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Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Rabbi's Weekly Teaching - Chanukah Edition

Weekly Teaching
By Rabbi Mitchell M. Hurvitz

rabbimitch@templesholom.com
Please join us for a Celebration of Light
Tomorrow, 12/2 at 6:00 pm
at Christ Church

Share in traditions with our neighbors
& enjoy some holiday cheer
December 1, 2010
Teaching by Rabbi Mitch
rabbimitch@templesholom.com


Last Spring, Temple Sholom and Christ Church created our "Sholom Center" for Interfaith Learning and Fellowship. Over the years our great and leading houses of worship have created a warm and vibrant friendship, and we've steadily increased our collaborative programming.


Now, our "Sholom Center" further deepens the wonderful relationship and expands to include other houses of worship, and mission compatible organizations.


This week our Sholom Center presents on Thursday, December 2nd, at 6 PM, a Celebration of Light. We will gather in front of Christ Church as we share together from our different faith traditions the powerful symbols of God's light within our world. I will publically light the Chanukah Menorah, and Rev. Lemler will light the Christmas Tree. All of us gathered will share in the holiday cheer, along with some warm apple cider and sacred music from our respective faith traditions.


As we celebrate Chanukah this evening, we are enjoying our own particularistic Festival of Lights. Light is a very important element in many different religious traditions and holidays. Light is a symbol of the Divine Presence within our lives, and our constant desire to cast away the darkness of gloom and despair, and replace it with the brightness of hope and renewal.


It is not coincidental that Chanukah comes in December; the darkest time of the calendar year. While nature may have diminished the sunlight within our day; we light our Hanukkah menorah as a public testimony that God's light is never diminished when we are here to pursue holiness in our lives.


2200 years ago King Antiochus tried to force his pagan religion on us. But, led by Judah the Maccabee, we revolted and defeated the overwhelming forces of Antiochus' Syrian armies. The importance to Western Civilization of our Jewish victory can't be underrated. If we had lost and subsequently been assimilated to the surrounding pagan Greek culture, there would be today no Judaism, Christianity, or Islam. Our defeat would have stymied the entire ethical evolution of the Western World.


When we light our Chanukah menorah, we recall that when the Maccabean army got to Jerusalem, they found that the Syrians had desecrated our Temple. The Temple's "eternally lit" Menorah; the seven branch lamp-stand that was a main feature of the Temple; had been extinguished and needed to be rekindled.


According to rabbinic legend there was only enough oil to keep the Menorah lit for one day, but a miracle happened, and it stayed lit for eight days until there was the opportunity to get more oil.


It is important to recall that approximately 250 years after the Maccabbean rededication of the Temple; it was subsequently destroyed completely by the Romans. Eventually, after this cataclysmic destruction the Jews rose in revolt against Rome, led by Bar Kokhba. Unfortunately, this revolt was crushed, and there was a huge and horrible slaughter of the Jews. After the crushing militaristic defeat, the rabbis pursued more pacifist means to resist Rome, and wanting to avoid Chanukah's emphasis on the Maccabbees military victory, chose to stress the "miracle" of Chanukah; that God saves the spirit of our People; no matter the circumstances.


We publically light our Chanukah lights,originally with oil, but in the Middle Ages we began to use candles like our Christian neighbors. When we kindle the "lights" we are marking the light of God's Presence.


There are three main Jewish concepts on "light":

1) The light of day.

2) Light, as a manifestation of God's presence.

3) God's light can be shared with all human beings.


In the Book of Ecclesiastes, the blessing of wisdom is "seeing the light of God's face.... The light shines for the righteous."

In the Book of Isaiah, God tells us that the mission of our Jewish lives is to be "a light to the nations".


The traditional Priestly Blessing, recited constantly over our children: "May God cause the light of his countenance to shine upon you." The light of God's presence is our greatest of blessings. When God said at creation: "let there be light", and there was light, God saw that it was very good. What God created was both the normal light of nature, but, also the supernatural light; the light of God's presence; that is for the "good".


Our concept of light in Judaism is also present in the Christian religion. You can read of this concept in Christian Advent hymns, and also in common Christmas Carols. A common Christmas ritual tradition is to light candles around the circumference of their wreath 4 candles, one for each of the four Sundays of the Advent season. An additional white candle in then lit in the middle of the wreath. Their interpretation is that the first candle stands for the Hebrew prophets; the second Candle for their Christian prophets; the third for Mary; and the fourth candle is lit for all people. The fifth candle is lit to symbolize "God's light coming into the world."


Christmas for Christians is their particularistic celebration of God's light, and Chanukah for us is our particularistic celebration of God's light. When Christians and Jews gather together; sharing respectively our particularistic light; we enable the mitzvah of accessing universalistic light that is God's presence in our lives. The light of God shines brightest among us, when we can foster understanding, tolerance and peace, not just between are sibling religions, but among all of humanity.


Happy Chanukah!!

-Rabbi Mitch



Temple Sholom
300 E. Putnam Avenue
Greenwich, CT 06830
203-869-7191

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CT ALERT: Victims' Children Are 'Persons Of Interest' In Triple Homicide

Victims' Children Are 'Persons Of Interest' In East Hartford Triple Homicide

East Hartford police searched a local apartment Wednesday for evidence in last week's triple homicide.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Join Dan Debicella For a Holiday Party!

Dan Debicella

Invites You to Join Him

to Ring in the Holidays

At a Reception

In Appreciation of your Support

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

The Ginger Man

99 Washington Street, South Norwalk

Please, No Contributions.

This gathering is to personally thank all of my friends

for their support.

==============================
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The Raw Greenwich News Feed; Afternoon Edition

News
Madoff Feeder Greenwich Sentry Seeks Bankruptcy Protection From Trustee
Bloomberg
By Phil Milford - Mon Nov 22 14:33:26 GMT 2010 Greenwich Sentry LP, a feeder fund for Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities Inc., sought bankruptcy ...

FBI Raids Stamford, Greenwich Hedge Funds: Report
NBC Connecticut
The Wall Street Journal reports that FBI agents raided Diamondback Capital Management LLC, based in Stamford, and Level Global Investors LP'S Greenwich ...
Cops: Greenwich man posed as hedge fund manager in theft
Danbury News Times
STAMFORD -- A 24-year-old Greenwich man posed as a hedge fund manager and took more than $33000 from an unemployed Stamford man who was promised $7000 a ...
Greenwich Holiday Stroll Weekend 2010 presented by TD Bank
Stamford Plus Magazine
By Greenwich Holiday Stroll Caroling, gospel music, entertainment and ice sculptures will set the season in motion in downtown Greenwich, while over 75 ...
Greenwich Reindeer Festival
Fairfield County Online
Santa and his live reindeer are coming to town to McArdle's Florist & Garden Center, 48 Arch Street, for the 2010 Greenwich Reindeer Festival & Santa's ...

Fairfield County Online
Focus on ski conditioning to prevent injury at ONS Foundation seminar
Connectcut Plus
By ONS GREENWICH, CT – "Don't wait for the snow to start falling to prepare your body for the ski season," says orthopedic surgeon Dr. Steven Hindman of the ...
General Assembly to redraw Connecticut's political map
Greenwich Time
Livvy Floren, R-149th District, who represents western and backcountry Greenwich, as well as North Stamford, said her district shrunk the last time ...
Three Bucknell Men's Water Polo Players Named All-Conference
Bucknell University Official Athletic Site
Bucknell men's water polo seniors Richie Hyden (Melbourne, Australia/Greenwich (Conn.)), Howie Kalter (Durham, NH/Phillips Academy Andover) and Sean Coghlan ...

Bucknell University Official Athletic Site
UW Hockey Club Beats Air Force
University of Wyoming News
Matt Schulz (Casper) and Dustin Galbreath (Greenwich, Conn.) each scored two goals to lead the Cowboys, who have won four consecutive games following a ...
Young Chabad-Lubavitch Emissary Offered Hope
Chabad.org
"I would complain sometimes," said Greenwich attorney Steve Finkelstein. "And he would give me a boost. He had the most positive outlook on life; ...
Adelphia, Vitro, Tribune, Lehman, Madoff: Bankruptcy
San Francisco Chronicle
Adds Tribune in Updates, Greenwich Sentry in New Filing, Tensar in Watch List, Honolulu Symphony and Lipstick Building in Briefly Noted and section on bank ...

Blogs
Things To Do In Greenwich When You're Dead The Reformed Broker
By Joshua M Brown
Things To Do In Greenwich When You're Dead. Joshua M Brown; November 22nd, 2010. I would be remiss in my duties as your favorite financial blogger if I didn't supply you with a handy running linkfest of all the Insider Trading ...
The Reformed Broker - http://www.thereformedbroker.com/
Did I Really Move to Greenwich?: Incentives
By Yelena
It should come as no shock to any who have been to our home that housekeeping is neither a talent I possess nor an avocation I pursue. Frankly, if you're coming over, there is a 100% chance that devoted partner and I have spent the ...
Did I Really Move to Greenwich? - http://didireallymove.blogspot.com/
Meet Chip Skowron: The Health-Care Fund Manager At The Center Of ...
By Katya Wachtel
FrontPoint Partners LLC is a privately owned hedge fund sponsor. It operates as a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. FrontPoint Partners was founded in November 2000 and is based in Greenwich, Connecticut. ...
Clusterstock - http://www.businessinsider.com/clusterstock

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BREAKING NEWS: FBI Raids Greenwich And Stamford Hedge Funds Linked To Trading Probe

Feds Raid 2 Hedge Funds Linked To Trading Probe

A law enforcement official says the Federal Bureau of Investigation has raided two hedge funds linked to a broader insider-trading probe.

Greenwich Newsmaker Jim Himes

News
Failure to extend jobless benefits could hurt many older state ...
Ct Post
Jim Himes, D-Conn., voted for the extension and called the failure of the measure "irresponsible." He said in a prepared statement he is urging another vote ...

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Holiday Budgeting Tips from First County Bank

As the holiday shopping season gets into full swing, First County Bank thought consumers could use a little advice about budgeting. The following news release gives some suggestions for avoiding a spending hangover.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Jason Kannon

Creative Partners

203.705.9203

jkannon@creativepartners.com


FIRST COUNTY BANK ENCOURAGES CONSUMERS TO

PREVENT A HOLIDAY SPENDING HANGOVER
-- Black Friday Doesn’t Have to Lead to Black Marks on Your Credit Report --

STAMFORD, Conn., Nov. 22, 2010 First County Bank is kicking off the 2010 holiday shopping season with tips to manage holiday spending and avoid a post-holiday credit hangover.

“Consumers spreading holiday cheer should keep in mind that January bills are only a couple of months away,” says Rey Giallongo, president of First County Bank. “If consumers are not budgeting for their holiday purchases, people will find themselves bringing in the New Year with last year’s debt.”

First County Bank recommends that consumers manage their finances this holiday season with the following spending tips:

  • Create a budget and stick to it. Set a dollar amount based on what you can afford this holiday season considering your current savings, income and other expenses. Be sure to include a $50 to $150 cushion for unexpected expenses.

  • Make a list. Write down the names of people you plan to buy gifts for and how much you can afford to spend on each person. Don’t forget to save some of your budget for expenses other than gifts, including wrapping paper, cards and postage.

  • Bake some cookies. That’s right, if you can’t afford to buy gifts for everyone on your list, bake some holiday goodies and wrap them in cellophane with a holiday bow. Handmade gifts are a special way to say “Happy holidays” without overspending. Be sure to include these costs in your budget.

  • Use credit wisely. Your credit card balance shouldn’t be a complete surprise when you open your statement in January. Take only the credit cards you need when holiday shopping and try to use the card with the lowest interest rate.

  • Save your receipts. Keep track of your expenses and add them up weekly to be sure you’re sticking to your budget. If you’re getting close to your spending limit, reevaluate your list and bake more cookies!

  • Shop around. Start your holiday shopping early to give yourself time to comparison shop. Take time to do some research before you hit the stores by going online or looking at your local newspaper circulars. And don’t forget those coupons.

“Holding true to one’s budget during the busy holiday season is an excellent jumpstart to healthy year-long budgeting habits,” adds Giallongo.

Anyone who falls deep in debt and is late on their payments should inform creditors so they can work on a resolution plan. Banks and other lenders are often willing to consolidate debts or assist in refinancing.

A pattern of late payments in a credit report could make attaining future loans or credit difficult. Consumers in need of help with debt problems should contact the National Foundation for Credit Counseling at 1-800-388-2227.

First County Bank, headquartered in Stamford, Conn., is an independent mutual community bank with 15 branches in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk and Westport offering deposit products, mortgages, trust and investment services, business banking services and online banking. First County Bank has assets in excess of $1.3 billion. For additional information, please visit www.firstcountybank.com.

The Raw Greenwich News Feed: Morning edition

News
Greenwich Academy falls in final
Greenwich Time
Third-seeded Greenwich Academy lost 2-1, in triple overtime in a strokes to top-seeded, rival Hotchkiss in the NEPSAC field hockey New England Tournament ...
Thousands flock to Enchanted Forest
Greenwich Citizen
Giorgia Corrias, 5, didn't hesitate when considering his favorite parts of the Junior League of Greenwich's 34th annual "The Enchanted Forest" holiday event ...
State Title Slips Away From Ludlowe
The Daily Fairfield
The Greenwich High School girls volleyball team trailed two games to none to Fairfield Ludlowe with the Class LL state championship slipping away. ...

The Daily Fairfield
Greenwich Historical Society plans Antiquarius 2010 Holiday House Tour and ...
Stamford Plus Magazine
The Greenwich Historical Society will host its popular 2010 Antiquarius Holiday House Tour on December 8. ...
College Notebook: Velaj leads UB women's soccer's local contingent
Stamford Advocate
Jennifer King (Greenwich Academy) had a 3-1 record along with a 1.46 goals-against average with the Ivy League champion Princeton field hockey team. ...
Wyman swears off unfunded mandates in next administration
Ct Post
Democratic Lt. Gov.-elect Nancy Wyman scored some major brownie points with ...
Local Sports Roundup
Stamford Advocate
Evan Jonokuchi allowed two hits to pick up the win as Greenwich advanced to the final with a 2-0 win against Norwalk. Matt Pignataro also had a good outing ...
Amity's Grindall sets Open record
Milford-Orange Bulletin
Class LL champion Greenwich won its sixth straight Open title and 14th overall. The Cardinals finished with 579.5 points. Runner-up New Canaan, ...

Milford-Orange Bulletin
At 15th Annual O'Hara Basketball Tournament Everyone is a Winner
Patch
This year's winning boys' team was the Greenwich Flame from Greenwich, CT; they defeated the St. Patrick's team from Highland Mills, NY. On the girls' side, ...
Connecticut riders help Metro-North beat Long Island Railroad
Danbury News Times
Quicker growth on the New Haven Line reflects the correlation between capacity improvements in rail service to and from the Stamford and Greenwich area in ...
Greenwich pulls away from New Canaan, wins 6th straight Open
Trading Markets (press release)
No doubt about it, the ultimate meet of the 2010 girls swimming season was about two teams: Greenwich and New Canaan. The Rams, in the midst of their best ...

Blogs
Corporate Restructuring & Bankruptcy Blog: Greenwich Sentry Funds ...
By Randall Reese
Greenwich Sentry, L.P. and Greenwich Sentry Partners, L.P., related private investment partnerships, voluntarily filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday in New York. The companies state in bankruptcy filings that their ...
Corporate Restructuring & Bankruptcy... - http://www.netdocketsblog.com/
The other side of Baba Booey Greenwich, revealed in new book ...
By admin
The other side of Baba Booey Greenwich, revealed in new book,
Daily Health Reviews - http://www.hanliumm1.com/
» Fairfield County's Chapter of the Links, Inc. Crystal Ball at ...
By claudette
Almost 600 guests from Connecticut, New York and as far as Georgia were gathered at the Hyatt Regency in Greenwich, Connecticut on Saturday November 13, to celebrate Fairfield County's Chapter of The Links Inc. biennial Crystal Ball. ...
Greenwich Diva - http://theoriginalgreenwichdiva.com/
Central Riverside CT Location (Greenwich) (12 Sickle Bar Lane ...
By admin
Quiet street-off the cul de sac-house could be 5 or 6 bedrooms-You can be creative with HOW you want to use! Landlord has just finished a brand new kitchen and bath.
Real Estate - http://ispey.com/realestate/
Stamford Notes: Present Tense
By StamfordNotes
On both Saturday, December 4 (10am-7pm) and Sunday, December 5 (11am-4pm), Greenwich Avenue hosts the Greenwich Holiday Stroll Weekend 2010. Performers, musicians and carolers will be on hand and select retailers will offer holiday ...
Stamford Notes - http://www.stamfordnotes.com/

Web
New Canaan, Greenwich, Cheshire vying for Open crown ...
Greenwich High School girls swimming coach Dick Hawks said it perfectly while discussing Saturday's much-anticipated State Open. Unlike the past six years ...
www.stamfordadvocate.com/.../New-Canaan-Greenwich-Ches...
celebrity trainer profiled in local greenwich ct paper - Topix
Finally a face with a name I see all the time in greenwich. My wife and I will be calling you mike. Do you work with lazy, busy and people who always have ...
www.topix.com/forum/nyc/T4MGFUI7K3H0L6JNU


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Friday, November 5, 2010

11/05/10 The raw Greenwich News Feed: Morning Edition

News
'Cable vision': Greenwich resident inducted into Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame
Greenwich Time
Raymond Joslin, of Greenwich, was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame for Hearst Entertainment and Syndication. ...
Greenwich, New Canaan meet with their playoff lives at stake
Greenwich Time
Jeff Wilson of GHS at the start of the Greenwich High School football vs. Bridgeport Central High School football game, at Greenwich High School, ...
Greenwich tops Westhill in 2 OT to win FCIAC girls soccer crown
American Chronicle
04--NORWALK -- Alex DiStefano had spent the previous 48 hours thinking back to 2007, the only other time the Greenwich High School girls soccer team reached ...
FCIAC Field Hockey Tournament -- Undermanned Warriors upset by Greenwich
Wilton Villager
Cardinals coach Ally Orrico knew what was coming and simply put together a detailed game plan for the seventh-seeded Greenwich defense to bend but not break ...
Technology Investment sees income jump
Ct Post
The Greenwich company's share price rose 51 cents to close at $10.91, after it reported net income of $6.6 million for the quarter, or 25 cents per share, ...
US Commercial Property `Substantially' Off Bottom, Vornado's Roth Says
Bloomberg
... with South American investors purchasing condominiums in Miami, according to Barry Sternlicht, chairman of Starwood Capital Group LLC in Greenwich, ...
Family matters: A week with the Tommies
Minneapolis Star Tribune
His dad, Frank, had built a successful law practice in Greenwich, Conn., and following him seemed like the sensible thing to do. Frank Caruso knew otherwise ...
New Canaan journalist arrested for harassing teen
Ct Post
Buhl, a former financial beat staff writer for Greenwich Time, which like The Advocate is owned by Hearst Newspapers, said in an online blog that her arrest ...
Kirsten E. Liebhaber
Washington Post
She had worked as the head librarian of New York's Sachem Central school district in the 1960s and at Greenwich Country Day School in Greenwich, Conn., ...
Before TV, Theater Was in the Home
Wall Street Journal
'Proscenium, Théâtre Francaise,' circa 1866, is one of the paper theaters on display at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Conn. ...
FCIAC Boys Soccer -- First things first as Warriors are ousted in semifinals
Wilton Villager
Instead, it was Friday, Oct. 26, under partly cloud skies on Greenwich High's home turf that the Warriors avenged a 4-0 regular season spanking by beating ...
Friday November 5th Sports Digest and New Canaan Football Preview
Patch
Greenwich High School (5-2). The game will be televised on MSG Varsity. The Rams enter todays game with a record of 6-1 and have only suffered one loss in ...
Blogs
Israel Putnam Monument, Greenwich « CT Monuments.net
By Dave Pelland
Most accounts agree Putnam rode down the hill as part of a retreat of outnumbered Continental forces stationed in Greenwich. Putnam is believed to have been at nearby Knapp's Tavern as British troops arrived. ...
CT Monuments.net - http://ctmonuments.net/
Newspaper delivery delayed - Greenwich Real Time
By Jeff Bustraan
Due to inclement weather, newspaper delivery may be delayed this morning. ...
Greenwich Real Time - http://blog.greenwichtime.com/realtime/
Food and Football: Week 8 In Front of the Tube | FCIAC Football Blog
By Jason Intrieri
Our game and food stops of the week has a twist too it this week. Since the Greenwich at New Canaan game will be live Friday night on MSG TV, and both 1490.
FCIAC Football Blog - http://fciacfootballblog.com/
Time For FCIAC To Do Away With Soccer Final Doubleheaders ...
By Dave Ruden
The outcry was even louder last night at Norwalk High School, as Staples defeated Fairfield Warde for the boys title and Greenwich knocked off Westhill for the girls crown. After five hours, last night was a perfect example of how the ...
Overtime: High school athletics... - http://blog.ctnews.com/overtime/
Web
Crash that closed Merritt NB in Greenwich cleared - Connecticut Post
GREENWICH ---- State Police at Troop G are reporting that a one-car crash that had closed the northbound side of the Merritt Parkway in Greenwich, ...
www.ctpost.com/.../Crash-that-closed-Merritt-NB-in-Greenwic...
Near theft experience in Greenwich - | Motorcycle News | Bike News ...
Welcome to Motorcycle News (MCN) Online. Find the latest motorbike news, motorcycle reviews, bike videos and readers news at Motor Cycle News (MCN).
www.motorcyclenews.com/.../Near-theft-experience-in-Green...
Worker Dies In Greenwich Construction Accident - Hartford Courant
GREENWICH — A construction worker was killed and another injured when a trench collapsed at a house construction site on Macpherson Drive, police said.
articles.courant.com/.../hc-greenwich-accident-1102-2010110...
Evidence dispute in Greenwich, Conn. slaying trial - Boston.com
The trial of a former chauffeur charged with hiring someone to kill his boss, a wealthy Greenwich, Conn., real estate developer, has begun with a dispute ...
www.boston.com/.../greenwich_slay_trial_scheduled_to_start/

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