Hava Nedaber Ivrit: Celebrating Rosh Hashanah In Israel . Each month in this space, L'Chayim will present a Hebrew lesson entitled, "Hava Nedaber Ivrit!" (Let's Speak Hebrew), whose aim is to encourage further study of Hebrew. The lesson will include a brief story utilizing the Hebrew words to be studied, a vocabulary list with English translations and a family activity which involves using the new words. The lessons will be prepared by Nira Lev, associate professor of Hebrew language and literature at the Midrasha College of Jewish Studies. Mrs. Lev also teaches Hebrew language and literature at the Community Jewish High School at the United Hebrew Schools. Following is this month's lesson: Ruthy is a tayeret in Yisrael. She is s'mecha to be visiting in Yisrael for Rosh Hashanah, which, - she knows is the Jewish New Year. She expects meseebot, orot in the Rechovot, blowing of horns and harbe simchah, as she is used to in New York, where she lives. Her kroveem tell her, however, that Rosh Hashanah has no resemblance to New Year as it is celebrated all over the world. Rosh Hashanah, meaning the Head of the Year, is the first chag in the luach HaYehoodi. This chag occurs on the first two yameem of Chodesh Tishrei, the first chodesh of the shanah. This chag is not zman for simchah chageegot and meseebot. Unlike other chageem yehoodeyeem, it does not mark a meorah historee. tourist tayeret happy Rather, it is zman for cheshbon- s'mecha much, many, a lot of nefesh, for serious, solemn harbe simchah joy, happiness machshava and t'feela. Rosh relatives kroveem Hashanah also is called "Yom chag holiday, festival Hadeen," the Day of Judgement, luach calendar and "Yom Hazikaron," the day of the Jewish HaYehoodi remembering. Rosh Hashanah is month zman leezkor all the important chodesh .shanah year meoraot historeeyeem that made zman time Yisrael an am, and it is zman chageegot celebrations lachshov about our ma'aseem. celebration chageega Everyone's duty is leeshpot parties meseebot himself and lachshov how to party meseeba become adam yoter toy in the year holidays chageem to come. Anasheem spend harbe Jews yehoodeem shaot in Belt Haknesset, in t'feela, meorah an event asking God for s'leecha. According historical historee to our masoret on this yom, God soul searching chesbon-nefesh shofet each of us, and writes in thought machshava Sefer Hachayeem what our fate will prayer t'feela be bashanah haba'ah. to remember leezkor In the Tanach, this chag is events meoraot called "Yom Truah" and "Zichron historical (pl.) historeeyeem Truah," the Day of Sounding the nation am Shofar and the memorial of the to think lachshov blowing of the shofar. These shemot maaseem deeds indicate the main event of Rosh maase deed Hashanah, which is t'keeat shofar leeshpot to judge — the blowing of the shofar. The adam person shofar is a very important semel in yoter tov better our masoret. The shofar reminds us anasheem men, people of akeidat Yitzchak — the binding of shaot hours Isaac, when Avraham Aveenu was Belt HaKnesset synagogue ready to commit the utmost act of forgiveness sleecha emunah and God substituted the masoret tradition ayeel for Avraham's ben, Yitzchak. yom day Sukkah-Building Contest Families, religious schools and institutions are invited to enter the Jewish Community Center's third annual sukkah-building contest. Entrants must send up to four photographs with the registration coupon showing the building of, decorating of or celebrating in the sukkah. There is no registration fee. For details, call Stuart Rogoff, 661-1000, ext. 202. Below is a registration form: Sukkah-Building Contest Registration Form The (Family, School, Institution) will build a sukkah this year for the third annual Jewish Community Center Sukkah-Building Contest. Address Phone Number Please return coupon and photographs to: Stuart Rogoff, Family Programming Jewish Community Center 6600 W. Maple West Bloomfield, MI 48322 L-8 FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 1988 Vocabulary (Meelon) shofet to judge (present tense, singular) Sefer Hachayeem Book of Life bashanah haba'ah next year Tanach the Bible shemot names shem a name t'keeat shofar blowing of the shofar semel symbol akeidat Yitzchak, binding (sacrifice) of Isaac Aveenu our father emunah faith ayeel ram ben son lights orot Family Activities Make your own greeting cards. Use family pictures, postcards from Israel, quotations from the Bible that you like, quotations from poetry. Make a list of people to whom you want to send greeting cards. Update the addresses. Update the list every year. Include teachers that you don't see any more, your doctor, neighbor that you know, and especially people that you don't see very often. A greeting card can be an opportunity to renew old friendshps. Try to compose greetings in the form of a poem or a limerick. Keep these for use in future years. Keep a list of all the people from whom you receive greetings so that you remember to reciprocate this year and in the future. Teen Corner Last month, L'Chayim pursued "respect for the elderly" as its theme. This month, to keep that concept alive, L'Chayim invited students to write about their experience with senior adults. Lisa Zaks, age 12, of Farmington Hills accepted the invitation. Here is her report: By Lisa Zaks I participated in the Dor L'Dor program this past year from Hillel Day School. I was assigned a senior citizen from the Federation Apartments as my pen pal. We wrote many letters to each other telling about ourselves. This way, we were able to get to know each other. The day had finally come when we were going to meet. Because we had sent each other our pictures, I spotted my pen pal, Olga Taysig. Right away, we felt like old friends. We often exchanged gifts to show our friendship. I was able to see Olga again this summer. She was staying at Butzel Conference Center, just across the lake from where I was, at Camp Maas. Coincidentally, we met again the next day when she came to Pioneer Skills at Camp Maas. When it was time for her to leave, I walked her down to her bus, gave her a kiss, and said my last goodbye. I really love Olga, and I didn't realize how much until that moment. Holiday Questions Following are some discussion questions about this month's theme, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur: Can a shofar be of any size or from any animal or should it just come from a ram? Why do we refer to God as Avinu Malkenu (Our Father, Our King) on these holy days? Why are the Torah and the rabbis and cantors dressed in white on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? What's the importance of the color white? —Submitted by Rabbi Norman T. Roman Temple Kol Ami