June 3, 2011

Memorial Service Invitation

Under: Events by admin at 16:26

Σας προσκαλούμε να παρευρεθείτε στο ετήσιο μνημόσυνο για τα μέλη της Εβραϊκής Κοινότητας Κρήτης που χάθηκαν μαζί

με τους Έλληνες συμπολίτες τους και Ιταλούς αιχμαλώτους το 1944.

Μετά την ετήσια επιμνημόσυνη δέηση θα ακολουθήσει

η ανάγνωση των ονομάτων

των θυμάτων και το άναμμα των κεριών.

Τρίτη, 21 Ιουνίου, ώρα 20:00

Συναγωγή Χανίων Ετζ Χαγιíμ

Πάροδος Κονδυλάκη

You are cordially invited to the annual memorial service for the Jewish Community of Crete that perished with their

fellow Greek citizens and Italian prisoners in 1944.

The traditional memorial service will be followed

by the reading of the names of the victims

and the lighting of the  memorial candles.

Tuesday, June 21st at 20:00

Etz Hayyim Synagogue

Parodos Kondylaki

Update on the Etz Hayyim Library

Under: News by admin at 16:21

Since January 2010, when two arson attacks damaged and destroyed large parts of the library of Etz Hayyim Synagogue Hania, Crete, as well as damaged the walls and ceiling of the Synagogue proper and two offices, we’ve received many generous donations for the reconstruction as well as donations of books from supporters worldwide. About 1,400 books were donated; including several sets of prayer books and various chumashim, furthermore encyclopedias and books on Jewish history, theology and philosophy along with books on general history and art history. The donations allowed us to replace a considerable amount of the destroyed or damaged books but many were also valuable additions to our collection.

The majority of the book donations came from the US, mainly due to a call for donations published on the website of the Yiddish Book Center. We are very grateful to the Yiddish Book Center for facilitating this call for donations and most of all off course to the many donors who helped us recover after the two arson attacks. Most generous donors were Judy Humphrey and Ken Schoen.

More than a year after the two arson attacks, we’ve embarked on a new project that adds yet another valuable aspect to Etz Hayyim Synagogue. With a generous donation by Nikolaj Kiessling we were able to set up a space for a research center for Cretan Jewish history. A research and resource center had been envisioned by Nikos Stavroulakis ever since he initiated and directed the rebuilding of Etz Hayyim Synagogue in the 1990s.

The Research Centre, named after the last chief rabbi of Crete, Avraham Evlagon (1846-1933) is to provide the institutional venue for the study of the more than 2,500 years of Cretan Jewry history from Antiquity to the Shoa. For this purpose the Research Centre will run a library and an archive; initiate and/or facilitate research projects; publish findings of this research for the academic community as well as present those findings to the general public. The center is located on the upper floor adjacent to the Synagogue, above the apartment of the Synagogue’s caretaker. In spring 2011, Etz Hayyim’s collection of books on Jewish history, theology, and philosophy as well as books on general history were moved to the new research center to provide the core of its resources. The renovation of the space and installation of book-shelves for the center has been accomplished. However, we still hope to expand our library collection to include further relevant publications on Hellenistic Judaism as well as Greek and Cretan history. Technical equipment for the research center like a computer, a library database as well as a filing cabinet for the archive still need to be acquired. We very much appreciate any support.

A.Z.

April 26, 2011

Pesach 2011

Under: Events, News by admin at 11:18

This year Passover was celebrated with some 70 people attending the community Seder.  Most attended the Arvith service that was held in the Synagogue and led by Rabbi Nicholas de Lange of Cambridge University.  At the end of the service everyone assembled at the Myrovolos Restaurant which was reserved for the Seder.

We have been experimenting with various Haggadoth over the years and it appears that we have finally managed to create our own that is suited to our needs and circumstances.  Apart from members of the Havurah we can usually expect to find a varied number of people who wish to  touch on the inner life of the Synagogue and especially during the Holidays there are challenges in insuring that the services are meaningful and clear – thus over the past four years our own Hania Haggadah has evolved.

Though led by Stavroulakis and de Lange a large portion of the Haggadah was divided to be read by the participants. As it was Holy Week it was impossible for the Capucin Friars to be with us, but guests from Greece, France, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Israel and the US did attend.

The readings were done in Greek, Hebrew and English and after the Blessing of the Cup of Elijah four members of the Havurah led the participants in singing Ladino songs that they had been preparing under the direction of Lorenzo (Ovadiah).

On the morning of Passover a good number of people came to the Synagogue and Shahrith prayers were said after which there was a Torah study group who were led in examining the scriptural text of the festival.

N.S.

March 12, 2011

Concert by Ros Bandt and Gabriel Negrin

Under: Events, News by admin at 15:46
Ros Bandt
Ros Bandt is an award winning international sound artist who has
pioneered sound sculptures, installations and site specific artworks since
1977. She is at once composer, performer, visual artist and sound culture
researcher. In 2010-11 she is touring and living in Europe with site
specific concerts in the Yerebatan cistern, Istanbul, Turkey, Athens,
Crete, and collaborative performance art in Munich, Cologne and
Switzerland. She first came to Hania playing Medieval Mediterranean
music with the Australian ensemble La Romanesca, for the Ministry of
Culture.This is her fourth winter in Crete where she comes to compose
and perform on her tarhu.
She has published the chapter Hearing Hania in her book Hearing
Places, published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Her original works
composed in Hania are on the Fractions of Illumination CD on Move
records and her new Tarhu CD will be published by Sonic Gallery later
this year. Next week she will be recording a new CD in Istanbul
following the success of the Black Falcon, this year on Pozitif Music
label. She has published over 25 CDs with Move, New Albion, EMI,
Wergo, Sonic Gallery, Pozitif Music. www.rosbandt.com
Gabriel Negrin
Gabriel Negrin (1988) is a contemporary composer of acousmatic
and mixed electroacoustic music, as well as a sound artist, designer and
engineer. His synthetic interests are inspired by the sound of pure nature,
Sepharadic prayers and the mystical Jewish philosophy. As a performer
he has organized and participated in many concerts of Early, Baroque,
Sephardic and of course Electroacoustic Music.
For a full biography and detailed CV please visit: www.gimel.gr

On March 10th the Synagogue was host to a wonderful concert of Traditional Sephardic, Italian and Original melodies, performed by Dr. Ros Bandt and Gabriel Negrin, on Tarhu and flute.

Despite the unseasonal cold, the Synagogue was filled with many local friends as well as some foreign visitors, from as far away as the USA and Australia, to enjoy the special evening.

The concert was organized by the artists, who offered their time, and talents in order to create support for the Synagogue, a little more than a year after the arson attacks that devastated its libraries and archives.

For more information on Ros Badt and Gabriel Negrin, as well as for photos from the concert please see below.

Ros Bandt

Ros Bandt is an award winning international sound artist who has

pioneered sound sculptures, installations and site specific artworks since

1977. She is at once composer, performer, visual artist and sound culture

researcher. In 2010-11 she is touring and living in Europe with site

specific concerts in the Yerebatan cistern, Istanbul, Turkey, Athens,

Crete, and collaborative performance art in Munich, Cologne and

Switzerland. She first came to Hania playing Medieval Mediterranean

music with the Australian ensemble La Romanesca, for the Ministry of

Culture.This is her fourth winter in Crete where she comes to compose

and perform on her tarhu.

She has published the chapter Hearing Hania in her book Hearing

Places, published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Her original works

composed in Hania are on the Fractions of Illumination CD on Move

records and her new Tarhu CD will be published by Sonic Gallery later

this year. Next week she will be recording a new CD in Istanbul

following the success of the Black Falcon, this year on Pozitif Music

label. She has published over 25 CDs with Move, New Albion, EMI,

Wergo, Sonic Gallery, Pozitif Music. www.rosbandt.com

Gabriel Negrin

Gabriel Negrin (1988) is a contemporary composer of acousmatic

and mixed electroacoustic music, as well as a sound artist, designer and

engineer. His synthetic interests are inspired by the sound of pure nature,

Sepharadic prayers and the mystical Jewish philosophy. As a performer

he has organized and participated in many concerts of Early, Baroque,

Sephardic and of course Electroacoustic Music.

For a full biography and detailed CV please visit: www.gimel.gr

February 23, 2011

Music for the Tree of Life

Under: Events, News by admin at 17:44

Music for the Tree of Life

January 27, 2011

Tu B’Shevat

Under: Events, News by admin at 17:56

Tu B’Shevat is a strange festival as it has had a very interesting change in character over the past 2000 years or so. In Torah it is designated as a Festival that had a quite practical purpose – that of setting tithes on trees and for guaranteeing that those newly planted had a suitable period of time to mature to guarantee that the fruit was kosher. After the destruction of the Temple it naturally became a somewhat minor festival and it was only in the 16th century that it became again of importance – especially amongst the mystics gathered around R. Isaac Luria in Sephat.  Today it has assumed a somewhat important place as the contemporary interest in mysticism but more importantly perhaps, the concern for ecology has given to the festival a more pointed significance. This framework is what determines our annual celebration of Tu B’Shevat at Etz Hayyim in Hania.  

The seder was held in the Synagogue where everyone gathered around a table laden with fruits and nuts and wine.  As an introduction to the evening Stavroulakis gave a talk on the history of the festival as well as mentioning the great importance that trees play in the symbolic language of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He especially underlined the importance of trees in our lives as part of the ‘garden’ in which we are all trees…and the obligation that we have to nurture life around us.

A general kiddush was said over the bowl of Assoure that Anya, our librarian had prepared and after that the seder proceeded as is our custom here.

A potted mango tree was prominently present in the centre of the table and all of those present signed a slip of paper that will be inserted in a sealed bottle that will be buried when tree is planted next month in front of the Synagogue.

 

December 7, 2010

Chanukah

Under: Events by admin at 15:31

HANUKAH at Etz Hayyim – 24 Kislev – 1st Dec. 2010

 

Etz Hayyim and its fraternity and friends celebrated the first night of Hanuka as is usual since 1999.  This year the celebration was especially notable as we had over 60 people.  For three days before the Festival members of the Havurah worked hard at getting the Synagogue in order – all of the benches were oiled, the cushions and carpets aired and on the morning of  the Eve the hanukiote were polished and wicks and oil in preparation.  By the time that people began to arrive the atmosphere of the Synagogue was rich with the smell of cypress from the polish that we had used on the benches rather than the still, on occasion, lingering smell of burnt wood from the fires. (Recipe - if you wish – 1 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup wine vinegar and 1/3 cup cypress or cedar or even oil of spike-lavender. To be shaken frequently during application with a soft cloth).)

Nikolay Kiesling, the president of the Friends arrived from Herakleion in good time to inspect the progress on work in the new library that is being brought to a close and that he has generously funded and with him was Const. Papadopoulos who has been committed to the Synagogue since its re-dedication.  Bizarrely enough (for Crete) everyone was present well before the service began. Minha prayers had been said earlier and then Arvith and we had the short service initially when the lamps were lit and the blessings recited.  Fortunately Gabriel Negrin was with us and he and Stavroulakis as well as other members of the Havurah lit the hanukiote. After this Stavroulakis explained some aspects of the Jewish festival of light in which he placed it in the very ancient traditions that determined the celebration of light in the midst of winter darkness.  He stressed very much the manner in which we are called upon to be ourselves lights and to find ways in which we can bring greater love and peace into the world…as the Prophet Isaiah called upon us to be. At the termination of the ceremony two large tables had been set up to hold masses of traditional food served at Hanukah – all from Sephardi recipes which had been prepared by the participants.  We even had potato pancakes that were light and easily digestible as the Sephardi variation does not incorporate matsah meal, as do Ashkenazi ‘latkes’, but rather a greater proportion of eggs and the addition of liberal amounts of allspice and nutmeg. Needless to say there was good wine and tsikoudhia on hand as well.  The celebration went on until quite late and Gabriel and Lorenzo led many of us in singing Ladino songs.

N.S.

November 18, 2010

Announcement for Chanukah

Under: Events by admin at 14:00

Although the weather may not show it, December is fast approaching, and with it Chanukah!

We will be celebrating the lighting of the first candle for Chanukah (Erev) on Wednesday, December 1st at 18:00 at the Synagogue and we invite you to attend and celebrate with us. The holiday service will be followed by the lighting of the Chanukiah and a pot luck meal immediately after. 

Anyone interested in contributing a dish is welcome to do so. We do ask that you contact the Synagogue so that we can coordinate the foods.

We are also looking for a few volunteers to help with cleaning the Synagogue (dusting and oiling the furniture) in preparation for the holiday on Monday, November 29th around 10:00. We will provide coffee and snacks. Again, please contact the Synagogue if you are interested in helping.

Thank you all in advance for your support and help.

September 21, 2010

The High Holidays at Etz Hayyim

Under: Events by admin at 11:09

We have a weekly challenge in Hania at the synagogue as we never really know how many people will be attending services – especially Erev Shabbat.  During the summer months we can have up to 50 people and during the winter when there are few visitors we are usually about 12 to 15 persons who are all members of the fraternity.  On the Jewish Holidays inevitably we have more people. This year we had some 50 people attending the evening service for Rosh HaShannah and for Kol Nidre we had 59 people and for the morning and afternoon service we had 18 people and for Neilah again over 60 people. A good number of people who came to services were from abroad and came in order to show support for the Synagogue and still others are members of the fraternity who live in Israel or England.  David Clark from London is always here for holidays and we are especially blessed in having the presence of Rabbi Nicholas de Lange of Cambridge who is also on the Board of Trustees of the Synagogue.  Lior Asher came especially to be with us for Yom Kippour, as did Iosiph Naim from israel. Lior took much of the service with Rabbi de Lange and Stavroulakis (who filled in at times). Lior took on the ‘heavy’ afternoon prayers of Kippour and also led our ‘Koen’, Sam Cohen, in giving the priestly blessing…and took over the blowing of the shofar at the end of the service. 

Ever since 1998 when two of us sat in the empty synagogue to keep Kippour the Synagogue had proved to be an intense place of peace and introspection.  We were especially fortunate that all of the mahzors for the two holidays had not been burnt in the fires and in order to compensate for the large number of people our administrative secretary, Alex Phountoulakis put together service books that were adequate o our needs – for the most part. 

 We all broke fast together in the courtyard of the synagogue with dates, small baklavas and soft drinks – soumada and lemonade.  At 9:00 we all ate together at the Galini restaurant where they had prepared boiled chickens, avgolemono soup, araka ladera (peas in oil an dill), okra. Wine, tsikoudia and fruit ended our meal.

On the morning of the day following Kippour the wooden supports for the Sukkah were set in the courtyard and at the time of writing this the first branches are being set on the roof and the arrangement of hangings and decorations are being taken care of by Egon Roth and Yehudit Berndt. Erev Sukkoth service as well as the blessing of the Sukkah will be done by Rabbi de Lange and Stavroulakis will make the kiddush. A buffet dinner will be served in the courtyard of the Synagogue prepared by members of the fraternity…vegetarian and based on traditional Jewish recipes from Greece.  Our caretaker, Besnik Seiti, brought back from Albania a gift of an enormous Pumpkin which was a gift from his mother and we will make good use of it in preparing rodanches etcs..    

Blessings to you all from us at Etz Hayyim -

 

N. Stavroulakis – Parnas, Etz Hayyim Synagogue.

September 1, 2010

First Haircut for a male child

Under: Events, Historical Information by admin at 16:20

The ritual cutting of the hair of a male child is a very ancient custom and is one that Jews, Christians, Muslims and members of other ancient religions share in common. In could be said that there is something ‘Noahic’ about it as it is so ancient and so ritually performed and commonly practiced.  The sign of age is reflected in the colour, loss, or change in texture of hair and is a sign of decline in strength and vigour. In a male child it is the symbol of his virility and strength and to cut it implies a diminishing.  The symbolism of giving, sacrifice and submission to God’s will is very profound.  On Firday afternoon of the 27th August we gathered together in the courtyard of the Synagogue to take part in the ritual cutting of the hair of 2 year old Ezra Garcia, the son of Ovadiah.  In attendance was a proper barber and after we recited appropriate blessing, the father, mother and Stavroulakis, cut off locks of his hair and then the barber did a proper job of straightening it out as Ezra sedately ( and unexpectedly so) ate a handful of grapes. After this we all assembled in the Synagogue and Psalm 67 was sung and the Blessing of the Cohenim was pronounced over him.

 

« Newer Posts — Older Posts »
Top of page