Chanukah
Shining their light this Chanukah
Together as a family we give back to our community by helping those in need. We donate food, coach and participate in sports teams. We lead and are involved in Girl Scouts. As a family we are team players. We lend helping hands to neighbors and friends and our community. We are kind and generous and are role models to those around us. We listen, offer advice, and also just offer support when needed. We hope to help others who may not see the light and help them to shine and be their best.
Chanukah night 2: W
e are shining our light on congregant Andy Baron. This is how Andy brings light into our community:
Chanukah Night 3: We are shining our light on Alissa Nussbaum. Here is how Alissa and her family shine their light on our community:
I bring light into the world through my family and friends. Mostly through my kids and the wonderful friends we have made at the ECE. The friends we have made through the ECE have brought my family and I the most light and joy we could ask for. We have truly grown our “village” here!
Thank you Alissa for shining your light!
I bring light in the world through leadership of the Temple Emanu-El Men’s Club, focusing the group on Comradeship, Congregation and Community. We bring light to Comradeship by providing opportunities for the men of Temple Emanuel to get together for discussions, social events and prayer. We bring light to the Congregation by volunteering our time and resources to Temple needs. We bring light to Community through donations to local charitable organizations. – Ed Lerner
As Sisterhood President, my motivating opening at each Board meeting is to Engage, Encourage & Enlighten. These words recognize the light we share as a community of women when joined together provide more than we can each do alone. My light is part of a communal mission to strengthen our Jewish faith, as we provide service to our Temple. Our light beats as a heartbeat with our temple, especially within our role of our commitments through service & programming. Our light of tradition, includes offering scholarships to our youth, and beauty to our temple. Our Judaica shop that Sisterhood runs, offers the ability to purchase life cycle gifts to light up a life with joy! Additionally, my role in our Membership Hamishim program has lit the way for members to connect socially. I am very proud to be one of the many lights in our Temple! – Maralyn LiebermanChanukah Night 7. We are shining the light on Alissa and Jenny.
Just about 17 years ago, right before Chanukah, we were in Me and My Shadow at Temple Emanu-el with our middle children. We were sitting at too small tables in two small chairs, watching our kids play, when we began talking. The conversation went something like this:
Alissa: We just moved to Westfield and don’t really know many people.
Jenny: I don’t really need any more friends but would you like to celebrate Chanukah with my family.
We joke about that all the time now, but it was the start of our friendship – a friendship that has only grown over the years as we watched our young children grow into young adults, and we shared all the good and bad that life throws at us. Together, we celebrated each others joys and triumphs, and supported each other’s sadness and challenges.
And now, we also work together as co-Founders of the Westfield Fun Club, the group we began at Temple Emanu-El six years ago that supports local refugees. It can be exhausting and exhilarating and difficult and uplifting, and could only be done together. And while it is hard to believe that all of this started because of Me and My Shadow, each Chanukah, we are reminded of the gift of friendship, and that because of this friendship, we are, in turn, reminded, through our work with the refugees, what it truly means to be a friend, to each other and to those who need a hand.
Get Ready for Chanukah 5782!
The TEE clergy wish you a Happy Chanukah!
Cantor Goldman and the Lions singing a Chanukah song!
Check out our upcoming Chanukah events!
New Member Menorah Lighting
New members of the past two years are invited to join us for a Menorah lighting on the front lawn.
Chanukah Drive-In Party
Join us in the parking lot as we join together to Celebrate the Festival of Lights. We’ll sing songs with the clergy, eat from the Glazed and Confused Donut Truck, and watch the Chanukah Rugrats episode.
Chanukah Shabbat Hallelu with the TEWnies
Join us for a very special Chanukah Shabbat Hallelu with the TEWnies (TEE’s Youth Choir)
Volunteer at Rise Against Hunger
Rise Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization, is growing a global movement to end hunger by empowering communities, nourishing lives and responding to emergencies.
We need volunteers to help Temple Emanu-El pack over 20,000 meals on Sunday, December 12 at 10:45 AM! Suggested donation amount is $36/family.
Do you know all of the Chanukah candle blessings?
For first night only:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ, מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה.
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu v’kiy’manu v’higiyanu laz’man hazeh.
Blessing 1
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ
אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ, מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֺתָיו
וְצִוָּֽנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל חֲנֻכָּה.
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah.
Blessed are You, our God, Sovereign of all, who hallows us with , commanding us to kindle the Hanukkah lights.
Blessing 2
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ
אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ, מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ וְאִמּוֹתֵֽינוּ
בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה.
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, she-asah nisim laavoteinu v’imoteinu bayamim hahaeim baz’man hazeh.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who performed wonderous deeds for our ancestors in days of old at this season.