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vt. r 0 / 0 My Most Memorable Chanukah
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By MARY KORETZ
The most memorable Chanukah
I hob a mol farbracht was in 1968.
We went to Israrel that year to fulfill
drei objectives. One was to see our
son, who hawt gemacht aliyah.
Then Baruch, his friend who had
made aliyah shortly noch demi was
to be married at Chanukah. Also,
we were to trefn my mother's sister
and tochter as well as my father's
brother, the ayntsike Holocaust
survivors.
When I refer to the "we" who
gemacht the trip, I mayn my
husband, 15-year-old zun and my
71-year-old mother. Also, there was
a hipsh amount of Baruch's
relatives. The elter ranged from his
neintsik-year-plus grandfather to his
11-year-old sister.
Upon onkumen in Israel, the
first thing that impressed me was
the aroysveizn of menorahs in
public pletzer and gesheftlech sites.
Having just left the U.S. in the
throes of Christmas einkoyfn and
displays, it took me some time to
get adjusted to the untershayd of
scenery . . . about two minutes.
After that, it all seemed comfortable
and natirlech.
The first day, we met at the dire
of my mother's sister and her
daughter. Also present was the
"Jewel of Israel," the cleverest
shenster young man ever ... my
son, Guy. He was in army uniform.
Nu, he hadn't takeh changed. In his
gelechter, I sensed the same
amused, sardonic view of life her
always had. While we had been
separated, I hadn't permitted myself
to think of vi fil I missed him. Now,
frayd at seeing him and the
loneliness I had experienced in his
absence, flooded iber me like a
giant kvalie.
The following tog, we went to
visit my deceased father's brother.
We found him krank and in bed. My
father had been toyt for three years
and it was a shock tsu zen his
brother, who could have been his
identical tsviling.
The next etleche days we spent
at Kibbutz Gal-On, where Guy and
Baruch hobn gevoynt and where the
chasene was to take place. As a
newcomer, Guy hot getaylt a one-
room dwelling with a roommate. It
was humble ober adequate. The
grounds were shayn. It put me in
mind of a zumer camp I had
attended as a child.
The dining room tsimer showed
evidence of Chanukah. There had
been a contest of original
menorahs. One, which caught my
fancy, hung on a vant. It consisted
of a groys metal circle. Nine nails
were distributed arom it. On each
nail was placed a raw bulbe with its
top cut off. A loch was dug out of
each to hold a licht.
The legal requirements were
fulfilled in the hoyf of an Orthodox
rabbi. Following the legal formalities,
we retired to the kibbutz. Dort the
festivities began. The food was
abundant and batemt. The skits
were amusing and the musical
numbers were lebedik. Community
singing and dancing continued until
the early hours of the following day.
At least, so we oldsters were told.
We went to shlofn about midnight,
exhausted by the day's events and
the trip. It was a eingenemen to
hear the music and laughter as we
fell asleep.
Vocabulary
a mol
hob farbracht
drei
ever
spent
three
hawt gemacht
noch demi
trefn
tochter
ayntsike
gemacht
mayn
zun
hipsh
elter
neintsik
onkumen
aroysveizn
pletzer
gesheftlech
einkoyfn
untershayd
natirlech
dire
shenster
nu
takeh
gelechter
vi fil
frayd
iber
made
afterwards
meet
daughter
only
made
mean
son
sizeable
ages
90
arrival
display
places
business
shopping
difference
natural
apartment
handsomest
well
really
laughter
how much
joy
over
kvalie
tog
krank
toyt
tsu zen
tsviling
etleche
hobn gevoynt
chasene
hot getaylt
ober
shayn
zumer
tsimer
vant
groys
arom
bulbe
loch
licht
hoyf
dort
batemt
lebedik
shlofn
eingenemen
wave
day
ill
dead
to see
twin
few
lived
wedding
shared
but
beautiful
summer
room
wall
large
around
potato
hole
candle
yard
there
delicious
lively
sleep
pleasant
L'Chayim Receives CJF Smolar Award
The Jewish News and L'Chayim,
working with J.E.F.F., co-sponsors
several family-oriented events,
including Apples & Honey,
Chanukah Inside-Out, The Purim
Parcel Project and The Great Israeli
Kumsitz.
L'Chayim, a family-oriented,
experiential section published by
The Jewish News since September
of 1987, received special recognition
from the Council of Jewish
Federations at its recent General
Assembly in San Francisco.
given to students at Agency For
Jewish Education, Temple Israel,
Temple Beth El, Akiva Hebrew Day
School, Temple Emanu-EI, Yavneh
Academy, Jewish Parents Institute,
Temple Shir Shalom, Temple Kol
Ami and Birmingham Temple.
The award reads: "Since its
initial issue in September of 1987,
L'Chayim has grown into a regular
and valued part of The Detroit
Jewish News. It has proven to be: a
creative way for a newspaper to
expand its vital role as a provider of
informal Jewish education; a
"hands on" Jewish family
experience, and a unique way for
an independent newspaper to work
closely with Federation and its
agencies in educating the Detroit
Jewish community.
"The CJF Smolar Awards pay
tribute to L'Chayim which represents
a superior example in North
American Jewish journalism of how
to creatively and actively expand a
newspaper's role in educating its
readers."
Jewish Experiences For Families
Director Harlene W. Appelman
serves as adviser to L'Chayim.
J.E.F.F. is part of Fresh Air Society,
a Federation agency.
Besides distributing 21,000 copies
of L'Chayim to Jewish News
subscribers, an additional 5,000 are
Jewish News Associate Publisher Arthur M. Horwitz receives special Council of Jewish
Federations Award for L'Chayim from Smolar Award Committee Chairwoman Phyllis B.
Freedman and outgoing CJF President Mandell L. Berman of Detroit.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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