HANUKKAH CONNECTIONS / CELEBRATING TOGETHER

Six Evenings of Hanukkah Celebrations – Drop In and Enjoy

6:00-7:00 PM Each Night – Saturday December 12 to Thursday December 17

For both the young and the young at heart.  Join Rabbi Heath, friends and family for an hour of Hanukkah music, books, recipes and a virtual dreidel game. Come for the entire hour or drop in when you’re available.  Extended friends and family are welcome. Email jewishtaunton@gmail.com for the Zoom link.

Each night we’ll have Hanukkah blessings and songs, two children’s books, along with a recipe swap.  Finally, we’ll play a game of virtual dreidel!

• Saturday, December 12 – Havdalah, books: “Is It Hanukkah Yet?” and “The Hanukkah Hop,” share your festive beverage recipe
• Sunday, December 13 – books: “Biscuit’s Hanukkah” and “The Borrowed Hanukkah Latkes,” share your latke recipe
• Monday, December 14 – books: “Elmo’s Little Dreidel” and “Meet the Latkes,” share your kugel recipe
• Tuesday, December 15 – books: “I Spy Hanukkah” and “Hanukkah Bear,” share your doughnut recipe
• Wednesday, December 16 –books: “Hanukkah, Oh, Hanukkah” and “Hanukkah Cookies with Sprinkles,” share your cookie recipe
• Thursday, December 17 – books: “The Best Hanukkah Ever” and “Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins,” share your holiday appetizers recipe

DONATIONS TO CONGREGATION AGUDATH ACHIM

For further information on contributions to the Congregation, call the office at (508) 822-3230 (mornings).

IN MEMORY / HONOR / APPRECIATION OF SOMEONE or A MAZEL TOV

Make your check payable to CONGREGATION AGUDATH ACHIM

Mail your check to CONGREGATIONN AGUDATH ACHIM, P.O. BOX 826, TAUNTON, MA 02780

THANK YOU !!!

Good morning everyone – it shouldn’t surprise you that we have chosen to cancel all services, school sessions, social events and programs through March 31^st.

 The search committee will work to reschedule Shabbat morning services with our rabbinic candidates for April.

 Information about the Sisterhood event in Middleboro on March 25^th is not yet available.  An email will be sent when more information is known.

 The office will remain open normal hours, 8:30 AM to 12:00 noon, Monday through Friday.

 This traditional saying can encourage us – Hazak, Hazka, v’Nithazeik – may we go from strength to strength.

 Shalom, Board of Directions, Congregation Agudath Achim

Rabbi/Cantor Anne Heath is retiring at the end of May 2020 from her beloved Agudath Achim, after seventeen years serving our community.  She will leave behind a small, vibrant, committed congregation of learners and  spiritual seekers.   Agudath Achim is especially committed to engaging each and every member, no matter the religious background.  The membership is deeply respectful of difference and welcomes everyone.

A search committe for a new spiritual leader – rabbi or cantor – is underway.

Click here for a detailed position description.

Qualified, interested candidates should contact Mija Almeida, search committee member and past chairperson of our board of directors, at mbalmeida @ aol.com

It’s been quite a fall, the start of religious school, the round of holy days – Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah – and now we’ve passed Thanksgiving, the first snows have begun and Hanukkah is around the corner.

Now’s a good time to recheck the calendar for the year and catch up on not only our regular schedule but our special programs.

While special programs are often outlined at the beginning of the year, new ideas for our members bring new opportunities to socialize, learn, and “do good”.

We gathered as a community on 11/3/18 a week after the carnage in Pittsburgh – Jews, Christians, Muslims – people of faith and people of no faith – to remind ourselves that across the millennia, in different places and cultures “do unto others” arose as a central ethic of communal responsibility and remains to this day the path that brings shalom – peace and wholeness.

A local newspaper report of our gathering may be viewed here.

One of our guests wrote a poem that he wrote for the occasion and recited to those gathered.  It invites reflection and resolve. We thank Harvey Trieff for his words.

Being a Jew by Harvey Trieff

In cattle cars we went to the camps,

On our arms we all had stamps.

Our names were changed to a purple tattoo,

Mine ended in “1”,

Yours ended in “2”.

Could this feeling of horror

Once more be repeated?

Have my tears of sorrow

Not yet been depleted?

Into a Pittsburgh synagogue,

On the eve of a peaceful Shabbat.

Walked a crazy deranged demagogue,

And 11 innocent Jews were shot.

They came to pray in that sacred place,

And spoke to God from a pew.

Now they speak to God face to face,

Guilty of nothing but being a Jew.

Is it too late to end this hate?

Is there nothing that we can do?

We need to reflect,

to practice respect.

That’s the meaning of being a Jew.

Harvey Trieff resides in Fall River with his wife Judy. They have 2 daughters and 3 grandchildren. Harvey is a member of Temple Beth El in Fall River and served as a member of its Board of Directors. 

He is currently the owner and operator of “At Your Service”, a Limousine and Courier company. He is active in Rotary International, having served as past President and currently serving as Secretary of the Rotary Club of Fall River.

Previously Harvey was a co-owner of Center Garment Company. An apparel manufacturing factory 

He enjoys spending time with family, playing golf and writing poetry.