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FJMC Weekly Digest December 10, 2025
Dear FJMC brothers,
In this week's Digest, you'll find:
• Hanukkah for Macca-Bros • Wellness Warriors Challenge is extended • FJMC Newsletters: Ha D'var and Pride & Prejudice •World Wide Wrap, Build-A-Pair, Yellow Candle • Rest & Reflect Retreat • Become A Friend of the FJMC
Thank you.
Yours in brotherhood,
FJMC International
Happy Hanukkah!
Hanukkah for Macca-Bros: Celebrating Jewish Men Who Bring Light To Their Communities
Dear Friends,
Hanukkah arrives this year in a moment of real division and uncertainty for the Jewish people. Yet the holiday reminds us of a timeless truth: light multiplies when shared. As our tradition teaches, “A little light drives away much darkness” (Midrash Shemot Rabbah 36:3).
At the center of Hanukkah stands the shamash, the helper candle that exists to ignite others without losing its own flame. It is the perfect symbol for the work Jewish men are called to do today—to support, uplift, and illuminate the people and communities around us. We rise by kindling others.
FJMC International is here to help every man find meaning in being a shamash. This year, we are offering tools to deepen your Hanukkah experience, including:
An HMV Guide focused on being a “man who lights the way,”
Intent-setting practices to use before lighting candles each night. These resources—and our global network of brotherhood—exist so no man has to navigate this moment alone.
May this Hanukkah strengthen your light and the lights you help ignite.
Warmly, Bruce Tomar International President, FJMC International
Rabbi Noam Raucher, MA.ed Executive Director, FJMC International
Benny Sommerfeld VP of Programming – Jewish Life FJMC International
Wellness Warriors Challenge is extended, new dates to follow! Build healthier Jewish men and have some fun doing it!
(WSJ.com) Walking Longer, Not Necessarily More, Shows Big Health Benefits.
Everyone knows walking is good for you, and many of us count our daily steps. But is it better to take a longer walk than a comparable number of steps spread across the day? Why not get your steps in sessions of 15 minutes or more rather than in shorter bursts.
Don't forget to sign-up below for the Wellness Warriors Challenge!
• "Captain's Log, Stardate 4": FJMC International President, Bruce Tomar. • "Reflections": FJMC International Executive Director, Rabbi Noam Raucher. • Wellness Warriors: Fit To Be Healthy. • Hopping the Pond: FJMC International. • The Abayudaya Jewish community in southeastern Uganda and western Kenya. • Recap: International Men's Day Gathering. • Giving Tuesday. • Rest and Reflect Weekend. • Regional Connections: Highlighting the Grassroots of Our Organization.
Submit your photos or videos of the Build-A-Pair students wearing their "model" Tefillin at your World Wide Wrap, and your Men's Club could be a winner in categories like Funniest, Most Serious, Largest Group, and Most Creative. Please see flyer for further details.
Enter Contest by March 1, 2026 Five Cash Prizes - Top Prize $150 Winners Announced on March 30, 2026
The Yellow Candle Store is Open Now Through March 10, 2026
Why the Yellow Candle? The Candle is Yellow to remind us of the Yellow Star that Jews were forced to wear to identify them as Jews and open them to ridicule and persecution. Men's Clubs and other organization order the Candle through this program and distribute them to their membership with a short explanation of the program.
FJMC Men's Retreat, Brandeis Bardin Campus, Simi Valley, CA 03/26/26 - 03/29/26
The community has asked, and we are heeding the call!
Free from the stresses of work, home and urban life, the Men’s Retreat will be a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively. It combines the best parts of FJMC programs and will enable participants to plug into nature while unplugging from daily life.
