Lag B’Omer at Chabad (2007)

Chabad Celebrates Lag B’Omer

By Annette van de Kamp-Wright

 

 

There aren’t many things that will stop Rabbi Mendel Katzman and his wife Shani from opening their doors to the community. Therefore, the massive rain that pounded Omaha during the weekend of Lag B’Omer did not stand in the way of a joyous celebration, complete with a cookout.  While the Katzmans entertained -and educated- their guests, Bob and Kim Goldberg were kind enough to man the barbecues during the spare dry moments.  Joanne Andresen was responsible for the vast array of delicious foods.

            “This is a day of Jewish Unity”, Shani Katzman said, “and it is traditionally celebrated outside. It commemorates the relief of the tragedy that surrounded Rabbi Akiva’s students. Rabbi Akiva lived during Talmudic times. It also emphasizes the beauty of each individual. Lag B’Omer marks the day that the holy Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai passed away, and it was his request that his Jahrzeit be celebrated, not mourned. This should be a day of joy, a day to emphasize a meaningful relationship with G-d.”

            As Jews from different walks of life came together to enjoy the food and games, it was obvious that the spirit of Lag B’omer matches Chabad’s philosophy very well. “We attempt to spread a sense of community, since we are all one family”, Shani said, “and we love opening the Chabad House for anyone who wants to come, not in the least the children.” 

            Children will have a chance to experience one of the most important dates on the Jewish calendar on May 23, when Chabad hosts its annual Shavuot celebration, marking the giving of the Torah. Although Shavuot is not as widely known or celebrated, it is at the epicenter of Jewish tradition and identity. There will be a traditional dairy meal and ice cream social.  The day will start at 11:30 am with the reading of the Ten Commandments. This is a ceremony that is especially meaningful to children, since they are the keepers of the Torah. As always, everyone in the community is welcome.  Special lactose-free meals will be available.

           

                        

Hanukkah 2006

Friedel Creates Latkemania

 

On December 20^th, it was once again time for staff and students at Friedel Jewish Academy to get their hands dirty.  The annual latke fry-and-sale was a big success. Parents and teachers started setting things up early in the morning, and at 9 am it was time for the students to jump in and help out. Spread out over several tables, The Kindergartners peeled, and the older students diced and sliced, while the adults made batter and controlled the fryers. The first band-aid was handed out at 9:05 am. This questionable honor went to Kindergartner Lily Goldberg, and she wasn’t the only one. It didn’t dampen anybody’s enthusiasm.

Many visitors came to either help out and fry latkes, or just to enjoy lunch and each other’s company. One of the visitors was Rabbi Yonathan Gross, who said that “it is wonderful to be here helping out, since together we are raising funds for the most important Jewish organization in Nebraska.”  Rabbi Gross is an experienced potato peeler, as he proved last year. This year he found himself packaging applesauce, accompanied by some members of the PTO.  When asked whether he had any experience in the food industry that would qualify him for such an important task, he mentioned that he had once worked as an industrial chef at a summer camp in the Catskills.  “ If you ever need me to cook for 700 people, I’m there”, he said.

Also helping out was Rabbi Seth Nadel, who went from table to table to chat with the students individually. “It is great to be here at the school”, Rabbi Nadel said, “Friedel and the Jewish Community in general have been very welcoming to my wife Na’ama and me. “ Rabbi Nadel has some culinary talents of his own, and told us that, had he not chosen to be a Rabbi, he could have been the next “Pickle King of New Jersey”, since his father is in the pickle industry.  Lucky for us, Rabbi Nadel was at Friedel cutting potatoes instead.

The success of Latke-day depends heavily on parents’ involvement.  Many fathers and mothers come and spend part of their day working with their children, and this shows the students exactly what working together can accomplish. One such parent is Sarah Teetzel, whose son Nathaniel and daughter Naomi both attend Friedel. “Any community involvement is good for the children”, Sarah said, “because it teaches them to focus on the needs of others, rather than themselves.  Helping out their school is also a great practice for them. It sets the standard by which they will hopefully live when they are adults.” Sarah also mentioned that this is a day for parents to get more involved, not only with the school, but with each other. “New relationships within the community are formed, and old ones are strengthened.” 

Students decorated the boxes that were used for take-out. Gabby Witkowski, who is a kindergartner, helped her mother Susan pack up the orders, and looked very proud of her contribution while making some nice memories with her mom.

Another enthusiastic parent is Dr. Michael Cohen. His face lights up when asked how he feels about Friedel. His daughter Lillian started Kindergarten in the Fall, and her progress, according to her father has “exceeded expectations. She has grown and blossomed so much, and we feel very blessed to be part of the Friedel Community”.

Everyone who helped out also learned that, in order to get something done, you sometimes have to get a little smelly.  Hopefully we’ll get the perfume-du-Latke out of our hair and clothes before 2007.  

Sukkoth

Sukkoth

By Annette van de Kamp-Wright

 

 

There are few things more attractive to children than going outside and getting dirty.  Add a picnic lunch and some fun games, and you have a winner.  That is exactly what Friedel offered some very enthusiastic students and parents on Sunday, September 30^th. Parents Naava Naslavski and Ruti Margalit organized the outing to DeSoto National Park, in order to celebrate Sukkoth.

Our day had started relatively organized: we set the alarm and the whole family got up on time since there was much to do.  Religious school, meetings, some other stuff, and finally the Friedel outing all packed neatly together on our calendar, so we had to be a bit streamlined with our morning routine.  Alas, nothing ever goes as planned. When I came downstairs, I nearly stepped on a dead mouse our cat had deposited by the back door.  Our formerly lazy and overweight kitty has just this summer released her inner tiger, and surprises like this are not unusual. I therefore did not scream in panic, but calmly told my husband he had ‘something to clean up’.  My daughter ran to the back door, exclaiming how disgusting it was. Just to make sure it really was a very dead mouse, she stared at it for five minutes or so. I told her about ‘the cruelty of nature’ and that it was normal for cats to act like this.  Perhaps not the best lesson to start a day that’s supposed to end with outdoors fun? 

It didn’t stop her from being excited about the outing to DeSoto, though.  Sukkoth, after all, is often a lesson in inconvenience.  It’s easy to stay in the classroom and keep the kids indoors.  It’s a hassle to build a Sukkah, to plan an outing, to drive an hour to get outside of the city. You are subject to the weather, your plate with the hotdog still on it blows away, and the kids get dirty.  And when you go outside, you run the risk of stepping on a rotten apple or getting stung by an angry bee.

            However, it is when things get a little inconvenient that we gain the most for our children.  There are things they learn from getting out of the classroom they just can’t get anywhere else.  They learn to enjoy the awesomeness of nature; they make unlimited discoveries and get to be part of a bigger whole.  There are some very specific reasons why, during Sukkoth, G-d tells us to get outside and open our eyes to the world he has created.  Finally, our kids learn that it is okay for parents to get off the beaten path in order to teach their kids something.