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FJMC Weekly Digest December 17, 2025
Dear FJMC brothers,
In this week's Digest, you'll find:
• Hanukkah for Macca-Bros • FJMC Statement: Bondi Beach Hanukkah Attack • Baruch Dayan Emet: Brian Cynamon • Building Community Awareness • Wellness Warriors is extended until 1/31/26 • 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
FJMC International mourns the devastating loss of life following the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach in Australia during a Hanukkah gathering. We condemn this act of terror and violence in the strongest possible terms. Reports indicate that at least eleven people were murdered, including Rabbi Eli Schlanger, the assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi. We grieve for every life taken, and we hold their families, loved ones, and the entire Bondi Jewish community in our hearts.
We regret to inform you of the passing of Brian Cynamon, Past Regional President and Treasurer of the Tri-State Region. He served on a number of committees for the FJMC. Brian was an active member of the region. He last attended an FJMC convention in Toronto with his wife, Barbara and attended several LDI conferences. He was a member of Shaare Torah and several other Pittsburgh area Congregations.
The funeral was held on Monday, December 15 at Shaare Torah Congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
We extend our sincerest condolences to the Cynamon Family. We pray that they be comforted among the mourners of Zion, and Jerusalem.
May the legacy of Brian Cynamon be a source of blessing and comfort to all who knew and loved him. May his memory be for a blessing.
Reproductive freedom is a Jewish value. We invite you to join us in honoring it.
National Council of Jewish Women invites you to join our annual Shabbat celebration honoring the Jewish value of reproductive freedom. Sign up to bring a Repro Shabbat event to your home or community.
Leading up to the Repro Shabbat, we will provide you with resources to help make your Shabbat a more meaningful experience.
During these troubled times, our HaD’var publication wants to shine some light on the world by showcasing Hanukkah celebrations from around the FJMC world.
So send in your best Hanukkah menorah or other photo for us to include in a collage that will be included for publication in our January edition.
Please adapt and include the following below for your Synagogue communications. Reach out to Jerry Brodsky at jbrodsky@fjmc.org with any questions and once Tefillin are received. Thank you!
Do you find yourself in a bind with extra tefillin at home that you don’t use? FJMC International, in partnership with Kulanu, Inc., is gathering sets of tefillin, preferably kosher, for delivery to needy Jewish communities worldwide. Would you like to donate your old and unused set to Jewish men around the world? Simply bring them to your synagogue and ask the office to put them into the Men's Club mailbox. We'll get them to the Kulanu office in New York, where they'll be sent to wherever they're needed. It’s a mitzvah!
Questions on the World Wide Wrap? Please reach out to the FJMC WWW Committee at www@fjmc.org
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 in the home? The FJMC has long understood that Holocaust Remembrance needs to also take place in the home, to have a mechanism for families to gather for a moment to teach and to explain to the next generation the impact and the survival of that horrific moment in Jewish history. Learn more here.
FJMC Men's Retreat, Brandeis Bardin Campus, Simi Valley, CA 03/26/26 - 03/29/26
What is the purpose of this retreat?
This retreat is designed to create a meaningful space for men to bond, reflect, and build connections with one another. It’s an opportunity to foster brotherhood, engage in thoughtful discussions, and enjoy a restful weekend with other men in the Jewish community.
