wellsprings magazine high holiday edition

Wellspringsב’ה

LocalYour LehighValleyA look back at Camp Gan Izzy 2015

Easy to Follow

Guide to the High HolidaysYou Don’t Have to Stress the High Holidays this Year

FamilyThey’reKillingEach OtherHow to respond whensiblings attack

RecipesAppleKugelAnd more treats for yourholiday table

FALL 2015/ HIGH HOLIDAYS 5776

A Little Nosh for the Soul Compliments of Chabad of the Lehigh Valley

www.sluhn.org • 1-866-STLUKES

Have you ever felt your heart skip a beat or race unexpectedly? If so, you probably never considered that it could be the result of an abnormal electrical impulse. In the same way your home can have electrical issues, so can your heart. Your heart is made up of a complex system of muscles, valves and chambers that control where blood is pumped. But for it all to work, each heartbeat starts with an electrical impulse generated by the hearts specialized conduction system. If the hearts electrical system is compromised, resulting in too many heartbeats, irregular or not enough beats, the patient is diagnosed with an arrhythmia or abnormal heart rhythm. There are several types of abnormal heart rhythms, including:• Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT) – heart rate is too

fast and is usually caused by an extra pathway or circuit in the heart

• Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) – an irregular and often rapid heartbeat and the most common arrhythmia

• Atrial Flutter – the heart’s upper chambers (atria) beat too quickly resulting in a fast, regular rhythm

• Bradycardia – heart rate is too slow• Ventricular Tachycardia and Ventricular Fibrillation –

this type of abnormal rhythm can be life threatening and usually occurs in people with previously damaged or weakened hearts

Most heart rhythm disturbances are harmless, particularly when the hearts structure is normal. If an abnormal rhythm results in debilitating symptoms such as shortness of breath, fainting or chest discomfort, prompt medical attention is war-ranted. Arrhythmias can affect anyone but are more prevalent as we age. Access to Trained SpecialistsSt. Luke’s Heart & Vascular Center has the region’s fastest growing cardiovascular program in the region. This includes a specialized team of cardiac electrophysiologists (otherwise known as the heart’s electricians). The electrophysiology (EP) team is comprised of talented cardiologists who spent an ad-ditional two years in training dedicated to diagnosing and treating heart rhythm disorders. St. Luke’s electrophysiolo-gists perform catheter ablations using cutting edge ablation

technology. During this procedure, electrical catheters are threaded through the veins and arteries up to the heart. The heart’s normal and abnormal rhythms are recorded and a computer model of the heart’s electrical system is produced. The abnormal heart impulse or circuit is pinpointed and elim-inated with radiofrequency energy (heating) or cryo-ablation (freezing tissue). The electrophysiology team at St. Luke’s also has specialty training in implantation and management of cardiac pace-makers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). If the wires to these devices are faulty or become infected, they can be removed by the EPs using laser technology. Teamwork is a key part of the St. Luke’s Electrophysiology program. The EP physicians and the cardiovascular surgeons regularly per-form procedures together in an effort to optimize patient out-comes. “We recruited physicians from UCLA and The Mayo Clinic, two of the busiest programs in the country, to increase the breadth and depth of our electrophysiology program at St. Luke’s”, says Darren M. Traub, DO, Medical Director of St. Luke’s Heart Rhythm Center. “Heart rhythm disorders can be difficult to diagnose, particularly when episodes are inter-mittent. Symptoms can vary from an unpleasant awareness of one’s heart beat (palpitations) to fatigue, lightheadedness, or shortness of breath and more.” he adds. Treatment for an arrhythmia depends on the type of rhythm disturbance. Simple reassurance or behavioral changes may be enough. When necessary, medications are given or mini-mally invasive procedures performed to quiet the abnormal rhythm. To learn more about St. Luke’s Heart & Vascular Center, www.heart.sluhn.org or call InfoLink at 1-866-STLUKES.

When Your Heart Skips a Beat or Flutters You Rarely Think of Electricity

Sudip Nanda, MD; Darren Traub, DO; Steven Stevens, MD

throughout the year, the Jewish calendar is filled with Holidays commemorating key historic spiritual and physical mi-lestones in Jewish history. For example, Passover recalls our flight from Egypt.

One might wonder as Rosh Hashanah approa-ches, what key event in Jewish history do the Days of Awe celebrate? The Talmud tells us that Rosh Hashanah is the anniversary of the sixth day of creation- the day that brought us Adam-- Mankind. It is poignant that it does not celebrate the creation of the

physical world, which actually occurred five days earlier. Mystical thought explains why the focus is on people rather than the world. G-d created the world not to have lifeless matter but rather as a changeable world which could be transformed into a dwelling place for Him -- by the ac-tions, thoughts and words of people, who change the world for good. Furthermore,Adam/Man was created a single being was to demonstrate how one person equals a whole world. Every individual regardless of personal status has the capacity to attain the highest degree of fulfillment for him or herself and to make the world a better place. So when Rosh Hashanah arrives, we commit ourselves to a more meaningful and deeper relationship with Him. We don’t need a specific event to be the focus of Rosh Hashanah, for the holiday commemorates the very purpose for which we are here.

May we all merit to be written and sealed in the Book of Life for a happy, heal-thy, and meaningful 5776.

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Rabbi Yaacov Halperin

This Wellsprings Magazine isPublished by

Chabad of the Lehigh Valley.4457 Crackersport Road-

Allentown, PA 18104 and is sent freeto our Members and Friends

infrequently throughout the year.Issue #45

Chabad Lubavitch of the Lehigh Valley4457 Crackersport Rd Allentown PA 18104

[email protected]

Lazer Gurkow, Sara Blau, Tzvi Freeman, Sara Esther Crispe, Naftali Silberberg, Laibl Wolf, Sara Bressler-Rutz, Chana Lewis, Dr. Avidan Milevsky

Rabbi Yaacov Halperin

Distributed by

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ב״ה

ISSUE 45Fall 2015 / High Holidays 5776

Contents

Rosh Hashanah Craft TimeMake a fun and personalized door hanging with your little one to celebrate the new year!

The Ultimate Yom Kippur JewIf they believe in G-d and seek atonement, if their Judaism is meaningful to them, where are they the rest of the year?

Perfect VisionThe sweetness that we hope for in the new year will, in part, come from how sweet we choose to see our lives, and how much we work to sweeten the lives of others...

Learning from the ShadowsProperly executed and skilfully placed, a shadow can actually enhance and highlight the effects of the light . .

The Sun Behind the LakeEnchanted by the majesty of the moment, my daughter quietly asked, “Will there be a splash when the sun falls into the lake?”

They’re Killing Each OtherHow to handle it when siblings attack.

The Sukkah is NowThe sukkah, when done by the book, is incongruence itself: Live in a

temporary structure as though it were permanent. What other struc-ture does that remind you of?

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19 Happiness is the Journey not the QuestHappiness is the elusive holy grail of emotions. When Merck and Co. will bottle it, Big Pharma will own the world.

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High Holiday MomentWhen I first experienced the High Holidays, I have to admit, I initially found them nothing short of terrifying.

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Tips for an Easier FastSome people find fasting quite arduous, so there are some pointers that can help ease the fast-re-lated hunger pangs.

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Your Lehigh ValleyTaking a look back at Camp Gan Israel 2015 and what an amazing summer experience our camp-ers had.

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Easy to Follow Guide to the High HolidaysSchedule, times, info and more on the High Holidays to make this

year stress free.

Devorah’s Recipe CornerGreat recipes to sweeten your holiday table this year.

03 Wellsprings • Fall/High Holidays 5776 Fall/High Holidays 5776 • Wellsprings 04facebook.com/lvmegachallah

Join Jewish women from across the Lehigh Valley for an evening of unity and inspira-tion, as we knead and braid delicious challah to adorn our Shabbat tables.

Women of all ages, girls 8-12 with adult supervision, will come and enjoy refresh-ments, a terrific raffle, and an amazing program.

Location:Lehigh Country Club2319 S. Cedar Crest BoulevardAllentown, PA 18103

LEARNthe technique of Challah making from scratch and the mystique of this uniquely feminine, time-honored tradition.

SEPTEMBER 9th, 7PM

www.lvmegachallah.comRSVP

Couvert:$25 per person in advance.$30 drop in.$18 Student$10 Girls 8-12

For More InfoCall us at610.351.6511Visit us onlinelvmegachallah.com

Connectwith many voices and one heart. May the power in numbers inspire the answer to each one’s prayers.

Sharethe beauty of Shabbat with friends and family. Take home two ready-to-bake loaves.

h

Special Guest Speaker Miriam Lipskier

Several days ago, I sat with my family at the shores of Lake Huron enjoying a picturesque sunset. The sun descended over the water in a spectacular ball of fire and painted the cloudless sky in deep hues of purple and red. Enchanted by the majesty of the moment, my daugh-ter quietly asked, “Will there be a splash when it falls into the lake?”

I explained that the sun wouldn’t actually descend into the lake; it would simply dip below the hori-zon. Night would fall in Ontario but the sun would continue to shine over provinces and countries due West from us.

Musings of a Child’s MindI thought about how difficult it must be for a child to understand such complexity. She saw the sun fall into the lake and, as far as she knew, waters extinguish fire. Now she is told that the sun somehow slipped in behind the lake rather than drowned within it!

The second part of my explanation must have been even more perplex-ing. Night had fallen and we were enveloped by darkness, yet she was told that the sun continued to shine and that skies elsewhere were ablaze with cheerful rays of light!

At that moment I thought of King Solomon and how he addressed these concerns in a manner that is relevant to our generation. King Solomon wrote that “Great waters cannot extinguish love” and that “The sun rises and sets but on the morrow it will rise again.”

These verses reflect a dual com-mitment between G-d and us. We pledge our undying love to him and he pledges to protect us at all times.

Water cannot Extinguish LoveWithin every Jewish soul rages a fire of love for G-d. When our con-

science is flooded by the riptides of assimilation, these passionate flames are subdued but deep within our hearts, in chambers heavily con-cealed, the embers of these flames continue to smolder.

The flood waters of assimilation seem at times to encompass and even

The Sun Behind

This is what King Solomon meant when he wrote that “Great waters cannot ex-

tinguish the love,”

05 Wellsprings Magazine • Fall/High Holidays 5776 Fall/High Holidays 5776 • Wellsprings Magazine 06

The Sun Behind

extinguish this fire as the lake seemed in my daughter’s eyes to encompass and drown the setting sun. But the sun didn’t drown--it was merely concealed. The next day my daughter saw the sun rise again, and when it did, its rays glis-tened upon the lake and inspired a new morning with fresh beauty.

This is what King Solomon meant when he wrote that “Great waters cannot ex-tinguish the love,” The waters of assim-ilation and the storms of persecution cannot wrest us from our embrace with G-d. The allure of materialism coupled with the perils of suffering can temper our love and cause the flames to tempo-rarily recede, but the embers will one day


the LakeBy Lazer Gurkow

“The sun rises and sets but on the morrow it will rise again.”

flare up again. And when they do they will bathe our soul in the glow of love.

A Tale of Sunrises and SunsetsOur sages explained this verse in reference to Jewish history. Our history comprises a tale of sunrises and sunsets. “Before the sun sets upon one genera-tion it rises upon the next. On the day Sarah passed on, Re-becca was born. Before the sun set upon Moses, it rose upon Joshua. On the day Rabbi Aki-ba passed on, Rabbi Judah was born.”

When the illustrious Reb Sadya Gaon passed on, the Babylo-nian academies were weakened. These academies was the only viable center of Torah study for nearly six centuries, but just as their doors were closing new academies sprung up almost overnight.

Jewish history tells a tale of four Babylonian Torah scholars who were taken captive on the high sea and ransomed to fledgling Jewish communities in Egypt, North Africa, Morocco and Spain. What had seemed like a tragedy at the outset was in hindsight nothing short of mi-raculous.

These rabbis established repu-table Torah academies in their new communities and when the great Babylonian academies fell into decline the new academies were in a position to offer cred-ible alternatives. Once again, the sun rose on a new genera-tion even before it had set on the previous one.

History of SunsetsOn many occasions the nations of the world have had cause to assume that the sun had indeed set upon our people.Nebuchadnetzer of Babylon thought so when his armies bat-tered the walls of Jerusalem, torched the temple and exile our people. Haman of Persia thought so when he secured a royal verdict to annihilate the Jewish nation. Antiochus of Syria thought so when he outlawed Jewish practice and succeeded in winning over a great number of Jews to Hel-lenism. Titus and later Hadrian of Rome thought so when they conquered Judea and flattened Jerusalem.

Ferdinand of Spain thought so when he expelled the Jews from Spain and prohibited observance of Jewish ritu-al. Bogdan Chmelinitzki thought so when his mobs led bloody pogroms across Eastern Europe. Hitler thought so when he attempted to “solve the Jewish question.” Irani-an President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is currently building a nuclear arsenal, thought so when he only last week called for the destruction of Israel.

My Daughter’s FearsEvery so often our sun appears to set. But despite the gathering clouds and impending doom, it continues to shine. It may temporarily slip below the horizon while the forces of darkness converge, but dawn al-ways prevails, our sun always rises

and the gathering gloom is always dispersed.

My daughter had no cause to fear. For even as night fell and darkness descended, she could rest assured that the sun would continue to shine. We, the Jewish people, are G-d’s little children and we, too, have no cause to fear. For even when our sun dips below the horizon we may rest assured that soon, very soon, we will rise and shine again.

Rabbi Lazer Gurkow is spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Te-filah in London, Ontario, and a frequent contributor to The Juda-ism Website—Chabad.org. He has lectured extensively on a variety of Jewish topics, and his articles have appeared in many print and online publications. Reprinted courtesy of : www.chabadlehighvalley.com

“For even as night fell and darkness descended, she could rest assured that the sun

would continue to shine.”

Fall/High Holidays 5776 • Wellsprings Magazine 08

iPray


Your Easy to Follow Guide to

the High Holidays is Installing...

*Following schedules are valid for Chabad of the Lehigh Valley*Times are valid for zip-code 18104. To find your candle lighting times visit www.chabadlehighvalley.com


Rosh HashanahUpgrade to the New Year 5776

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DescriptionThe two-day festival of Rosh Hashanah is observed on the 1st and 2nd days of Tishrei.

The primary theme of the day is our acceptance of G-d as our King The primary theme of the day is our accep-tance of G-d as our King. The Kabbalists teach that the renewal of G-d’s desire for the world, and thus the con-tinued existence of the universe, is dependent upon this. We accept G-d as our King, and G-d is aroused, once again, with the desire to continue creating the world for one more year.

Much of the day is spent in synagogue. G-d not only desires to have a world with people, G-d wants an in-timate relationship with each one of us. In addition to the collective aspects of Rosh Hashanah worship, each man and woman personally asks G-d to accept the cor-

onation, thus creating the bond of “We are Your people and You are our King.”

The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is the sound-ing of the shofar, the ram’s horn. The shofar is sounded on both days of Rosh Hashanah (unless the first day of the holiday falls on Shabbat, in which case we only sound the shofar on the second day). The sounding of the shofar represents, among other things, the trum-pet blast of a people’s coronation of their king. The cry of the shofar is also a call to repentance; for Rosh Ha-shanah is also the anniversary of man’s first sin and his repentance thereof, and serves as the first of the “Ten Days of Repentance” which will culminate in Yom Kip-pur, the Day of Atonement. Altogether, we listen to 100 shofar blasts each day of Rosh Hashanah.

+ Get

We eat a piece of apple dipped in honey to symbolize our desire for a sweet year, as well as many other special foods. All have special significance and symbolize sweetness, blessings, and abundance.

We bless one another with the words Leshanah tovah tikateiv veteichateim, “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.”

We go to a lake, river or to the sea and recite the Tashlich prayers, where we symbolically cast our sins into the water, in evocation of the verse, “And You shall cast their sins into the depths of the sea.” We leave our old short-comings behind us, thus starting the new year with a clean slate.

More Info

In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, “Head of the Year,” and as its name indicates, it is the beginning of the Jewish year. The anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, it is the birthday of mankind, highlight‑ing the special relationship between G‑d and humanity.

Rosh Hashanah Eve Service Descr ipt ion

Looking for the place to reconnect when the new year begins? This is it. Follow up with kiddush on a sweet red wine and feast with fam-ily and friends. RSVP required.

Tuesday Sept. 15, 2015Morning Services: 9:30 amShofar Sounding: 11:00 am

Rosh Hashanah I Service FeaturesUse this app for reflection and contemplation. Select readings form the prayer book that speak to you, but don’t miss the opportunity to reconnect through the sound of the shofar.Refresh with tashlich and a brief petition for forgiveness.Stay plugged in for evening services to complete your full re-instal-lation experience.

Rosh Hashanah I I Service Download

Reinstall with the Days of Awe in style with strikingly soulful melodies shaped by a communal voice. Reconnect with words of inspiration from our rabbi, hear the shofar and leave in a state of utter awe.

Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015Evening Services: 7:00 pm

Community Dinner: 7:45 pm

Monday, Sept. 14, 2015Morning Services: 9:30 amShofar Sounding: 11:00 amTashlich Service: 6:00 pmEvening Services: 7:50 pm

Installation Checklistq Candle Lighting Both Nights q Kiddush and festive meals, both nights and both daysq Apple dipped in honey first nightq New fruit to enjoy, second nightq Hear the shofar q Visit a body of water for Tashlich

Yom KippurYom Kippur app is easy and inspiring to install

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DescriptionMoses spent nearly three months on top of the moun-tain pleading with G-d for forgiveness, and on the tenth of Tishrei it was finally granted: “I have pardoned, as you have requested.”

From that moment on, this date, henceforth known as the Day of Atonement, is annually observed as a commem-oration of our special relationship with G-d, a relation-ship that is strong enough to survive any rocky bumps it might encounter. This is a day when we connect with the very essence of our being, which remains faithful to G-d regardless of our outward behavior.

And while it is the most solemn day of the year, we are also joyful, confident that G‑d will forgive our sins and seal our verdict for a year of life, health and happiness.For nearly twenty-six hours—from several minutes before sunset on 9 Tishrei until after nightfall on 10 Tishrei—we “afflict our souls”: we abstain from food and drink, do not wash or anoint our bodies, do not wear leather footwear, and abstain from spousal intimacy. We are likened to the angels, who have no physical needs. Instead of focusing on the physical, we spend much of our day in the syna-gogue, engaged in repentance and prayer.

In the course of Yom Kippur we will hold five prayer ser-vices: 1) Maariv, with its solemn Kol Nidrei service, on the

eve of Yom Kippur; 2) Shacharit—the morning prayer; 3) Musaf, which includes a detailed account of the Yom Kip-pur Temple service; 4) Minchah, which includes the read-ing of the Book of Jonah.

Finally, in the waning hours of the day, we reach the cli-max of the day: the fifth prayer, the Neilah (“locking”) prayer. The gates of heaven, which were open all day, will now be closed—with us on the inside. During this prayer we have the ability to access the most essential level of our soul. The Holy Ark remains open throughout. The closing Neilah service climaxes in the resounding cries of “Hear O Israel . . . G-d is one.” Then joy erupts in song and dance (a Chabad custom is to sing the lively “Napoleon’s March”), followed by a single blast of the shofar, and the proclamation, “Next year in Jerusalem.”

After the fast we partake of a festive after-fast meal, mak-ing the evening after Yom Kippur a yom tov (festival) in its own right. We immediately begin to look forward to the next holiday and its special mitzvah: the construction of the sukkah.

+ GetYom Kippur commemorates the day when G‑d forgave the Jewish people for the sin of the Golden Calf. Forty days after hearing G‑d say at Mount Sinai, “You shall not have the gods of others in My presence; you shall not make for yourself a graven image,” the Jews com‑

mitted the cardinal sin of idolatry.

q Kaparot and charity before Yom Kippur

q Two festive meals before the fast

q Yahzreit memorial candle is lit before Yom Kippur

(if applicable)

Yom Kippur Instal lat ion Check l ist

Yom Kippur Eve Service Descr ipt ionAmidst a haunting, soul-stirring melody, the Gates of Return are opened, beckoning every soul to enter. As the evening service be-gins, our souls continue to rise in heavenly ecstasy.

Yom Kippur Day Service FeaturesShacharit—Reconnect yourself with the soaring words of King David’s Psalms, spirally ascending to a clamorous Hear O Israel, followed by a connection to the Amidah— a quiet, contemplative prayer filled with Yom Kippur theme packs.Yizkor—Then connect with the souls of your departed during the Yizkor memorial prayer , and soul-refreshing words from our rabbi.Musaff — Relive the Yom Kippur temple and the priestly blessings. Ne’eila Text — The grand finalé of the highest day of the year soars to its apex as we join our voices in proclaiming our commitment to the oneness of G-d and all His creation.

On this day the primary mitzvah is to eat and drink in abundance. Two meals – festive affairs – are eaten, one earlier in the day, and one just prior to the onset of Yom Kippur. In between the prayer services and preparing and eating the

two meals, there is a lot to squeeze in:Yom Kippur erases all the sins we have committed “be-fore G-d”—but not the sins we may have committed against our fellow man. So we need to approach any-one whom we may have wronged and beg their for-giveness before Yom Kippur.

All immerse in a mikvah (ritual pool) on the day before

Yom Kippur. At some point during the day it is customary to ask for and receive lekach (sweet cake).

Minchah (the afternoon prayer service) is prayed rela-tively early to allow ample time to eat the final meal. Before Minchah, it is customary for all men to receive symbolic “lashes” as a humbling reminder to repent, as well as for everyone to give charity generously – a great source of merit.

Then we partake of the final meal. One must stop eat-ing prior to candle-lighting time. Immediately before the fast begins, it is customary for parents to bless their children.

Then, 18 minutes before sunset, women and girls light candles, and the fast begins.

Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015Kol Nidrei Services 6:45 pm

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015 Morning Services: 9:30 am

Yizkor Memorial Service: 11:30 amAfternoon Service: 5:30 pm

Neilah Closing Service: 6:30 pmFast Ends at 7:38 pm

*Followed by a break fast

The Day Before Yom Kippur

q Candlelighting before sunset

q Fast, from before sundown until after nightfall

q Yizkor memorial prayers during daytime services

q Break the fast after Havdalah service

SukkotEating in the Sukkah compatible with enjoyment

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DescriptionSukkah--a hut of temporary construction with a roof cov-ering of branches--for the duration of the Sukkot festival (on the Jewish calendar Tishrei 15-21). For seven days and nights, we eat all our meals in the sukkah and otherwise regard it as our home.

Another Sukkot observance is the taking of the Four Kinds: an etrog (citron), a lulav (palm frond), three hadassim (myr-tle twigs) and two aravot (willow twigs). On each day of the festival (excepting Shabbat), we take the Four Kinds, recite a blessing over them, bring them together in our hands and wave them in all six directions: right, left, forward, up, down and backward. Our sages in the midrash tell us that the Four Kinds represent the various types and personalities that comprise the community of Israel, whose intrinsic unity

we emphasize on Sukkot.

Sukkot is also called The Time of Our Joy; indeed, a special joy pervades the festival. Nightly Water-Drawing Celebra-tions, reminiscent of the evening-to-dawn festivities held in the Holy Temple in preparation for the drawing of wa-ter for use in the festival service, fill the synagogues and streets with song, music and dance until the wee hours of the morning.

The seventh day of Sukkot is called Hoshaana Rabbah (“Great Salvation”) and closes the period of Divine judg-ment begun on Rosh Hashanah. A special observance is the aravah--the taking of a bundle of willow branches.

+ GetFor forty years, as our ancestors traversed the Sinai Desert, following the Exodus from Egypt, miraculous “clouds of glo‑ry” surrounded and hovered over them, shielding them from the dangers and discomforts of the desert. Ever since, we remember G-d’s kindness and reaffirm our trust in His provi‑dence by dwelling in a sukkah.

The days between Yom Kippur and Sukkot are tra-ditionally characterized by frenzied activity, as we pre-pare for the coming festi-val. This period is described in the Midrash as one when the Jewish people are “pre-occupied with mitzvot... this one is occupied with

[building] his sukkah, this one is occupied with [purchasing and binding] his lulav...”

Immediately on the night following Yom Kippur, we eagerly begin working on – or at least planning – the construction of the sukkah. Building a sukkah is a mitzvah in itself; there-fore, if possible we try not to delegate the task to others, but reserve the honor for ourselves. We also take the time

to select the most beautiful Four Species set we can afford.In honor of the impending holiday, husbands buy their wives clothing and/or jewelry. And since one of the themes of Sukkot is Jewish unity, we make a point of inviting guests for the festive meals. Before Sukkot is the time to think of the people who might appreciate an invite.

•On the eve of the festival, in addition to cooking the deli-cious food that we will later enjoy together in the sukkah, we:

•Give extra charity, since true joy is sharing with others.Bind the lulav. This should ideally be done inside the sukkah.

Women and girls light holiday candles and recite the appro-priate blessings. The candles should be set up in the sukkah if at all possible, weather permitting.

Preparing for Sukkot

Sukkot Service Features

q Candle Lighting, first nightsq Kiddush and festive meals, both nights and first two daysq Eat all meals in the Sukkahq Bless the four kinds each day, except Shabbatq On Hoshanah Rabbah, eat festive meal and tap the ar-avot

Reconnect with your ancestors who spent forty years traversing the desert without the convenience of GPS apps, but miraculous clouds surrounded and hovered over them, shielding them from the dangers and discomforts of the desert. Celebrate G-d’s kindness by visiting our sukkah, and giving a shake to a lulav and etrog.

Monday, Sept. 28, 2015Morning Services 10:00 am

Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015Morning Services: 10:00 am

Installation Checklist

Shemini Atzeret & Simchat Torah

Dance the night away with this joyous app

Ratings

DescriptionThe special joy of this holiday celebrates the conclusion—and restart—of the annual Torah-reading cycleThese two days constitute a major holiday, when most forms of work are prohibited. On the preceding nights, women and girls light candles, reciting the appropriate blessings, and we enjoy nightly and daily festive meals, accompanied by kiddush. We are permitted to cook and to carry outdoors (unless it is also Shabbat).The first day, Shemini Atzeret, features the prayer for rain, officially commemorating the start of the Mediterranean rainy season, and the Yizkor.The highlight of the second day, Simchat Torah (“The Joy of the Torah”), is the hakafot, held on both the eve and the morning of Simchat Torah, in which we march and dance

with the Torah scrolls around the reading table in the syn-agogue. (In many synagogues, hakafot are conducted also on the eve of Shemini Atzeret.)

On this joyous day when we conclude the Torah, it is cus-tomary for every man to take part in the celebration by re-ceiving an aliyah. The children, too, receive an aliyah!

After the final aliyah of the Torah, we immediately begin a new cycle from the beginning of Genesis, this is because as soon as we conclude studying the Torah, G‑d’s infinite wisdom, on one level, we immediately start again, this time to discover new and loftier interpretations.

+ GetThe holiday of Sukkot is followed by an independent holiday called Shemini Atzeret. In Israel, this is a one-day holiday; in the Diaspora it is a two-day holiday, and the second day is known as Simchat Torah. This holiday is characterized by ut-

terly unbridled joy, which surpasses even the joy of Sukkot.

Simchat Torah Service FeaturesCome dance the night away with us on October 5, along with the torah scrolls, flags, and delicious buffet dinner! Perfect compatibil-ity with children, kids enjoy spe-cial hands on crafts.

Sunday Oct. 4, 2015Evening Services: 6:30 pm

Followed by Kiddush & HakafotMonday, Oct. 5, 2015

Evening Services 7:15 pmHakafot Under the Stars

Tuesday Oct. 6, 2015Morning Services: 10:00 am

Yizkor Memorial Service: 11:30 am

Simchat Torah Instal lat ion Check l istq Candle lighting, both nights

q Kiddush and festive meals, both nights and both

days

q Dance Hakafot, both nights and second day

q Yizkor memorial prayers, first day

High Holiday Blessing Guide

ROSH HASHANAHMonday, September 14th

Light Candles after 7:54 pmSay Blessings 1 & 4

Tuesday, September 15thLight Candles after: 7:52 pm

Say Blessings 1 & 4

FAST OF GEDALYAWednesday, September 16th

Fast begins: 5:22 amFast ends at: 7:38 pm

SHABBAT SHUVAFriday, September 18th Light Candles: 6:48 pm

Say Blessing 5Shabbat ends at: 7:45 pm

YOM KIPPURThursday, September 22ndLight Candles at: 6:42 pm

Say Blessings 2 & 4 Fast Begins at: 6:42 pmSaturday, October 10th

Holiday/Fast ends at: 7:38 pm

SUKKOTMonday, September 28thLight Candles at 7:30 pm

Say Blessings 3 & 4Friday, October 4th

Light Candles at: 6:25 pmSay Blessings 3 & 4

SHEMINI ATZERET & SIMCHAT TORAHSunday, Oct. 4th

Light Candles at: 6:22 pmSay Blessings 3 & 4Monday, Oct. 5th

Light Candles after: 7:19 pmSay Blessings 3 & 4

SHABBAT CHOL HAMOEDFriday, Oct. 9th

Light Candles 6:14 pmSay Blessings 5

Shabbat ends at: 7:11 pm

SHABBAT BEREISHIT Friday, Oct. 16th

Light Candles: 6:03 pmSay Blessing 5

Shabbat ends at: 7:00 pm

Chabad Services Extra FeaturesChildren’s ProgramRatings

Service Descr ipt ionWe believe that children should BE seen and Be heard!As such we take great care in planning a hands on, interactive service for your child!This a place for your child to learn, daven (pray), sing songs, hear stories, play games, learn about the High Holidays & more!

+ Get• Welcome and Davening/ Prayer service

lead by Morah Devorah • Group snacks, games, and stories

• Interactive Puppet Show and storytell-ing - All about forgiveness!

• Interactive Rosh Hashana / Yom Kippur games 10:30am - 12:30pm

Program Includes:

Amazing kid friendly program available to download only at Chabad of the Lehigh Valley

*Times are valid for zip-code 18104. To find your candle lighting times visit www.chabadlehighvalley.com

omeone introduced my son to lollipops. My toddler has now

entered sweet-tooth territory, never to return to the land of grapes-are-a-treat. What does this mean for me? More tantrums, for starters. Only now they’ve upgraded from code orange to code red.

At 6 in the morning I enter his room, sweeping him up into my arms, ex-pecting my usual good morning kiss. Instead he leans against me endear-ingly, and whispers ever so quietly, “Want lolly.”

“Naftoli, good morning. Time for breakfast. Mommy has no lollies.”

“Mommy want looooooooooolly! Lol-ly! Lolllllly!” His pitch is increasing in crescendo, and his desperation is piti-ful.

He slams down onto the floor; maybe the floor can grow some lollies? He re-fuses to be pragmatic, and stubbornly repeats the chorus “la-lee. La-leeeee.”

Is he worried he will never get a lol-lipop? Does he feel he literally can’t breathe without one? How does it happen that if he doesn’t get what he wants, all the alarms go ringing simul-taneously, causing chaos and stress lev-els to climb with his decibel level?!

S

S h a d o w sHow does my emotional barometer read when my bank account is in the red, and I didn’t balance my account properly?

Learning from the

By Sara Blau



My first reaction is: I never act like Naftoli. I act like an adult. I see how silly it is to tantrum over something trivial, and how silly it is not to accept the reality of no lollipops. I always take it in stride when things don’t go my way, and when my carefully laid plans go astray. In fact, I am so level-headed that when I am disappointed, I say, “G-d, You know what is best for me, and You see the big picture. You know that for whatever reason, I don’t need X, Y or Z right now.” I never cast blame, or expect those around me to produce what they cannot.

Or do I?

What about the time when I was scheduled to have my house painted in July, only to have the super shrug and say, “Me busy, Mrs., until September”? (Seems painters have a lot in common with contractors and seamstresses!) Or the time that I ordered a custom-made lemon quartz bracelet, thinking it was olive green, only to receive a sparkling lime-colored piece of jewelry? How did I react then? How does my emotional barometer read when my bank account is in the red, and I didn’t balance my ac-count properly? Or even when there is no hot water when it’s time to bathe the children for Shabbat?There must be some tools out there to deal with the inevita-ble disappointments and challenges in life. And it must be that we’re not born using them—hence the lollipop scene.

Learning a skill is a process. I remember when I went to my first art class as a kid, and I stood in awe of my teacher’s intricate and rich oil paintings. She glanced at me knowingly and said, “You gotta have miles and miles of canvas under your belt in order to paint like this.” I’m still working on my first mile.

As an adult, the profound correlation between the skill of life and the skill of painting took on new meaning, when I stumbled upon a letter written by the Lubavitcher Rebbe to artist Chanoch Lieberman:

As you are surely aware, the primary talent of an artist is his

ability to step away from the externalities . . . and to expose the essence of the thing he portrays, causing the one who looks at the painting to perceive it in another, truer light . . .

And this is one of the foundations of man’s service of his Creator . . . Our mission in life—based on the simple faith that “there is none else beside Him”—is that we should approach everything in life from this perspective. That we should each strive to reveal, as much as possible, the divine essence in everything . . .

A person might experience difficulties, trials and challenges . . . But these are but the means by which to achieve the pur-pose of life—that his soul should elevate itself through its positive deeds in this world . . .

I was amazed to find another letter which expounded on the interplay between darks and lights in every piece of fine art, shed-ding light on the very shadows of life:

At first glance, a shadow appears to be something that conceals light. However, according to the teachings of Torah, ev-erything G-d created was for His glory. This must apply to the shadow equally as to the light. Indeed, properly executed and

skillfully placed, a shadow can actually enhance and high-light the effects of the light . . . From this, we can derive an important lesson whenever we encounter dark times . . . we should use the negative in a positive way, so that every spir-itual “shadow” should come to be recognized as a “setting” that connects us to our Creator.

To me, the key word was “perceive.” The degree in which my cognitive filtering system learns how to perceive events in a positive manner will be the defining factor of my men-tal wellbeing. That, after all, is the difference between the maturity of an adult and that of a toddler. But there need to be miles and miles of experience under the belt to think like that. I’m still working on my first mile. After all, tod-dler-hood is just the beginning!

Sara Blau is a teacher and Extracurricular Director at Beth Rivkah High School. She is a mother of two children and the author of several children’s books.Reprinted courtesy of : www.chabadlehighvalley.com

“At first glance, a shadow appears to be something that conceals light”

By Tzvi Freeman

“Once you know all this, how then should you live?”

The sukkah is a strange place. Do it by the book and you’ll be sit-ting at your most elegant furni-ture with the finest linen table-

cloth, your most expensive porcelain and silverware set before you, as though this were your palace where you will rule for-ever. Until you look up.

When you do look up, you’ll see your roof is a precarious assemblage of dispos-able organic inedibles that provide little if any protection from the rain, easily blown away with the first strong wind.

And, by the book, you have to look up.

Tell me, of what does this remind you? In what other temporary structures do we live as though they were permanent?

I can think of two: Our bodies. And the biosphere of planet Earth.

Our bodies, because for the first 40 years of the journey called life, most of us will not even consider the specter of a final stop. It is simply too overwhelming for us to digest: There was a time when I did not exist, and there will be a time when this “I” into which I have invested so much will simply vanish. And so, rather than come to terms with our mortality, most of us sit through life as though the

movie never ends.

So too the biosphere. Something about it—or about us—provides the impres-sion that as there is today, so there will always be water to drink, oxygen to

breathe, fish in the sea and elephants roaming the savanna. As a child relies upon its loving and forgiving parents, so we trust the earth will never cease to grant us its bounty or to accept the gar-bage we bury in its bowels. We nod to the data that screams otherwise, bow our heads to the experts—yet something of our human intuition will not let us to absorb the notion that this world that

fostered us could somehow be vulnera-ble to our actions. So we continue living upon it as though it were an absolute, as though the very act of existence assumes that this shall always be.

Until we look up. And there will always be those events in life that force us to look up.

Once you look up and come to the re-alization that we are travelers on a finite

THE SUKKAH IS NOW

19 Wellsprings Magazine • Fall/High Holidays 5776

road, that nothing shall ever return as it was, that there is not a single object onto which you can grasp and rely with utter confidence, for none of it will ever be truly real—once you know all this, how then should you live?

You might say, “Who needs this tran-sient world, this dark pit of nothing-ness? Let me escape to a higher reality. Let me ignore as much as possible this mirage of life.”

As many enlightened people before you have said.

Yet the Torah asks otherwise. That were you to be the most enlightened being, still you must live in this disposable hut as though it were your permanent home. You must embrace this fleeting moment, celebrate it and cherish it as though nothing else exists, knowing that every-thing was created for this moment alone,

that its Creator eagerly awaits the act of beauty you might do here and now, within this body and upon this magnifi-cent planet.

Know that this moment will never re-turn, and treasure it as eternity.

Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, a senior editor at Chabad.org, also heads our Ask The Rabbi team. He is the author of Bringing Heaven Down to Earth.


And the sweetness that we hope for in the new year will, in part, come from how sweet

we choose to see our lives, and how much we work to sweeten the lives of others.

VisionVisionVisionalways thought I had perfect vision. I have never needed

glasses, and always passed every eye exam with flying colors. But it appears I somehow cheated. As it turns out, I hardly have any vision in my right eye.

The eye doctor explained that all along, my left eye has been compensating. So much so that the weakness never appeared. This did, however, explain why I have no depth perception. For one can only see layers to something with the balance of both eyes. It also gave me a very rational reason (finally!) for why I often bump into things when I walk, not to mention that I walk at an angle and slowly push whoever is walking alongside me into the gutter.

One can only see layers to something with the balance of both eyes from a Kabbalistic point of view, the left eye symbolizes the idea of judgment, gevurah, whereas the right eye is that of chesed, loving-kindness. Not great to think that I have been lacking in my loving-kindness when I look at things. But, if I am honest with myself, it shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise. I am tough on myself, and I am tough on others. That has always been how I “see” things.

Enter Rosh Hashanah, where for the past month I have been giving and receiving blessings for a good and sweet new year, “shanah tovah.” And I have been doing my best to prepare my-self for this month of holidays where we are judged, forgiven, and—G-d willing—sealed in the Book of Life for the new year. And while I have thought about my past, and resolved to be healthier, happier, nicer, more patient and other positive quali-ties in the new year, it recently occurred to me that a sweet new year is not just about what happens during the upcoming year, but how I choose to think about it and thereby see it.

I have taught this concept many times before, but this year it really hit home. Rosh Hashanah literally means “the head of the year,” as Rosh Hashanah begins the Jewish new year. But the word for year, shanah, is also the three-letter root of the

“Change how we think, change our perspective, and we will see the

world around us in a new light”

I

By Sara Esther Crispe

Perfect


word shinui, which means “to change.” Chassidic philosophy teaches us that the beginning of the new year requires a shift, a change of head space. Newness takes place when we look at things in a fresh way, in a different way, through new lenses. Change how we think, change our perspective, and we will see the world around us in a new light. Change ourselves, and our lives will change.

My visit to the eye doctor revealed to me how easy it is to think something is okay, that something is in perfect working order, when in truth it really needs help. How true this is in so much of my life—that only when I delve deeper do I discover that something was lacking that needing tweaking. And just having that awareness, that knowledge, allows us to begin the healing process. And the sweetness that we hope for in the new year will, in part, come from how sweet we choose to see our lives, and how much we work to sweeten the lives of others. For my

eyes, this means giving my left eye a bit of a break while I work to strengthen my right one. Not an easy feat, but only by working on a weakness does it have a chance to change.

So as we enter Rosh Hashanah, our New Year, may we all be blessed to have the strength and clarity to look at our past to glean lessons and direction, and with a fresh perspective and new consciousness look to our new year and recognize the opportunities that await us. And may we all truly have a shanah tovah umetukah, a sweet and good new year.

Happy Holidays From

Sara Esther Crispe, a writer, inspirational speaker and moth-er of four, is the co-director of Interinclusion, a nonprofit multi-layered educational initiative celebrating the conver-gence between contemporary arts and sciences and timeless Jewish wisdom. Prior to that she was the editor of TheJew-ishWoman.org, and wrote the popular weekly blog Musing for Meaning.Reprinted courtesy of : www.chabadlehighvalley.com


The past few years, I’ve prayed on the High Holidays in a wonderful and homey synagogue in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. There’s always a flurry of activity as I walk into the sanctuary before the Kol Nidrei prayers; some devoted volunteers finishing off the last minute preparations, setting up the extra chairs for the anticipated overflow crowd. The scores of men and wom-en who invariably wander in for their requisite once-a-year synagogue service.

In this inviting congregation, these people are kindly greeted as they enter, handed prayer-books (and kippahs for the men) and shown to an unreserved seat. But despite the warm atmosphere, their self-consciousness is plainly evi-dent, as they constantly cast not-so-furtive glances at the experienced congre-gants to make sure that they are doing the right thing.

I’ve often wondered, who are these people? And what motivates them to come to the synagogue on Yom Kippur? If they believe in G-d and seek atonement, if their Judaism is meaningful to them, where are they the rest of the year?

Of late, however, it has occurred to me that the question should in fact be reversed. It’s clear that these people come to the synagogue on Yom Kippur for the proper reasons. But what about me? Do I have the proper intentions and the appropriate Yom Kippur frame of mind?

Allow me to explain...

Yom Kippur, the “Day of Atonement,” is the day when G-d forgave us for a monumental perfidy. A few weeks after we lovingly accepted the Torah and pledged to G-d our eternal allegiance, we made an about turn and created and worshiped a Golden Calf. Absolutely flabbergasting. Was there any reason for G-d to forgive this heinous betrayal?

He did. On Yom Kippur. Because our relationship isn’t grounded in logic, or even rational emotion. Our relationship is intrinsic, both to us and to G-d. We can be angry at and disenchanted with each other, we can try to walk away from and pretend that the other doesn’t exist anymore. All to no avail.

The Ultimate Yom

Kippur Jew

“We can be angry at each other, we can try to pretend that the oth-er doesn’t exist. All to no avail.”

By Naftali Silberbergr

b


bThat’s why He forgave us on that first Yom Kip-pur, and why He continues to forgive us every year thereafter.

The Jew who visits the synagogue once annually on Yom Kippur is a testament to this idea. His entire year may be spent trying to ignore the relationship. But on Yom Kippur, when our indestructible rela-tionship with G-d is bared, he’s back in G-d’s home. His prayers are pure and true; emanating from the core of his soul. He has no grandiose pretenses of piety and spirituality. He’s merely a child returning to the place he belongs—his Father’s bosom.

He represents what Yom Kippur is all about. I’m envious.

Now, I’m not advocating limiting synagogue atten-dance to once a year. But this Yom Kippur I will be looking around, trying to gain inspiration from the once-a-yearers. I may know the tunes that they don’t; I actually know when to sit and when to stand, when to cry and when to clap with joy. But when it comes to approaching G-d in a Yom Kip-pur frame of mind, I have much to learn from them


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Rabbi Naftali Silberberg is a writer, editor and director of the curriculum department at the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute. Rabbi Silberberg resides in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife, Chaya Mush-ka, and their three children.Reprinted courtesy of : www.chabadlehighvalley.com

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Devorah’s

Recipe coRneRhigh holiday selection


Ingredients4-5 Macintosh apples cord, peeled and thinly sliced1 1/4 cup sugar1 1/2 cups all purpose flour3/4 cup oil4 eggs2 teaspoon vanilla1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix all ingredients together.Pour into pans and bake at 350 until golden brown.

Apple KugelThis quick and simple recipe will be a sweet melt in your mouth treat at your holiday table.

Ingredients2 Tsp Olive Oil2 Onions, diced2 tsp minced fresh ginger2 lbs carrots, peeled and chopped4 - 5 cups water or vegetable broth1 cup orange juice1 tsp ground cinnamon2 tsps kosher saltFreshly ground black pepperGrated lemon for garnish

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add ginger, sautee for 5 minutes, or until softened.

2. Stir in carrots, water, orange juice, cinnamon, salt and pep-per. Bring to a boil.

CArrot ginger Soup

A sweet and savory soup that is as healthy as it is delicious.

3. Reduce heat. Simmer partially covered for 35-45 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Stir occasionally.

4. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice and cool slightly.

4. Using an immersion blender, process until smooth. If soup is too thick, add a little water or broth. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Ingredients2 tbsp olive oil1/2 medium onion, diced1 cup quinoa2 cups low sodium chicken broth1/2 cup pomegranate seeds1/2 cuo diagonally sliced scallions1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsleyJuice of 1/2 lemon1tsp fresh lemon zest1 tsp sugarSalt & pepper

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Sautee the onion until translucent and fragrant. Add the quinoa and stir until coated. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until quinoa is tender.

2. In a large bowl, combine 1 tbsp olive oil, pomegran-ate seeds, scallions, parsley, lemon juice, zest, and sugar. Garnish with slivered almonds.

pomegrAnAte QuinoA pilAf

A sweet and savory soup that is as healthy as it is delicious.


JanuaryDecemberNovemberOctoberSeptember

MayAprilMarchFebruary

Family Sukkot Event!!

27

20

Shofar Factory

Welcome back to school!

Sukkot- NO SCHOOL 4

11

1TorahLesson

8TorahLesson

Hebrew School Fun!

Hebrew School Fun!

18

25

You’re A CHAMP!Reach for the heights!

15

29

Thanksgi

ving.

No School

!

6Torah Dollar Store!

Cele

brat

e Ch

anuk

ah!

13

20Hebrew

School Fun!

27Winter Break

NO SCHOOL

Hebrew School Fun!

310

17

22

31Teach

ers in S

ervice

No School

Hebrew School Shabbat Dinner!

24Learn

from

a

Tree

TorahLesson

7

14

NO SCHOOL

Torah Dollar Store!

21

Hebrew School Fun!

28

6

13

20

27

SmileDay!

Hebrew School Fun!

23

3

10

24

17Purim Fun!

Community Purim

Event with H.S.

Performance!!

Matzah

Bakery

1

8

22

15

Chocolate Model Sedar

PassoverNO SCHOOL

Israel Day!

NO SCHOOL

Final Class&

Award Ceremony

Chabad of the Lehigh Valley Hebrew School

Calendar of Events & Activities 2015-16

Challah baking for H.S. Dinner

TorahLesson

Hebrew School Fun!

TorahLesson

Hebrew

School Fun!

22


in the

Rosh HashanahCraft TimeCraft Time

Supplies

• Unfinished wooden sign or board (twine to use as hanger if it’s not included)

• Acrylic paint in red, gold, black, and red glitter

• Tacky Glue• Pencil• Paintbrush• Fabric Flowers• 1 Apple cut in half• Optional- Pre-painted wooden

embellishments

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Pour red paint onto a flat surface i.e. a paper plate. Dip apple half in red paint use as a stamp. Be sure to leave room for letters and any embellishments.Once red paint is dry, apply a coat of the red glitter paint.

Using a pencil, draw the outline for the words Shana Tova or שנה טובה Fill in outline with black paint.

Use the gold paint to make stems for the apple prints. Depending on the thickness of the paint, you may have to go over it a few times to achieve the tone you want.

Affix flowers and any wooden embel-lishments using tacky glue. Be sure to plan your placement prior to gluing.

Tips• Acrylic paint will stain clothing, so

make sure to utilize aprons or old t-shirts.

• Craft stores have a variety of painted wooden embellishments, be creative and find your favorite holiday themed extras!


Make a fun and personalized door hanging with your little one to celebrate the new year! Very easy to personalize to make it uniquely

yours.

appiness is the elusive holy grail of emotions. When Merck and Co. will bottle it, Big Pharma

will own the world. Psychologists, philosophers, theologians have al-ready made claims on it. Yet no-one can define it. No-one can see it. No-one can smell it. And no-one owns it. Science will never simulate it. And History can’t find it. And all this while G-d works overtime to allow us to experience it.It’s elusiveness lies in our compass

bearings. We look in all the distant nooks and crannies while it stares us right in the face. So where is it hid-ing? Let’s walk where angels fear to tread. Let’s enter the world of fear, distrust, angst, jealousy, rudeness, ac-rimony, and the list goes on. What do these blacklist items have in com-mon? Distance. They create or reflect the gap, the chasm, the abyss –the distance between people.

Creation starts with the One, Singu-

lar, Alone. In The Beginning There Was… what? Just One. The One-ness splintered into infinite shards, each reflecting the One. The process of dismemberment, a phenomenon the Kabbalists describe as Sheviras HaKeilim, the spiritual Big Bang, exploded the singularity into cosmic splinters each possessing the template of the original whole. Man’s role: to restore these primordial and elemen-tal sparks back into a state of whole-ness as it originally was. This ‘repair

Man’s role: to restore these primordial and elemental sparks back into a state of wholeness as it orig-inally was. This ‘re-pair work’ is called

Tikkun.

Happiness is th

e

Journey nott h e Quest

H

By Laibl Wolf



work’ is called Tikkun.

How do we do practice Tikkun? By joining, linking, attaching, re-form-ing. Compare these words to ‘gap’ ‘chasm’ ‘abyss’. Literal opposites. The latter terms describe distance be-tween people and are experienced as discomfort, unpleasantness, and yes, unhappiness. And when we connect, merge, create intimacy and closeness, this is experienced this as meaning-fulness, joy, and yes, happiness.

Big Pharma will never be able to bot-tle this potion because its secret for-mula lies in the recesses of our hearts. The obstacle is fear. Yet the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. This Roo-seveltian truth lies at the core of our challenge – to bridge the gap that fear produces. The best way is to adopt the approach of phobia therapists – move

closer and closer to that which you fear. Fear will diminish and finally be seen for what it was – a Machiavellian illusion of our of sense of worthless-ness. We are only distrustful, anxious, jealous and rude, when we think less of ourselves than who we really are.Tikkun in Hebrew means to repair. The Kabbalists describe it as the rai-son d’etre of life - repair the spiritual Big Bang by restoring the tiny shards of the broken primordial world to their rightful place – repairing a bro-ken world. The method: love - loving the goodness that is the truth of each human being. We are all essentially good. Therefore only expressions of goodness and gestures of love and connectedness, can repair the distor-tion and heal the world into whole-ness.

That challenge is yours and mine.

Don’t shirk it. Reach out – even if there is a risk of rejection. Call out – even if a deaf ear is turned. Strike out against injustice and inequity. Be bold in your initiatives of Tikkun, because you have been placed into exactly the life circumstances where your soul’s journey is meant to effect the greatest change in the world.Happiness is easy. But it is not a life-goal or personal quest. It is the jour-ney.

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For the past 32 years Rabbi Laibl Wolf has been a spiritual mentor and a worldwide teacher of the mystical side of JudaismReprinted Courtesy of:www.spiritgrowjosefkrysscenter.org

did not grow up in an observant Jewish house-hold—the only Jewish

holiday I ever observed was Chanukah. So when I first went to Chabad and experi-enced the High Holidays, I have to admit, I initially found them nothing short of terrify-ing. It all moved so fast. What was I supposed to do? What was I supposed to recite? It was very intimidating, especially when it felt like I was the only one who had little-to-no idea what was going on. Everyone around me was experiencing a range of emotions that I didn’t share. I had never understood everyone’s enthusiasm on Jan-uary 1st; what did I need an-other New Year’s for?

When my second round of High Holidays was on the horizon, I dreaded them. I dreaded the confusion, the songs I didn’t know, the cus-toms I wasn’t accustomed to.

My four-year-old daughter, on the other hand, was thrilled. Kids have a funny way of adapting so much faster than their parents. After only a short time, everything around her had become the norm of her existence. She matched my mounting dread with her mounting anticipation of making shofars in Chabad’s shofar workshop, cutting out apple shapes in Gan Yelad-im Preschool, and gluing her photo on a cardboard pome-granate.

I tried to mirror my daughter’s enthusiasm, but I just couldn’t. I went through all of the mo-tions, I read up on the mean-ing of this observance and that observance, but I still couldn’t elicit anything more from my-self—that is, until the very end of Yom Kippur. There I was, tired, hungry, wanting to go home. My eyes and my mind were wandering out the win-

10 Moment

By Sara Bressler-Rutz

I High Holiday

dow. And then, when I wasn’t expecting it, the shofar sounded loud and long, startling me and literally mak-ing me jump.

Cesare Pavese once said, “We do not remember days, we remember moments.” That is how I feel about that moment. I don’t remember all of my thoughts during the days leading up to that sound. I don’t remember what I chose to wear that day, the conversations I had, or what the weather was like. But I do remem-ber that moment when I heard that one shofar blow, and I think I always will. It was the first time I felt like it was a new year. Yes, maybe the feeling came on the wrong day, but there it was. Looking around at every-one, I felt that I shared their feelings for the first time. It was a new year! Everything would begin again—new opportunities taken and missed, triumphs and losses, elation and sadness, the pain and joy of watching my

child grow, and all the ups and downs of the human experience. How fortunate I was that I had all of this to look forward to!

I wish I could better explain the feeling I had that mo-ment, or that I could fully understand what elicited it. What I can say is that it was something I will never for-get. Because of that moment, I now have an attitude clos-er to my daughter’s: When the High Holidays are ap-

proaching, I no longer dread what I don’t know; I look forward to what I’m going to learn. I look forward to hearing my daughter sing, “Dip the apple in the honey, say a brachah loud and clear . . .” And I look forward to a new year, and what a gift it is to have. Shanah Tovah to you and yours.

I no longer dread what I don’t know; I look forward

to what I’m going to learn.

embassybank.com

Tips for an Easier Fast

death, Jewish autonomy came to an end.

Yom Kippur, the 10th of Tishrei, is the holiest day of the year, on which the Jewish people reflect and ask forgive-ness for the sins of the previous year.

The 10th of Tevet marks the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem, which ultimately ended in the destruction of the Temple.

The Fast of Esther, the 13th of Adar, is the day before Purim, and commemorates the three days that Esther fasted before approaching King Achashverosh and beg-ging him to spare the Jewish people from Haman’s evil decrees.

The 17th of Tammuz is the date when the walls of Jeru-salem were breached, another major event leading to the destruction of the First Temple.

The fast of Tisha B’Av, the 9th of Av, is a day of mourn-ing for the First and Second Temples, both which were destroyed on this day. It is also appropriate to consider on this day the many other tragedies that befell the Jew-ish people throughout the ages.

Although some people find fasting quite arduous, there are some pointers that can help ease the fast-related hunger pangs.

Although the Jewish year is filled with an abundance of wonderful holidays, several times a year—six, to be pre-cise—we fast. There are two major fast days which all peo-ple are commanded to uphold, Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av, while the other four are of lesser importance.

The Fast of Gedaliah, on the 3rd of Tishrei, marks the trag-ic assassination of Gedaliah ben Achikam, governor of the first Jewish commonwealth in the Holy Land. After his

By Chana Lewis


Taper off on coffee or other caffeinated beverages about a week before the fast. Sudden deprivation on the day of Yom Kippur may produce caffeine withdraw-al symptoms, such as headaches. Cutting back on coffee, or drinking decaf, may ease potential withdrawal. It is also ad-

visable to cut back on cigarettes, refined sugars, or any other food you eat with compulsion. In the preceding days, try to vary your meal schedule. If you normally eat at the same time every day, your body clock will automatically prepare to digest as lunch time approaches.

By varying your meal schedule, you may find that it eases the hunger you might normally experience at mealtimes.

A Week Before

The Day of the Fast

Hydrate! Most of the unpleasantness asso-ciated with a fast does not come from lack of food, but rather from lack of fluid. The solution is to drink as much water as possible before the fast. Although you may feel you’re about to float off, it will be worth it by the time the fast is well underway. Beware of beer or other alcoholic beverages; they will only dehydrate you. Water or diluted orange juices are the safest options.

Don’t over-stuff yourself before the fast. Many people seem to think that eating a lot the day before will compensate for not eating on the fast day. This will actually make you hungrier. Have you ever noticed how much hungrier

you are the morning after a large meal? Eat a proper meal that emphasizes carbohydrates, some protein, and foods high in oils and fats, since they delay the emptying of the stomach, thus prolonging the effects of your pre-fast meal.

Avoid salty or spicy foods. Salt causes a per-son to feel thirsty despite having a “normal” amount of water, because extra water is re-quired to absorb the extra salt.. Most tomato sauces, canned fish and smoked fish should also be avoided. Fruit, despite its high fiber content, is worthwhile, since it carries a lot of water in a “time-release” form.

The Day Before

Consuming carbohydrates (e.g., potatoes, pasta) will be very effective, as they bond with water that your body will make use of during the fast.

•Avoid wear-ing clothing that will make

you perspire, as this will cause your

body to lose water.

• Try [and it is difficult!] not

to talk or think about the food you’ll eat after the fast, as this will cause your body to begin preparing itself for a meal.

•Take an afternoon nap be-tween prayer services. This

will pass some time, and some people also experi-ence a feeling of fullness af-ter a short nap.

•Some people find that sniff-ing spices helps ease the hunger.

*Anyone who is ill should consult a rabbinical authority about whether or not to fast.


Now comes the easy part, which most of us will have little trouble with! However, there are a few pointers to keep in mind so as not to shock your body back into eating mode.

Be sure not to eat food too quickly at the post-fast meal. Begin the break-fast meal with a drink of milk or juice; this puts sugar into the bloodstream and occupies space in the stomach, discouraging you from eating too rapidly.

Begin with eating a simple food, such as a piece of honey cake or crackers. It is advis-able to wait some time before sitting down for a full meal, in order to give your body a chance to begin digesting foods again. I imagine most people are willing to run the risk of a stomachache by eating without de-lay, but it is still a good idea to keep in mind, even if you postpone your meal by only a few minutes.

Drink lots of water, and avoid salty foods, since you will still be a little dehydrated and need to replace your fluids.

Many people vote for a dairy meal (e.g., cream cheese and bagels), as it is lighter on the system.

Avoid gorging yourself. The body protects itself from starvation when you are fasting by slowing down the rate at which it burns food. Therefore, the calories you consume right after a fast will stay with you a lot lon-ger than those acquired on a normal basis.Wishing you an easy fast!

After the Fast


Chana Lewis is a student, freelance photogra-pher, and editorial assistant at Chabad.org.


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They are Each Other

By Dr. Avidan Milevsky

As a sibling researcher I am often asked by parents about what to do when siblings fight. The first thing to keep in mind is that sib-ling fighting is not a problem if dealt with in the correct way. Al-low me to elaborate.

Many years ago while in graduate school I was working weekends as a synagogue youth director. My responsibilities included organizing

and implementing social and educational programs for the children of the congrega-tion during the Sabbath morn-ing services. One faithful Sab-bath morning, as I was making the rounds from group to group checking that all the programs were running smoothly, I was ap-proached by a frantic group lead-er who reported that two children in her 4-5 year-old group were fighting.

Although by then I spent quite a few years working with children I

was not prepared for what I wit-nessed when I entered the class-room. On the floor were two boys, Jake, a 4-year-old, and David, a 5-year-old, engaged in nothing less than an all-out brawl. In ad-dition to the screaming, kicking, and scratching, one well-placed right hook from David made direct contact with Jake’s nose. I was

n o t sure if I heard a crack,

but from the amount of blood that came out of this poor kid’s nose I suspected at a minimum a hairline fracture. However, most shocking of all was the identity of the two protagonists. Jake and David were siblings and none other than the rabbi’s two oldest sons.

I don’t remember if that week’s Biblical portion was Genesis but they were doing a pretty good job reenacting the Kane and Abel story. My attempts at separat-ing them were futile and out of desperation I dashed downstairs

towards the main sanctuary to summon the rab-bi, after all he was their father and should know what SWAT team was needed to intervene. As I approached the main sanctuary, much to my dis-may, I noticed that the rabbi was in the middle of his sermon. My initial thought was to wait until he ends, but based on the fact that most of the congregants were still awake I knew the rabbi must be at the earlier stages of the speech.

The prohibition against disturbing the rabbi during the weekly sermon was the eleventh command-ment, let alone the first clause of my contract, but I could not let the bloodshed continue. Against the advice of all my mental faculties I decided to enter the hall, proceed to the stage and disturb the rab-bi’s presentation.

I could only imagine what went through the con-gregants’ minds as I whispered into the rabbi’s ear “your kids got into a violent fight upstairs, I need your help now.” Begrudgingly, the rabbi excused himself as I followed him down the aisle, out the door and up the stairs. Time did not heal this al-tercation. The fight was still in progress by the time we made it to the death-match room.

The next few moments went by in slow motion.

“I don’t remember if that week’s

Biblical portion was Genesis but

they were doing a pretty good job

reenacting the Kane and

Abel story.”

Killing


The father grabbed both of his children by the back of their shirts, pulled them off each other and proceeded to drag them out into the hallway. He placed them down on the floor next to each other and began reprimanding them in a voice reserved for the clergy. As the rabbi continued his ad-monishment, I handed a bottle of water to Jake, the younger brother, so he can begin replenishing some of his lost blood.

What happened next was one of the most bewildering mo-ments I witnessed in my years of working with children. As the father was continuing his tirade, Jake took a few sips

from the water bottle, wiped the blood from his nose on his sleeve, and then in the most natural way proceeded to hand the bottle to his brother David who took it and began drink-ing. They shared the water bottle! Mere seconds after the two brothers were on the verge of killing each other they shared

the water bottle. These siblings did not hate each other; they were passionate about each other.

Sibling fighting is actually a healthy developmental aspect of growing up. The majority of the time their fights are an attempt to understand and navigate social relationships. Studies show how these interactions between siblings help

“These siblings did not hate each other; they were pas-sionate about each other.”

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Dr. Avidan Milevsky is an associate professor at Kutztown University, therapist, author, columnist, lecturer, and consultant on sibling issues. He has been featured on radio, TV, and media including stories in The Washington Post, The Associated Press, Real Simple, and Allure Magazine. He also writes for the Huffington Post and Psychology Today on family issues. His fifth book “Sibling Issues in Therapy: Research and Practice with Children, Adolescents and Adults” is due out this fall by Palgrave Macmillan. Current article adapted from columns by Dr. Milevsky on Psychology Today.

create the foundation for future friendships. However, this does not mean that when our children start punching each other we should sit back with a bowl of popcorn and enjoy the fight. The manner in which we intervene during sibling fights is linked with the type of relationship they will develop in the future.

Over the years psychological studies suggest-ed two opposite ideas relating to the ques-tion of how to respond to sibling fights. One camp suggested that parents do nothing. They proposed that sibling confrontations are an attempt to draw parental attention, and consequently, if we jump in and try to inter-vene we are going to reinforce future hostility between siblings. The siblings were able to get the parents’ attention this way and this is how they will get parental attention in the fu-ture; they will fight. On the other hand, oth-ers believed that by intervening parents help their children by mediating between rivaling siblings and by teaching them how to under-stand the perspective of their sibling and how to work through social conflict.

Follow up studies on this question showed that parents primarily use three types of in-tervention styles when their kids fight: (1) they do not get involved, (2) they coach, and (3) they punish. The first type, the uninvolved parents either ignore the problem or tell the siblings to work out the problem themselves. The coaching parent gives advice and explains each sibling’s feelings to the other. The pun-isher swoops in and solves the problem by punishing the siblings.

So what is the ideal way of responding? The style you use should be tailored to the age of the child. Younger children who are still in the process of learning about how to navi-gate relationships need you to coach them through difficult social situations. When children fight allow each of them to share what happened and then teach better ways of responding. Parental coaching during fights

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is linked with children developing a closer relationship with each other later on. However, once siblings get older and they reach the adolescent years try-ing to coach them may not be appreciated by independence-seeking teens. Give them the space they need to work things out themselves.

Bottom line: when siblings fight they are learning about social difficulties and how to work through them. In childhood they need coaching in per-spective taking during these fights. When children fight get down to their level and teach them how to love each other even as the punches are flying.

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“When children fight al-low each of them to share what happened and then teach better ways of responding.“

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