CREATIVE CANDLES WILL LIGHT GROUP'S HANUKKAH.Byline: Holly Andres Staff Writer CALABASAS - The congregation of Or Ami will live up to the translation of its Hebrew name Hebrew names are names that have a Hebrew language origin, classically from the Hebrew Bible. They are mostly used by people living in Jewish or Christian parts of the world, but some are also adapted to the Islamic world, particularly if a Hebrew name is mentioned in the Qur'an. , ``light of my people,'' on the second night of Hanukkah on Friday. The congregation and guests have been invited to bring their own ``hanukkiahs,'' the nine-branched menorah menorah Multibranched candelabra used by Jews during the festival of Hanukkah. It holds nine candles (or has nine receptacles for oil). Eight of the candles stand for the eight days of Hanukkah—one is lit the first day, two the second, and so on. used for Hanukkah, to a Shabbat service that evening. What's a little different for this Hanukkah celebration is that everyone is being encouraged to be creative and bring a homemade home·made adj. 1. Made or prepared in the home: homemade pie. 2. Made by oneself. 3. Crudely or simply made. Adj. 1. hanukkiah to use during the communal candle lighting. The religious school committee came up with the idea for a menorah contest last year. Everyone who enters the contest will get a small prize. ``Last year we had some made out of recycled materials, some made out of clay, wood and someone made one out of glass,'' said Rabbi rabbi [Heb.,=my master; my teacher], the title of a Jewish spiritual leader. The role of the rabbi has undergone a number of transformations. In the Talmudic period, rabbis were primarily teachers and interpreters of the Torah. Paul Kipnes of Congregation Or Ami. ``Using recycled materials is a perfect example of what the word Hanukkah means - rededication Noun 1. rededication - a new dedication; "the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem" dedication - a ceremony in which something (as a building) is dedicated to some goal or purpose . People are renewing things that were thrown away and recycling, or rededicating, these things "These Things" is an EP by She Wants Revenge, released in 2005 by Perfect Kiss, a subsidiary of Geffen Records. Music Video The music video stars Shirley Manson, lead singer of the band Garbage. Track Listing 1. "These Things [Radio Edit]" - 3:17 2. for a new meaning.'' Hanukkah, Kipnes explained, is an eight-day celebration during which Jews commemorate the victory of the Maccabees over the armies of Assyria in 1 B.C. and the subsequent liberation and rededication of the temple in Jerusalem The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple (Hebrew: בית המקדש, transliterated Bet HaMikdash and meaning literally "The Holy House") was located on the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) in the old city of Jerusalem. . ``It's a joyous joy·ous adj. Feeling or causing joy; joyful. See Synonyms at glad1. joy  ous·ly adv. time. During the darkest time of the year, Jews increase the light and increase the joy when lighting the menorah from one to eight days. It's a festival of hope,'' Kipnes said. Stephanie Wolfson's family enjoys getting into the spirit of planning for Hanukkah. For the menorah contest last year, the Wolfsons and another family got together for an unusual version of a hanukkiah. ``We were a human menorah. Everyone had a T-shirt with a letter spelling out Hanukkah. We made fabric flames that were attached to headbands for the candles,'' Wolfson said. ``We didn't win a big prize but it was cute.'' An electric menorah, a menorah that uses oil and the more common kind that uses colorful little candles have already been set out in the entry inside Wolfson's house. Decorations that her children have made in religious school over the years and dreidels and Hanukkah gelt are displayed. Books on Hanukkah are piled in a basket for her children to read. The presents, however, will be put out on the first night of Hanukkah. ``Each night my kids pick the menorah they want to light. We sing. We make latkes together. It's family fun time,'' Wolfson said. Wolfson's children might enter an edible menorah for the contest this year; maybe one made out of LifeSavers. The participating families' handmade hand·made adj. Made or prepared by hand rather than by machine. handmade Adjective made by hand, not by machine Adj. 1. hanukkiahs will be on display for everyone to view during Or Ami's special Shabbat celebration. Along with the Hanukkah candle lighting and rituals of a Shabbat service, Congregation Or Ami will be enjoying singing traditional Hanukkah songs as well as new and funny tunes led by cantor cantor [Lat.,=singer], a singer or chanter, especially one who performs the solo chants of a church service. The office of cantor, at first an honorary one, originated in the Jewish synagogues, in which from early times it was the custom to appoint a lay member to Doug Cotler. ``We have a singing congregation. At any service, everybody is singing their hearts out,'' said Cotler, a nationally known singer-composer of contemporary Jewish music Jewish music, the music of Jews, is quite diverse and dates back thousands of years. Sometimes it is religious in nature, other times it is not. This is because Jews are both a religion and a nation. The music of Jews vary greatly depending on origins. . One of the songs Cotler plans to sing is ``The Story of the Latke Man,'' written in 1991 by Cotler, his brothers, Steve and Lanny, and Jeff Marx. The song is about a hungry man who visits a poor family. The stranger shares their meager mea·ger also mea·gre adj. 1. Deficient in quantity, fullness, or extent; scanty. 2. Deficient in richness, fertility, or vigor; feeble: the meager soil of an eroded plain. 3. meal and then suggests making latkes, potato pancakes Potato pancakes, also known as kartoffelpuffer or latkes or latkas (Yiddish: לאַטקעס), are shallow-fried cakes of grated potato and egg, often flavoured with grated onion. fried in oil that are one of the main treats of Hanukkah. The family is embarrassed because they only have one potato. Not enough to make a batch of latkes. But then, a miracle happens. ``It's a wonderful poem and it teaches us one of the themes of Hanukkah that isn't spoken of enough - giving to the poor and feeding the poor. From a little, comes a lot,'' said Cotler, who remembers sneaking latkes from his grandmother's oven. Making Hanukkah memories is something that Wolfson is hoping to do with her four children. ``When I was growing up, we only had one menorah. But I remember fondly lighting it together with my family,'' said Wolfson, who grew up in Memphis, Tenn. ``I want my kids to understand that Hanukkah is just a part of the whole package of our Jewish customs. I want them to have a love of Judaism. I hope when they grow up they will carry a nice, warm feeling about Hanukkah with them to share when they have their own families.'' The community is invited to Congregation Or Ami's Hanukkah celebration at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Shabbat service will be held at the Agoura Hills-Calabasas Community Center, 27040 Malibu Hills Road, Calabasas. Call (818) 880-6818. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Rabbi Paul Kipnes, left, Carole Lieberstein and her son, Sammy, and cantor Doug Cotler show off the Liebersteins' homemade hanukkiah, which won Congregation Or Ami's contest last year. This year's winning entry will be revealed at Friday's special Shabbat observance. Evan Yee/Staff Photographer |
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