HOD Galil Newsletter -  April 2019   

www.hodgalil.org

This newsletter is being sent to all HOD members now

and will also be sent to spouses, prospective members and others who might benefit or be interested in what all HOD does ASAP.

Link to previous newsletters:    Newsletters

HOD Galil - Monthly Update
April 2, 2019  - Houston, Texas

3-7-2019  JHV  (Jewish Herald Voice)  - Food Editor Matt Riklin

Article: 8th Annual Kosher Chili Cookoff brings on the heat, warms the community.

" Hebrew Order of David was one of the most social groups I have seen in a long time."

Click on link to read the entire article   JHV chili cookoff 2019.pdf

We had a great turnout - thanks to all who assisted.

Table Of Contents

Upcoming Calendar

President's Column

Last Lodge Meeting Summary

Recent Events

New Members

Featured Brother

Good Work of the Lodge

HOD Galil of Houston Officers

To be added ASAP  -  List of all lodges worldwide with contact information

Upcoming Calendar

All the exciting details can be found at www.hodgalil.org/events

New Member Coffee Meeting: Wednesday April 3rd @ 7 pm.  Postponed

SUNDAY - April 7th @ 10:30 am * at Aishel House

1955 University Blvd. Houston, TX 77030

- "Food for Friends Volunteer Program"

Volunteer groups pick a day at Aishel House to prepare a kosher vegetarian menu of a fresh lunch or dinner (e.g. a vegetarian soup, bread and a baked dessert). The program runs approximately, 2.5 hours.

 This volunteer program is geared for volunteers ages 13 years and older. The ideal group size is 10 volunteers and 16 people maximum.

 Food for Friends is a tangible way to bring comfort and joy to patients and their families. HOD Galil looks forward to participating and including our group in this unique mitzvah!

 This is a great family opportunity so when you register on the HOD website please let us know how many besides you will be participating. ALSO, please register ASAP. We might have to limit or close registration. If our group receives a large number of volunteers we will try to work in smaller groups while others socialize on site.

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Mgmt. Meeting: Thursday April 11th @ 7 pm at Bro. Marc Passy's home

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14th Annual Man's Mock Seder at UOS - open to all irrespective of affiliation.

HOD is listed as a co-sponsor.

Price is $ 50 per person and you MUST RSVP and pay directly on the UOS website at:   https://www.uosh.org/event/UOSMansmockseder

HOD members - once you have done that (RSVP & paid) please click HOD register tab on this site and complete so that we know how many of our members to expect at the event. It takes place in Friedman Hall.

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TUESDAY - April 16th @ 6:30 pm * General Lodge Formal Meeting

followed by a guest speaker around 7:15 pm.

Israeli Shlicha to Houston, Ms. Hadas Levy will present to the group all about the worldwide program, some of her personal story with some extra time about her service and IDF.

Kosher snacks will be served - not dinner.

Future Events

Memorial Flag Placement at Houston National Cemetery - Sunday May 26th, 2019

President's Column:

I’m going to let you all in on a little (not-so-) secret - I love Passover.  The prep work may be drudgery, but moving every pot and closing off every cabinet add a little excitement for me as we build to Passover.  Most of what I love are the habits we’ve built as a family over the years.

 Kosher-for-Passover ice cream is impossible to get, so one year we found a use for that wedding gift and decided to make our own.  Now I make upwards of two gallons every year, cleaning out one or two Whole Foods of pure heavy cream. We’ve got multiple families that look forward to those dairy meals on the last days of Passover where we’re clearing out the ice cream.  I’m Sephardic, and I grew up singing in Ladino about Un Cavretico (One Goat - better know as Had Gadya), so my kids always stay up ‘til the bitter end and sing it with me. It reminds me of seders with my late father, z”l. I always add Bendigamos, which is a Ladino grace after meals, for the same reasons.  I could go on and on, but you get the idea.

 Now, my brother-in-law hates Passover.  He’s got lots of good reasons, but mostly I feel sorry for him, as his wife loves it, so he’s committed to being there with her and his son, but every year I watch him fidget and squirm, get up and walk around, as he endures what must be endless torture for him.  And my mother-in-law tolerates it. She has some fond memories, and loves the family being together, but she’s definitely not around to sing about dogs and cats and fire, etc.

 Why do I relate these stories?  One word - Ritual. Passover is full of formal and informal ritual.  Some of us love it, some of us hate it, some of us tolerate it, and in an leap I’m sure you all saw coming, so it is with our ritual in HOD.  Ritual serves to bind us to all other brethren around the world, but we understand that some have more or less attachment to it. That’s why we offer every third Lodge meeting without ritual at all (the Chaverschaft meetings).  That’s why we would love to see you at our various service opportunities, even if we never see you in Open Lodge.

 So, I’d like to finish as I customarily have. I’d like to encourage you to find some part of HOD - Lodge meetings, service opportunities, something that you enjoy, and just commit to showing up!!!  

 Thanks!

Fraternally,

Bro Marc P

Last Lodge Meeting Summary

Dear Brethren,

  The last lodge meeting took place Tuesday March 19, 2019. It was attended by 28  brethren and 3 new brethren were inducted into the Order by President Br. Marc P.  The formal meeting was followed by a delicious social kosher dinner so that we could visit with members we might not have socialized with before. 

  It was suggested and agreed that the newsletter should be sent to spouses and potential new members or other interested people so as to ensure that more local folks know about HOD.

 Please remember to pay for your dues, which can be done online or by check.  The next coffee meeting will be on April 3, 2019 at Brother Alan Lipman’s house.You should continue to send any Bikur Holim needs to Brother Ivor. Brother Manny spoke about keeping our eyes open for any job needs and opportunities. Our gravestone project is continuing to be worked on and will benefit all the local Jewish cemeteries. Bro. Manny & Bro. Dovid are still looking for any volunteers interested in prison visits.

Recent Events

PAST Events:

Kosher Wine Tasting took place - Thursday Feb 28th at Total Wine on San Felipe.

KOSHER wine tasting and a little education about the wine we tasted. 

Light KOSHER snacks served (not dinner).  

Cost was $ 20 per person and guests were welcome.

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Purim 2019 at Goldberg Towers: Sunday March 17th

12 of our Bro's helped us brighten the days of the residents of Goldberg B'nai Brith Towers by singing and delivering hametashen and pizza to celebrate Purim!!

Mishloach Manot was distributed on Thursday/Purim.

New members in the last 3 months:

Mauricio Bielaz,  Scott Gardner,  Brian Gavin, Yigal Saghian & Joshua Segall

Allan Panzer, Marshall Learner & Alan Cohn  

Proposed members:

David Fishman - approved

Gadi Pour - approved 

Featured Brother

Bro. Ernie Palla ... Real Character

Character | Merriam-Webster defines character as the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.

 For everyone who knows Brother Ernest “Ernie” Palla, they know him as a man of character.  He is a man of integrity and honesty with a caring heart whose true passion is helping others.  Brother Ernie is a loving husband to his wife Anamaria and a caring father to his children, son David and daughter Ruthie.  In addition, he is a man who has a strong base of faith who can be seen davening regularly at United Orthodox Synagogue.

 Most people know him as a successful business owner and partner with his wife, Anamaria, in the Palla Law Group; but did you also know that in his teen years he was a different kind of character who developed different voices and sounds in hopes of doing voice-overs for radio and television?  It’s true!

 A second-generation Houstonian, Brother Ernie grew up in the Westbury area with his parents, Marlene and Melvin, and older sister, Rochelle.  His dad was a businessman in the retail jewelry business for most of his life.

 Ernie started preschool and elementary school at Congregation Beth Yeshurun and was there until the third grade when his parents withdrew him after an incident where one older student hit one of Ernie’s classmates (another redhead) from behind thinking it was Ernie!  His parents abruptly moved him to public school. Ernie graduated Westbury High School in 1980 and continued his education at the University of Texas where he graduated in 1984 with a degree in communications/advertising.

 While attending UT, Ernie worked selling advertising for The University’s newspaper, The Daily Texan.  During the last two years at UT, Ernie and his roommate managed the apartments they lived in (which saved their parents some money).

 After graduation, his first advertising position was with the Foley’s Department Store in the company’s credit card marketing/advertising department and later in the credit card department handling consumer credit.

 It was Ernie’s parents who suggested that he should consider graduate school and continue his education. Having seen enough of the Foley’s repossessed fur coats, jewelry and leather couches being paraded through the Foley’s credit offices, Ernie decided to enter the law profession. He applied and was accepted to Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio.

 After graduating from Capital University Law School, Ernie headed back to Houston and landed a position at the O’Quinn Law Firm.

 As luck would have it, one of the other lawyers Ernie worked with became engaged to Anamaria’s cousin.  And it was at that wedding where Ernie and Anamaria met and fell in love.  They found a chemistry with each other and after Anamaria she moved to Houston, instead of moving her law practice to her native Chili, they dated for two years and then married!  They now share a successful law practice specializing in the title and escrow business with Providence Title Company.

 Specializing in voices and sound effects for radio and television voice-overs seemed to vanish when Ernie's voice changed as he got older,but helping people with their real estate closings ended up being a much better career path for our Brother Ernie.  

 But, make no mistake, Brother Ernest Palla is still a character with character!

 Written by Brother Steve L.

Good Work of the Lodge

Bro Manny wants to remind us of this feature to our members.

Always looking to put people to work and places to offer them work.

Prison Chaplaincy

Dear HOD Brothers,

Bro. Mannie M. and Myself are looking for volunteers to assist with the Jewish programs at the Stringfellow Prison in Rosharon and the Jester 3 Prison in Richmond.

If you are interested in getting involved by visiting one of the prisons, please send a picture of your Drivers License to rabbi@rabbired.com ASAP.

We will then call a meeting and have a training session which will allow you to be a volunteer.  Need at least 6 people to have an orientation class.

Bro.Rabbi Dovid G. 

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Gravestone Project

The lodge is embarking on an impressive mitzvah project.

Bro Alan L. and Bro Ivor S. are heading up the start of a large project to get all Jewish Cemeteries to get stones on graves that do not have them. More details to follow soon. These are for burials that occurred many years ago and for one reason or another the deceased either did not have local family or the family themselves might be deceased now.   

So far it looks like most of the Rabbis and Shuls are on board and we are now waiting to get an estimate of how many will be needed, which will enable us to firm up a price for markers.

Let all souls rest in peace with markers.

For anyone interested in helping on this project, please do not hesitate to call us.

Bro Alan and Bro Ivor

NEW video of what HOD Galil has done during the last year: 

Here's where to see the video of our activities through 2018.

https://youtu.be/MGRz1xheEqg

This video was "Premiered" at the wonderful Spouse Appreciation Brunch held on 1-27-2019 at the ERJCC. 

HOD Galil of Houston Officers

Albert Passy - President

Shim Brookman - Vice-President

Paul Wainstein - Past President

Joe Blog - Treasurer

Jeff Klein - Secretary

Josh Sanchez - Preceptor

Mark Katzenellenbogen  - Scribe

Steve Levine - Registrar

Andrew Toubin - Inner Guard

Lawrence Barris - Trustee

Steve Meyer - Trustee

Alan Lipman - Trustee

Nat Levy Honorary - Trustee

HOD Podcast!!!

A Jewish radio station in South Africa has a weekly radio show/podcast on HOD with a former HOD International Grand President, Stan Klaff .  You can listen here:

http://www.chaifm.com/the-hod/

UPDATE: see below as the one saved - (Thursday 31 January 2019) includes Houston WB Lawrence Barris, our founding President!!... :