you may have already visited, but it’s all new to me!

Amsterdam:  Giant Portuguese Synagogue (very formal big sanctuary, still no heating or electric lighting – they light with CANDLES in big chandeliers! – wouldn’t I love to see that!).  Went to services, but they were in the ‘Winter Annex’ which DOES have heat and lighting – sat in the women’s gallery and merited nary a glance from the  minyan below, while they speed-chanted through the prayers.  Same night I went to a very renewal-ish, warm, singing, harmonizing, LGBT group that Dee had found last year. Rabbi and Cantor kindly spoke in Dutch and English since they knew they had some English-only people there.  Made me miss you all very much!

In the last week I took some  residual vacation  and went to Prague and Tallinn – I know, odd choice since there’s only about 6 hours of daylight around here this time of year!  Not much Jewish I could find in Tallinn, but Prague of course is the home of the great Rabbi Lowe of Golem fame, AND of importance to the, er….Rutzick Family (actually, Sharon’s dad – now I realize I don’t know Sharon’s maiden name!).  That was a trip worth taking for sure.  Every kind of synagogue from simple 13th c (Alteneue Synagogue – where Golem still sleeps in the loft) through glorious ornate Jerusalem Synagogue and all kinds in between.  The old Jewish Cemetery is as crowded as any ghetto – been there for at least 600 years – and there was one before that!  Tree trunks grow to embrace various tombstones  like dear old friends.  The stones themselves huddle and lean together like a bunch of gossips.  Can’t imagine being buried in a place like that next to (or above, or below) someone you don’t like!  Because of lack of space they’d put layers of dirt on top of old graves, moving the old stones up to the new level – which is what accounts for the crazy-looking crowding (apparently there are 12 layers in some places!  So the cemetery has tall retaining walls, being higher than the surrounding grounds).

 No chance to go to any services, unfortunately.  The Synagogue of Sharon fame, the Pinchas Synagogue, is now a memorial to the lost 80,000 Czech Jews — the building is beautifully kept, but what is at first startling, and then deeply moving, is that all the walls have the names of the 80,000, with dates, painted on them – on every level.  Except a room where they exhibit art from the children in the camp, Terezin.  One walks through the building, and then directly into the Old Cemetery, in a stream of consciousness transcending centuries.  A real kaleidoscope of associations….Wasn’t sure where to ‘land’ after the range of time, prosperity and devastation that day.  But Prague itself offers a balm – there is music everywhere – in churches, on bridges, pubs, halls of various kinds….. a great city, even in the chilly, dark damp!

HAPPENING ON BAINBRIDGE

MULTICULTURAL ADVISORY COUNCIL

ORKESTYR FARFELE IN CONCERT

WHEN – Dec 14, 2019 at 7:30 pm WHERE – BIMA Frank Buxton Auditorium

BIMA is excited to present an evening of traditional klezmer music with Orkestyr Farfeleh, perfect for lovers of Jewish music, replete with frelachs, Eastern European folk tunes, Yiddishkayt and hats of overwhelming personality. Harvey Niebulski, Marianne Tatom and Thaddeus Spae perform on accordion, clarinet, trombone, guitarron, and vocals and present diverse material with sharp ears, quick fingers and irrepressible humor, in a program sure to delight young and old alike. CLICK for tickets.

HAPPENING IN SEATTLE

LADINO DAY

LADINO DAY   The 7th Annual Ladino Day will be held at the UW Hub Lyceum on Thursday, December 5th, 7 pm.  Ladino Day 2019: Exploring Sephardic Life Cycle Customs – UW Stroum Center for Jewish Studies  This is free and open to the public and includes lectures, performances, a reading and kosher Sephardic food.  RSVP through the link.

e la fasha asta la mortaja: From the cradle to the grave

Ladino Day 2019 will survey the life cycle customs and traditions unique to Sepharadim from the Ottoman Empire. From berit mila to bar mitsva, weddings to funerals, the program will highlight a selection of major life events and explore shifts in Sephardic culture and the Ladino language through textual and material artifacts, oral histories, and photographs. Performances of Ladino songs by the Ladineros, Seattle’s long-time Ladino conversation group, a Ladino reading by Anna Jacoby (Northwest Yeshiva High School ’22), and a multimedia presentation by Professor Devin Naarwill bring memories of these Sephardic traditions to life.

PLAYING OPPORTUNITY  Klez Chaos

Our next klezmer jam will be a pre-Chanukah party Wednesday, December 18, 7:30 – 10ish, soup and potluck snacks at 9, 9705 1st Ave. NW, Seattle.  All are welcome.  What makes it a party?  We’ll play requests.  I’ll have the rugs cleaned in January so we can eat and drink in all rooms.  Maybe we’ll have a small group playing in the front room, too.  Come and enjoy a little break from Christmas music.

LISTENING AND DANCING OPPORTUNITY Klez Chaos

Klez Chaos has two December gigs.  We are playing Sunday, December 8th at the Phinney Neighborhood Association’s Winter Festival and Craft Fair, noon in the brick building – 6532 Phinney Ave N in Seattle .  Come dance to our music at the Lake City Contradance Thursday, December 12, 7:30 pm, first time is free, beginners lesson at 7.  The dance is at 11710 3rd Ave NE, Seattle, just east of the freeway.  Enter from 5th NE.