TORAH READING FOR 30 KISLEV 5786 Dec 19-20, 2025
OUR HEARTS ARE WITH THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AND ALL THE VICTIMS OF CONFLICT AND VIOLENCE
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם מַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who frees the captives.
From “Mishkan T’filah / A Reform Siddur” CCAR, New York 2007, p.161
Baruch atah, Adonai, haporës sukat shalom alëinu v’al kōl amo Yisraël v’al Yerushaláyim.
GIVE US A PLACE TO REST, Adonai, our God. Bring us into shelter…. Spread over us Your shelter of peace, over all we love – over our Jerusalem and Yours.
PARSHA
From Reform Judaism https://reformjudaism.org/torah/portion/mikeitz
Mikeitz (מִקֵּץ — Hebrew for “After [Two Years]”) – Gen. 41:1-44:17
At the end of two years’ time Pharaoh had a dream: there he was, standing by the Nile, when seven cows came up out of the Nile, handsome and fat. – Genesis 41:1-2
SUMMARY:
• Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s two dreams and predicts seven years of prosperity followed by seven years of famine. (41:1-32)
• Pharaoh places Joseph in charge of food collection and distribution. (41:37-49)
• Joseph marries Asenath, and they have two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. (41:50-52)
• When Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt to buy food during the famine, Joseph accuses them of spying. He holds Simeon hostage while the rest of the brothers return to Canaan to retrieve Benjamin for him. (42:3-42:38)
• The brothers return to Egypt with Benjamin and for more food. Joseph continues the test, this time falsely accusing Benjamin of stealing and declaring that Benjamin must remain his slave. (43:1-44:17)
HAFTARAH – Rosh Chodesh Chanukah
Zechariah 4:1-7 [historic: Zechariah 2:14-4:7]
STRUGGLING WITH TORAH
Until further notice, we will meet on Fridays for Shazoom only. Please see the NEW Shazoom schedule below. Read this week’s Torah Portion at https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.41.1-44.17 and Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Chanukah Maftir at https://www.sefaria.org/Numbers.7.42-47, and Haftarah at https://www.sefaria.org/Zechariah.2.14-4.7.
RECOMMENDED READING
From Reform Judaism https://reformjudaism.org/torah/portion/mikeitz
Standing Unprotected, Yet Filled with Spirit
By: Rabbi Lea Mühlstein
CHANUKAH 2025 / חֲנוּכָּה 5786
Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of rededication – Sixth Candle*
Chanukah for Hebrew Year 5786 began at sundown on Sunday, 14 December 2025 and ends at nightfall on Monday, 22 December 2025.
Hanukkah (Hebrew: חֲנֻכָּה, usually spelled חנוכה pronounced [χanuˈka] in Modern Hebrew, also romanized as Chanukah or Chanuka), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.
Read more from Judaism 101 or Wikipedia
*We light six candles along with the Shammash before the Shabbat candles. On the sixth night we honor Judith who beheaded Holofernes thus saving her community, and the Jewish martyr, Hannah who along with her seven sons defied Antiochus.
ROSH CHODESH TEVET 2025 / רֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ טֵבֵת 5786
Start of month of Tevet on the Hebrew calendar
Rosh Chodesh Tevet for Hebrew Year 5786 begins at sundown on Friday, 19 December 2025 and ends at nightfall on Sunday, 21 December 2025.
Start of month of Tevet on the Hebrew calendar. Tevet (טֵבֵת) is the 4th month of the civil Hebrew year and the 10th month of the biblical Hebrew year. It has 29 days and corresponds to December or January on the Gregorian calendar. רֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ, transliterated Rosh Chodesh or Rosh Hodesh, is a minor holiday that occurs at the beginning of every month in the Hebrew calendar. It is marked by the birth of a new moon.
Read more from ou.org
CHAG HABANOT 2025 / חַג הַבָּנוֹת 5786
North African Chanukah festival of daughters
Chag HaBanot for Hebrew Year 5786 begins at sundown on Friday, 19 December 2025 \ and ends at nightfall on Saturday, 20 December 2025.
Rosh Chodesh l’banot (ראש חודש לבנות also known as Chag habanot חג הבנות [Girls’ Day]), and in Arabic as Eid al-Banat, is a holiday, celebrated by some of the Jewish communities in the Middle East on Rosh Chodesh of the Jewish month of Tevet, during the Jewish holiday of Chanukah. The Jewish community where the holiday was most preserved is in Tunisia. But there is also evidence that it was also celebrated in Jewish communities in Libya, Algeria, Kushta, Morocco and Thessaloniki.
Read more from rossingcenter.org or Wikipedia
PRAYERS
ROSH CHODESH SHABBAT – AVODAH INSERT p.174
Our God and God of our fathers and mothers, on this first day of the new month (of Tevet) be mindful of us and all Your people Israel, for good, for love, for compassion, life and peace. Remember us for wellbeing. Amen. Visit us with blessing. Amen. Help us to a fuller life. Amen.
FOR OUR COUNTRY
From “Mishkan T’filah / A Reform Siddur” p.376
THUS SAYS ADONAI, This is what I desire: to unlock the fetters of wickedness, and untie the cords of lawlessness; to let the oppressed go free, to break off every yoke. Share your bread with the hungry, and take the wretched poor into your home. When you see the naked, give clothing, and do not ignore your own kin.
O GUARDIAN of life and liberty, may our nation always merit Your protection. Teach us to give thanks for what we have by sharing it with those who are in need. Keep our eyes open to the wonders of creation, and alert to the care of the earth. May we never be lazy in the work of peace; may we honor those who have [served, suffered or] died in defense of our ideals. Grant our leaders wisdom and forbearance. May they govern with justice and compassion. Help us all to appreciate one another, and to respect the many ways that we may serve You. May our homes be safe from affliction and strife, and our country be sound in body and spirit. Amen.
A PRAYER FOR ISRAEL
Anat Hoffman – https://reformjudaism.org/beliefs-practices/prayers-blessings/prayer-israel
My God אלי
In this sacred moment, give us hope for Israel and her future.
Renew our wonder at the miracle of the Jewish State.
In the name of the pioneers who made the deserts bloom – give us the tools to cultivate a diversity of Jewish expression in Israel.
In the name of our fallen soldiers – give us courage to stand up to the words and ways of zealots. Those in our own midst and those among our neighbors.
In the name of Israeli inventors who have amazed the world with their innovations – help us apply the same ingenuity to finding a path to peace.
In the name of all these individuals – grant us the strength to conquer doubt and despair in Israel.
Replacing doubt with action.
Replacing despair with hope.
And let us say: Amen.
FOR HEALING – El Na R’fa Na Lah!
We recite MI SHEBËRACH for the victims of abuse, brutality, conflicts, fear, natural disasters, pandemics, tragedies, violence of all kinds especially directed at individuals and specific communities including us, and war; for all those at home alone or lonely; for all those in need of physical, emotional, and mental healing. “R’fuah sh’lëmah” – a complete recovery!
YAHRZEITS/ANYOS
We say KADDISH YATOM for those of our friends and families who have died and been buried this last week; those in the period of Sh’loshim (30 days since burial); those who have died in the last year; and those whose Yahrzeits/Anyos occur at this time; as well as the victims of brutality, conflict, disease, natural disasters, pandemics, tragedies, violence of all kinds, and war.
This coming week, 30 Kislev through 6 Tevet, we lovingly remember:
Esther bat Zazl vRozl (Abel)
Friend of Ruben Gomez
Leo Blumberg
TKH Memorial Board – Founding Member
Alfredo Espinoza
Father of Mary Caron
Ágnes Klein Keleti
Am Yisrael – Holocaust Survivor – Olympian
Edward Larkin
Cousin of Ruben Gomez
Edward Malcherowitz
Uncle of Valeska and in-law of Ben Caron
Those victims of the Sho’ah (Holocaust) who died at this time of year.
“ZICHRONAM LIV’RACHAH” – MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE FOR BLESSING.
NO SHAZOOM
We will NOT meet for Shazoom this evening, Friday, December 12, 2025. We will meet again online the following week. Please see the NEW Shazoom schedule below.
“When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall do him no wrong. The stranger who sojourns with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Lev. 19:33
Shabbat Shalom v’Chag Urim Sameach,
-Ruben
PS – Shazoom and Observances schedule through December 2025 (Arizona Time Zone):
[December 15 to 22, Monday-Monday – Chanukah]
December 19, 2025 – NO SHAZOOM (Chanukah Sixth Candle)
[December 19-20, Friday-Saturday – Chag HaBanot–North African Chanukah Festival of Daughters]
[December 20, Saturday – Shabbat in Chanukah]
[December 19-21, Friday-Sunday – Rosh Chodesh Tevet]
[December 21, Sunday – Eighth Candle]
December 26, 2025 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
[December 30, Tuesday – Asara B’Tevet – Fast, Siege of Jerusalem]
[December 31, Wednesday – Secular New Year’s Eve]
[January 1, Thursday – Secular New Year’s Day 2026]