DEAR FRIENDS,
December 2024
It's hard to believe, but we have passed the forty year mark. The rains have started (and stopped but that's to be expected) and we can breathe a sigh of relief as the war winds down. We hope. Whatever your political leaning you can take advantage of the relative quiet: unlike our brothers and sisters who are still in the hands of the Hamas animals and are being held hostage in Gaza. I hope that by the time this bulletin sees light that our hostages will also see the light. How I hate to start a newsletter on a pesimistic note, but that is the reality of our lives.
And speaking of light, the wonderful holiday of Hanukkah is on the way. This year it begins the day after Christmas so the season of fun is extended eight days after the time of 'Season's Greetings.' Those of us who came from Christian countries will know what the reference is. While I am on the subject of a merry season, here are some fun facts about Hanukkah:
- Hanukkah is not the most important Jewish holiday. Jewish holidays like Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Passover are actually much more significant in Judaism, and Hanukkah is considered a minor festival. But kids prefer Hanukkah because of the tradition of giving gifts, sometimes one for each of the eight nights. The gift-giving tradition actually stems from Christmas.
- Harry Truman was the first president to celebrate Hanukkah at the White House. In 1951, he accepted a Menorah as a gift from the Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben Gurion.
- There is no "wrong" way to spell Hanukkah. You may have seen the holiday spelled Hanukkah, Hannuka, or Chanukah... the list goes on. The most common version is probably Hanukkah, but all of the spellings are actually accurate. Because there is no correct way to directly translate the Hebrew sounds to English, it could be spelled a variety of different ways, each equally correct.
- The word "hanukkah" comes from the Hebrew word "Hinuch," or "to teach." Jews follow a tradition of incentivizing their children to learn Torah on this holiday by gifting them gelt, or golden-wrapped chocolates that resemble coins. Gelt can also be won in a game of dreidel. According to Chabad, the closest English translation of the Hebrew word is "inauguration."
- The famous dreidel, or four-sided spinning top, was invented as a distraction. "Dreidel" is the Yiddish word for 'spin around' while the Hebrew word is 'sivivon.' The Greek-Syrians had outlawed Jewish studies, so the Jews spun dreidels to pretend they were merely playing games while they engaged with their scripture.
- The world's largest menorah is in New York. The menorah is 36 feet tall, and it stands on 5th Ave and 59th Street at Grand Army Plaza near Central Park in Manhattan. The largest menorah in the world was designed by Yaacov Agam and is 36 feet tall, 28 feet wide, and weighs 4,000 pounds, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
The gigantic menorah was unveiled in December of 2005 in New York City’s iconic Central Park. It was designed according to a hand drawing by Maimonides based on the original Menorah in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem and is the largest size permitted by Halacha-Jewish law.
In New Jersey, Chabad Jewish Center of Monroe says it lights “N.J.’s largest menorah.” It’s located in NJ State Park, at the intersection of Perrineville and Prospect Plains roads, (across from Stop and Shop at 1600 Perrineville Road) Monroe. (I wonder what they do in places like Montana and North Dakota.)
- Hanukkah has been celebrated in space. When Jeffrey Hoffman headed to space in Space Shuttle Endeavor in 1993 to service the Hubble Space Telescope, he took a small silver menorah and a dreidel with him. He couldn’t light the candles because of that whole lack of gravity thing, but he gave his dreidel a nice twirl for everyone to see. Hoffman—NASA's first Jewish-American astronaut—also made history in 1985 when he brought a Torah (the Jewish holy book) into space for the first time.
- Before latkes were made out of potatoes, they were made out of cheese. The cheese once used in latkes was supposed to recall how Judith saved the Jewish people from Assyrian general Holofernes by first enticing him with a meal containing dairy, and ultimately beheading him. (Way to go Judith!)
- The celebration of Hanukkah doesn't appear in the Torah. While you'll find mentions of other Jewish holidays in the Torah, you won't find Hanukkah in there. According to Chabad, the events that took place on the first Hanukkah occurred nearly 1,000 years after the Torah was written.
- Fasting is prohibited on Hanukkah So you have a good excuse to eat those latkes and sufganioth! I'm not sure if you have to eat the sweet stuff, but you should eat at least one food that is fried to commemorate the oil that burned for eight days in that ancient temple. It's a mitzvah.
There you have our dizzy dozen facts about Hanukkah. There are plenty more. If you knew all dozen of the above facts then you are a well-informed member of the tribe
Emergency Numbers
Citizens Rights in an emergency situation (Hebrew)
https://www.kolzchut.org.il/he/ (need to google translate if you do not know Hebrew)
Israel Home Front Command (Pikud HaOref) Phone: 104
This is the official address for Israeli citizens during these times:
https://www.oref.org.il/en
Israel Police / Phone: 100
https://www.gov.il/en/departments/israel_police/govil-landing-page
MADA – Ambulance / Phone: 101
https://www.mdais.org/en
National Fire and Rescue Authority / Phone: 1299
https://www.gov.il/en/departments/firefighting_and_rescue_israel/govil-landing-page
Emotional Support
Association of the Deaf in Israel
Contact: +972 52-6033505 / Website:
https://www.deaf-israel.org.il/contact-us
Al-Anon Israel serves friends and family of alcoholics
https://www.al-anon-israel.org/
Crises Intake for U.S. Citizens in Israel
https://cacms.state.gov/s/crisis-intake
Eran Hotline
Sponsored by the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration to provide emotional support, is open for immigrants to Israel in English, Russian, Amharic, French and Spanish between the hours of 4pm and 9pm at *3201. Website:
https://www.eran.org.il/helpline-for-olim-eng/
Ezer Mitzion
- psychological support: 1800808100
- special for people 60+: 1800802030 (between 8am and 8pm)
- want to volunteer?: 0732477777
- need medical equipment?: 036144500
- Bayt Cham: *9518
- Special professional hotline, for free, for boys, for girls, in English also: *8147, 24/7 *for more
- info: m1599503232@gmail.com
Get Help Israel
https://gethelpisrael.com/
Help Line for Holocaust Survivors
https://www.k-shoa.org/index.php?language=eng
Number to call is *5105 or 03 5682651
Kav LaOved – Workers Hotline
Foreign aid workers are able to check regulations via this link:
https://www.kavlaoved.org.il/en/
Leket food Bank in Israel
https://www.leket.org/en/volunteers/
Mashaabim Center
Parenting and family in an emergency:
https://hoseneastgalil.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Parenting-and-family-in-an-emergency.pdf
Health Funds
Meuhedet *3833 – 3 for English
Maccabi *3555 – 4 for English
Leumit *507 – 4 for English
Clalit *2700 – 4 for English
English News Resources:
i24News: https://www.i24news.tv/en/
Ynet: https://www.ynetnews.com/
Israel National News:https://www.israelnationalnews.com/
The Jerusalem Post: http://www.jpost.com
Ha’Haretz: http://www.haaretz.co.il
The Times of Israel: https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Arutz Sheva: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/
Other Helpful Resources:
Libby – Israel Digital Library
LIBBY for the Southern Evacuees Click here
Behavioral guidelines while driving a vehicle during sirens
https://www.oref.org.il/12487-16149-en/Pakar.aspx
Choosing a Protected Space – Pikud HaOref
https://www.oref.org.il/12487-15895-en/Pakar.aspx
How to explain the war to our children: A guide for parents
https://www.oref.org.il/12487-15895-en/Pakar.aspx
The Silent Radio Broadcast Stations Activated During Shabbat
https://www.gov.il/en/departments/news/12102023_2
Foreign Embassies in Israel
