The Charlotte Jewish News - December 2011 - Page 4
Giving Our Blessings - the Best
Chanukah Gift
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No matter that Purim is
Judaism’s traditional time for
bestowing presents, gift giving
has become part and parcel of the
Chanukah experience. But we
don’t have to limit our gift giving
to the exchange of material things,
and when it comes to community,
it’s more important for us to share
our affection and connec
tion with one another.
At Temple Or Olam,
everyone who walks into
our Chanukah party will be
stopping at a small table
first. On the table will be
strips of paper, pens and
pencils beside them. A
large bowl will stand at the
ready. Each congregant -
young or old - will write a bless
ing on his or her strip of paper,
fold it up and drop it in the bowl.
Later that evening, each congre
gant -young or old - will have the
chance to pick a blessing out of
the bowl.
May your home be filled with
O
f
1
light this holiday season.
May you be blessed with
crispy latkes, lots of applesauce
and sour cream and a generous
heap of laughter.
May you feel God’s loving
presence fill the room as you
light the candles of the chanuki-
ah.
Our congregants can
bless each other with
- health, joy, and abun-
Q dance. Perhaps they will
— write about the blessings
* they themselves most
^ wish to receive. When we
write blessings for others,
we learn what we need.
To give a blessing is to
receive one.
Of course, this year’s
Chanukah party will feature our
annual talent show, the crispiest
latkes in five counties, songs, and
games. But we also want to take
the time to deepen our connec
tions with each other, to strength
en our community and to confirm
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Jessica at Chanukah.
our purpose. We are together
beeause we want to be. We bless
eaeh other beeause we eare. We
eelebrate together to make memo-
(Continued on page 9)
Giant
Menorah
Lighting at
SouthPark
Mall
This Chanukah, Lubaviteh of
North Carolina and Congregation
Ohr HaTorah invite the entire
Jewish eommunity, onee again, to
usher in the Chanukah holiday
with a speetaeular Menorah light
ing at SouthPark Mall in the
Center Court between Belk,
Nordstrom, and Neiman Mareus.
This exeiting event will take plaee
on Tuesday, Deeember 20, whieh
is the first night of Chanukah.
The Chanukah Extravaganza
begins at 5 PM and will feature
Chanukah erafts and many other
entertaining aetivities for ehildren.
Traditional doughnuts and ehoeo-
late gelt will be served free of
eharge, along with lively Jewish
musie. The Giant Menorah will be
lit at 6 PM with lots of fanfare.
The blessings and other traditional
Chanukah songs will be sung.
This eelebration is the perfeet
event to open the Jewish holiday
season, as it allows the Jewish
eommunity to express pride and
joy in our faith in a publie venue,
during a time when many in our
eountry are eelebrating their holi
days.
The publie venue for the
Menorah lighting is eonsidered an
important aspeet of Chanukah.
One of the primary reasons for
lighting the menorah is to publi-
eize the miraeles of Chanukah -
the miraele of the limited supply
of olive oil whieh lasted for eight
days in the Holy Temple and the
miraele of the great vietory of the
Maeeabees over their oppressors.
Chanukah Menorahs and ean-
dles will be available for purehase
at the event. For more informa
tion, please eontaet Lubaviteh of
North Carolina at 704-366-3984,
visit ehabadne.org, or e-mail:
info@chabadne.org. ^