School of Ruach

Learn Guitar & More @ Congregation Albert:  Everything you want to know about rock & ruach is right here! Congregation Albert Lifelong Learning (Tammy Kaiser, Director) is happy to announce

Congregation Albert's

School of Ruach

16 Wednesday Sessions

January 9 ~ April 24

Casper Gomez, Instructor

This program is for students of all ages who are interested in GUITAR and the entertainment industry. These interests may include (but are not limited to) live performances, studio recording, live / studio production and engineering, band management, music direction, music video editing, promotion and much more. 

Everything from the fog machines on the ground to the lights in the air!

Learn what makes a real music production ROCK!

Classes begin Wednesday January 9th

Casper Gomez of MusiCreations Studios has over 18 years experience with the music industry, including 10 years of instructional experience with children and adults of all ages.

Casper designed this first class for students interested in beginning guitar, as well as exploring the music industry. Students will learn how to read basic guitar tablature in addition to how standard music industry production works.

Music production lessons will include:

• How to Manage a Band (how to manage a band's money and more)
• How to Record a CD (compose, arrange, and produce your songs)
• Setting up a Concert (what it takes to set up your own BIG concert)
• How to be a Professional Musician (what it takes to be a STAR!!)

...AND PLENTY MORE!!

Cost: $10 per drop-in class or $128 for the semester

Want to find out more? Of course you do!

• For more information on class schedule or payment - and to SIGN UP - please contact Rachel Brookins youth@congregationalbert.org
• For more information on class content or private instruction - please contact Casper Gomez Casperlive3000@yahoo.com or visit his website at www.mcstudiosound.com

On The Loss Of An Albuquerque Giant

Rabbi Isaac Herbert Celnik  ז״ל

 February 20, 1941 - December 29, 2012

Rabbi Isaac Herbert Celnik. Age 71, a resident of Albuquerque since 1971, died Saturday, December 29, 2012. He is survived by his daughters, Cynthia Jill Celnik and husband, Chris Werner of Castle Rock, CO; Gitel Celnik; son Leib Celnik both of Louisville, CO; granddaughters Ava Werner and Lisa Streets; grandson Zachary Werner and Brad Streets; wife, Irene Sanchez of Albuquerque, NM; and a large, extended family. Rabbi Celnik was preceded in death by his daughter, Sherri Streets. He served as Congregation B'nai Israel's Rabbi for more than 30 years. Rabbi Celnik was a US Army Chaplain in the 1960's. Isaac was a visionary, pioneering efforts to bring many faiths together. Private family services took place at Santa Fe National Cemetery. Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be made to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, www.pdf.org.

This past Shabbat (Parshat Shemot), Rabbi Arthur Flicker of Congregation B'nai Israel delivered this sermon, in memoriam to Rabbi Celnik.

One of the unique and wonderful aspects of our holy texts is the honesty with which they deal with the human condition. None of our Biblical heroes are perfect. Even our Patriarchs and Matriarchs are shown with all of their blemishes. Abraham will send Hagar and Ishmael into the desert with only bread and some water and offer his wife to neighboring kings. Isaac will show favoritism between his sons. Jacob will not only show favoritism between his sons, but also weakness when they take horrific actions after the rape of their sister.

The examples abound outside of Torah as well. Last week’s Haftarah showed the anger and spitefulness with which King David ended his life – and that spiteful spirit led him to end his life without the companionship of his family – other than Solomon.

The brutal honesty in our texts is unique to religious writings of the ancient world. Most ancient religions made their heroes out to be perfect humans, whose perfections were to be worshiped and emulated. Our Bible, on the other hand, shows our forefathers as far from perfect – making numerous errors through out their lives.

Our rabbis offer many explanations for this divergence from the traditions of the religions around us. One explanation is that these texts show us that God does not expect perfection. God knows that we are imperfect, and that as humans, we will make mistakes. In spite of these imperfections, God spoke to the heroes of our tradition and God offered them opportunities to repent from their errors.

Their examples and repentance serve as the example for us today. God doesn’t expect perfection. We will all make mistakes. Our job is to do our best and to learn from our texts and our own errors in trying to do better.

Unfortunately, although the examples are given to us in our Biblical texts, and although we have all seen examples of imperfections within ourselves and those around us, we don’t always learn from them.

This week, the Albuquerque Jewish Community lost one of its giants – Rabbi Isaac Celnik. Rabbi Celnik was a brilliant Jewish scholar. The graduate of an Orthodox Yeshiva, Rabbi Celnik went to the Jewish Theological Seminary where he earned honors in scholastics on his way to being ordained as a Conservative Rabbi. He served as a military Chaplain at Fort Bliss where he met his first wife, Linda. They decided to stay in the Southwest and he became the Rabbi of B’nai Israel just after the congregation moved to our facilities here on Indian School.

During our 90th year, some of the old timers shared stories and memories of the history of our congregation. One of the shared stories was the struggle the congregation had in finding and keeping a rabbi that was a good match with our community. Rabbi Celnik proved to be that match and provided stability and leadership for nearly 30 years.

Rabbi Celnik taught with great energy and scholarship. He was there for our congregants for simchas and for tragedies. He forged partnerships with his colleagues at Congregation Albert – Rabbis Shore, Citrin and Black. He was among the clergy that founded and nurtured the Catholic/Jewish Dialogue, which continues to flourish and bless our community today. He helped negotiate the partnerships and compromises which helped bring about our Solomon Schechter Day School.

Tragically, Rabbi Celnik was struck with a most insidious disease, Parkinson’s.

It ravaged his body, but not his mind. However, even more tragically, that mind seemed unable to remember the lessons in our holy texts. For many reasons, right and wrong, both Rabbi Celnik and many congregants felt resentful and betrayed. Many times, I, other rabbis, and many friends tried to reach out to Rabbi Celnik and help him see that, just like the imperfect heroes in our texts, he needed to find new ways to partner with his community and his God. But Rabbi Celnik refused.

His actions taught me an important lesson. This summer, when I went to Cincinnati for [my son] Aaron’s graduation, I attended services at the congregation that had not renewed my contract after nine years in which we had achieved a new building and tremendous growth. I realized that I shouldn’t continue to carry an anger that served no purpose other than to cause pain.

Our Torah and our other holy texts show our heroes and forefathers exactly as they were – warts and all. It is a reminder that we are all imperfect – rabbis, congregants, synagogue presidents. We can only do our best. Sometimes even those best efforts cause pain. But, we have to understand the imperfections from which the pain may come and recognize that only through coming together, working together, forgiving together, can we go on with peace within our community and, more importantly, within ourselves.

In Rabbi Celnik’s memory I say, T’Hey Nishmato Tzrurah B’tzror HaChayim, May his soul be bound up in the bond of eternal life.

And to all of us I say, may we learn from the errors of our Biblical heroes. And may we learn from the positive and negative examples in Rabbi Celnik’s life and our own – to love, cherish and study Torah; and to remember to understand the frailties and errors in ourselves and those around us; to be accepting of those errors; and to learn and grow from them, without harboring the anger and hatred that can debilitate our lives. In that way, making a better, happier and more loving life for each of us and all of us.

Around The World

The Fountainheads: Yes, Abq Jew has blogged about The Fountainheads before - here and here and here and, especially, here.

The Fountainheads are a group of young Israeli dancers, singers, actors and artists, all graduates and students of the Ein Prat Academy for Leadership, who have have joined forces to create new Jewish artistic content for today's Jewish World. All members of the group have spent time living and studying at the Ein Prat Academy, working to create a new Israeli-Jewish identity and building a strong and diverse community that celebrates Jewish life. The Fountainheads' work has already been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people all over the world.

Wouldn't it be great if we could get The Fountainheads to perform in Albuquerque? Santa Fe? Las Cruces?  They just got back from a tour across North America, Europe, and Israel ... maybe they could start another!

For your enjoyment - and to pique your interest - here are highlights from the tour.

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Shabbat Shalom, Albuquerque!
Good Shabbos, New Mexico!

Time to think about starting to get ready for

A Scribe's Eye View

Sifrei Torah @ Nahalat Shalom:  If you've ever wondered what goes into making and maintaining a kosher Sefer Torah, this is your chance to find out.

Congregation Nahalat Shalom invites you to meet scribe / sofer Rabbi Kevin Hale, after he has examined their Sifrei Torah. Join him in looking in theirTorah scrolls and learn about them through his eyes. Get up close and personal with Nahalat Shalom's Sifrei Torah and the sofer's tools of the trade.

Rabbi Kevin Hale

Congregation Nahalat Shalom
Thursday January 10 ~ 6:30 pm

Donation Requested:  $5 members / $10 community

Rabbi Kevin Hale is a Sofer STaM, a traditionally trained Torah scribe who spends his days evaluating, repairing and writing Torah, Tefillin, and Megillot. 

He and his family reside in Leeds (Northampton), where, years ago, he was the first Rabbi for the young Beit Ahavah congregation.

Ordained in 1997, Rabbi Hale's scribal mentor was Rabbi Eric Ray, z"l a world-renowned sofer, artist and authority on the provenance of Torah scrolls.

In his work as a sofer, and as director of the Ray Torah Institute, Rabbi Hale is committed to continuing Rabbi Ray's work, his dedication to scribal excellence and to the integrity of our sacred scribal tradition.

Abq Jew had the honor and pleasure of meeting Rabbi Eric Ray z"l many years ago, when he came to examine and repair the Sifrei Torah of Temple Beth Ahm in Aberdeen, New Jersey. A wonderful man, a sheyner Yid. May Rabbi Hale follow in his footsteps!

Note: Abq Jew has taken the liberty of emending some of the text here. Back in the old days - right after the Book of Exodus was published - Abq Jew was taught to say "Sifrei Torah", not "Torahs". There is only one Torah.