Rabbi presents message for new year

The summer is over, the fall is here. The green has turned into many colors as the warmth of nature quickly turns to cool. The beautiful fields of fireweed faded in Southcentral Alaska and darkness is arriving earlier. Harbingers of the long nights are to come.

This beautiful fall omen hints that summer is drawing to a close, winter is around the corner and the children are in the school for a new school year.

I, too, conclude a year of work in the Temple. New colors are seen on the horizon. The Temple was erected by the faithful who make that dream a reality. The congregation is coming to celebrate the New Year and the children are registering for Hebrew and Sunday School.

Our program for the children provides parents and children with tips that will help students study more effectively and get educated about various learning styles in Judaism, prayers in the Temple and customs and ceremonies like building and decorating the Sukah, Chanukah to light the dark, to bring life again in Passover.

Each holiday will be welcomed in turn like relatives and friends who come to visit you and they are welcomed. Parents and children will find them interesting. I hope to find fun ways in the future, as I did in the past, to stimulate a child's interest in temple services, Hebrew, and Sunday School.

I also hope that my work will be a good example and that it will be useful in the future lives of the students. "The rabbi did it, so I can do it," is the attitude to have.

I am looking forward to hearing from you. Please send your suggestions and donations to help us all establish what we started -- to finish the building of the temple, to build a school soon and even have parents teaching Sunday School.

I will make the time to teach the parents and also other classes that need to be taught.

I wish you and yours a happy and healthy new year, and peace on Earth.

Rabbi Abraham Garmaize leads Temple Knesset Israel. A new temple has been established at his home. The congregation previously met at the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry.