Aleph Isn't Enough!

Lifelong Learning @ Congregation Albert: Tammy Kaiser, CA Director of Lifelong Learning, will be your instructor for this class. Aleph Isn't Enough is the second step in a program of Hebrew learning and uses the book - you guessed it! - Aleph Isn't Enough.

Students will be empowered to learn Hebrew, focusing on the Hebrew that they use most frequently: that of the Siddur, the Haggadah, and the Bible.

Students will continue reading practice and writing exercises as well as solidify reading ability, enhance vocabulary, increase familiarity with roots, and develop translation skills.

Cost: $36 CA Members;  $54 Community

Required Book: Aleph Isn't Enough: Hebrew for Adults Book 2. Students should purchase the book before the first day of class. The book can be found at Amazon.com or through the publisher.

Dates and Times: Ten Tuesdays from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.
February 5, 12, 19, 26; March 5,19; April 9,16, 23, 30.

To Register: Email tammy@congregationalbert.org or call 883-0306.

Franz Kafka @ A Taste of Honey

His Life and Work:  Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-language writer of novels and short stories, regarded by critics as one of the most influential authors of the 20th century. Kafka strongly influenced genres such as existentialism.

His works, such as "Die Verwandlung" ("The Metamorphosis"), Der Process (The Trial), and Das Schloss (The Castle), are filled with the themes and archetypes of alienation, physical and psychological brutality, parent–child conflict, characters on a terrifying quest, and mystical transformations.

Kafka's writing has inspired the term "Kafkaesque", used to describe concepts and situations reminiscent of his work, particularly Der Process and "Die Verwandlung". Examples include instances in which people are overpowered by bureaucracies, often in a surreal, nightmarish milieu which evokes feelings of senselessness, disorientation, and helplessness.

Characters in a Kafkaesque setting often lack a clear course of action to escape the situation. Kafkaesque elements often appear in existential works, but the term has transcended the literary realm to apply to real-life occurrences and situations that are incomprehensibly complex, bizarre, or illogical.

Sarah Egelman, of the School of Communications, Humanities & Social Sciences at CNM, reacquaints us with Franz Kafka in her upcoming class at A Taste of Honey.
Sarah says:

This one hour mini-course will present the life and work of writer Franz Kafka paying particular attention to the German and Czech social climate and the pressure to assimilate into European society even as life became increasingly culturally difficult for Jews.  The literature of Kafka reflects not only his own personal struggles with familial expectations, career satisfaction, romantic relationships, poor health and the passion for creativity but also the tense situation he and other Jews found themselves in in the late 19th and early 20th century. 

Franz Kafka is best known for "The Metamorphosis" but his legacy includes  many other short stories, several compelling novels,and  a collection of parables  as well as posthumously published letters and diaries.  I hope this lecture will inspire people to read (or re-read) the works of Kafka with the ability to understand the context in which he created his groundbreaking work.

If you do not find this topic fascinating - there are 17 other classes to choose from - plus Cantor Ellen Dreskin!

See you at

or at another Abq Jew Palooza! event!

A Super Bowl Hymn

World Wide Wrap: While most Americans - and tens of millions all over the world - consider today to be Super Bowl Sunday, we Conservative Jews know exactly what day today is:

Yes, it is the annual World Wide Wrap, upon which date (now fixed at Super Bowl Sunday) we Conservative Jews reacquaint ourselves with the mitzvah of tefillin.

With bagels and coffee we did so this morning at Congregation B'nai Israel. Tens of thousands of our landsman and -women all over the world also laid tefillin, each in his (or her; we're Conservative) respective time zone.

And speaking of respect (which technically we weren't, but so what?) here's a song from Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers titled Athiests Don't Have No Songs.

Just in case your video player is broken, Abq Jew has thoughtfully provided the lyrics to The Athiest Hymnal below, with certain key phrases highlighted. Please take notes. There may be a quiz later.

Chris­tians have their hymns and pages,
Hava Nag­i­la’s for the Jews,
Bap­tists have the rock of ages,
Athe­ists just sing the blues.

Ro­man­tics play Claire de Lune,
Born agains sing “He is risen,”
But no one ever wrote a tune,
For god­less ex­is­ten­tial­ism.

For Athe­ists there’s no good news. They’ll never sing a song of faith.
In their songs they have a rule: the “he” is al­ways low­er­case.
The “he” is al­ways low­er­case.

Some folks sing a Bach can­ta­ta,
Luther­ans get Christ­mas trees,
Athe­ist songs add up to nada,
But they do have Sun­days free.

Pentecostals sing to heav­en,
Cop­tics have the books of scrolls,
Nu­merol­o­gists can count to seven,
Athe­ists have rock and roll.

For Athe­ists there’s no good news. They’ll never sing a song of faith.
In their songs they have a rule: the “he” is al­ways low­er­case.
The “he” is al­ways low­er­case.

Atheists don’t have no songs. 

Chris­tians have their hymns and pages,
Hava Nag­i­la’s for the Jews,
Bap­tists have the rock of ages,
Athe­ists just sing the blues.

Catholics dress up for Mass,
And lis­ten to, Gre­go­ri­an chants.
Athe­ists just take a pass, watch foot­ball in their un­der­pants.
Watch foot­ball in their un­der­pants.

Atheists don’t have no songs.

Jews, of course, are forbidden d'Rabbanan [by Rabbinic rule] (some say d'Orayta [by the Torah]) to play football. From ShemaYisrael.com:

Rambam says that to keep oneself healthy and vigorous is a commandment from the Torah. We are obligated keep away from anything that damages or lessens the body. This is part of serving Hashem [Hilchos Dayos 4:1]. One does not have permission to harm himself ... [Choshen Mishpot 420:31]. The Chofetz Chayim [Likutai Amorim 13] says that this halacha shows that we are not our own "property," we BELONG TO HASHEM. Hillel made a point to keep himself clean and to eat adequately. When asked why, he said that the body is created in Hashem's image, it is for serving Him during one's fleeting lifetime and it is obligatory to take good care of the body [Vayikra Raba 34:3]

Abq Jew notes the irony that, with all the security surrounding the Mercedes Benz Superdome (the formal name of the venue), the only people virtually guaranteed to suffer quality-of- if not actual life-threatening injuries during the Super Bowl are:

the football players.

The Boston Globe recently published an article by James Carroll titled Football concussions: The problem lies at the heart of the sport. Carroll reports:

Numerous studies have established in recent years that brain trauma routinely occurs at every level of football. NFL veterans show vastly disproportionate rates of neurological disease, like Alzheimer’s, as well as depression that can lead to suicide. Bulked-up professionals throw far more weight at one another than ever before, but researchers have found also that tens of thousands of high school football players — in excess, perhaps, of 100,000 — sustain concussions every year.

Are Jews even allowed to watch football? Abq Jew is not sure.

But Abq Jew is willing to bet (another questionable activity for Jews, although it appears to be permissible so long as one does not derive his living solely from it) that no Jews ever willingly attended Roman gladiator games.

Perhaps someday we will outlaw football as just another cruel and immoral form of combat-as-entertainment. But in the meantime:

NM Synagogue Musicians Shabbaton

Abq Jew Palooza!   The Jewish Federation of New Mexico and Congregation Albert are pleased to announce the first ever New Mexico Synagogue Musicians Shabbaton. 

This extraordinary learning event is open to those involved with leading the music of worship for their congregation or community; soloists, choirs, bands, Rabbis, Cantors – everyone who leads!

Yes, this is Abq Jew Palooza! Event Number 2. No, Abq Jew has not forgotten Event Number 1. He simply wanted to be sure you plan for Event Number 2 well in advance!

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The Shabbaton will include many exciting learning opportunities in a variety of learning venues featuring the visiting scholar for this event, Cantor Ellen Dreskin, the Coordinator of the Cantorial Certification Program of Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion - Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music. 

Cantor Dreskin has worked with Jews of all denominations as Director of Programs for Synagogue 3000, a national, not-for-profit institute dedicated to revitalizing and re-energizing synagogue life in North America.

A native Texan, Cantor Dreskin graduated from the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion, School of Sacred Music, in New York.

She has a Master’s Degree in Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University.

Cantor Dreskin is also a founding member of the renowned musical group Beged Kefet.

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The theme for the Shabbaton is Manginot v’Manhigut (Music and Leadership); Jewish Musical Mentorship and the Responsibility of Liturgical Leadership.

The schedule includes Erev Shabbat Service at 6:00 pm at Congregation Albert that will be a combined service of Congregations Albert, B’nai Israel, and Nahalat Shalom. 

This worship service will feature the combined bands and choirs of these congregations. Our scholar, Cantor Dreskin, will give a D'var Torah and teach with music. Registered Shabbaton participants will enjoy Shabbat dinner, Z’mirot and learning following services.  

The schedule continues on Shabbat morning with Torah study and Shabbat Morning Services, once again featuring Cantor Dreskin, who will leyn and give a D'var Torah. Registered Shabbaton participants will enjoy lunch and an afternoon of learning, concluding with a Seudah Sh’lisheet followed by Havdalah. 

 

And what to do Thursday night?  Motzei Shabbat?  Sunday night?
The Rocky Monster Show
presented by CAST (Congregation Albert Student Theater)

And don't forget A Taste of Honey!

And the week after that - it's KlezmerQuerque 2013!

 

For Patty Andrews, the last of the Andrews Sisters,
who passed away earlier this week. See also Boogie Woogie.

Shabbat Shalom, Albuquerque!
Good Shabbos, New Mexico!