The miracle of Chanukah, which means dedication, is one of the great events in Jewish history. It commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem by Judah Maccabee, his brothers, and their troops. These courageous rebels vanquished and drove out of the Holy Land the vastly superior Syrian armies of Antiochus who represented the Roman Empire. On the twenty-fifth day of Kislev, they rededicated the Temple, which had been defiled by the Syrians in a vain attempt to stamp out the Jewish religion.

Chanukah also commemorates the miracle of the oil that burned for 8 days. When it came time to re-light the Menorah, the entire Temple was searched, but only one small jar of oil bearing the pure seal of the High Priest could be found. Miraculously, the small jar of oil burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah.

Today, the observance of Chanukah features the lighting of a special menorah with eight branches (plus the shamash, a helper candle), adding one new candle each night.

The shamash is lit first each night and is used to light all the other candles. According to tradition, only the shamash is used because the Chanukah lights should not be used for anything, even to light another candle on the menorah. The first night of Chanukah we light the first flame, and each night after, we add an additional light until the eighth night, when eight candles are lit. The candles are placed in the menorah from right to left. The flames are lit from left to right, with the current day’s candle being lit first. By doing this each night, we remember that it is that additional flame that represents the 'growth' of the miracle.

Each night, following the lighting of the candles, songs are sung, gifts of gelt and other items are given, stories are told, latkes are eaten, and the game of dreidel is played. The custom of playing dreidel, we are told, originated in Roman times, when the study of the Torah was forbidden. The Jews needed a way to hide their Torah learning- they used the dreidel as a decoy. When they saw the Greek-Syrians coming, the Jews would hide their books, take out their dreidels, and trick the Syrians into thinking they were just playing a game.

All of us at Young Judaea wish you and your family Chanukah Sameach. May the miracle of lights touch your life with hope and happiness!

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The Regional Mazkirut met in Houston recently for a few days of relaxing, getting to know each other, and planning our up-coming Bogrim-Segel Reunion. They did an amazing job of brainstorming, planning, and working together to write all their peulot. On Saturday night, Dec. 2, 2006, with the help of the Houston Ma’ad (the local Houston Mazkirut/Va’ad), Young Judaea organized a YJ-style Havdallah and Israeli Rikud event at one of the local synagogues with a turn-out of over 50 people! Emily Estes and Rebecca Goldstein lead a beautiful Shira Shketah and then with the help of the Regional Maz, we had a community-wide Israeli Dancing Party. It was such a success that we’ve set another date in the spring to hold the same event! If you missed this last one, be sure to come in the spring.

The Dallas Mazkirut hosted a Study Break/Israel Update party Tuesday night, Dec. 5, 2006, with a great Bogrim turn-out, and Judaeans in all TOL’s major cities are gearing up for Kupah fundraisers for National Midwinter.

TOL Social Action Programmer Emily Estes, with the help of Houston Ma’ad members Rebecca Goldstein, Maura Estes, Edmund Bethke, and Shir Kamenetsky lead a community-wide, interfaith Vigil for Darfur on Dec 10., 2006. This Vigil coincided with a national day of prayer and action called by clergy around North American and supported by the Save Darfur Coalition. Several groups turned out for the vigil including Young Judaea, NFTY, Faith Lutheran Church, and the African-American/Jewish Coalition of Houston. The Vigil included interfaith liturgy and inspirational readings, Hebrew and English songs, as well as a moving speech by Daniel Garaang, a native of Sudan who now lives in Houston.

Coming up on Feb. 25, 2007, Young Judaea will be working closely with a CYJ-Texas camper, Danielle Levy, who is planning a Race to Save Darfur Walkathon to raise money for the Save Darfur Coalition.

8th and 9th Graders: Register NOW for Bogrim-Segel Reunion Jan. 12-14th, 2007 at CYJ-Texas.

9th-12th Graders: Young Judaea National Midwinter Convention is at CYJ-Texas this year! Come represent TOL, see your friends from TY, and learn more about Young Judaea Feb. 16-19th, 2007. To register or for more information go to: www.Campty.com.

2nd-7th Graders: Spring Camp is coming up Feb. 2-4th, 2007, at CYJ-Texas. Get back to camp one last time before summer! Registration open NOW!

Spring 2007 Calendars for Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and the South Texas Valley will be finalized and sent out in the next few weeks!!!

For more information on upcoming local and regional events please contact Rachel Kinkade at 713-723-8354 or rachel@cyjtexas.org.

TOL Regional Mazkirut:

Natalie Zurawin, Ezra Raez, Rachel Kinkade (Area Supervisor), Jeff Gronich (Senior Advisor), Wendy Cohen, Efrat Sasson (Asst. Director), Emily Estes, Rachel Bissonnet, Naomi Gottesman

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You will find old favorites as well as new ones for your CYJ camper, alumni, or even yourself. We decided not to outsource any more for CYJ-Texas gear and provide the service ourselves. This way we can offer you quality merchandise at the best prices. New items will be added periodically, so check back often. If you have any questions please call the office at 713-723-8354 or email barbara@cyjtexas.org

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Chanukah is here – let’s all give a rousing cheer! In addition to families celebrating Chanukah at home, playing dreidel, and lighting our holiday menorahs, we also entertain family and friends and eat special foods. It wouldn’t be a Jewish holiday without those elements! So, before your dreidel is dancing and the lights of your menorah are shining bright, why not try one of these recipes? Preparing them offers a wonderful opportunity for parents and children, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, and friends to spend extra time together in the warmth of the holiday. Here’s one that you can munch on while playing dreidel:

Honey Roasted Holiday Mix

6 cups of popped popcorn, 1 (5 oz.) can wide chow mein noodles, 1 cup honey roasted peanuts, 5 T butter, 3 T sugar tsp. vanilla, ½ tsp. cinnamon

In a large roasting pan, mix the popcorn and chow mein noodles. Melt the butter and sugar together, stir in the vanilla and cinnamon, and pour the mixture over the popcorn. Toss to coat well. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. (Mmmm – bet it smells great!). Add the peanuts. Spread it all on paper towels to cool. Makes 11 cups. Store in an airtight container – if it lasts long enough to save for another day!

This next one might involve lots of finger-licking, so remember to wash your hands after every little taste! It might be a bit messy, but it’ll be worth having this different menorah for you and your friends:

Candle Cupcakes

14 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (you know the ones!), 3 T unsalted butter, 1 pint chocolate (or YOUR favorite) ice cream or frozen yogurt, Fresh raspberries for garnish

To make the crust, whirl 12 of the cookies in a food processor until ground very fine. Melt the butter in a small saucepan or microwave and mix well with the cookies. Put cupcake liners in muffin tins. Using your fingers (here comes the messy part), press some of the cookie-butter mixture along the bottom and up the sides of each mold. Try to get the cookie mixture pressed as smoothly and evenly as you can. Take the ice cream or yogurt out of the freezer and let it soften slightly – the microwave might come in handy here. Spoon the ice cream into the cookie molds, pressing down until smooth. Put the filled tins in the freezer until they hold together well – about 3 hours or until you’re ready to use them. These molds will become your menorah! Insert a candle into the center of each “cupcake.” Refreeze until very solid. When ready to make your menorah, remove each cupcake, with its liner, from the muffin tin. Arrange your special menorah any way you wish, making sure to elevate the shammash by placing it on the 2 remaining cookies.

You might have to say the blessings quickly before the ice cream gets too soft!

You’ll note that I didn’t include any recipes with oil. With our wonderful Jewish heritage, I thought you’d probably have those recipes, and I wanted us to try something different this year. So, ENJOY!!

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Many of you have known me as the “Camp Bookkeeper” for at least part, if not all, of the past seven years. Quite probably, most of you do not know that long before I joined the CYJ staff, I had Young Judaea in my blood. My story actually begins even before I was born!

In 1952, my Uncle Irving Freilich, z”l, was our first camp director. So from an early age, I heard quite a bit about the Young Judaea movement and, in particular, about Camp. I was lucky enough to be able to attend CYJ in 1965. At that time the camp was located in Centerpoint, Texas near Kerrville. I had an incredible summer! Unfortunately, that was the only year I attended camp, but I am left with wonderful memories of my Ofarim summer. I did participate in Young Judaea activities as a youth and as a teen and was a Camp Committee member before I became a staff member, keeping me connected to Young Judaea.

My story continues with my three children - Shana, Matthew and David. What I considered my family’s luxury was having them attend CYJ year after year. All three of them attended Tel Yehudah, the national senior leadership camp of Young Judaea in Barryville, New York. They were Machon participants spending 5 ½ weeks in Israel as teens. Shana and Matthew would describe their freshman year in Israel on Year Course before beginning college as the best experience of their life.

I would be remiss to not mention that Young Judaea has played a key role in strengthening my children’s Jewish identity and has helped to foster their love of Israel. Young Judaea is in their blood! I can only hope that this blood will also flow through the veins of my grandchildren.

I'm the cute one on the right:)

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Every month the Lion’s Roar newsletter appears in my email box and I get to read about all the exciting and wonderful things happening at CYJ Texas and in TOL Young Judaea. While Peabody, Massachusetts is a long…long way from TOL, my heart and soul are still tied to Young Judaea. I attended CYJ Texas for the first time in the summer of 1975. I remember being signed up for only one session and begging my mother to let me stay for the second session. With a little help from Director Michael Lakin and Asst. Director Stanley Horn, I stayed and the rest is, well, history. I joined the Houston Young Judaea club and became very active serving on the city Mazkirut, and the regional mazkirut. I also went on to spend the next 4 summers at Tel Yehudah. During that time, I attended every single convention, LTS, and whatever else they had. One of the funniest memories of being in Young Judaea was attending Bellaire High School and skipping class to go the regional office to make flyers for meetings and conventions. When the attendance office called my mother (who worked at the Jewish Federation) she would put them on hold and call the Regional office looking for me. I remember the secretary shaking her head and passing me the phone with a look that read “Boy, are you in trouble now!”

After High School I attended Year Course in 1980-81 and then returned to the University of Texas where I got a bachelors degree in Social Work. Not knowing what to do with myself after graduation, I went to work for the movement as the Regional Director for TOL Young Judaea. Those two years were some of the best times…ever! Working with the Mazkirut, fieldtripping thousands of miles all over Texas, planning conventions and getting to work with the Youth Commission taught me so much! I am still in touch with my Senior Advisor, John Scilken and my first Hadassah Youth Commission Chairperson, Sharla Wertheimer. During this time I worked at Tel Yehudah as Rosh Machaneh and moved to New York City to attend graduate school at the Columbia University School of Social Work.

Young Judaea had provided me with so many opportunities and lessons. It is also the place where I met my husband, Dan Jacobs and where I developed, not only a deep love for Israel and being Jewish, but a real sense of needing to be involved in things and to effect change in my community.

I now have two wild and adorable daughters. Sophie is 8 and in the third grade and Ilana is 5 and just started kindergarten. They both attend Cohen Hillel Academy in Marblehead Massachusetts. I am currently a Vice President for programming in my local JCC and…I run the largest Ofarim and Tsofim club in New England. (Ok, I do the Ofies and Dan, my husband does the Tsofies.) In fact, I just returned from my first “New England” Ofie-Tsofie Fall Camp (we used to call these conventions!) and had the best time. It reminded me of all that is so special and wonderful about Young Judaea. While you can never really go back, it is comforting to know that sometimes…really, “only the faces change” and I am blessed to be able to have this opportunity to be back involved with the movement. I encourage other Vatikim to do the same; it is so rewarding. Young Judaea is in my heart and in my soul and it’s just who I am.

I hope to be able to come to visit CYJ-Texas soon because I hear that y’all don’t have to check your shoes for scorpions anymore…Cool! To all the other TOL Vatikim out there and all the current Judaeans remember, “Forward together…” and Yasher Koach.

Cindy Jacobs would love to hear from you and can be contacted at cindy_jacobs@verizon.net.

Your friends want to hear about you!

Please contact efrat@cyjtexas.org to be the next alumni spotlight.

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