UPCOMING SCHEDULED LOTTE MEYERSON TIKKUN OLAM PROJECTS:

1^st Friday each month from 1-3 PM @ MANNA– CBHT volunteer team. Contact Wendy Capelouto to help.

3^rd Friday each month @ noon – CBHT Vets shelter meal serving. Contact Hilary Paradise to help.

Monday, November 30^th – 4:30 PM, Next L.M. Tikkun Olam Meeting

HANUKKAH CANDLE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

By returning to and reclaiming the Temple, the Maccabees recommitted themselves to a Jewish way of life, to all that they held dear.  Thus, Hanukkah prompts a rededication not only to Judaism, but also to the values at the center of the Jewish faith.  In particular, Hanukkah can be a time for us to rededicate ourselves to the Jewish value of tikkun olam. 

Hanukkah has traditionally been a time of giving gifts and gelt to children.  In Eastern Europe, children were dismissed from school early to enjoy their small bit of pocket money during the holiday.  This tradition of gift giving and receiving has magnified over the years.  Just as Jews in the time of the Maccabees wrestled with the extent to which they should allow Greek culture to influence their lives, so, too, do American Jews wrestle with the extent to which we should allow secular culture to influence our lives.  Hanukkah can be a time to reexamine what we consider gifts to be and how we go about giving and receiving gifts.

Ner Shel Tzedakah ("Candle of Righteousness") is a project in which families and individuals devote the sixth night of Hanukkah to learning about the problem of poverty.  They donate the value of the gifts that otherwise would be exchanged on that night to organizations that assist the poor, locally or globally.  By making donations on the sixth night of Hanukkah, families help the Jewish candle of righteousness glow brightly for those in need.  Don’t let the light go out!

Hineni: Understanding Racism as Jews

The LMTO Workgroup on Racial Justice has developed a series of Zoom conversations around issues of racism and anti-Semitism.  The Rabbi reminded us that, with Rosh Hashana also meaning a day of remembrance, we need to answer ‘Here I Am’ to issues of racism in ourselves and our society.  The first four programs will ask congregants to read and watch thought-provoking pieces before joining others on Zoom for moderated discussions on these important issues.  Look for registration links in the weekly

eblasts as we finalize these programs.  We hope you can join us!

If you missed sessions and want to explore further readings and media, go to the LMTO Hineni website at sites.google.com/view/cbht-tikkun-olam.

Record-setting Donation to MANNA  presented by members of the LMTO Committee

A BLESSING FOR THE SIXTH NIGHT OF HANUKKAH

Baruch Ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Haolam, Asher Kidshanu B'mitzvotav, V'limdeinu L'Hadlik Ner Shel Tzedakah

Blessed are You, Eternal, our God, who makes us holy through the performance of mitzvot, and inspires us to light the Candle of Righteousness.

On the sixth night of Hanukkah, gather as a family to discuss ways to donate the value of Hanukkah presents. In lieu of giving Hanukkah gifts, consider making donations in honor of friends and family to:

• help poor families keep the heat on during the cold winter months (eblencharities.org)
• help the homeless with food and housing (homewardboundwnc.org)
• help hungry children and parents with food (mannafoodbank.org)
• support local nonprofits of your choice (givelocalguide.org)

Adapted from reformjudaism.org