1. Shavuot Celebration, June 3rd – 4th, 2011
This year our Shavuot celebration was touched by wonderful, joyous and very special events.
On June 3rd we had a Tikun Leil Shavuot with the participation of over 120 congregants and guests. The evening lasted 4.5 hours and was dedicated to the concept of “Gmilut Hasadim” (good deeds). Or Hadash’s past president Dr. Jesse Lachter’s lecture spoke about Pirkei Avot ( Ethics of our Fathers). Our sisterhood president Anat Perelman spoke about “Hesed” in the book of Ruth. I had the honor of teaching about “Good Deeds” in the Talmusicl literature. It was a fascinating evening!
Our evening became even more festive when our good friend Rabbi Micah Greenstein arrived with Rick Recht - the very talented musician, to visit us. Rick was so upbeat and enthusiastic. His concert was unbelievable! He surpassed any and all expectations and then some. Rick was fantastic to host, warm, pleasant and very talented!! I have no words to describe how inspiring his performance was. We had such a good time! I would like to thank Rabbi Micah Greenstein and Rick Recht for enriching our Shavuot celebration.
On Wednesday, June 4th, we had Shavuot services with around 60 participants and one very special Bat Mitzvah which was celebrated on the day the Torah was given to the People of Israel.
In the pictures: Rick Recht at Or Hadash
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2. Or Hadash Summer Camp – The Moadonit
These days you can find our Youth Director, Neta Kligerman, busy getting ready to open our Moadonit (summer camp) doors for around 70 children who will enjoy attending a quality summer camp. Over the last several years Or Hadash Moadonit had earned a wonderful reputation which made registration this year close very early. By mid May our Moadonit was fully booked with a long waiting list.
Needless to say we are very excited and thrilled to keep around 70 children, safely busy all summer.
This year, thanks to our benefactors’ generosity, we were able to extend the length of the Moadonit operation from 6 to 7 full weeks this year.
Here are some statistic details about our Moadonit:
Total registered: 70 children, of whom 26 are boys and 44 are girls.
By age we have 13 preschoolers, 10 1st graders, 26 2nd graders, 14 3rd graders and 7 4th graders. For most of the children attending the Moadonit this is their second year attending.
3. Friends visiting Or hadash
On Friday, June 10th, we had the joy and pleasure of hosting our good friend Rabbi Richard Agler from Temple B’nai Israel of Boca Raton, FL, along with a congregational trip group and confirmation class. Rabbi Agler spoke to Or Hadash congregants. Kabalat Shabbat services were followed by a festive dinner we prepared for the groups.
The next day, Shabbat, June 11th, we celebrated a very special double Bar Mitzvah for a local Israeli boy and an American boy from Rabbi Agler’s congregation. One might find it an interesting coincidence that both Israeli and American mothers of the B’nai Mitzvah are practicing lawyers.
In the pictures: Left – B’nai Israel of Boca Raton confirmation class. Right – Rabbi Agler on the bimah at Or Hadash.
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4. Final Talmud Class This Year
On Tuesday, June 14th, we held our last Talmud class for the year. As you know, this year we are lovingly dedicating all our Jewish studies to commemorate our beloved friend Daniel Lyons z”l.
5. Adult B’not Mitzvah ceremony makes it to Israel’s major newspaper, Ma’ariv
The adult B’not Mitzvah ceremony Or Hadash celebrated on June 4th made it to one of Israel’s major newspaper with a headline and a photo no one could miss.
The report reads:
Golden Girls
21 Women from a Reform Congregation in Haifa were honored celebrating their belated Bat Mitzvah in a unique Aliya L’Torah ceremony. Attendees included women over 70 years old, among them the congregation’s Rabbi’s mother.
Haifa’s Reform Congregation celebrated a unique event on Saturday, June 4th, when 21 women ages 15 – 80 year old were honored to make Aliya L’Torah to celebrate their belated Bat Mitzvah. 21 women celebrated their Bat Mitzvah at Or Hadash synagogue on Saturday. In a very unique event, women who did not have the opportunity of celebrating their Bat Mitzvah ceremony at the age of 12 years old were able to do so on Saturday. Among B’not Ha’Mitzvah were 15 year olds as well as women over 70 year old, including the mother of Rabbi Dr. Edgar Nof, the congregation’s senior Rabbi.
One after another the women came up to the bimah at Or Hadash Reform synagogue located at the Ahuza neighborhood. The women recited their blessings and read their Torah portions. The event was initiated by Rabbi Nof as part of his efforts in promoting B’nai Mitzvah celebrations.
The Or Hadash synagogue was packed with families, parents, husbands, children, grandchildren and grandparents.
The celebrating women each recited a blessing they composed for the occasion, followed by reading their individual Torah portion. They then circled the synagogue carrying the Torah scroll.
A special excitement was felt in the crowd when Rabbi Nof called Esther Hoffman Pochne – his mother, to the bimah. Moved to tears, Esther recited her blessing in her mother’s tongue – Spanish and then read her Torah portion.
The ceremony ended in a celebratory banquet.
“No doubt this is one of the greatest events of my career” said Rabbi Nof “ and an extremely significant event in the history of a congregation which was established in 1964”
Orna Nirenfeld.
6. Overseas Friend’s Bat Mitzvah
On Tuesday, June 21st, we welcomed the Gersh Family from our sister congregation Beth David of Gladwyn, PA. I had the honor and pleasure of officiating Cayley Gersh’s Bat Mitzvah which took place at the Defense Hill, on top of Mount Carmel. The Gershs came to Haifa on Tuesday morning. After a short tour at Or Hadash we drove to my favorite location for spiritual ceremonies, on top of Mt. Carmel, where Cayley had her Bat Mitzvah and beautifully read her Torah portion. It was a very touching ceremony.
After the ceremony I took the Gershs to a Druze village and surrounding area. We came back to Or Hadash for lunch and then drove to Haifa’s amazing beach promenade for a nice walk by the Mediterranean.
In the pictures: Cayley Gersh reading her Torah portion and the Gersh Family at the Defense Hill after the ceremony
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7. Friends from Atlanta at Or Hadash
On Thursday, June 23rd, we welcomed a group of friends from Atlanta for lunch and a tour at Or Hadash. The group from The Temple of Atlanta, led by Cantor Deborah Numark is visiting Israel on a congregational trip. After visiting Or Hadash the group continued to Yemin Orde, the boarding school that was divested in the Carmel fire on Dec` 2010.
8. Dutch reporters visiting Or Hadash
Tonight, Friday, June 24th, we are expecting a group of 20 Dutch reporters to join us for Shabbat services and a festive dinner afterwards. The group represents around 50 various media channels in Holland. Their visit to Israel was initiated by CIDI (The Center for Information and Documentation on Israel), an organization whose goal is to strengthen ties between Holland and Israel, increasing awareness of special events and Israeli reality in general. Simon Soesan, who is Or Hadash congregant, a dear friend, and one of the organizers of this blessed initiation said that among other things this visit is meant to bring more reliable and reasonable reports to the Dutch media. The visiting reporters do not hate Israel in any way, shape or form, they simple are not familiar with the state of Israel, hence the importance of hosting them. Members of the group include Christians, Jews and Muslims. They will explore Haifa, spend time at various local coffee shops, bars, restaurants, etc., visit Haifa’s wonderful beach and meet with key members of our city. The group will spend 12 days in Israel and visit various places.
Wishing you Shabbat Shalom,
In Friendship,
Edgar