Israeli Shlicha Letter to the Communities
December 30, 2007
Shalom Belleville, Alton, Paducah, Carbondale and Benton!
It’s been a long time, but I hope to write to you more often from now on. I’m just back from a few days off that I took to go north to experience a white Christmas – it was indeed white! I’ve never seen so white in my whole life! The family I stayed with was warm and welcoming and it was a great first Christmas experience, but it was also great to return south again and see other colors for a change.
The past month or so has been an interesting and a challenging one for me. It was the first time I experienced what it’s like to be in a predominately Christian country during Christmas time. In Israel, Dec. 25th is just another day of the week. Kids go to school, adults go to work, the streets look just like they do on every other day of the year. I was caught by surprise when I found that here Christmas begins a month earlier than the actual Christmas day, with houses decorated with charming lights, radio stations playing Christmas songs (what an immense variety of Xmas songs they have!) and a festive atmosphere all around starting right after Thanksgiving day. It was nice to see it, to experience what until now I only saw in American movies and TV shows, but it’s also nice to go back to normal life, to listen to other songs on the radio for a change!
Perhaps because Christmas is such a big deal in this country, it seems that Hanukkah takes on an enhanced festive atmosphere as well. Back in Israel, the holiday of Hanukkah is celebrated happily, but it’s far from being the major Jewish holiday that it is here in the States. During Hanukkah, Israeli school kids get an 8 day holiday, which is great when you’re a kid, but adults go to work as usual. I remember that on my first year as a soldier in the IDF, I realized that for the first time in my life I wasn’t going to get time off during Hanukkah and it actually emphasized the fact that I’ve crossed the line between being a child into being an adult. Aside from the time children get off school, Hanukkah is not considered a major holiday in Israel. Yes, families get together during the holiday nights and lit the candles together (usually one Menorah is lit in each household), sing Hanukkah songs and eat either Levivot (latkes) or Sufganiyot (something that looks like Jelly doughnuts, but somewhat different). When this short ceremony is over, everyone gets back to their regular activities. It took me by surprise to see what a big thing Hanukkah is here. I actually got some Hanukkah cards and gifts (we don’t do it back home), and people kept on wishing me Happy Hanukkah, Jews and non-Jews alike.
Another feature in my Hanukkah experience here was that I realized I’m supposed to organize a federation-wide Hanukkah party. What a challenge! The last time I was at a Hanukkah party was when I was a toddler in kindergarten and I’ve never organized an event before! I had no idea what Hanukkah party is supposed to be like and trying to organize an event to suit both children and adults was not easy, but with such a wonderful turnout of people, the party was a success. We had activities for children alongside a program for adults, and it was a good chance for me to meet some new people from the community. Thanks to those of you who attended and helped make the event a success and thanks to those who helped me before, during and after the party: Thanks to Doug McEwen and Steve Low for leading the Jewparty (Jeopardy) game; to Kiva McEwen for helping with dressing Doug and Steve as Maccabbees; to Bill Bruns for helping with the technical aspect of the event; for Mike and Barbara Marten for building a beautiful Menorah and for helping with the dreidle Pinata together with Becca Marten. Thanks to Joseph Steinbock and Quinlan Munk for playing background Klezmer music, you were great! Thanks to Sara Faye Marten and to Susan Pearlman for helping me with the kids’ corner. Thanks to Butron Zwick and Tina Bernstein for making delicious Latkes! Thanks to Joe Brown for helping decorating the shul before the party and for bringing along some of his students to the party! Thanks to Sue Liemer and Toni Steinbock for reading for us some excerpts they chose about the holiday.
A couple of days before the party I held another party at SIUE – about 30 people showed up, most of them students in my Hebrew class there and their families. It was a good party! Thanks to Joe Brown for helping with food; to Ann Losoff for helping with decorations and to Mike Schacter and Jay O’Brian for the lovely music!
This year’s Hanukkah I was also privileged to meet the Giant City school kids in the Beth Jacob Temple together with Susan Pearlman, Sam Goldman and Ruth Grater. Sam told the kids about the holiday, Susan organized some dreidle game activities, Ruth made delicious latkes for the kids to eat and I told them a little bit of Israel and of Hanukkah in Israel. It was fun. All in all, this holiday season has taught me a lot and has given me important experience.
The next federation wide event will be a big Purim party on March 23rd. Those of you who are interested in being involved are more than welcome to contact me. We would like to have a program designed towards both adults and children, part of which will also be booths operated by each congregation. I’ll be happy to have volunteers from each congregation to contact me about operating your congregation’s booth. Thanks!
During the time since I last wrote to you I started a Hebrew class in Carbondale. We meet on Thursdays at 7 pm. We’re almost done with the reading stage – a few more meetings and we’ll move to the next stage, learning to speak! I enjoy the presence of Barbara and Mort Levine, Sheila Bengtson, Bill Bruns, Jeffrey Perkoff, Rose Weisburd and Jennifer Herrington and I hope to have more students when we move to the next stage of learning.
Some community news:
A little late, but still from the bottom of our hearts: our heartfelt condolences are extended to Emily Martinez who lost her father recently. Emily, you’re in our thoughts at this difficult time, and having gone through a similar ordeal myself, I know it’s not easy, but also this old phrase is not a cliché – time is a healer.
We wish quick recovery to Laney (Elaine) Eedelman after a surgery she went through in her foot a couple of weeks ago. She seems to be doing fine and the Carbondale community members seem to be taking good care of her!
We wish MAZAL TOV to the Cairo community members who went through the ritual bath in Memphis a couple of weeks ago!
A reminder – January 8th at 5 pm we’re going to have a cooking class at Bev and Butch Bradley’s house in Paducah. We’ll make some Israeli salads and dishes and will be happy to have you there with us. If you’re interested, please let me know (by email or by cell 314-956-9247) so that I’ll count you in.
Israeli book club in Alton/Belleville – next February we’re going to have our first meeting of the Israeli book club (date will be announced soon, but it’s going to be a Sunday anyway). We’ll read David Grossman’s Someone to Run With and discuss it with relation to life in Israel. I’ve ordered 11 books for all the people who said they’re interested. If you’re interested in joining us and still haven’t told me, please do so as soon as possible so that I’ll be able to get you a copy of the book long enough before our first meeting (so you’ll have enough time to read it). Thanks!
Quiz 1:
Our first quiz question was ‘what is the Hebrew word for an angel and what its original meaning from the Bible is?’
The correct answer is: Angel in Hebrew is MALACH, and the original meaning of this word is messenger/emissary.
Kol Hakavod to Gabi Maul, Beth Zwick, Laney Eedelman, Mort Levine and Bonnie Reisin-Sievers who wrote back to me with the correct answer. The yummy prize, however, goes to Karon Donahue of Carterville who was the first to send me the correct and full answer.
Quiz 2:
This week’s quiz is all about comparisons: The size of the State of Illinois is 56,400 square miles. What is the size of the State of Israel and what is the ratio between the two states?
The first to send me the correct (and full) answer will win this week’s yummy prize!
Wishing you all a wonderful week and a happy and prosperous new Gregorian year,
Revital
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Revital Yona
Israel Emissary to the Jewish federation of Southern Illinois, Southeastern Missouri and Western Kentucky
314-956-9247
revitalsimokyfed@gmail.com