December, 2025 Megillah
WITH LOVE
The year 2025 for me has been about trying to figure out how to grow spiritually in ways that may help me — and maybe others of us — to meet whatever events come our ways. Luckily for this enterprise, here comes Hanukkah. The ever-amazing Rabbi Ebn Leader writes about Hanukkah candles, and much else, in his latest blog post (https://ebnleader.substack.com/p/the-new-moon-of-kislev):
These lights that do not dispel darkness are there to teach us not to flee or avoid or overcome or wait out the darkness. They are there to remind us that the holy One is no less present in the dark than in the light, no less present in the longing than in the achievement.
But we ourselves might be more present in the longing.
And that is the higher unification.
This past month there was an off-year election with results that lifted the spirits of many of us on the blue side of the color wheel. Meanwhile, while there is something less than a real ceasefire in Gaza, there is still some amount of food aid arriving there, somewhat less bombing. Here in the U.S. there have been some wonderful community uprisings — in Portland and in Chicago, in particular, but in many places — that have fended off some degree of government brutality. And there is — heaven help us — Marjorie Taylor Greene…
I am never one to tend towards political optimism, and, don’t worry, I’m not changing my stripes now. I am, in my way, a Hanukkah Jew.
The Maccabean revolt (167-160 BCE), the historical event marked by Hanukkah, is a messy political story. It was in many ways a civil war between liberal and extremist Jews. The regime of the Maccabees (more accurately known as Hasmoneans) echoes some of the kinds of cultural repression we abhor in religious autocracies today. It descended within a generation into corruption, but at the same time there was a real victory — the Temple was wrested from the occupiers and restored. There was a rededication. The ner tamid was relit. There was — at least in legend — a tiny cruse of oil that miraculously lasted eight days. There came the opportunity to use the word “cruse” every year.
I am a Hanukkah Jew because I am not an optimist. I don’t believe in total or lasting victories or victories in which no one and nothing is destroyed. I don’t particularly believe that the arc of the moral law bends towards justice, no matter how long.
But my spiritual politics are changing a bit these days. And that is because I am trying in my small way to cultivate my imagination. Here again is Rabbi Leader, this time in an earlier post called “Van Gogh, Rabbi Nachman and Imagination” (https://ebnleader.substack.com/p/van-gogh-r-nahman-and-imagination): “The prophets in R. Nachman’s telling are practitioners of imagination, a tool which they refine and anchor so that through it God becomes accessible. In order to understand this statement, we have to let go of our own cultural bias, which is to see ‘imaginary’ as the opposite of ‘real’…. Imagination and intellect cover different territory in the search for what is real.”
No less a political pragmatist than the great organizer Saul Alinsky said that imagination is an essential characteristic he looks for in an organizer. “How can one be curious without being imaginative?” he asks. He also requires “a bit of a blurred vision of a better world... what keeps [the organizer] going is a blurred vision of a great mural where other artists — organizers — are painting their bits, and each piece is essential to the total” (Rules for Radicals, p 75).
For me that “different territory in the search for what is real” is not about imagining — much less predicting — a happier future. It has to do with some blurring in my way of seeing the present moment as being larger, wider, deeper than what I can see with my rational perception. It’s those other artists painting. It’s the malachei ha-shalom (angels of peace) that we greet every Friday night. It’s the Four Worlds that we ascend through on Tu B’shevat. It’s things that can only be expressed, if at all, in music or poetry or prayer.
Rabbi Nachman writes: “The establishment of imagination facilitates the establishment of trust in that which is true and holy, as opposed to relying on falsehoods. At its core, trust depends on imagination” (Likutei Moharan 2:7).
“Trust” is Rabbi Leader’s translation of the Hebrew word emunah. These days I’m exploring a more common English translation of emunah: “faith.” The word “faith” sounds to some Jewish people like a foreign term, but it’s growing on me. Try this on if you would: “Faith depends on imagination.”
That “higher unification” that Rabbi Leader writes of? Here’s a little fantasy of my own: sometimes I imagine that wherever I am, there is an upstairs room filled with God. I can climb the stairs and enter that room anytime, under any circumstances, as can any of us. No matter how badly things are going on the material plane, that ascent is always available.
So those Hanukkah candles: “They are there to remind us that the holy One is no less present in the dark than in the light, no less present in the longing than in the achievement.”
Light the tiny candles, climb upstairs, and gaze at their beauty. Happy Hanukkah dear community!
DOF CHODSHI: MONTHLY PA(I)GE
We enter December in the midst of the Hebrew month of Kislev. This year is a special year in that Rosh Chodesh Tevet, the new moon of December, falls on the Winter Solstice! The Winter Solstice will be the darkest day of the year not only because of the latest sunrise and earliest sunset, but also because there will barely be a moon to light up the night sky! What a powerful moment to transition between months and formally enter winter.
The darkness of Kislev is all about dreaming — both what we experience while sleeping and planning for the future. I have always been intrigued by our use of one word for these two very different phenomena. Hebrew also uses just one word for these two meanings, as do Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, Greek, and Korean! Why did all these different cultures feel such a strong connection between our sleeping visions and living aspirations?
As I’ve been dreaming lately, I’ve been wrestling with the reality that often a situation presents several good options and my favorite one is not necessarily the right one. Most of you reading this have lived much more life than I have, and I’m guessing you have encountered several forks in the road. As time goes on and life becomes more complex, we have to let our dreams evolve. It doesn’t make any sense for the dream from five, ten, or 20 years ago to be the right dream for today. I think that’s why elements of our sleeping dreams often don’t make sense; our subconscious is expanding the horizons of what we might normally consider, in order to make space for the openness to evolve. That must be why we use the same word for both concepts: our sleeping dreams help us vision beyond our current reality, confirming what we don’t or do want aspirationally.
Reb Zalman (zichrono l’vracha) taught that we ought not fulfill all of our dreams. If we fulfill all our dreams, we’re not dreaming big enough. It’s so important to have some dreams we never fulfill, to know we’re always capable of more, yet fulfilled by what is. ♡
LIGHT TO REMIND US…
Below are the plans we have to celebrate the holiday, the events we know about. Stay tuned to the weekly announcements for more news.
Sunday, December 14th (first candle) at the Caspar Community Center, 5:00 PM — The much-anticipated MCJC Hanukkah Party will include Menorah lighting (at 5:30 PM), raffle drawing, and latke eating. There will be music from the incomparable Klezmishpoche and dancing.
We need many volunteers to make this BIG party happen, so if you are good with potatoes, or with setting up, or with serving, or with cleaning up, please contact Joy Lancaster at ajoylancaster@gmail.com or call her at (510) 703-9955. It’s a mitzvah!
To add your musical talents to the proceedings—instrumental or vocal—OR maybe you wanna dance, please contact Jennifer Kreger soon at refinnej@mcn.org.
To donate a prize for the raffle, contact Susan Tubbesing at (707) 962-0565 or susan.tubbesing@gmail.com.
Friday, December 19th at Fog Bottle Shop, 6:00 PM — Calling all locals in their 20s/30s/40s! Join us for Shabbat & Hanukkah candle lighting, latkes, sufganiyot, drinks, & more. Come and celebrate with us, shmooze, and maybe even dance.
SHABBAT MORNING SERVICES
A full Shabbat service is led by community members, with singing, chanting and silence, Torah teaching and reading, blessings for healing and peace, and time for mourners to say Kaddish. The teachers for November are listed below. We have hybrid services, so come to the shul or Zoom in from 10:30 AM until about 12:30 PM. Zoom address below.
| 12/06/25 |
Vayishlach |
Paige Lowenstein |
| 12/13/25 |
Lech-Lacha |
Paige Lowenstein |
| 12/20/25 |
Miketz |
Ariel Breit |
| 12/27/25 |
Vayigash |
Raven Deerwater |
If you would like to give a Torah teaching during Shabbat services, or want more information about what’s involved, please contact Raven Deerwater at raven@taxpractitioner.com or (707) 813-7951.
ZOOM ADDRESS
We are using the Zoom address below for many MCJC events. Password is shalom. Disregard the numeric passcode at the bottom of the invitation unless you’re dialing in on a landline. If you have questions or problems, contact susan.tubbesing@gmail.com.
Join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7071836183?pwd=NzFaTkpjOXVYMDNnNnprOXlnZjVhQT09
Meeting ID: 707 183 6183
Passcode: shalom
Numeric Passcode: 776001
KABBALAT SHABBAT
On Friday, December 19th, at 6:00 PM, we will gather at the home of Harriet Bye and Larry Sawyer on Middle Ridge in Albion. For directions and to RSVP, please contact them at byesawyer@mcn.org. After a short service, we will share a vegetarian potluck and shmooz.
In January, we will be at the home of Julie and Bob Melendi in South Caspar. We are in need of hosts for every 2026 month after that. If you feel like hosting a gathering, please contact Mina at (707) 937-1319 or mcohen@mcn.org.
REBBE NACHMAN’S SONG OF REDEMPTION
The Rabbi Nachman class will meet only once in December, on December 18th, from 5:30-7:00 PM at the shul. We’ve been delving into his understanding of the soul, the cosmos and history, all in the context of his fairy-tale-like stories of kings and separated lovers and ships at sea. Participants have taken to bringing pillows and blankets to lie on the floor and be read to. There is some continuity to the class, but you are welcome to come to any sessions. Please let Margaret know if you plan to participate (at mholub@mcn.org). There are many versions of the tales; new or used copies are available from Amazon; or download gratis from http://www.bahaistudies.net/asma/the_tales_of_rabbi_nachman.pdf.
JUSTICE GROUP
The Justices will not meet in December, but that doesn’t mean they are letting grass grow under them. On the contrary, they are gearing up to award more citizenship scholarships. The Justice Group created the Citizenship Scholarship Project nine years ago to help local immigrants get through the costly and challenging process of becoming U.S. citizens. Our scholars are here legally, but they are not yet citizens. To reach that goal, they take a citizenship class at Fort Bragg’s Coastal Adult School, and then they must pass a test, successfully complete an interview with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, and pay an application fee of $710 -760. To date, the fund has awarded approximately 70 scholarships, but there is a pressing need to replenish the scholarship fund.
We want to be ready to offer scholarships to all those who juggled work, family, civics and language classes; who kept their “eye on the prize,” even when the government rules changed; who had the courage and wisdom to take and pass the interview. They’ve done all that. They have one step left. Imagine how it feels to hope, persist, and prevail. Don’t just imagine: read the words of recent scholars when asked the biggest benefit of becoming a citizen:
“It’s mostly peace of mind. We can live without fear.”
“We’re happy to be able to vote, to have a voice in the community.”
“We are thankful to be a part of the community.”
Every dollar goes directly to our neighbors who have requested and earned our help. It makes a real difference in someone’s life. Donations may be sent to: MCJC, PO Box 291, Little River, CA 95456. Please note “scholarship” on your check’s memo line. For information or to receive Justice Group announcements, contact Donna Medley at dmthebeez9@gmail.com. Or check the e-list: groups.google.com/g/mcjc-justice.
PHILOSOPHY CIRCLE
The clear thinkers will meet on Wednesday, December 3rd at 5:30 PM in the shul. No reading is required; we just respond to a provocative idea from a noted Jewish thinker. Everyone is invited.
HELPING WITH FOOD INSECURITY
The MCJC freezer is ready for your contributions if you wish to help us keep food available for our community members who might be in need of help. If you are willing to bring food to “feed” the freezer, it should be vegetarian (though we did make an exception for chicken soup) and packaged in single portions. Date and contents should be attached and an ingredient list should be left by the freezer. Contact one of the Bikkur Cholim committee for instructions on how to get in to the freezer (Karen Rakofsky [nerak@mcn.org], Mina Cohen [mcohen@mcn.org], and Fran Schwartz [franbschwartz@gmail.com]).
Additionally, the Fort Bragg Food Bank needs our help these days. Financial contributions can be made on their website (https://www.mendofood.org/campaign/fort-bragg-food-bank), and there is a container at the kitchen door of the shul for shelf-stable food donations to them.
BIRTHDAYS
Please reach out to the celebrants noted below and spread love. If you would like your natal day listed, email rabbipaige@gmail.com with your birth date. (We list the day, but not the year, and your name will be featured only during your birthday month.) Below are the November birthdays:
12/1 Sandra Wortzel, 12/21 Margaret Holub, 12/26 Patricia Brown
HERE FOR YOU
Rabbis Margaret & Paige want to remind you all that we’re always available for you in any way we can be! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of them to go on a walk or have tea with you.
WINTER GARDEN VOLUNTEER DAYS
Come lend a hand as we kick off our new native plant garden! We’ll be trimming plants, laying down cardboard for weed suppression, and doing light cleanup to launch this exciting project. No experience needed; just bring your enthusiasm.
We need lots of large flat cardboard. Please help us collect it from shops and leave it flattened along the northside of the shul in mid-January, or bring it with you on the volunteer day.
Volunteer dates/times are: Friday, January 16th, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM and Sunday, January 18th, 1:30–4:00 PM. We postpone if the weather is bad. Bring if you have them: garden gloves, hand pruners, shovel or trowel, sturdy shoes and of course cardboard. Come enjoy fresh air, snacks (provided), and the fun of helping start something new.
ELDERS’ CONVERSATION
The Elders meet and chat about growing older, and other pressing issues, every second and fourth Tuesday of the month, 3:00 to 4:30 PM on zoom. December dates will be the 9th and 23rd. Each meeting has a theme chosen at the prior meeting. The topics range from the practical (like how to manage without a car) to the intimate (like our addictions) to the cosmic (like the Big Questions of life and whether they really matter to us). People of all ages are always welcome to join the conversation.
WANTED: TALENTS
The Matanah is on a break for the next couple of months. The organizers are looking for people to share their talents and avocations with the community. Doing so will fulfill you, bring everyone closer together, and spread joy. Please contact Leslie Krongold at elkrong @yahoo.com if you are interested.
BOOK GROUP
The constant readers will meet on zoom on Monday, December 15th at 2:00 PM pm to discuss Kissing Girls on Shabbat by Sara Glass. Growing up in the Hasidic community of Brooklyn’s Borough Park, Sara Glass knew one painful truth: what was expected of her and what she wanted were impossibly opposed. Tormented by her attraction to women and trapped in a loveless arranged marriage, she found herself unable to conform to her religious upbringing and, soon, she made the difficult decision to walk away from the world she knew.
This is the story of a woman and her family, and where and how their Orthodox community serves and fails them. Glass places queerness in a broader conversation about the constraints that people encounter in the world and how they navigate them. If you are not currently in the Book Group, please contact Fran Schwartz for the Zoom invitation at franbschwartz@gmail.com. Books are at Gallery Bookshop.
MCJC BOARD MEETING
The MCJC board will meet on Wednesday, December 10th at 5:30 PM on Zoom. If you wish to attend part of the meeting, please contact Susan Tubbesing for the Zoom address at (707) 962-0565, or susan.tubbesing@gmail.com.
THANKS TO THE MAILERS
Carla Jupiter and Steve Antler prepared the last Megillah for mailing. The editor ran into Carla at Down Home foods and she stepped right up and volunteered! You can volunteer like that some day, and it doesn’t even have to be at a grocery store. Starting next month, Terry Clark will also be volunteering with the Circulation Department, so please contact him (at paintedpony64@yahoo.com) or Sarah Nathe (at 962-0565 or sarah.nathe@gmail.com).
MEGILLAH SUBSCRIPTIONS
The Mendocino Megillah is published monthly as an emailed PDF and an online version. The online Megillah is posted on the newsletter page of the MCJC website: www.mcjc.org/newsletter. Any information on changes in email address or in email notifications should be sent to Sarah Nathe at sarah.nathe@gmail.com. If you choose not to be a contributing member of MCJC, we request a $54 annual fee for the Megillah.
THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING DONORS
Donna Weintraub, Donna & David Neumark, Myra Beals, Sally & Lee Welty, John Allison & Rebecca Picard, Dawn Hofberg & Robert Schlosser, Ronnie Kemper, Laura Goldman & Dennak Murphy, Kath Disney Nilson, Sandra Mendel, Bob Evans, Tracy Salkowitz & Rick Edwards, Ronnie James, Adina Merenlender & Kerry Heise, Donna Feiner.
Pamela Graham & Sasha Graham in memory of Benjamin Buz Graham Jr.
Mina Cohen & Jeff Berenson to the Tzedakah Fund in memory of Pamela Duncan’s mother
James Katzel to the Bikkur Cholim Fund
Adina Merenlender to the Justice Group’s Native Plant & Art Garden Project
Rosh Hashana contributions:
Donna & David Neumark
Wendy Block & Michael Sigman: We appreciate MCJC and loved our High Holy Day experience with your shul.
EDITORIAL POLICY
The Mendocino Megillah is published monthly, except for August. The deadline for article submission is the 20th of the month before publication. The editor will include all appropriate material, space permitting, with the exception of copyrighted material lacking the permission of the author. Divergent opinions are welcome. Material printed in the Megillah does not necessarily represent the policy or opinions of the MCJC Board of Directors.
Please Support Our Generous Underwriters
Albion Doors and Windows: Thousands of recycled windows, French doors, thermal windows, entry doors, new & used. Leaded glass, arches & unique styles. Liquidation prices at (707) 937-0078 in Albion. www.knobsession.com
Karen Camille Bowers Studio: Painting workshops and studio gallery. Website: karenbowersstudio.com Email: karenbowersu2@gmail.com Tel: (707) 684-0656.
Frankie's Pizza and Ice Cream Parlor: Homemade pizzas, Cowlick's ice cream, and other yummy things to nosh on. Beer and wine available. Open every day but Monday from 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm at 44951 Ukiah Street, Mendocino, (707) 937-2436. www.frankiesmendocino.com
Out of this World: Telescopes, binoculars, & science toys. 45100 Main Street, Box 1010, Mendocino. (707) 937-3335. www.OutofThisWorldShop.com. Serving all your interplanetary needs since 1988.
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Thanksgiving Coffee Company: Artisan roasted on the Mendocino Coast since 1972. A B Corporation featuring a wide variety of certified organic, shade grown coffee & fair trade coffees. (800) 462-1999. Learn more and buy coffee at www.thanksgivingcoffee.com.
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| Chevra Kadisha |
Clare Bercot Zwerling |
956-571-0945 |
clarebercot@icloud.com |
| Cemetary |
Donna Montag |
707-877-3243 |
montag@mcn.org |
| Outreach (new to the community), Finance Committee, Announcements |
Susan Tubbesing* |
707-962-0565
|
susan.tubbesing@gmail.com |
| Justice Committee |
Donna Medley* |
707-962-9493 |
dmthebeez9@gmail.com
|
| Women's retreat, Annual dinner |
Harriet Bye |
707-937-3622 |
bysawyer@mcn.org
|
| Kabbalat Shabbat Coordinator |
Mina Cohen |
707-367-3390 | mcohen@mcn.org |
| Volunteer Coordinator |
Joy Lancaster* |
510-703-9955 | martyjoy@sbcglobal.net |
| Building Maintenance |
Marnie Press* |
707-937-1905 | marniepress@gmail.com |
| Treasurer, Finance Committee |
Raven Deerwater* |
707-964-8333 | raven@taxpractitioner.com |
| Landscaping, Library |
Nina Ravitz* |
707-357-6462 | ninabo@mcn.org |
| Secretary, Finance Committee |
Alix Sabin* |
415-238-1342 | alixsabin@gmail.com |
| Book Group, Bikkur Cholim |
Fran Schwartz |
707-937-1352 | franbschwartz@gmail.com |
| Web dude |
Gus Mayeno |
webmaster@mcjc.org | |
| Megillah Editor, Name & Address & Subscription changes |
Sarah Nathe |
707-962-0565 |
sarah.nathe@gmail.com |
| Rabbi |
Margaret Holub |
707-734-0311 | mholub@mcn.org |
| Rabbi |
Paige Lowenstein |
rabbipaige@gmail.com |
