Today is the Second Day of Chanukah for 5770!  Happy Chanukah to you and your family!  And, here is an invite to come to the Beth El Jacob Chanukah Party later today at 5:00PM!  We'll have live music, a latke bar, ice cream bar and activities.  And, we'll be lighting the THIRD candle.  We're planning for loads of people...so consider it?  Cost is $5 per person or $18 for a family.  And...if you want to make a pillow case....that's an extra $2!   WHAT?  Yep, all the proceeds are going to the Chai Lifeline a charity for seriously ill Jewish children from across the faith spectrum.  Join us?

A quick thought about Chanukah.  You do know that it's not the "Jewish Christmas" right?  Actually, the entire idea of giving gifts for "eight crazy nights" is mostly an American custom with little to no relationship to the holiday that celebrates a military victory...with G-d's help!

We read each day of Chanukah, "...for your people Israel you worked a great victory and salvation as this very day. Then Your children came to the Holy of Holies of Your House, cleansed Your Temple, purified the site of Your Holiness and kindled the lights in the Courtyards of Your Sanctuary; and they established these eight days of Chanukah to express thanks and praise to Your great Name."

Didn't see anything about "gifts" or "gelt" there did ya?  But...as long as we remember WHY we light the lights and we're true to the reality of the celebration...what's a gift...or eight...among friends?

See you in Shul!

Two weeks ago Beth El Jacob held a second "Shabbos Challenge".  It's an opportunity for people to gather at a hotel and spend a traditional Shabbos where we can learn, pray, eat and build community.  It's a great time.

Something very odd happened that weekend on Erv Shabbos.

The rabbis wife, Janice Schwarzbaum, left the dinner table to take food to the staff at the front desk. (It is her passion to make sure that when there is food or fun...everybody gets.)  As she stood there explaining to the surprised hotel staff what kugel is a man standing nearby said to the workers, "Oh, you'll like kugel.  My favorite is carrot."

Surprised at this addition to the conversation, Janice turned and asked, "You know kugel?"  The man said, "Oh yes!  But it has been many years since I've had it."  Of course the next question from Janice to The Man was, "Are you Jewish?" 

The Man shifted his gaze to look away and said, "I was.  Many years ago I converted and became a Christian.  My mother, until the day she died, never spoke to me again."

Stunned, Janice responded as only a frum Jew would, "Come and eat with us!  We're having Shabbos Dinner right upstairs with people from our synagogue and, yes, we've got more kugel."

The Man followed her to the dining room and took the only chair left, which was right across from the rabbi.  He told us he is a physician from Illinois and in Des Moines for a conference.  He was about to ask the hotel staff for directions to a restaurant where he was going to meet people for dinner when he overheard the kugel conversation.

For over two hours The Man sat, ate, listened and sang Shabbos songs with us. After we finished Grace after Meals he said goodbye but said he might return.  And, an hour later he was back listening to a divar Torah and sharing his personal story.  And we listened...

I don't know if we'll ever see The Man again but I have no doubt that this event made an impact on his life.  And, for his blessed Mother to see him at a Shabbos Table in Des Moines, Iowa....oh my.

My friends...you never know who G-d puts in your path or why.  This experience is just another in a long list of opportunities for outreach.  It is clear this experience touched our dinner guest.  The question is, will The Man respond in a deeper sense?  And the answer is, yes...he already did, each time he said, "Amen".

See you in Shul....

 

 

 

It's early Sunday morning, the final day of The Shabbos Challenge II for Des Moines, This past weekend saw 33 people gather at the Day's Inn of Walnut Creek for a true Shabbos.   From check-in on Friday afternoon we have prayed, learned, worshiped, ate, sang and played together.  It's not only the right thing to do, but it goes toward building a community. (Last night we even had a whipped cream treat...)

For Orthodox Jews living in other parts of the country leaving your home and checking into a hotel for Shabbos may sound strange.  But here it's different.  We have members of our shul that are observant and those working toward the goal.  We have members who care little for religion and others that truly "get it".  And so we meet in a location to give those who are grasping for reason the opportunity to start with observing Shabbos.  It's a wonderful adventure...  Thank you Rabbi Schwarzbaum for doing this again.  Let's start planning Shabbos Challenge III.

In other news, the Des Moines Sunday Register carried an article about the three new families who have moved to Des Moines.  Last week writer Marc Hansen visited Beth El Jacob and heard, first hand, why Orthodox families have made the choice to create community in Des Moines.  Nice job Marc and thank you...here is the story.

See you in shul...

 

 

This Shabbos we have a special program with the founder and front-man of Shlock Rock, Lenny Solomon.  Solomon will be our Scholar in Residence starting on Friday night as he presents his case on "The Spiritual & Halachic Implications of Using Non-Jewish Music in Davening".

Shlock Rock is a Jewish band started by Lenny Solomon in 1986.  Since that time the band has released 30 CD's covering all types of music from parody to original and children's tunes.  They have appeared on national radio and television and this Shabbos they will be at Beth El Jacob of Des Moines, Iowa.

For more information on the event head to this Beth El Jacob Link!

Hope to see you this weekend at the Orthodox Congregation of Des Moines and Iowa.

See you in Shul!