|
Tevet / January (Dec.) 2007 |
 photo by Laura Evonne Steinman News from Community folks (happenings, questions, etc...) If you have information that you would like to go in the December/January Newsletter, please send to: laura@handinhandarts.com The Month of Tevet Compiled from www.ritualwell.org
Tevet is the tenth of twelve months of the Jewish calendar, and falls during the secular months of December/January. Tevet begins with the last days of Hanukkah. The mazal (constellation) for Tevet is the gedi (goat).
"The goat works its way slowly, laboriously up the mountain of winter. Though the path is treacherous, the goat never slips or falls. Sure-footed, firmly centered in the earth, the creature eventually reaches the summit." - Penina V. Adelman, Miriam's Well
As winter deepens, and darkness arrives early, we remember that we too can reach summits of joy -- even in darkness.
Features
Hanukkah concludes on the second of Tevet, thus completing the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem.
Places of prayer, such as the Temple in Jerusalem, the mishkan (the portable tabernacle that preceded the Temple), and synagogues, have always been highly prized in Jewish life. Jewish mystics teach that the body is like a temple -- a dwelling-place of God and of our soul. Just as we mourn the defilement of the Temple by those who did not see it as a dwelling-place of God, so do we mourn the harmful ways in which we mistreat our bodies when we forget that they house our souls. The Hebrew word "Hanukkah" means "dedication." Just as we celebrate the re-dedication of the Temple, so do we affirm our own re-dedication and commitment to respectful treatment of our bodies, the temples of our souls.
And so, Tevet ushers in a month of Re-dedication as a path toward Self-Appreciation. It's a month for treating your body as a mishkan (a Temple) and a month to move beyond destructive images of our bodies, to eat healthy foods, and to take care of ourselves.
The 10th of Tevet is Yom Hakadish Haklal -- a day to remember those whose date of death is unknown -- to explore the spiritual legacies we have inherited from our ancestors and those we wish to leave to future generations.
"Tevet ushers in a month of Self-Appreciation from Re-Dedication. And it's a month for treating your body as a mishkan (a Temple) to commemorate the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. We rededicate ourselves to the task of recognizing and moving beyond destructive images of our bodies, eating healthily, and taking care of ourselves. Hello Eurojews! It was great to see so many of you in Paris just a few days ago. I hope everyone has had a "bright Chanukah" (I'm enjoying it in Jerusalem where many streets have candles buring brightly on them and in windows. It is a site to see. Perhaps we can have a eurojews Chanukah in Jerusalem, wouldn’t that be fantastic!) It is always nice to meet to people and reconnect to old friends. I hope everyone had a good time, even with a little craziness that weekends bring with them. And I hope many of you will be able to help out with future events and will bring your friends! Hope everyone got home safe and that this Sabbath will bring you peace and joy, and may we truly treat our bodies, our our self as a temple. Shalom from Jerusalem, Laura Just a reminder, to send your Paris photos to Emmanuel who will kindly post them on our website. And if you would like to be a Eurojews member and/or would be able and willing to help with future event please write to Beatrice.
NEXT TRIP: Purim in Dublin! More details to come. If you would like to be a member of EuroJews please send and e-mail to Beatrice Richman <beatricerichman(at)hotmail.com> You will get this on-line newsletter, discounts on events and other great things! *If you would like to receive a reminder link to our monthly newsletter, please send an email to the following address, within the brackets: [eurojews-subscribe(at)eurojews.org Members' Forum (see the link from http://www.eurojews.org/members.html)...a virtual space for our community to gather - room for online discussion, fun, announcements, recipes, learning - something we have been hoping to create for a long time is now finally with us! If there are any problems viewing the site please contact makopolok(at)rediffmail.com News from Community Folks (happenings, questions, etc…) · NEW JEWISH GROUP FORMING in ROME: We are forming a chavurah which welcomes progressive, liberal Jews of all nationalities, ex-pats or Italians, and their non-Jewish partners, spouses, or friends. The goal is to build a community of like-minded individuals. How this community develops will depend on the needs, interests, and talents of the participants. Please feel free to email this to others you know who might be interested. Shalom, Helen CantorL2@aol.com
· EuroJews CD’s: They will be for sale in Paris, so yet another reason to come! Price about 10-15Euros. · EuroJews Late Bar/Bat Mitzvah Project _ Have you had a Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah, or are you one of many EuroJews who, for one reason or another, missed out? It is never too late. We are planning an intensive learning programme leading, if appropriate, to a Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony. Please get in touch if you are interested in this, either as a student or as a teacher. Contact: Nathan · EuroJews _Jewish/Moslem Dialogue Project._ Fed up with negative and stereotypical journalism, from all sides? Anyone interested in participating in a EuroJews/Moslems interfaith project should get in touch. Let's break down some barriers. Contact: Nathan
|