Make an IMPACT this Chanukah

When you think of Chanukah, what comes to mind? Candles, presents, latkes, dreidels, celebrating with family and friends? The IMPACT Poverty and Hunger committee at Congregation Shearith Israel would like you to also think about those in our community who are in need. You can find our “Chanukah in the Home” information highlighting eight projects you can do to help others at www.shearith.org. Let’s shine the light of Chanukah into our community.

Temple Shalom to hold Consecration Class service, Dec. 3

Temple Shalom invites the community to join them for erev Shabbat services, including a Chanukah celebration and consecration, on Friday, Dec. 3, at 6:30 p.m. The names of the children in the 2010–11 Consecration Class are: Brooklynn Bier, Tristan Block, Kaplan Brady, Madeline Browne, Timothy Brownlee, Alexis Cano, Seth Cano, Noah Coggan, Benjamin Cooper, Abigail Elliott, Bennett Feigenbaum, Jordan Feigenbaum, Tova Fink, Dawson Gilreath, Lindsay Gothard, Miles Grossman, Gillian Hill, Jade Hiller, Sydney Kahn, Benjamin Kaplan, Kayla Kaye, Haley Kirschner, Juliet Klatsky, Samuel Mandell, Steven Mendelsohn, Molly Mittman, Abbie Mount, Andrew Nagel, Sara Nagel, Jacob Parker, Robert Plotkin, Katie Morgan Ross, Abigail Roth, Jacob Sanders, Tova Sibaja, Alexandra Starr, Samantha Toppel, Jesse Vanston, Megan Wartell, Avery Wren and Lacey Yoss. Teachers are Shelley Byers and Thelma Victor; Ozrim (helpers) are Stefanie Butnick, Ari Disraeli, Lydia Gerard and Jackie Guida. Everyone is also invited to Molly Paley’s bat mitzvah service at Temple Shalom the following morning, Saturday, Dec. 4, at 10:30 a.m.

Back by popular demand: ‘The Yankels’

Charlie is a washed-up ex-major league baseball player sentenced to mandatory community service for a drunk driving conviction. An upstart team of yeshiva students have the chutzpah to join the Collegiate Baseball League and are desperately in need of a coach (is this a match made in heaven?). As these unlikely partners join together in their crazily ambitious quest to win the championship, the lines between teacher and pupils become blurred. Charlie learns what it takes to be a mensch and in the process finds redemption. On Saturday evening, Dec. 11, at 8 p.m. at the Aaron Family JCC, 7900 Northaven Road, Chabad Heritage Club and the Aaron Family JCC are bringing back, by popular demand, the movie “The Yankels,” a Jewish smorgasbord with something (including a wonderful soundtrack) for the entire family to enjoy. The film co-stars Don Most of “Happy Days” and was named Best Comedy at the 2010 Hollywood International Family Film Festival. It was shown in Dallas earlier this fall at the 14th annual Jewish Film Festival. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Michal Shapiro, michalshapiro@sbcglobal.net or 972-248-4332.

Rosie Siegel celebrates 10th birthday by collecting donations for JFS Food Pantry

When Rosie Siegel, daughter of Lisa and Charles, began thinking about her 10th birthday and how she wanted it celebrated, she decided that two things were important to her: swimming with her friends and helping those less fortunate. Voilà and happy birthday! Rosie celebrated with friends and family at a JCC swim party to which she asked her pals to bring food items for donation to the Jewish Family Service Food Pantry. Starting her eleventh year off right, Rosie helped deliver the items to JFS, helping to stock the pantry herself.
“I felt so good after dropping off the food at the pantry,” said Rosie, a fourth-grade student at Akiba Academy. “I got a firsthand look at the how a simple gesture of kindness can help those who aren’t as lucky as I am.”

Chabad of Dallas hosts ‘farbrengen’ for Kislev 19

Chabad of Dallas invites the community to join them for a farbrengen, an evening of inspiration and learning, on Saturday, Nov. 27, at 8 p.m., to celebrate the birth and development of Chassidism. Hear from rabbis as they discuss, analyze and give over the history behind the Chassidic movement and what makes it special.
The 19th day of Kislev is the yahrzeit of Rabbi Dovber, the Maggid of Mezritch, in 1772, and the anniversary of the release from capital sentence and imprisonment of his disciple, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, in 1798. It is celebrated as a holiday amongst Chabad Chassidim.
The gathering will take place at Chabad of Dallas, 6710 Levelland Road in Far North Dallas.

CJE welcomes teachers from Akko, Israel to Dallas, Dec. 3–7

Israel @ the Center, a new initiative of the Center for Jewish Education (CJE) of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas that focuses on Israel engagement, will host a delegation of two dozen Israel teachers from Akko Dec. 3–7. They will participate in several days of programming involving many synagogues and schools.
Highlights include a community event directed toward grantees and families of the One Happy Camper program. This will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4 at Congregation Anshai Torah in Plano. On Monday, Dec. 6, there will be a community Chanukah party at Congregation Beth Torah in Richardson from 6 to 8 p.m. The teachers will prepare a program and a light dinner of latkes and sufganiot.
On Sunday, Dec. 5, the educators will be in residence at the religious schools of Temple Emanu-El, Congregation Kol Ami, Beth Torah, Nishmat Am, Adat Chaverim, Anshai Torah and Shearith Israel.
For more information, contact Miranda Winer at 214-239-7168 or mwiner@jfgd.org.