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Shanah Tovah u-Metukah! G'mar Tov!
Happy New Year 5775!
All during the month of Elul, we've been hearing the sound of the shofar at the end of the daily shacharit service. In last month's HaShofar, we referred to it as the ancient wake up call for the Jewish soul... and we've run out of time to bang on the snooze button, for the High Holidays are fast approaching.
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - the yomim nora'im, the Days of Awe - are just the beginning of our busy holiday season. The month of Tishrei, which (strangely enough) is the seventh month of the Jewish calendar, also brings Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah. There's plenty to do, from both the religious standpoint and also from that of Men's Club, because that's when most clubs begin their calendar of activities.
May you, your families, your friends, and your communities all be inscribed and sealed for a good 5775... and we hope you will continue to find useful and informative articles in HaShofar. As always, we welcome your submissions and your constructive input: Please let us know how best to serve your needs and those of your Club.
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In This Issue
Myles' Musings: Accomplishments and Future Plans
Happy New Year from Masorti Olami
The FJMC Sefer Haftorah: Beautifying the Mitzvah
Heritage is a Special Kind of Food
M5: the Men's Club Mar-Cheshvan Monday Morning Minyan
Build-a--Pair: Is Your Hebrew School Ready for the Wrap?
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Myles' Musings:
Accomplishments and Future Plans
"I am constantly amazed at the dedication and commitment of our leadership and the many volunteers across North America who live and breathe men's clubs, and who are willing to devote their time and effort to involve Jewish men in Jewish life. "Overall we've made great progress, although there are a few areas that still require more effort...." Read more |
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Happy New Year from Masorti Olami
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 The Sefer Haftorah: Beautifying the Mitzvah
The FJMC's Sefer Haftorah is a parchment scroll containing every Haftorah read during the year, including the special Haftorot for holidays and Rosh Chodesh. While it is carefully hand-written by a sofer (scribe) and dressed with an embroidered mantle in the same manner as a Torah scroll, it is different from a Torah scroll, in that it contains vowels and trop (musical cantillation notes), making it easy to read without extensive advance preparation. It is a unique way of beautifying the mitzvah of reading the Haftorah.
The Sefer Haftorah is used at sessions of the FJMC Leadership Development Institute as well as at biennial International Conventions. The rest of the time it travels from region to region and from congregation to congregation. To find out how the Sefer Haftorah can visit your congregation,
Read more |
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Heritage is a Special Kind of Food
"We, our parents, our children...all of us are the result of all of the particles and cells that miraculously come together from what precedes us. We take the baton from our parents, as they took it from theirs, and just the same, we hand it to our children who wait for it with open hands." Read more |
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M5: the Men's Club Mar-Cheshvan Monday Morning Minyan
"As Jewish months go, Cheshvan doesn't have a lot going for it. ...there's not a single holiday or special occasion in the entire month. No wonder we call it Mar-Cheshvan - 'Bitter Cheshvan.'
"But it doesn't have to be that way. We Men's Club guys can change it." Read more |
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Build-a-Pair:
Is Your Hebrew School Ready for the Wrap?
Build-a-Pair is a fun and educational program for 5th through 7th graders, and is an adjunct to the World Wide Wrap. Students learn about Tefillin, construct model Tefillin in which they place their own Hebrew script, insert straps, and create "wRAP" songs to sing during the World Wide Wrap. It's a highly effective way to improve participation in the World Wide Wrap.
Many Men's Clubs pay for the Build-a-Pair program to be run in their religious schools. Not only does it help with the World-Wide-Wrap, it also gets their Men's Club in front of the younger parents at their synagogues. This is the time to make sure Build-a-Pair is included in your Hebrew School's curriculum... it's a win-win-win for the school, the synagogue, and your Club.
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Back Issues
Missing an issue of HaShofar? Just go to our Archive for a list of available back issues. |
Have something of interest to your fellow Men's Clubs? Send it to HaShofar!
HaShofar is another way that FJMC is keeping the flow of information moving between clubs and the international organization. We want to keep you informed on:
+ What we do to support our 20,000 members
+ What FJMC does to address Conservative/Masorti issues
+ What our Clubs and Regions are doing that everyone can benefit from
The only way we can let everyone else know what's happening is if we hear from you first! Send your submissions to HaShofar editor Steve Krodman at [email protected] and we'll do our best to squeeze them in.
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