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Who was the first Jew in America and when did he arrive? As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, here's a bit of interesting trivia regarding the first Jew in America. His name was Joachim Gaunse, and he was a Jewish metallurgist and mining engineer from Prague. Gaunse was invited to England by the Royal Mining Company in 1581. Britain, preparing for war with Spain, was desperately in need of copper. Copper was a critical element in the production of bronze, from which the English manufactured the accurate cannons that gave their warships an advantage over the cast iron cannons of the Spaniards. The Edict of Expulsion (1290) was still enforced during the 16th century, meaning that Jews were technically prohibited from immigrating to England at the time Gaunse was invited. The fact that mining magnates were able to bring Gaunse into England despite this restriction speaks volumes about his reputation in the industry. He succeeded to reduce the time it took to purify a batch of copper ore from 16 weeks to 4 days. Furthermore, Gaunse found a way to use the impurities removed from the ore in textile dyes. In 1584, in the hope of finding copper, silver and gold, Queen Elizabeth gave Sir Walter Raleigh a royal patent to explore the Virginia territory. Raleigh, then, asked Gaunse to serve as metallurgist and mining supervisor to the Roanoke expedition. Thus, in 1585, Gaunse became the first recorded Jew to set foot on English soil in North America. Centuries later, archaeologists attributed the lumps of smelted copper and goldsmith’s crucible they found in the Roanoke site ruins to Gaunse. Read the whole article at About.com by clicking here. Interested in incorporating Judaism into your Thanksgiving this year? Read About.com's article entitled "A Jewish Ceremony for Celebrating Thanksgiving."
Fourth Grade Tallit Project The 4th grade students are studying life cycle events this year. Part of the Bar-Bat Mitzvah unit is learning about the meaning of the wearing of the Tallit, and its significance in the family. The teachers, Rabbis and Cantor are sharing "Tallit Stories" with the students, after which we will make our own model "Tallit." Does your family have a special Tallit with a special story behind it? We'd love to hear from you!
Chanukah Family Day and 9th Grade Bake Sale on December 9 Chanukah Family Day will be on December 9. Classes begin at 9:30, as usual, with family activities beginning at 10:45 am. Parents are welcome join their children in the classroom or to join them for activities beginning at 10:45. This will be a fun morning with potato latkes (thanks to Melissa Guadalupe and Barbara Gerla), sufganiyot and skits by all the classes. In addition, the 9th Grade will be holding a bake sale with the proceeds going toward the creation of blankets for Project Linus. Plan on sending your children with a bit of extra money so they can enjoy a treat created by the 9th grade and help out Project Linus.
-- The Talmud
Be The Light! Send your news and uplifts to Nora Rubinoff in the religious school office at norarubinoff@gmail.com. Coming up... Dinner and Havdalah Party for TBO High School students will be held on December 1 at Rabbi Burstein's home at 5:00 pm. More details coming soon. Fifth Grade Family Service will be on December 14 at 7:30 pm. One Candle for Tzedakah begins Sunday, November 18 and concludes Monday, December 10. Please drop off NEW, UNWRAPPED toys, games and books to Temple Beth Or in the lobby by the social hall, or send a check to Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton (JFGD) - memo line "One Candle" to: Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton For more information, call Elizabeth Woosley at 937.610.1555 extension 116. The Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton is offering a special ticket price for Keshet Eilon Violin Concert to the parents of religious school students at Temple Beth Or. Click here for a flyer for parents of the Temple Beth Or Religious School students. Please send your e-mail address to Nora Rubinoff, Education Administrator, at norarubinoff@gmail.com to receive weekly religious school newsletters. Do you have grandparents or other family members who would enjoy our newsletter? Let Nora Rubinoff know and we'll be glad to add them to our mailing list, or click on the newsletter page at tboeducation.com and register online! |
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Sent from Temple Beth Or -- 5275 Marshall Road -- Dayton, Ohio 45429 |
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“Every blade of grass 