Sixth Day Of Chanukkah

KHANUKE (kh = pronounced as a gutteral G)

Khanuke, oy Khanuke, a yon-tev a sheyner,
a lustiker, a freylekher, nito noch azoyner.
Ale tog in dreydl shpiln mir,
heyse gute latkes esn mir.
Geshvinder tsindt, kinder,
di khanuke-likhtelekh on!
Lomir ale in eynem
tsum yon-tev dem sheynem
zingen un tantsn in kon.

CHANUKKAH

Chanukkah, oh Channukah, a beautiful festival,
a merry one, a happy one,
There's but one of its kind.
Every day we spin the dreidl and
eat delicious, hot latkes.
Come, children, let’s quickly light
the chanukkah candles!
Let's all together sing and dance
To celebrate this beautiful festival.)

This is one of my favourite Chanukkah songs, one I remember from way back when.



Spinning the dreidl, is played with a square top. You can use matchsticks, small coins, or raisins and almonds. We always use Rozinkes and Mandeln, raisins and almonds.
A dreidl shows four Hebrew letters: Nun, Gimel, Hei and Shin. They stand for the Hebrew saying: "‘Nes Gadol Hayah Sham’, a great miracle took place (the miracle of the oil).
The letters also stand for the Yiddish words: Nit (nothing), Gantz (all), Halb (half) and Shtell (put), and there you have the rules of the game! Every family has its own rules but we started like this: everyone puts in one coin, or raisin, almond, token. The youngest at the table spins the dreidl. If it lands on Nun, you get nada, Gimel, it’s all yours, on Hei, you get half of the pot, and on Shin, you have to put something in the kitty.
I am a Nin dreidler. Good for nada :^)

Fifth Day Of Chanukkah

Why does a Chanukkah menorah have 9 branches and not 8? Because the one in the middle, the one that’s always taller than the other candles, is the ‘shammus’, the servant with which you light a new candle each night
The candles are put in every day, counting from right to left (the way Hebrew is written), but you light the candle on the left first, because it is the newest.
The presence of the ‘shammus’ also explains the 6 + 1 branches in the everyday menorah.

And now something totally different:


Those of you who were interested in the part of my life of derring-do and fame and fortune when I was working as a broadcaster/entertainer, tuned in on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 and found out (almost) all about the Dody Cowan I was at the time.
Keith Perron, great guy who interviewed me on his Happy Station Show and really put me in the mood to be back in broadcasting, is airing the part of the interview he did with me in which we talk about Deborah Rey, the author:

TOMORROW, Thursday December 17th, 2009.

Here are, for those who want to listen in, once again the details :

http://www.pcjmedia.com/

The Happy Station Show
Produced and presented by Keith Perron:

Frequency: 9955khz, 31 meters
Thursday December 17th, 2009
0200UTC to 0255UTC, 1600UTC to 1655UTC
Friday December 18th, 2009
0800UTC to 0855UTC

On WRMI
http://www.wrmi.net/
Saturday December 19th, 2009
0900UTC to 0955UTC


On World FM
http://www.worldfm.co.nz
88.5fm New Zealand

The Fourth Day of Chanukkah

When Antiochus IV, the successor of Alexander the Great, was in control of Syria, Egypt and Palestine, the Jews were oppressed, murdered, a Hellenistic priest was placed in the Temple, and the practice of the Jewish religion prohibited.
Two groups opposed Antiochus – one led by Mattathias the Hasmonean and his son Judah Maccabee, and a religious group known as the Chasidim – revolted The revolution was a success and the Temple rededicated. But , the Talmud tells us, there was very little oil left, needed for the menorah in the Temple, which had to burn throughout the night. Only enough oil to burn for one day was left and yet it burned for eight days. This gave them enough time to prepare fresh oil for the menorah. And that is why Chanukkah is an eight-day festival, to commemorate this miracle.

PS Feel better, chaim ???, after calling me a f****** shikse whore.
Wrong on three counts, lady (even if you use the name chaim, it is so obvious who you are). Oy vay, aren’t we having fun?

The Third Day Of Chanukkah

Chanukkah, which I call the Feast of Lights, is an eight-day festival beginning on the 25th day of Kislev, which this year fell on December 11th at sun down.

Chanukkah is generally one of the better known Jewish holidays, not because of its religious significance, but because it’s close to Christmas and by many the candles we burn every night – I always put the menorah in front of the window – is associated with Christmas decorations and lights.

This holiday is often called ‘the Jewish Christmas and many - more 'assimilated' - Jews have become used to some Christmassy habits, such as elaborate gift-giving. I’m afraid I have to include myself here, even though I realise it is quite ironic that we/I made this holiday, which has its roots in a revolution against assimilation and the suppression of the Jewish religion, one of the most assimilated, laic holidays of the year.

My excuse? I hate giving money as a present and I adore buying things for my loved ones and offering them on that special First Day of Light. Lousy excuse, I know. Not even an excuse, just an explanation. What's that you asked? No! I don't have a Chanukkah bush.

The story of Chanukkah … I’ll tell you tomorrow (as if you didn’t know it already. Ha!)

Second Day of Chanukkah

GOOD YONTEV!

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Chanukkah to One and All. May you lways have Light.

A Tip Of The Head

The Devil waters my plants
without mercy,
recycling his leftover anger
to be used again and again,
giving me no respite
from watching them shrivel
in acid rain tipping down
from a slate-grey sky.

It’s not obligatory
for dying plants to be cheerful,
but it costs no more,
in the old time songs,
than the tip of a head
poking up through the clouds
to look for a silver lining.

I know it’s utter bullshit
but we’ll try again.
I would print this out
as a kind of memorial
to leave on ground
where nothing will ever grow,
but hot breath from the solar wind
would only blow it away.


© John A. Shaw 2009





John, who is a dear, dear friend and someone I admire beyond words, kindly allowed me to use this poem. I would like to dedicate it to all the rulers and destroyers of this beautiful planet, now gathered in Copenhagen hoping to find a way to save it.