Sisterhood Hanukkah Lunch
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Temple New Jerusalem Congregation Newsletter • Vol. 3 Issue 3 • Winter 2013 www.TempleNJ.org Word From the Rabbi mazingly, the first day of Ha- interestingly, Thanksgiving, which is a nukkah this year coincided feast based on giving thanks to God, has with Thanksgiving day. So, always been a holiday that is near and Amany people called the holiday “Thanks- dear to the Jewish heart. givukkah.” It is an extremely rare con- In my home, growing up as a kid, vergence. Thanksgiving was almost like a Passover Many people think of Hanukkah as the seder. Our house was filled with Jewish “Jewish Christmas,” but that’s really not family and friends. We went around the a good comparison in terms of the history table and each one of us gave a shpiel and meaning of the holiday. It is because about what we were thankful for. Contents the date is so close to Christmas that it is often thought of this way, which is why Jewish Connection Word from the Rabbi .. 1 the tradition of gift giving on Hanukkah Why do Jews connect with the feast of began in America. Thanksgiving? On Thanksgiving, Amer- A Personal Note ............2 icans celebrate the freedom God gave to Teenz Corner ................3 Freedom and Thanksgiving the Pilgrims who were fleeing the reli- Actually, Hanukkah is all about two gious persecution of Europe when they Tribez Report ...............4 things “freedom” and “giving thanks.” came as pioneers to settle in America. Recipes ..........................8 So how awesome that it coincided this Meanwhile, Hanukkah is a festival of year with Thanksgiving! freedom - a time to give thanks to Maoz News ............................. 9 While Jews traditionally do not partici- Tzur, the “Rock of Ages,” for delivering Calendar ......................10 pate in traditional Christian holidays, the Jews from the religious persecution Contact Info: Temple New Jerusalem 1190 E. Lake Rd. S. Tarpon Springs, FL 34688 Phone: 727.940.5886 Fax: 727.940.5887 [email protected] Supporter of: continued on page 6 A Personal Note “Appreciation with Love” Trust in the Lord ur God is great and other words, wait until you can rec- “Come on, talk to me and let’s work mighty. He is so mar- ognize that which is right for you. this challenge out together!” velous that we cannot even begin to compre- Let’s Be Clear Be Born Again O God and His word through His son hend His supreme love, direction In the Bible, we are told that God and guidance He has for each one wants us to prove Him and prove are one in the same. of us. His word. Let’s take a closer look “Ask and it shall be given, seek and This applies on a personal level to at what this means and what Scrip- you will find, knock and the door each of us. He knows all of our de- tures back it up. will be open unto you ...” ( Matthew sires and hears all of our prayers. “Present your case,” the Lord says. 7:7) It is comforting to know that we are “Bring forward your strong argu- Claim your healing, claim financial taken care of all the time. Even when ments ...” (Isaiah 41:21) prosperity, claim your son or daugh- we see fit to think otherwise. It’s very clear that He wants us to ter as a child of the living God, speak Do you believe that God is trustwor- present to Him our case, to present life to your body to regenerate. thy and He is who He says He is? the evidence as to why He will do If you are born again, washed in the 1 Thessalonians 5:21 is a marvelous what He says He’ll do. blood of Yeshua (Jesus) and by faith bit of wisdom. “But test and prove As a reminder, we are to reason commit and believe in all His ways, all things; what is good hold fast.” In with God in all things. He’s saying, continued on page 6 Teenz Corner TempleTemple TheR Skinny emple Teenz will celebrate Ha- nukkah on Friday, December 6th, with a pizza party, dreidel games, making and #crystalclearwater lighting menorahs, and a discussion about what T Hanukkah means and what the lighting of each candle means. Teenz Teenz recently fi nished a series on “My Heart* - Christ’s Home”. The series was just awe- some and Yeshua went into each room of the home of each Teen and did some house cleaning. If you have not read this, you must. It takes a good look at your life and helps you clean things up. #kayakingfun * On Saturday, October 19, the Teenz enjoyed a canoeing trip. We journeyed down Weeki Wa- Ch chee River on a three-hour excursion. We enjoyed seeing manatees, fi sh and swimming in the cold crystal-clear water. It was a fun trip for all! We are eck-In so blessed to have these amazing Teenz. * Ruthie Stepakoff will be leaving our Temple Teenz group in January, as she will be heading off to Florida State University. We are going to miss her, but we are excited for her as she starts a new journey in her life. Lisa Demo has already started college and visits us when she comes home #teenzrule on weekends. Please keep both girls in prayer. The Teenz will head to Celebration Station on* Thursday, January 2, 2014, from 4-8 p.m. The cost is $10. Must have permission signed before attending. This will be our fi rst trip together with our new middle schoolers. Looking forward to another great year! Desiree Naumann #Biblicalcostumes page 3 Temple Tribez Report Temple Tribez Set Good Example halom, Yeladim! Our In fact, the appointed leaders at latkes that the children will help Temple Tribez had GCJFS used the Temple Tri- make, a gift exchange, crafts and a fun-filled Fall season bez as a wonderful example of what treats. S and beginning of Winter at it means to serve, care and give back The story of Hanukkah will be told Temple New Jerusalem. to the community a good deed. about how Yeshua the Messiah is Lots of mazel and congratulations the light of the world. to all of the Tribez who put forth All Are Welcome Parents, if you have a child inter- the effort and time to raise $76 for Our TNJ Tribez are always up to ested in giving a personal testimony our local outreach at Gulf Coast something fun. They embrace Bible to the other children, please call the Jewish Family Services (GCJFS). truths in fun and innovative ways. TNJ office. We’d love to here from Our children did their Tzedakah We encourage you to invite your you. project throughout the Summer till friends, family and their children Our Tribez are very special and September for the Yad B’ Yad pro- to our Shabbat services on Friday the Lord has given each one of them gram at GCJFS. evenings. We will share with them many special talents to praise His This is the “Hand in Hand” pro- the joy of learning about the God of name and be a good example to gram that involves Jewish adult Israel, Yeshua the Messiah. their friends. volunteers acting as mentors, com- Until next time ... Keep on smilin’ panions, and positive role models to Light of the World with God’s love and His Shalom. Jewish children from single-parent For Hanukkah, we have planned a homes. party with dreidel games, delicious In His Glory, TNJ Education Team page 4 s by abbi Michael ing ch Stepakoff was born into a a RConservative Jewish fam- e ily. He accepted Yeshua as T his Savior in 1992 and has been in ministry serving as a Messianic Rabbi since 1998. Through the years, the Lord has blessed Rabbi Michael with numerous cre- ative gifts and talents. He is a recognized Messianic songwriter and his inspired songs have been record- ed by such artists as Ted Rabbi Michael Stepakoff Pearce, Jonathan Settel, Kol Simcha, Deborah Klein, Paul Wilbur and more. His talent to deliver powerful messages brings the scrip- tures to life for Jewish and non-Jewish people around the world. 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