REHAB AT BORO PARK CENTER BEHIND THE SCENES BY YOSSI GREENSTEIN
CLEANING TIPS TO PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR PESACH
THE SECRET SEDER AT UNTERLUSS
POLISH BUILDERS FIND
400 BURIED JEWISH ITEMS
READY, SET, COOK! 10 RECIPES FOR PESACH BY JAMIE
NO PLACE LIKE HOME HOTEL NIGHTMARES BY URI GREEN
NATURAL TREATMENTS FOR SEASONAL ALLERGIES BY SURI SPREI
HHP, NC ג"פשת ןסינ APRIL 2023 GELLER Polish workers unearthed a box containing hundreds of Jewish treasures from the Holocaust.While all of you are busy shopping, chopping, and cleaning for Pesach, our residents at Boro Park Center (BPC) are doing the same. Surprise! Being at a rehab doesn’t absolve us of our duties as a frum yid, especially when it comes to the fun stuff! From the moment Purim festivities come to an end, we dive right into pesach planning. From matzah baking with the residents (yes-we do that here), to crafting our own Seder plates, one can definitely feel the Pesach spirit that permeates the BPC air.
Boro Park Center recently celebrated the completion of two sifrei torah in collaboration with Boro Park Bikur Cholim, and what an event that was. Dedicated to holocaust survivors, it was such an emotional and heartwarming experience. The photos in this publication speak for itself.
While BPC is renowned for its excellent rehabilitation department, among others, (such as recreation wink-wink ) I have chosen to interview our head of the rehab department, Jeff Grazybowski. Jeff describes what makes the rehab department at BPC stand out, and he explains the factors that attribute to the high success rates the facility is known for.
Suri Sprei, my personal health guru, is back with a full feature dedicated to pesach-related health. You will love the practical ideas she introduces to our readers. Kitchen cabinet organization hacks and soul-stirring stories are among the articles featured in this issue.
I have beautiful memories of my seder at home as a child, and the one thing that stands out is seeing my father shed tears as he recites L’shana Haba B’Yerushalayim. Knowing about this painful galus that we are in, and seeing the suffering of so many who are awaiting their personal yeshua, my fathers’ longing for the geulah has made a lasting Impression on me. When I recite those three words, I don’t merely recite it—I pray for something that is so overdue and needed.
Let’s hope and daven that this year, we experience the ultimate geulah!
L’shana Habah B’Yerushalayim!
At Boro Park Center, we practice a completely home-based approach to out-of-home rehabilitation and nursing care. Home means family, and our Center was founded on the idea that residents and their families should never be far apart. Come on in, Live HappyTM, and enjoy an environment made possible by compassionate caregivers, therapy specialists, and most importantly, friends and family.
Your comments and feedback are important to us so that we can continue to serve you as best as possible. Please email your comments to rpavlov@boroparkcenter.net
To my dear residents, family members, and community.
I wanted to take a moment to reflect on values and priorities—something that I believe we could all refocus and examine.
A story is told about a certain shul that was zocheh to have a wonderful Rav. The shul on Shabbos Hagodel was filled to capacity. Both men and women came in droves to hear the famous Rav known for captivating his audience with his oratorical skills. The speeches were always filled with lessons on self-improvement, designed to elicit emotion, to deliver a powerful message, but in the most gentle of ways.
The Rav began this particular drasha describing a man. This man desired to spiritually elevate himself and to further sanctify himself to the service of HKBH. So what did this man do? He decided that he needed to fast, to deprive himself of all sustenance. After all, the gemarah writes (Ta’anis 11a) that one who sits and fasts is called “kodosh.” He began his day with impassioned tfilah, asking for forgiveness and the ability to come closer to the RBSO. He then sat down to spend the rest of the day engrossed in Torah study. However, as the day progressed, he found himself growing weaker and weaker, and his ability to concentrate severely decreased. He actually had to stop learning, as he could not accomplish anything in his weakened state. After quickly reciting the requisite mincha and maariv tfilos, he rushed home, eagerly awaiting the sumptuous meal his wife prepared for the occasion.
He arrived home to no such meal. In fact, his wife had totally forgotten about her husband’s taanis and that he would be home earlier than
usual. Even the regular dinner she prepared was not yet ready. The man was livid. “How could you do this to me!” he bellowed. “Don’t you have any respect for your husband? Don’t you care at all? Don’t you realize what I put myself through today?” he screamed. His anger totally consumed him: any feelings of holiness that had been present earlier in the day were most definitely gone.
The Rav then delivered his message: “Look at this man: he wanted to engage in an activity that would lead to kedusha. But what happened? Instead, he squandered away a day of Torah study. Not only did he not respect his wife properly, but he denigrated her and lost his temper. The Chachomim have told us that those who lose their temper are like ovdei kochavim (idol worshipers) –and those who sin against their fellow man – even Yom Kippur cannot atone for those transgressions. This man, who thought that by engaging in a totally optional behavior, was doing something praiseworthy, ended his day by transgressing basic Torah precepts. Had he just studied Torah properly and kept his anger and haughtiness in check, he would have reached much greater heights than by engaging in a futile fast.”
The Rav continued to speak to a captivated crowd. Upon the conclusion of the lecture, a man approached the Rav and kissed him. He told the Rav “You speak the truth – the words of Hashem are in your mouth! The illustration you gave of the man who fasted – that is exactly what happened to me. I cannot tell you how glad I am to have heard your words. You have opened my eyes as to what is truly a priority in life. I now have to always remember that the most important things have to come first – that it is silly and counter-productive to engage in optional, laudatory practices if the result is going to be the transgression of basic Torah precepts.”
Rabi Avraham Dayan of Aleppo notes that the Pesach celebration
at the evening meal is called the “Seder.” “Se der” means “order.” We are supposed to learn from this order. After we have recited the main liturgy of the evening during the step of Magid, we then come to three different “eatings:” Matzo, Maror, and Korech. The order of these three steps, Rabi Dayan states, is noteworthy. First, we consume the matzo. The consumption of the matzo is a Mitzvah D’Oraisa. Next, we consume maror. The consumption of maror is a Mitzvah D’Rabanan. Last, we consume Korech, the maror sandwich. Doing such is a “custom,” albeit one we have accepted upon ourselves as obligatory. We see how we are to view miztvos from the order of the Seder: Those precepts contained in the Torah are our top priority. Then, we must be concerned with those precepts of rabbinic origin. Only once we have fulfilled these two mandatory levels can we engage in “minhag,” those practices that are not obligatory. The failure to keep these practices in their proper prioritization, as seen from the parable offered by Rabi Dayan, can have disastrous effects. That is the lesson of Matzo, Maror, and Korech.
In life we must remind ourselves what our priorities are. Sometimes we get lost in the mundane and we fail to see what our focus should be. May this Pesach remind us what is important and to see the big picture. Health, family, nachas, and our ultimate redemption should be our top priority this yom tov and throughout the year. A Gut Yontiff to all.
David Greenberg
Administrator
Let’s embark on a journey into past and present with tales to inspire your Pesach experience.
Wishing you a Chag Kasher VeSameach
by Slovie Jungreis-Wolff
On Pesach, we do not simply retell a story; We see ourselves as being the ones redeemed at this very moment. Here are four hidden messages to share at your table.
The Torah teaches us “And you shall tell your child on that day: it is because of this that G-d did for me when I came out of Egypt” (Exodus, 13; 8).
We are commanded to speak about all that happened that night of leaving Egypt. The events that led to freedom, the bitterness of slavery, the fight for survival, even understanding how we ended up traveling down to Egypt in the first place, are all part of our Seder.
Even if you don’t have children, if you are alone at the table, you must retell the story of the Exodus. Every single soul must be reminded that G-d redeemed us from Egypt. And just as we have been redeemed in the past, we will once again be redeemed. Seder night is a time of hope. There is no soul that has sunk so low that it has lost its connection to its Source. Every soul matters. You are vital to the completion of our nation. Tell yourself the story; remember it well.
G-d led us through the deep sea and the depths of the barren wilderness. Both share the quality of being uninhabited by humans. The message is most powerful.
We can create a dwelling place anywhere in the world. There is no home that is devoid of G-d’s presence if we so wish it. We should not allow past or present to make us feel bleak about our future. Some feel that they have gone too far or that negativity has overtaken them. Fear is paralyzing. Pesach gives us the strength to believe once again in ourselves and our connection to G-d. We can establish our ‘mikdash me’at,’ our sanctuary in miniature, no matter where we find ourselves. We begin the Seder with ‘kadesh,’ from the language of ‘kadosh,’ holiness. This is in our spiritual DNA.
At the Seder we celebrate thousands of years of Jewish survival despite the fact that “In every generation they stand up and try to destroy us.”
We drink four cups of wine. There are many symbolisms in the number four. Each cup is a hint to the four sources of virtue that ensured the future of our people.
If we desire to be a strong nation, despite persecution and exile, the key is not physical might or a strong army. Instead we must look at our spiritual reserves that parallel each cup of wine.
The Jewish people did not change their Hebrew names nor did they adopt non-Jewish names. They retained their language and held onto the ‘holy tongue.’
They maintained the sanctity of their homes and did not engage in illicit relationships. They were loyal to one another and felt each other’s pain.
To survive we must hold onto our identity. More than sending a child to Hebrew school, this means empowering ourselves and the next generation by living Jewishly. Ethics, kindness, character are all vital to family life but then there is the greatest classroom of all: Our home. I am saddened when I meet young people who are clueless when it comes to their Jewish identity. Parents who do not know how to transmit Judaism to the next generation simply because growing up it was not considered important enough. Or despite the knowledge, their Judaism has become another subject to do well in. The inspiration has gone missing.
Let us use the Seder as a springboard to reconnect with the beauty of our legacy. Let us rediscover the meaning of our Jewish names, the wisdom of our teachings and the values that have anchored us against the strong tides that pull us down.
We eat charoses, a sweet mixture made of apples, walnuts, wine, and cinnamon. Charoses symbolizes the mortar used by the Jewish nation to make bricks while enslaved.
But there is also a deeper and most beautiful meaning to the apples on our Seder plate.
Charoses symbolizes the apple trees under which the Jewish women gave birth. They concealed their pain so that they would not be detected by the Egyptians. The slavery and suffering had stripped the men of hope. They separated from their wives and thought that bringing children into such a dark world was pointless. It was the women who never gave up. They chose to give birth beneath the apple trees which first produce fruit and then protective leaves. They declared, with perfect faith, that they would do the same. First they would give birth to their fruit and undoubtedly they would be sheltered from Above.
The women sweetened the bitterness of harsh slavery. When tasting the maror we dip it into some charoses to remember this courageous message. Life is both bitter and sweet. The bitter is tempered through hope. Faith keeps us going.
This Pesach, engage yourself and to those around you. Tap into the meaning of the Hagaddah and free yourself from all that has bogged you down. Raise your Seder plate and lift yourself higher. Celebrate the birth of our people.
Boro Park Center invites our residents to join us for a
By: Rabbi Dovid Heber
Erev Pesach is one of the busiest and most unique days of the year. With every hour comes another set of halachos. Many halachic times, including the time for searching for chometz and the latest time for eating chometz, are well known. However, many halachos of Erev Pesach are often confusing and not commonly understood. The purpose of this article is to elucidate some of the lesser-known laws of Erev Pesach.
Note: These halachos apply to Erev Pesach that occurs on a weekday. If Erev Pesach occurs on Shabbos, special halachos apply to both Friday (13th of Nissan) and Shabbos (Erev Pesach).
1. Searching for Chometz- The opening line of Meseches Pesachim states that one should search for chometz on the night of the 14th of Nissan (i.e. the night before Pesach). This should begin immediately after nightfall (50 minutes after sunset for this application).
2. Eating Chometz- One may eat chometz until the end of the “4th halachic hour” of the day. There are different opinions regarding the calculation of the length of the day and halachic hour. Ideally, one should use the following calculation: One may eat chometz until the end of 1/3 of the “day.” For this application, the “day” begins 72 minutes before sunrise and ends approximately 50 minutes after sunset (in Baltimore and New York).
3. Burning and Selling Chometz- Chometz must be disposed of by burning or selling it before the end of the “5th halachic hour”- 5/12 of the day. Kol Chamira is recited following the burning, before the end of the 5th halachic hour. One should be aware of the following:
a. Once Kol Chamira is recited by the head of the household, no chometz may be eaten by anyone at home. For example, if the father
burns the chometz and recites Kol Chamira at 8:30 a.m., he and his family (even if they are not at home) may no longer eat chometz. Everything must be put away by that time.
b. Be cognizant of the latest times. All times apply to chometz eaten at any location. One year, the gentile owner of a doughnut shop told the Star-K that he saw individuals eating doughnuts in their cars after the latest time for eating chometz. Also, chometz should not be burned at the last second. This is true whether one burns chometz outside his home or at a public biur chometz.
4. Chometz in the Mail- If one receives chometz in the mail or with the newspaper on Erev Pesach (after the 5th halachic hour) or on Pesach, one should not assume ownership of the item but rather leave the chometz outside. If mail is delivered through a mail slot into one’s home, he should have the intent not to acquire the chometz (i.e. not taking legal possession) and kick it or push it outside with a stick to avoid handling it. If it is still around after Pesach, he may assume ownership at that time and use it, provided that the sender is a gentile.
5. Kashering on Erev PesachIdeally, all kashering should be completed by the end of the
4th halachic hour. If one forgot to kasher before this time, he may kasher the vessel until candlelighting time on Erev Pesach with the following condition: The vessel did not come into contact with anything hot (whether Kosher L’Pesach or not) within the past 24 hours. In the event the vessel came into contact with something hot within the past 24 hours, or if one requires kashering of a chometz vessel on Pesach, a rav should be consulted.
6. Finding Chometz on Erev Pesach- There is a well known halacha that states if one finds chometz on Chol Hamoed or on Erev Pesach after the 5th hour, one should immediately burn it. On Yom Tov, one should cover the chometz (because it is muktza) and burn it after Yom Tov. This halacha applies only if he did not sell his chometz to a gentile. However, if he sells chometz to a gentile the sale includes all chometz, wherever it may be found. Therefore, if one discovers pretzels in a drawer or bagel chips in a coat pocket during Pesach, he may not burn this chometz since it belongs to the gentile to whom the rav sold the chometz. Rather, he should store the item with the “locked up” chometz sold to the gentile. On Yom Tov, one should cover it and lock it up on Chol Hamoed. It may be eaten after Pesach when the chometz is repurchased.
1. One may not eat even Kosher for Pesach matzoh all day Erev Pesach. This prohibition begins at dawn (72 minutes before sunrise). There are many individuals who have the custom not to eat matzoh beginning from Rosh Chodesh Nissan or even Purim. A child under the age of six may eat matzoh even on Erev Pesach.
Products containing matzoh meal that are baked (e.g. matzoh meal cake) may not be eaten all day Erev Pesach. Kosher for Pesach matzoh meal products that are cooked (e.g. knaidlach) may be eaten until the
beginning of the 10th halachic hour of the day- three halachic hours before sunset. One who does not eat gebrochts on Pesach may only eat knaidlach and other cooked matzoh meal products until the latest time for eating chometz. He may not eat baked matzoh meal products all day.
Matzoh made with fruit juice, including Kosher for Pesach egg matzohs, grape matzohs, chocolate matzohs and Pesach Tam Tams, etc. may be eaten until the end of the 4th halachic hour (same as the latest time for eating chometz). The sick or elderly who cannot eat regular matzoh and have consulted with their rav may eat Pesach egg matzohs any time on Erev Pesach and Pesach. However, even such an individual cannot fulfill the obligation of eating matzoh at the seder with these matzohs.
Meat, fish, salad, cheese, eggs, horseradish, fruits, vegetables, and potato starch cakes may be eaten until sunset. However, one should not fill up on these items so as to ensure a hearty appetite at the seder. He may drink wine or grape juice on Erev Pesach in quantities that will not affect his appetite at night.
2. All firstborn males (whether from the father or mother) must fast on Erev Pesach. A father must fast in place of his firstborn child who is between the ages of thirty days and bar mitzvah. The custom is to end the fast early by partaking in a siyum. Firstborn girls do not fast, and a mother does not fast for her first born son (under bar mitzvah when the husband is a b’chor) if her husband or son attends a siyum.
3. Preparations for the seder including roasting the z’roa meat, cooking and roasting the egg, mixing the salt water, preparing the charoses, grating the horseradish, and all necessary b’dikas tolaim (checking lettuce for bugs), should preferably be done before Pesach as special restrictions apply to preparing these items on Yom Tov. If the first day of Pesach falls on Shabbos, the z’roa and baitzah must be prepared before Shabbos. Additional restrictions apply to the preparations of the other items on Shabbos.
4. If one has a difficult time drinking wine at the seder, one should mix the wine with grape juice and/or water. Ideally, this mixture should contain a minimum of 4% alcohol. Therefore, if the wine has 12% alcohol content, he should make a mixture consisting of 1/3 wine, 1/3 grape juice and 1/3 water (or 1/3 wine and 2/3 grape juice). He must be aware that many wines available have a lower alcohol content. Therefore, if the wine has an 8% alcohol content he should make a mixture consisting of 1/2 wine, 1/4 grape juice and 1/4 water (or 1/2 wine and 1/2 grape juice). Wine with 6% alcohol content requires 2/3 wine and 1/3 grape juice. If one prepares these mixtures with a measuring cup, it should be
done before Yom Tov. If one may become ill by drinking any wine, he may instead drink grape juice.
5. One may not say, “This meat is for Pesach,” as this may appear as if he is designating meat for the Korbon Pesach. Rather one should say, “This meat is for Yom Tov.”
During the days of the שדקמה תיב, the חספ ןברק was brought on Erev Pesach after chatzos (midday). Therefore, various תוכאלמ (work activities) are prohibited during this time. Although there is no שדקמה תיב at the time of this writing, the prohibitions remain intact and are similar to the prohibitions of Chol Hamoed (with several exceptions). The following is a list of those תוכאלמ that apply to Erev Pesach after תוצח:
1. During Chol Hamoed, a טוידה השעמ, simple work, may be performed only if it is דעומה ךרוצל, for the sake of the holiday. For example, one may fasten a hook to the wall on Chol Hamoed to hang up a picture to beautify one’s home for Yom Tov. Similarly, one may assemble an afikomen present of a tricycle on Chol Hamoed for a toddler to ride on Chol Hamoed. However, under normal circumstances one may not perform a טוידה השעמ if it is not דעומה ךרוצל. For example, one may not fix a broken chair that will not be used until after Pesach. Also, before Pesach one may not plan ahead and postpone a טוידה השעמ activity for Chol Hamoed even if the activity is דעומה ךרוצל. These halachos also apply to Erev Pesach after chatzos.
2. During Chol Hamoed, in most cases, one may not perform a ןמוא השעמ, a skilled task requiring a craftsman, even ךרוצל דעומה. For example, installing siding or laying bricks are not permissible, even to beautify the home in honor of Yom Tov.
There are some major exceptions where even a ןמוא השעמ is permissible on Chol Hamoed. This includes לכוא ךרוצל שפנ (e.g. repairing an oven that broke and could not be fixed before Yom Tov) to avoid major financial loss (e.g. repair a roof to avoid structural or flood damage from rain), and in certain cases ףוגה ךרוצל (e.g. fix an only pair of eyeglasses or repair the only toilet in the house). These halachos also apply to Erev Pesach after chatzos.
However, there is one major difference between Chol Hamoed and Erev Pesach. On Chol Hamoed, one may not hire a gentile to perform the above noted skilled tasks. On Erev Pesach this is permissible
דעומה ךרוצל. For example, a major car repair (e.g. rebuilding a transmission) may be performed by a gentile on Erev Pesach, even after
תוצח), if it is דעומה ךרוצל (e.g. for a Chol Hamoed trip). Under normal conditions, asking a gentile to perform such a task on Chol Hamoed is prohibited.
3. Laundry, Dry Cleaning, Haircuts & Shaving – In general, these four activities may not be performed after תוצח on Erev Pesach or during Chol Hamoed. However, after תוצח on Erev Pesach one may ask a gentile to perform these tasks דעומה ךרוצל Therefore, if one forgot to shave, get a haircut or wash/dry clean clothing he may ask a gentile to do so for him ךרוצל דעומה (i.e. go to a gentile barber or dry cleaner). However, a gentile may not perform these tasks for a Jew on Chol Hamoed even דעומה ךרוצל.
4. Drying clothes in a dryer and ironing clothes (except pleats) are classified as a טוידה השעמ and are permissible on Chol Hamoed and Erev Pesach after chatzos, under the conditions mentioned above (דעומה ךרוצל, etc.).
5. It is preferable to clip finger nails and toe nails before תוצח on Erev Pesach. דבעידב, this may be done all day. If one clips nails on Erev Pesach, he/she may clip them again on Chol Hamoed. If this was not done on Erev Pesach, the nails may not be clipped on Chol Hamoed unless it is הוצמ ךרוצל, (e.g. הליבט).
6. Picking up serviced goods (e.g. at the tailor, shoemaker or dry cleaners) is רתומ all day Erev Pesach. Regarding Chol Hamoed, a rav should be consulted. In years when Erev Pesach occurs on Wednesday, an Eruv Tavshilin should be prepared. Some people have the custom of studying the laws and reciting the order of the חספ ןברק after Mincha on Erev Pesach. May the next חספ לילו ברע be the busiest ever, with a new Bais HaMikdash, ז�ה ןמ םש לכאנו הרהמב םיחספה ןמו םיחב ונימיב
"Get off my mattress,” I remember screaming at my sister, hoping that one of my parents would hear. For years we spent every Pesach at my grandparents' home, with all of my uncles, aunts, and cousins. They did not have a big house and the floors of the four bedrooms were lined with sleeping bags and mattresses. The sedarim and meals were hectic and took forever because everybody had to be served and recite the things that they learned. Ma Nishtana itself took over an hour and the Afikoman negotiations were always lively. It was tight, the food was not gourmet, there were not five options at each meal. It was mostly chicken and kugel. And yet these memories are still the fondest of all Psach’s since. Although I have spent most Pesach Yamim Tovim at our home since we got married, it seems that we are the exception to the rule. Many, if not most, families
choose to go away for at least a part of the Yom Tov. Of course some people have no choice as they are unable to make Yom Tov. Others want to spend the holiday with their family and their home simply cannot accommodate everyone. These days people don’t just fill up hotels all over the world. Orlando hosts close to a hundred thousand frum Jews every year. They rent beautiful villas with state of the art pools and spend luxurious Yamim tovim often even with catering.
For many those locations, hotels, and villas make for the perfect yamim tovim. But sometimes those Yamim Tovim turn into nightmares where things go wrong and they wish that they had stayed home. Today we are sharing those stories of some of our readers.
As pesach was only two months away, I began to have my yearly (light) meltdown. For some people, two months is an eternity, but I am the overprepared type and everything has to be planned to the smallest detail. Pesach is always a difficult Yom Tov. Baruch hashem, we have a large family, and have toddlers and married children and even a few grandchildren. Because of that, cleaning is already a hassle. By the time the last room is clean, the first one is filled with crumbs again. But first I have to try and find a cleaning lady. Even when I had a full time cleaning lady, someone I knew offered her an outrageous sum to work for her from Purim and on. Therefore if I have a cleaning lady, I offer her a raise in advance of the Yom Tov. All my cleaning help sagas are enough to support one therapist for a lifetime.
Then we have to figure out which children are coming for which days. Sometimes we can’t accommodate their wishes because our respective mechutanim have their own cheshbonos, and their availability clashes with ours. Satisfying all my children, or at least making sure that they don’t fight amongst themselves is a balancing act that I do not look forward to.
Then, of course, there's the shopping and cooking. I have to admit that I don’t mind the shopping so much. It's always exhilarating to browse the new products whether it be food or appliances. But to have to keep inventory and make sure that I buy enough to have plenty but not so much that we have leftovers, which nobody will touch once the clock strikes zero (motzoei pesach), is difficult. But we are by no means wealthy and I do not want to waste thousands of dollars.
As I was freaking out, while trying to make lists of what had to be taken care of, my husband walked into the kitchen, with a mysterious grin on his face. “How are the Pesach preparations coming?” he asked. I thought he was mocking me and was ready to yell, when he pulled out a paper from his pocket. It had a bunch of names and dates on them. “These are our flight reservations to Orlando for Pesach,” he said as his grin turned into a beaming smile. “I also booked a villa with a bunch of bedrooms and a beautiful pool. There will be space for all the children.”
My immediate reaction was an instant calm because
with this surprise, my husband solved a bunch of the problems. My house won’t have to be cleaned. We did not have to split our heads on how to accommodate our children; they could all come at the same time because of the extra bedrooms in the villa. I was elated and so grateful to my husband. It felt as if I had a huge weight come off my shoulders. The next day we let our children know and they were all in. Their excitement was palpable even through the phone, and that made me feel even better. But the serenity would not last.
A few days later I called a friend that had been going to Orlando for years to find out what pitfalls I have to be aware of. After only a few seconds my heart sank, and I thought I would faint. “You should pre-cook much of your food because you are only getting here a couple of days before Pesach, and then you still have to clean, and turn over the kitchen. Usually these homes don’t have enough fridge and freezer space. You should ship your food in your fridge and freezer to the house in Orlando,” she said naturally, as if it was the easiest thing in the world. And the thought of having to clean a huge villa in just over a day was almost enough to make me faint.
My husband came home and found me slumped on the couch, teary eyed feeling sorry for myself, while at the same time feeling guilty for letting him down because of my fear of all this work. “These are professionally cleaned Villas. All we have to do is kasher the kitchen,” he said, soothingly, trying to calm me down. “We will kasher our kitchen here early and eat takeout for all that time.” And regarding shipping our appliances he said that there are services for that. Hearing those things did cheer me up and I regained most of my enthusiasm for the trip.
A few weeks before Pesach I began shopping and then turned over our kitchen ridiculously early. But it allowed me to cook many of our side dishes and the more complicated recipes as well. I was not going to shlep too many pots all the way to Florida. Each dish that was cooked was wrapped, vacuum sealed, and frozen. All the raw meats were frozen as well. My freezer was methodically filled with our pesach food and I felt that I was ready for Pesach to begin. My nerves had completely calmed.
A few days before Pesach we loaded our refrigerator and our freezer onto a truck together with the rest of our food. Other supplies along with clothing were
shipped on a different truck. That night we packed up our luggage and were ready to fly the next morning. Our trip went smoothly, as did the car rental, and we received instructions from the agent on how to access the Villa.
As we turned down the street of our Villa, we spotted another frum family unloading a van and were excited that other frum Jews were on our block. As we kept driving towards the address we got a horrible feeling. The family was unloading their van into OUR villa. My husband jumped out of our rental car and introduced himself to the head of this family. After speaking to him for a minute it seemed that the villa had been double booked. We called our agent who assured us that this was the only villa he rented out in this development. The other person told my husband that his agent assured him that this was the right home and he wasn’t budging.
We were sitting in our car in shock, stunned, and unable to speak, waiting for our agent to call us back. Our car was fully loaded and we had nowhere to go. I had planned on already cleaning the house, setting up the rooms, scrubbing the kitchen in preparation of kashering, and lining the cabinets. Now I was stuck with my family in the car, outside what was supposed to be our dream villa, unsure of what will be with our Yom Tov. Finally our agent called with bad news. It seemed that the other agent called the owner and told them that he could command a much greater price for the home and they agreed. My husband confirmed with the other family and they confirmed that they paid more than double what we paid. Even though we booked first, they were adamant about not leaving, saying that they already paid and they couldn’t go anywhere else. Our agent said that the owners would refund the full amount, but they would not give us the villa unless we agreed to pay more. Since there was no time to go to court we realized that we were not getting this home, and our agent tried valiantly to find us another house. While we were angry and frustrated we realized that we could not blame him
because he was betrayed as well, however it was still his responsibility to find a replacement.
In the meantime we checked into a Hotel, and started making calls on our own trying to find a home. The next morning a new problem arose. Our truck arrived and wanted to drop off our stuff at the address we had provided. While we wanted them to come to the hotel. Our fridge and freezer had to be plugged in, because the food began thawing slightly. Baruch hashem we had friends that also came to Orlando and they allowed us to store our boxes and appliances by them until we found another house. The next day, the day before Pesach, our agent found a house for us, but there were some drawbacks. First, the house was just used by tourists and would have to be cleaned. The second, a much greater concern, was that there were only three bedrooms. That presented a problem because some of our married children would overlap in their stays here. But at that point we had no choice, and while my husband went to shlep our boxes, luggages, and appliances from our friends, one of our sons and I went to WalMart to buy a grill because we couldn’t clean and kasher the stove-top in time.
After setting up the home, cleaning the rooms, and preparing the kitchen, we turned on the self-cleaning function on our oven and started cooking on the grill, suddenly the electricity went out. The entire home. The only light came from our phones and the fire from our propane grill. I walked out onto the street and saw that the entire block, probably more, was affected by it. At that point I could not keep my composure and started sobbing, and my husband looked like he wanted to join. My children were hysterical and he tried to calm them as best he could but it was to no avail. They too had undergone the ordeal of the last two days. After a few minutes I regained some of my composure and focused on cooking, because that allowed me to feel somewhat normal. It turned out that the blackout was pretty widespread, because the grid was not used to so many electrical appliances working at full speed,
When the electricity went out the day before Pesach, I slumped into bed and sobbed uncontrollably. My husband tried to console me, but all I wanted was my home in Brooklyn, with all its flaws. It was still better than this.
especially all the ovens being set to self clean. The next few hours were terse and hectic, we tried to make Yom Tov as best we could. When the electricity came back on we finished kashering and did bedikas chametz. Pesach came and it passed by mostly uneventfully, with some more hiccups, with the lack of bedrooms, and general lack of space but we learned a lesson: There’s no place like home!
Rivky’s story
Growing up in a small apartment in Brooklyn, we always had Pesach at home. When my older siblings got married, they had to stay with neighbors in order to spend Yom Tov with us. Once their families grew and my parents could not find suitable accommodations for them, they began making Yom Tov on their own. After I got married it was the same. The first few years we spent part of Yom Tov with my parents, but after we had two children we had to make yom tov ourselves. As our family grew and our children matured, I told my husband that although we had only a small home I always wanted to spend Pesach with our children, and he agreed. Even though we were not wealthy, this was important to us. Once our children grew older and got married, our home was too small to hold all of our progeny so we decided to go to a hotel.
Those days, hotels were not a commonplace and most of them were not fancy destinations. Many of them were quite simple and they accommodated people who could not make Yom Tov or needed company. There was no entertainment, no choir or chazzan, or any other attractions. There was no twenty four hour tea room, or multiple protein choice at every meal. The menu was simple, but good. For many years we attended the same hotel and we were very satisfied having all of our children and grandchildren around us. One year my husband’s business took off and baruch hashem he became extremely successful. We were able to buy a new home that was much larger so that we could accommodate our entire family.
That first year after we had just moved in, we attended the same hotel that we did all those years. The next year we required additional rooms due to our families continued growth, but the hotel informed us that they did not have enough rooms for us. At first I recoiled in frustration since we were their best customers and it would be easier for others that only needed one
room to find an alternative option. But then I realized that we could make pesach at our new home and I suggested this to my husband who was slow to agree. “I don’t mind, but you have not made Pesach in many years. Also the idea of having all of our grandchildren at our new home sounds good, but won’t you be worried about the sparkling clean walls and pristine furniture? Pen marks can be difficult to remove.” His caution and words of wisdom resonated with me but still I countered, “where should we go? All the other places are extremely costly.” My husband just smiled and said, “Let that be my worry.”
The only place that was not yet booked up that had still sufficient space for us was in California, and I was uncomfortable already when I read the brochure. All the entertainment was first rate and the food was going to be extravagant. Although my husband was very successful and we did buy a new home, we still lived pretty simply. We did not go on any extravagant vacations or make lavish purchases. I wasn’t sure about the crowd and whether we, and especially our children, would fit in. After consulting with the entire family the decision was made to go.
We booked all the flights and I started getting excited about our trip. A couple of weeks before going, I received a cryptic call from my son asking if they can buy new clothing for Yom Tov. I was startled that he would ask me. Although he was learning in kollel he never asked for support, although we made sure to help out. Since it was so out of character for him I quickly acquiesced. Later that week one of my daughters stopped by and started mumbling about a bunch of unconnected things. I sensed that she had something on her mind and was trying to find a way to bring it up. Not wanting to scare her off I simply let her continue and finally she voiced what was bothering her. “Since the
decision was made where to go for Yom Tov I have been having nightmares. I heard about fancy Pesach programs, and supposedly it is a lot of pressure and keeping up with the Joneses.” I too heard horror stories about such programs, but we heard that this specific crowd was not like that, and even if the information turned out to be inaccurate, we mainly wanted to spend time with each other, and I told my daughter as much. This seemed to calm her down, and to be honest, I calmed down myself.
When we arrived at the hotel, we were blown away by the sheer luxury and extravagance. There was a welcoming buffet that had any dish that I could imagine. There was a sushi bar, a bunch of different carving stations with all types of meats that were cooked to a perfect medium rare, a sandwich station that had kosher for Pesach bread and made you any sandwich you asked for. They had a bar which was limited to mostly wines and the few different kosher spirits that are kosher for Pesach. The rooms were beautiful, modern, and had a fully stocked mini bar with drinks and snacks that were free. In the lobby there was a grocery store that had fridges with drinks, fresh snacks, shelves laden with snack bags, and all the kosher newspapers and magazines. But there was no register. Everything was included with the room price.
Davening was beautiful the first night of Pesach. The Chazzan was better than advertised, and they had a choir that harmonized beautifully with him. Our entire family came to the seder on a high from the davening. But looking around I did feel a little uncomfortable. Men were walking around in custom suits and bekishes, with the newest in hats and shtreimels, big
gaudy watches hanging off their wrists. The women didn’t wear regular shabbos clothing, they walked around in evening gowns and they were adorned with sparkling bright jewelry that sported huge diamonds and other gemstones. The type that I would never allow myself to buy. My stomach turned into knots and I began to have an uneasy feeling but I told myself that I was being paranoid and all the people here are lovely.
The seder took off without a hitch. Tables in the stunning ballroom were spaciously separated and the men were able to sing and say divrei torah without bothering anyone else. The children all got their four questions in without too much drama. The meal was supremely delicious and extravagant. Every course had multiple options and each was better than the next. Waiters hovered near the table and catered to our every whim. In the middle of the meal our oldest son excused himself for a minute and when he came back his face was ashen pale. It seemed like he just fell ill. I asked what happened but he waved me away, like he did not want to talk about it. For the duration of the seder I tried to keep an eye on him and although his color returned his eyes kept turning toward the far end of the hall. I tried to sneak a peek without him noticing but I could not detect anything that he would look at. The rest of the seder was beautiful and uneventful.
After the seder when the children had already gone to sleep, I pulled my oldest son to the side and asked him why he came back so pale from the bathroom. At first he tried to dismiss my questions as me being paranoid but he quickly relented and whispered, “Raizy is here.” I almost fainted and said, “You must be mistaken. There is no way!” “It is her. I saw her and then looked at the table and saw her parents.” My oldest son used to be married to Raizy for a very short time and the divorce unfortunately got messy. Nachi was unhappy immediately and wanted to get divorced but Raizy and her family felt it could be worked out. Once they realized that he wouldn’t change it became nasty. Baruch Hashem, it did resolve quite quickly but the process did leave its marks. To have them here for Yom Tov was unthinkable.
But this would just be the first of our troubles. The next morning, a manager of the program approached my husband after davening and asked to speak to him for a minute. He began by apologizing profusely and let my husband know that someone complained about the noise level coming from our table and that we would have to rein it in somewhat. My
husband was stunned to hear this and insisted that we did not make excessive noise and the manager agreed but said that if it bothered the people who were bothered it was his duty to make sure that we lowered our noise. Shocked by this treatment, my husband had no response and came to tell me about it. I tried to calm him down but he was livid, telling me that for the twenty years that we went to the other hotel we never had any issues. Here he was spending in the six digits and was being treated like a trespasser. Once we went to the kiddush he calmed somewhat, but there we ran into our former mechutanim.
The lesson I took from that Pesach is that although some places are gaudy and having a Yom Tov catered with anything one could hope can be nice, there still is no place like home.
Suddenly he was standing next to Raizy’s father, whom my husband held was at fault for the divorce fiasco and suffice it to say, did not hold him in high regard. I tried to put myself in front of him and make some bland small talk while steering my husband away and was successful, but the feeling of having to constantly be aware next to whom I was standing was exhausting. But that was not the end of the kiddush trouble. My daughter in law pointed out that everyone seemed to be wearing a different sheitel than last night. I looked around and realized that she was right, and it added to my feeling of not belonging.
The meal again was scrumptious, and it took my mind off what happened earlier. After a short nap I went to check out the tea room and suddenly felt very self conscious. I noticed that everyone there wore another stunning dress different from the one they wore just a couple of hours ago during the day meal, while I was wearing the same thing. On top of that, I was the only one wearing a tichel. My face suddenly felt warm and my cheeks were burning up. For some reason I felt self conscious and was embarrassed. In my head I knew that I was being stupid and their standards were shallow and empty, yet I still couldn’t help but wanting their approval.
For the seder I put on another dress and chose to wear more jewelry than I usually would. My husband noticed and excoriated me for falling into this trap. But I felt that this was only to make me feel comfortable for a few more days, until the end of Yom Tov. Back in the ballroom the scene was as lavish as the first
night. The food was outrageous and the people were once again dressed for a black tie event. Although I did not feel underdressed I still felt like I needed to prove something and I hated myself for it. After the seder one of my daughters in law commented on my appearance and said, “I also felt like these people are better than me but thinking of you and how even though baruch hashem are well off always stayed away from unnecessary luxuries and ostentatiousness. You have beat them all these years; don’t let them get you now.” At first these words stung me like no comment ever did, but then as I thought about what she said I gained resolve, and was proud of her and also myself a little bit, and I thanked her profusely for her comments and her courage to tell them to me, her mother in law.
Aside from a couple of awkward encounters between my son and his ex-wife, including one very public disagreement, the rest of Yom Tov passed by uneventfully. Although it still was uncomfortable and sometimes I would feel self conscious about how underdressed I felt compared to the rest of the crowd, but I ignored it and tried to focus on our family and enjoy our Yom Tov. But next year I will definitely make use of our new and spacious home. In our home there are no standards to live up to and there will be no awkward encounters. The lesson I took from that Pesach is that although some places are gaudy and having a Yom Tov catered with anything one could hope can be nice, there still is no place like home.
Dina Kraus wrote this letter to her father from the sanitarium in Sweden where she was recovering, only four months after her own liberation, near death, from Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp in northern Germany. It expresses not only a delirious joy in finding a parent alive after the nightmare of the Holocaust, but also the pleasure and pride of returning to her profession as a teacher. The dedication to Jewish learning and practice, and the desire to share and transmit it even under the brutal conditions that prevailed during the Holocaust, may well have been what helped Dina Kraus–and many other religious Jews–remain alive through their ordeal.
Born in 1920 in Ungvar, a city in the Carpathian Mountains in what was then Czechoslovakia, Dina grew up in a strictly Orthodox family, excelled in her Jewish studies, and graduated from the Beth Jacob Hebrew Seminary, where she trained to be a teacher. She taught at Jewish schools, tutored privately, and then, as restrictions on Jewish activity increased, she returned home from Budapest to be with her family.
Following the Nazi occupation of Hungary in March 1944, all the Jews of Ungvar were ordered in April to leave their homes. They were forced into a brick factory, used by the Nazis as a ghetto area. From here, when the deportations began, Kraus’s family was broken up, and she was transported to Auschwitz-Birkenau in May. After several weeks, miraculously, she was able to discover and even communicate with her younger brother, Jidu, who had survived in the children’s block in Camp D of the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex. Of this moment, she wrote:
Facing us came a group of small children carrying bricks. Among them was also my little brother in striped camp uniform …. We could see each other daily, throw letters to each other, and console and give hope to each other. He was so serious, sometimes I could not believe that he was my younger brother, who not long ago was the little, immature Jidu.
In September 1944, with the Germans relying more than ever on slave labor provided by the camp inmates, Dina Kraus was sent to a labor camp, Unterluss, near Hannover, in northern Germany.
Because of her fluency in German, she was assigned to be the clerk in the barrack and the distributor of the daily ration of soup. One day, as Pesach, the festival of freedom, approached, a group of girls in the barrack asked her if she would conduct a secret seder.
Dina Kraus set about organizing the telling of the Pesach story in the barrack. Like any good teacher, she prepared. She drew on her memories of all the seders she had attended and taught about, and she summoned up the texts and the liturgy from her memory.
Then, with a pencil, she wrote down extensive sections of the Haggadah of Pesach: Hashatah avdei, l’shanah habah benai chorin – “This year we are slaves, but next year we will be free.”
It is hard to imagine the spiritual impact such words celebrating the promise of Jewish freedom had on the girls and young women in Dina Kraus’s barrack. Urgently hushed, hummed, and whispered under the noses of the camp guards, who would have punished them severely for this infraction, these words were likely also being uttered in similar secret seders throughout the camp network of the Nazi forced labor and killing centers in occupied Europe.
Kraus survived and was liberated by British troops at BergenBelsen, where she had been transferred after Unterluss. After liberation, she thought again and often about Jewish learning. For it now began to re-center her life:
"In Bergen-Belsen I was deadly sick with typhus …. Only when the British left did I really know that I am alone …. Yet I was in a hospital in Malmoe Sweden] for three weeks, it was in a school. … Slowly I found in myself a wish to return to real life, and when I heard that they were looking for a teacher for the refugee children coming to Sweden, I signed up …. I am writing you now, dear father, from my new position."
Dina Kraus’s brother, Jidu, and her mother both were murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau. She and her father immigrated to the United States in 1946. Her handwritten Haggadah is witness to the power of spiritual resistance in the shadow of death.
Page from the handwritten Haggadah by Dina Kraus. Kraus wrote from memory, on illegally obtained paper, most of the Haggadah.
“Beautiful family you’ve got there,” the photographer declared as he snapped pose after pose. It was the afternoon of my son’s wedding, and there we were, every bow and yarmulke in place. As my gaze swept over my seven daughters clad in identical gowns that they themselves had sewn, my breath caught in my throat.
Time flies—soon they, too will be entering the tumultuous world of shidduchim.
The chassan, Yossi, flashed me a smile, laden with meaning. My heart melted as I bade the tears to stay put.
But later, when I saw his kallah—a vision in white—they refused to obey.
I hugged this sweet neshamah, rivulets of tears streaming down my face as the past two decades flashed through my mind.
Did Yissocher and I ever dream we would find such a perfect complement to our complex son? And that he would emerge from his teenage years, stronger than ever?
At that moment, I felt like composing our own unique shirah to the One Who split the sea for us, much like our ancestors did after their miraculous redemption.
Like his Biblical namesake, Yossi was blessed with a rare charm from the time he was born. Whenever I’d take him outside, people would stop to comment on his golden curls, enor-
mous chocolate-colored eyes, and dimpled cheeks. As he grew older, his many talents became obvious; he was an extremely musical, creative child.
He attracted friends like bees to nectar. Everyone was mesmerized by his winsome personality—and his Houdini-like stunts.
Truly, a wonder boy in every sense of the word.
But as I was to learn later on, all these gifts were crucial tools he’d need to survive the tough years ahead.
The trouble began when he entered third grade.
Suddenly, his antics were not so adorable anymore. For the first time, his endearing smile held no power over his exasperated rebbi. Especially when Yossi’s carefully crafted airplane (admittedly, a fine specimen) literally took a nosedive, landing smack in the middle of the rebbi’s face.
Our phone started delivering all sorts of worrisome tidings. Yossi was sent to the principal twice in one week. Yossi failed his math test. Yossi could not sit still for one second.
We were completely perplexed. Yossi’s older brother, Simcha, was a model student—a well-mannered, obedient child. We’d only heard nachas reports about him from day one.
We had Yossi undergo a slew of evaluations. ADHD was ruled out, but the experts could not pinpoint his difficulty. Clearly, he was suffering from some sort of learning issue— but no one could give a definitive diagnosis.
As he struggled his way through cheder, all his rebbeim acknowledged that he was an enigma: an obviously bright boy gifted with street smarts and social intelligence who could not deal with the learning structure and testing system. He was able to grasp the material when it was taught one-on-one, but in the classroom setting he was pitifully lost.
There is nothing more heartbreaking for a mother than to watch her child encounter failure time and again. Yossi became the focus of my tefillos as he fell increasingly behind his peers while they advanced in their Gemara study.
Please, Hashem, help Yossi taste the sweetness of Your Torah! I’d murmur as I’d fold mounds of laundry or wash endless dishes. You can do anything. Please open up Yossi’s mind and help him understand!
What exacerbated Yossi’s situation was the constant comparison to Simcha, the star talmid.
“You’re Simcha Langer’s brother?” his rebbeim would ask in disbelief. “You definitely don’t, um…look like him!”
But at the same time, no one could deny that Yossi possessed a heart of the purest gold. It was he who saved a timid boy from a mean bully and built him up until he was a true
member of the team (his mother thanks me to this very day for the life-changing chessed Yossi did for her son).
Another time he came to me practically in tears, telling me of a ragged woman he’d seen begging for money on the street. He vowed to collect tzedakah for her and bring her food.
His sensitive soul could not bear to see others in pain.
Even when he plugged up the cheder’s drain so that a huge puddle could form on the floor, he still came early the next morning (equipped with a few plastic forks) to unclog it so the school should not sustain any permanent damage.
I’d hold on to these episodes to keep me strong each time the school called with another complaint. I tried my best to give Yossi healthy outlets for his excess energy that wasn’t being tapped in school: I allowed him to construct a whole ecosystem on our porch—he had a massive fish tank and chicken coop, not to mention cacti and all sorts of flora. And despite our tight budget, I bought him a drum set so he could pound away all his frustrations.
But if we thought cheder was a rough journey, mesivta was a thousand times more complicated. Now the stakes were much higher. It was one thing to be penalized for playing chess during class in cheder, quite another to flunk your third consecutive bechinah in mesivta. He floundered in misery for three years, his spirit becoming more deflated with each passing zman.
Yissocher and I understood that Yossi needed a small framework with lighter academic expectations. We did exten-
sive research and found such a yeshivah. The problem was that the boys there did not meet our expectations, so after only a month we withdrew Yossi from there.
We felt trapped. On the one hand, Yossi was not a bum and did not belong in a setting where the clientele struggled with the basics of Yiddishkeit. On the other hand, he was not on the same page as his yeshivish counterparts.
And so began our most challenging era yet.
Our sixteen-year-old son was home, with no yeshivah to attend.
Yossi’s mortification knew no bounds. What was so wrong with him, that he could not find a suitable yeshivah? He was forced to keep a low profile so none of his friends would realize that he was hanging around like some useless piece of machinery in the garage.
At that time, I gave birth to my ninth child. Instead of convalescing at the kimpeturin home like I usually did, I went straight home so I could keep tabs on Yossi’s whereabouts. I knew that a dejected bachur with too much time on his hands was a recipe for disaster.
Exhausted as I was with a newborn to tend to, keeping Yossi occupied was my foremost priority.
“Ma, I’m going out to find some good biking trails, okay?” he called one day, halfway out the door.
My brain raced into overdrive. “You know what?” I said brightly. “I was just thinking that it’s about time we painted this ceiling. How about I give you some money and you pick out some paints in the hardware store?”
I needed paint-splattered floors then like a hole in the head, but I knew such a project would keep him busy for at least a week or two. It did—in a Michelangelo-inspired fresco, he painted an ocean scene, with the waves blending in interesting patterns.
When that was done, I had him build a desk for the girls’ room…and then a shtender for the dining room. Most of all, I made myself available at any random hour to soothe and validate over hot cocoa and cookies.
Only late at night did I succumb to my tears and plead with Hashem to send Yossi a yeshuah. At the back of my mind, I recognized that as soon as we’d be able to remove our preconceived notion of the accepted standards—that’s when we would hit our breakthrough.
I consulted with my rebbetzin, a distinguished ba’alas eitzah. She advised me to give a “present” to Hashem, and add another tefillah each day. She bentched me warmly with hatzlachah. In addition to tefillah, I cut off an inch from my sheitel as another zechus for my dear Yossi.
And then we decided to send him to my parents who lived in Lakewood. My father, a veteran mechanech, spent
much time talking to him and trying to find a good learning method for him. My mother showered him with warmth and attention. My siblings, who lived close by, spent hours learning with him and boosting his morale. Away from the pressure and embarrassment of our hometown, he thrived under the loving, nonjudgmental care. He was learning at his own pace, and he was enjoying the give-and-take like never before.
Yet we knew this was only a bridge to a more permanent solution. Now that he had tasted success, he required the structure of yeshivah to bring his achievements to the next level.
His friends back home were impressed that he’d learned in Lakewood—and this restored his confidence significantly.
After a year or so, we took the bold step of sending him to a yeshivah for ba’alei teshuvah, a place renowned for its close-knit, warm environment. Frankly, I was terrified of what this would portend for his shidduchim, but we had to swallow our pride and accept the fact that this was what our son needed right then.
Baruch Hashem, the moment he stepped foot in there, he was an instant celebrity. As the only FFB bachur there, he was dubbed “Rabbi” and became the go-to address for all queries in halachah and hashkafah. These boys had seen the ugly world out there; they were hungry for the real thing. They could appreciate Yossi’s sincerity like no one else.
Yossi would take them to the forest and lead them in song with his guitar, or he’d get the whole dining room moving in a spontaneous dance.
We were astounded—and not a little amused—at his new status. Like the famous Chananya Yom Tov Lipa, he’d gone from being a zero to a hero, but without the aid of a magic yarmulke—though perhaps the magic touch of the wonderful hanhalah.
Our relief was vast. Yossi was happy, his rosh yeshivah was happy, and he was learning in an unconventional way that was the best possible fit for his personality.
At the same time, thoughts of shidduchim were constantly simmering in our conscience. Who’d want to marry a boy who walked down the street in Crocs, who spent his bein hazmanim stargazing with his telescope?
My Tehillim and I were inseparable; I sent up hundreds of tefillos that Yossi would merit to find a bas Yisrael who’d appreciate all his qualities and quirks.
I undertook new kabbalos as month after month passed with only peculiar suggestions coming our way.
And then, shortly before Sukkos, I told Yossi that as a gesture of hakaras hatov to his rosh yeshivah, he should go build him a sukkah. Yossi agreed readily and went over to begin the task.
While he was hammering away, the rosh yeshivah’s neighbor stopped in for a few minutes and noticed a personable young man, working energetically while singing contentedly. Without even knowing his identity, he suddenly had this thought that maybe his friend’s vivacious daughter, Riki, would be a great match for this bachur…
The rest is history.
If Riki’s European parents had any reservations about Yossi’s atypical background, the instant they met him, they were captivated by his joie de vivre and selflessness. We were ecstatic that he’d actually been zocheh to a truly ideal, Torahdig family who valued him like a prized gem.
Truth be told, Riki was more open-minded and animated than the average Bais Yaakov girl, but that is precisely why they were a pair made in Heaven.
Watching the two of them set up their new home filled us with an indescribable joy.
Today, Yossi is active in kiruv, inspiring the hearts of so many with his trademark charisma. He and Riki are partners in chessed, always seeking to benefit others in tangible ways.
It’s been a long, winding road; at last we have merited to see true Torah nachas from our precious son. But I had never lost faith in him all along—I always believed that one day he would be able to fulfill his potential.
Because every single child can reach the heights of Moshe Rabbeinu.
We have to daven for the right tools to encourage and elevate our children as they navigate through life’s bumps and potholes.
Perhaps our role as mothers is At pesach lo—offering our children an opening, a second chance to recreate themselves.
That’s what Hakadosh Baruch Hu offered us over three thousand years ago, and that’s why we are still here today, celebrating our redemption.
23 Polnocna Street in the central Polish city of Lodz is a rundown apartment building, one in a long row of pre-war buildings on a cobblestone street. A shocking discovery in December 2022 shed light on the building’s vibrant Jewish history.
Builders working on a renovation project unearthed a large wooden box buried in the yard behind the building. They found a virtual treasure trove: over 400 silver objects, including Kiddush cups, menorahs, Shabbat candlesticks, silverware, as well as some glass cosmetic containers, all packed in old newspapers.
There was no note, no instructions of where to send the items or any indication of who their owners might have been. “Those residents who buried these items did so most likely thinking that they would one day return for them, that they would be able to retrieve them,” Lodz’s Deputy Mayor Adam Pustelnik explained to reporters. The items once graced the homes of Jews who seemingly hastily buried them in the early days of World War II.
Looking at them, it’s almost possible to imagine the warm family scenes that played out during beautiful Shabbat dinners when these Shabbat candlesticks glowed with light and the Kiddush cups and cutlery helped make families’ Shabbat dinners warm and special.
BY DR. YVETTE ALT MILLER
For hundreds of years, Lodz was home to one of the world's largest Jewish communities. On the eve of World War II, Lodz – Poland’s third largest city – was an intensely Jewish place. About a third of its 1939 population, nearly 700,000 were Jews. Jewish schools, synagogues, youth groups, charities and clubs created a vibrant cultural and religious life. The city was home to Yiddish theaters and newspapers, and other Jewish periodicals printed in Polish and Hebrew. Chassidic Jews, secular Jews, idealistic Zionists all called Lodz home. The first Polish language Jewish high school was located there, as were yeshivas that taught in Yiddish, and Zionist training centers where the language was Hebrew. There was even an early kibbutz – Jewish communal farm – where Jews practiced farming skills before moving to the Land of Israel.
Life wasn’t easy. Lodz Jews realized that they were barely tolerated by their Polish neighbors.
The city was devastated during the First World War, and in the aftermath, government programs helped nonJewish residents rebuild – while ignoring the Jewish owned sectors in the city, particularly textiles, which was seen as a “Jewish” industry at the time. In the 1930s, antisemitism reached sky-high levels and attacks on Jews became common. Still, the Jews of Lodz managed to flourish,
maintaining their Jewish lifestyle and beliefs in the face of rising hatred.
Soon after Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, they started planning a Jewish ghetto in the northeastern part of the city. The border of the ghetto ran very near 23 Polocna Street, where the box was buried.
Starting in 1940, Jews from the rest of the city and areas as far away as Vienna, Luxembourg and Prague were systematically moved into the Lodz ghetto, ordered to pack a few items hastily and move to the designated area. Eventually, 230,000 Jews would be confined in a fenced off area measuring 1.5 square miles, as well as 5,000 Gypsies in a nearby subcamp. The ghetto was sealed off from the rest of the city by barbed wire fences.
There are many records of life in the ghetto. “In the ghetto we had no need for a calendar,” wrote one young girls in the ghetto, Sara Plagier, age 14. “Our lives were divided into periods based on the distribution of food: bread every eighth day, the ration once a month. Each day fell into two parts: before and after we received our soup. In this way the time passed.”
A bar mitzvah boy, Chaim Kozienicki, who was imprisoned in the ghetto, wrote: “The day of my Bar Mitzvah arrived. I put on the tefillin and I said the blessings. As a gift from my family I received half a loaf of bread. They wanted me to eat it right there and then, in their presence. I refused. I couldn’t even imagine for how long they saved it from themselves in order to give it to me. They decided that I had to eat it, and I ate it. I couldn’t look them in the eye because I ate their bread.”
Conditions inside the ghetto were appalling. There was no electricity or running water in the ghetto. Lodz was meant to be a “model” ghetto where Jews could prove their
worth by toiling in German owned factories, in primitive conditions. Even young children worked as slave laborers. Tens of thousands of Jews died from starvation and disease.
In 1942, the Nazis began deporting Jews from the ghetto to the nearby Chelmno death camp. The ghetto was “liquidated” in 1944 by the Nazi forces, when the remaining 60,000 Jewish residents were sent to Auschwitz and murdered. When Soviet forces entered the ghetto in 1945, they found 877 Jews alive there.
We’ll never know who stowed their family heirlooms at 23 Polnocna Street, just outside the ghetto’s walls. The mothers who lit candles each week in the buried silver candlesticks, the fathers who made Kiddush for their families and the children who gathered around their family tables were swept away in the horrors of the Lodz ghetto, murdered through slave labor, starvation or gassed in Nazi death camps.
Most of the uncovered artifacts are going to be displayed in Lodz’s Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography. “Most likely, these people lost their lives” in the Holocaust, Lodz’s Deputy Mayor explained. “Such stories are truly rare and precious and also are a great lesson for us all.”
Two of the items received new life this past Hanukkah: Lodz’s Jewish community arranged to have two of the menorahs lit publicly, the first time they were used in nearly a century, declaring to the world that after the horrors of the Holocaust, the Jewish community remains.
A few days after reading about this startling find, I prepared to light my own Shabbat candlesticks. They once belonged to my great aunt and were made in Poland before the Holocaust. Lighting them, I thought of the Lodz treasures savoring the privilege to light them and usher the peace of Shabbat into my home. I thought of the hundreds of thousands of Jews who were interred in the Lodz ghetto and were murdered – including my great grandfather. I wondered if one of the Kiddush cups in that box was his, stowed there in a desperate attempt to safeguard one of our family’s beloved items.
Using these precious Judaic items are the greatest tributes we can make to the Jews who buried them, hoping one day to celebrate Shabbat and Jewish holidays with them once more.
By Yossi Greenstein
A behind the scenes peek at one of the best equipped rehabilitation centers in North America
Make sure your home is prepared for Pesach with these cleaning and practical tips. 01 02 03 Cleaning Tips for Pesach Cabinet Organization Reed Diffusers DIY
If you need medical advice, you ring your doctor. Want a new hairdo? Swing by the salon. But if your closet feels cramped, your fridge smells funny, and your tiles look terrifying—who are you going to call? Grout busters? Turns out, just like fixing back pain and botched bangs, effective deep cleaning is a lesson best gleaned from the pros. That’s why we’ve reached out to the best in the biz for the ultimate spring-cleaning tips, tricks, and hacks for every room in your home, so you can literally clean like it’s your job.
1. Quickly clean and disinfect your sponge in the microwave: Fill the sponge with water, set it on a microwaveable plate, and nuke it for two minutes. Voilà: 99% of bacteria, gone.
2. Clean your vacuum and its attachments with a damp cloth and mild detergent. According to experts, you should already be cleaning your vacuum monthly. We mere mortals can use a damp cloth and mild detergent to wipe any dirt from the unplugged device. Clean specialty attachments with warm water and a bit of dish soap. Air dry all the attachments, except the rug piece. For the rug piece, use a white cotton utility cloth to wipe and scrub the brush and superficial underside. Then dry carefully with a clean towel. And don’t forget to change any full bags.
3. Sanitize your mop with vinegar. Start by rinsing the mop until the water runs clear. Then, place the mop into a bucket filled with 1-2 gallons of water, followed by a cup of vinegar. After letting it soak for 15 minutes, rinse with water again and air dry.
4. Bang out your broom. Clean your broom by thoroughly whacking it against a tree. Which, as a bonus, is pretty therapeutic. Afterward, soak the broom in a bucket loaded with warm, soapy water for 30 minutes. Then rinse it off and dry with a cloth, or place it bristles-up in the shower.
5. Refresh your garbage disposal with ice and citrus. Toss a few ice cubes down the drain while the disposal is on. This will also help clean the unit. Next, add a handful of lemon or orange peels (while the disposal is on) to eliminate any smells.
6. Make sure your dishwasher is running up to snuff. To revamp your dishwasher, fill a mug with vinegar or baking soda. Or you can do one of each. Place the mug(s) right side up in the top rack without other dishes, then run it for a normal cycle. If there’s a funny smell permeating your plates, run a normal cycle with detergent plus two cups of vinegar added to the base.
7. Freshen up your fridge with a natural mix. Combine two tablespoons of baking soda with one quart of hot water. Dip a sponge in the mix and wipe your fridge’s interior. Wipe the surfaces again with a separate damp cloth, and dry with a towel.
Warning: Steer clear of soap and detergents, which leave odors that food might absorb.
Odd smells emanating from old food? Scatter fresh coffee grounds on a tray and leave it inside your fridge until the odor dissipates.
8. Defrost your freezer in a flash by turning it into a sauna. Here’s a speedy, five-step process for defrosting your freezer:
1. Unplug your fridge or freezer unit and remove all frozen foods.
2. Line the bottom of the freezer with paper towels.
3. Fill a bowl or two with boiling hot water and place them on top of the paper towels.
4. Close the freezer door. The steam from the bowls will melt the frost. And in case you’re wondering, the paper towels will absorb the wetness.
5. Wipe the freezer down with a sponge and some all-purpose cleaner.
9. Use an eco-friendly alternative to your oven’s self-cleaning mode. Whip up a non-toxic paste of vinegar and baking soda. Apply it to any spills, let it sit
for at least an hour (preferably overnight), and wipe down with some elbow grease. Here’s some help if your racks are wrecked: Place them in your tub and cover them with hot water. Add a half-cup of vinegar and ¾ cup of dishwashing liquid soap, let the racks soak for two hours, and then rinse them off. Scrub any remaining bits with a brush.
10. Sprinkle this one ingredient to clean your stove top. Unplug cooled coils and wipe them down with a wet cloth or sponge. To get rid of grease buildup, coat with baking soda and wipe with a wet cloth. Wish there was an easy way to keep drip pans clean for future use? Cover them snugly with aluminum foil.
11. Rejuvenate your cabinets with simple ingredients you already own: Keep the cleaning process simple. Use hot water and a disposable cloth or paper towel to spot clean. To remove grease, mix a paste of 1 tablespoon baking soda, ½ tablespoon dish soap, and ½ tablespoon water. To clean smudges from glass-front enclosures, wipe them with a microfiber cloth and Windex.
12. The secret to getting gunk out of your coffeemaker is…
A 50/50 mixture of water and white vinegar. Halfway through the cycle, turn it off for at least 30 minutes — allowing the mixture to steam-clean your machine — before turning it back on to end the cycle. Finish with two or three cycles of only water.
1. Use this everyday product to revive your rugs. For spills on your rug, resist the urge to scrub. The best way to get out a stain in any rug, especially when it’s fresh, is to simply dab it. This pulls up any excess material that hasn’t yet settled. Then apply your secret weapon: shaving cream. Apply the cream directly to the stain, let it sit for 30 minutes, then do another dab. Spray the stain with a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water. Finally, wipe it dry.
2. Clear windows with this Windex alternative. Wash your windows on a cloudy day to avoid streaking. And forget traditional glass cleaner –mix 8 parts water to 1 part vinegar for a DIY solution. Then wipe the panes down with a coffee filter or newspaper.
3. Quickly wipe your blinds dry. Since most of what you’ll find on blinds is dust, keep the cleaning process dry. Use your handy microfiber cloth to wipe the convex side of your blinds from top to bottom. Then turn the rod and repeat on the other side. Or, cut your cleaning time in half by attaching a clean rag to tongs. Clamp the tongs on a blind to clean both sides of it at the same time. Finally, vacuum any spilled dust.
Use this awesome guide to declutter your closet.
1. Declutter your clothes by category. A fast, easy way to declutter your clothes is to sift through them by type. Tossing every piece of clothing you own into a massive fabric mountain on your bed is overwhelming and inefficient. Instead, separate your clothes into categories like skirts, dresses, tops, outerwear and accessories. Then sort through every item in a single category before moving on to the next. Why is this method better? Because it’s way easier to compare similar clothes when they’re all grouped together in front of you, making it easier to get rid of the things you know you have too much of or don’t want. As you go through your stuff, make a commitment
4. Take proper care of your hardwood floors. First, you’ll need to vacuum or dust. Next, fill a bucket with warm water and add ¼ cup of either white vinegar or all-purpose cleaner. Dip your microfiber towel in the solution, wring it out, and attach it to a mop handle. Important: Take special care not to get your floor too wet while cleaning. And be sure to wipe away any excess water when you’re done.
5. Freshen up your carpet’s look – and smell. No carpet powder? No problem. You can simply sprinkle baking soda on the carpet and vacuum after at least 30 minutes. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil for an extra fresh touch. For particularly stubborn stains, blot the area with club soda on a cloth, then spray it with a 1:1 mix of water and white vinegar. Rinse with just water and use your hands to readjust the carpet hairs in their natural direction. Dry with a paper towel.
to only keep the clothes you know you love and wear with frequency. If anything gives you reason to hesitate, toss it in a pile for donation.
2. Empty and clean your closet. Once you’ve made separate “donation” and “keep” piles for your clothes, shoes and accessories, give your closet a once-over and pull out anything else still lingering inside it. When only the occasional lone safety pin remains, dive in and give your closet a proper deep-clean. Vacuum the carpet, wipe down the shelves and scrub any scuff marks or dirt off the walls.
3. Design your ideal closet space. If you have the time and money for a full-blown closet renovation, go for it. If not, get creative to work with what you have. Take note of your
closet’s best features: maybe you have tons of vertical storage space, built-in shelving, or multiple hanging rods. Use these to your advantage. For the areas of your closet that aren’t so great — your hard-to-reach upper shelves or total lack of shelves altogether, for example — figure out what you can do to fix these problems. You can use a hanging shoe organizer to store t-shirts, and large plastic bins to store bathing suits, hats and swimming gear. Maybe your open-plan closet would benefit from plastic rolling drawers, or a small armoire tucked inside. If you have too many shelves and not enough hanging space, maybe you can remove a few shelves and hang hooks on the walls instead. The possibilities are infinite.
4. Store your clothes by category. This tip may seem obvious, but it makes all the difference when you want to locate your cozy gray sweater in a flash. Keep like items with like items. Store all your belts in the same spot, hang your dresses alongside each other, and keep your workout shirts separate from your pajamas.
5. Hang anything delicate, fancy, or sturdy. Maybe you have enough space to hang every single shirt you own, but if you don’t, then stick with hanging the obvious stuff. That means delicate items like dresses and skirts, fancy items like suits, and sturdy, structured pieces like coats and blazers. Here’s a tip to give your closet a neat, happy look: Hang everything facing the same direction, with longer items on the left and shorter items on the right so the bottom of your clothes creates an upward sloping line.
6. Use coordinating hangers. Nothing screams closet chaos quite like a collection of wire and neon plastic hangers trying to peacefully coexist alongside one another. Limit the visual clutter and give your closet a sleek, streamlined look by using matching hangers, just make sure you invest in hangers that actually work for what you have. Opt for sturdy velvet hangers over the thin plastic varieties if you have heavy suits to hang, for example, and steer clear of wooden hangers if you have lots of slippery silk blouses.
7. Stack thick and bulky items like sweaters. Save yourself precious drawer and hanging space by stacking bulky winter sweaters. These items make perfect stacks for your shelf space because they’re sturdy and thick, meaning they won’t slump, crinkle, or lose their shape when you stack them. Not only that, but you’ll be able to see each item in a stack clearly, making it that much easier to find what you’re looking for.
8. Store your most used clothes at eye level. Keep everything you wear on a regular basis in the middle of your closet at eye level so it’s easy to find and grab in your early morning pre-coffee haze. Put lesser-used pieces directly above or below your most popular clothes and relegate your least-worn items to the top shelf.
9. Color-code your wardrobe
It’s true that organizing your clothes by color can be tedious, but the end result will make picking out an outfit so much easier, especially if you’re a visual person. No need to drive yourself crazy trying to remember the exact order of the colors in the rainbow. Even creating the most general color distinction will make your closet easy to navigate.
10. Maximize your vertical storage space. Every closet has a secret storage weapon that, when used properly, changes the entire layout of your closet: vertical space. This means walls, top shelves, doors, and even that dead space between your floor and the hems of your hanging dresses. How do you take advantage of your vertical storage space? Hang an over the door shoe rack over your closet door, or hang it facing sideways on a tension rod. You can also use extra wall space to install DIY shelves that hold jewelry boxes or handbags.
11. Hang scarves on hangers.
Sure, you can roll them up or stack them if they’re really thick, but tying your scarves on a hanger is a way better option for organizing them. Hanging your scarves keeps them wrinkle-free and easy to see and access, meaning you’re more likely to actually use them on a regular basis.
12. Utilize empty wall space for hanging jewelry and accessories. Got a few spare inches of wall space? Get creative and use this area to hang accessories like belts, jewelry, hats or ties. How do you hang everything? You can use a hanging jewelry organizer or towel hooks or opt for a more personalized approach like a stylish coat rack.
13. Use the “one in, one out” rule to keep your clothes collection in check. Despite your best organizational efforts, you may still end up with massive heaps of ill-fitting, outdated, or unloved clothes at the end of every year. So how do you prevent things from getting out of hand? You adopt a simple, ruthless little rule called the “one in, one out” policy. For every new item you bring into your closet, you get rid of another.
1. Obliterate soap scum with these eco-safe grime fighters. Coat the shower surface with a 1:1 mix of baking soda and water, then spray with a 1:1 combo of vinegar and water before wiping it down.
2. Use vinegar to spruce up your shower curtains. Pretreat new shower curtains in the wash on a warm rinse cycle with distilled white vinegar. On the other hand, an older shower curtain requires more TLC. Hand wash it under warm water with a microfiber cloth and baking soda. You can also put it in the wash with either vinegar, baking soda, or a gentle detergent. Emphasis on the “or,” unless you want your washing machine to erupt like a volcano.
3. Try this very simple hack to unclog your shower head. Pour distilled white vinegar in a plastic bag and fasten it to the shower head with a rubber band. Let it soak for an hour before wiping clean with a wet cloth.
4. Bon Ami + Dish Soap = Immaculate Toilet
If you scrub your toilet regularly, just some all-purpose cleaner will suffice. Got a bit of buildup? Use a little dish cleaning liquid alongside a dash of non-abrasive, eco-friendly cleaner like Bon Ami.
It’s simple, easy, and ensures your collection of clothes never gets too large to manage.
14. Wash your pillows in the washing machine. Your pillow type will determine how you wash it. Put down and fiber pillows in the wash on a warm, gentle cycle. Follow with an extra rinse to get all the detergent out and tumble dry low with clean tennis balls to restore your pillows’ fluffiness. Heads up: Foam pillows require gentle hand washing with mild detergent.
15. Sprinkle this white powder on your mattress. In addition to flipping it every six months, to deodorize your mattress sift baking soda on the surface, let it sit for a few hours, then vacuum it up.
5. Safely clean grout with these two kitchen staples. Here’s a five-step process for cleaning grout like a boss:
1. Sprinkle some baking soda on the grout, taking care to cover all affected areas.
2. Wipe away excess powder.
3. Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and spritz the powdered part of the grout.
4. Let the mixture bubble for a few minutes, but not for too long, or else the grime will settle back in.
5. Scrub with an old toothbrush. It will get messy, so have some water on hand.
But not too much water since you want the solution to stay gritty for easy scrubbing. Wipe up, vacuum any leftover powder, and clean the area as usual.
6. Clean mold the same way you clean cuts. Mix one teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide with one cup of water. Wipe the mixture on mold, let it sit for at least 10 minutes, scrub the area to remove all mold and stains, and wipe down the surface. Now that the mold is gone, how do you prevent it from growing in the future?
Easy: Spray the surface with a mixture of 1-2 tablespoons of baking soda and 2 cups of water.
1. Revamp your washing machine with a little TLC. Tend to the door of the machine first. Put some rubber gloves on and make a solution of one cup chlorine bleach to two cups of warm water. Wipe down the door’s seal, especially the lower portion, using your mix and a soft cloth. Then move on to cleaning the inside. All you have to do is fill the bleach dispenser with bleach and run the machine on the hot-water cycle. Can’t stand the smell of bleach and/ or prefer a natural alternative? Use, you guessed it, vinegar. But only vinegar! Because mixing vinegar and bleach creates toxic fumes.
2. De-lint the dryer in a flash with this cheap tool. Easily eliminate residual dust and lint in your dryer with just one cheap tool: a vacuum crevice tool or dryer vent brush.
3. Clean your iron. Unplug and make sure the iron is totally cooled. Then, place wax paper or a paper towel on a flat surface and sprinkle a tablespoon of coarse salt on top. Turn the iron on to the highest setting but turn off the steam. Lightly press the iron down on the salted paper, moving it back and forth a few times until the sole plate is clean. Unplug and let cool.
1. Spot check your desk for rings. Keep an eye out for coffee and beverage rings. Wipe those spots down with an all-purpose cleaning solution and a rag.
2. Use a DIY solution to clean your computer screen. Remember the magic mix you used on your coffee cleaner? The one that was just water and white vinegar? Turns out it works for cleaning your computer, too. Spray and wipe down with your microfiber cloth for a streak-free shine. All done? Congrats! There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of a deeply cleaned home.
Kitchen cabinets are packed with all sorts of dishes, cookware, ingredients, and more. Storing all these essentials in an organized, easily accessible manner is key to making the most of your time cooking,
If items tend to get lost at the back of your cabinets, try this organizing solution. Trade out fixed cabinet shelves for ones that effortlessly slide out. With sliding shelves, you can see and access items at the back of the shelf as easily as dry goods at the front. A shallow lip around each shelf keeps supplies from falling off.
2
$15 Fix!
3
Glass-front doors put cabinet interiors on display, so you’ll want to make sure these areas are neatly organized. First, edit down your dishware collection to avoid overcrowding the cabinets. Arrange pretty plates and bowls into stacks and line up mugs in neat rows. Consider storing bulky or unattractive items you’d rather not display, such as large stock pots, in a different location.
eating, and entertaining. Bring order to cluttered shelves and drawers with these smart and affordable ways to organize kitchen cabinets.
Make a sliver of space beside the range more functional for storing your favorite flavoring ingredients. Add a pullout rack inside the door to use as a kitchen cabinet spice organizer. If you have more room, install a turntable ($15, The Container Store) on one shelf so you can spin bottles of oils and vinegars into view. Decant other foods and spices into clear or labeled containers for quick inventory and easy stacking.
4
You’re more likely to recycle when bins for paper, plastic, and glass are easily within reach. Stow these containers neatly inside cabinets near the kitchen cleanup zone. These pullout cabinets feature cutouts sized to hold plastic waste receptacles that are easy to lift out and empty when needed.
5
When organizing food items in kitchen cabinets, it’s best to sort everything by category and designate specific areas for each type of item. For example, store favorite snacks on a cabinet shelf that’s easily within reach of all family members. Dedicate another area for breakfast items like cereals and pancake mix. To boost organization, add printed labels and use baskets to corral smaller loose items.
6
Keep items from rattling around inside drawers by adding an insert or drawer divider. The various compartments help maintain order so you quickly spot what you need. Fit small containers between dividers when you have especially tiny objects to corral.
7
Intrusive plumbing pipes, the sink bottom, and pullout hoses can make organizing the kitchen sink cabinet a particular challenge. Choose stackable acrylic or wire shelving that fits beside and below the sink U pipe to make the most of available space. Some wire bin units slide out to make it easy to retrieve items at the back. Add storage bins, shelves, and hooks inside doors for more space, and consider including some specialty tools such as a holder for plastic grocery bags ($30, Bed Bath & Beyond). To boost storage, look for a kit that transforms the false drawer fronts on the front of the sink cabinet into tiltout bins for stowing kitchen sponges and scrubbers.
Cleaning Supply Cabinet Organization
Most of us think to stash cleaning supplies under the sink, but larger tools won’t fit in that tight space. Consider using a vertical cabinet to store brooms, mops, and related cleaning supplies. It will move your gear from the coat closet or laundry room and put them where you need them most: the kitchen.
Organizing 8
10
11
42 THE CENTER SPIRIT / March 2023
While some wine lovers need a full cellar to house their bottle collection, most of us are content to keep a few favorites on hand. Build storage space into your cabinetry with a wine bottle holder insert. You can also retrofit an existing cabinet by removing the door and having an insert built into the space.
13
A deep drawer is a smart organizing idea for pots and pans near the stovetop. You can also use drawers to hold dishware by adding dish divider dowels ($98, Wayfair) to keep plates, bowls, and saucers stacked tightly in place. Make sure the drawer is equipped with quality sliding hardware that can hold the weight of dishes when the drawer is fully extended.
14
Various types of dishes, cookware, and utensils require different kitchen cabinet organization ideas. Without a specific organizing system, your cabinets can end up looking like a jumbled mess.
Great Tip!
15
You’ll need a place to store cutting boards, cookie sheets, muffin tins, and other items that stack neatly on their sides. Choose a cabinet near your prep zone and add dividers that allow these items to stand on end. Removing the cabinet door makes them even easier to access.
16
Prevent an avalanche of food storage containers every time you open your cupboard door. Divide your stash of plastic into stacks of containers and lids. Stack containers into each other like nesting dolls, and store them in a larger tray. Lids can also be corralled by using containers.
17
Most kitchen cabinets include just one or two shelves, which often isn’t enough to keep all your items organized. Give cabinets a boost with an added shelf organizer ($10, The Container Store) that can bring order to pots, pans, skillets, and lids. Organizing all lids together allows pots to rest inside each other, and you an opportunity to use another storage container for lids.
18
Install shallow drawers behind a pair of cabinet doors to make the most of your storage space. Stashing these items in the kitchen ensures they’re readily accessible when dinner is ready. Arrange like with like, separating tablecloths, napkins, runners, and more between drawers or with dividers.
19
Kitchens are hardworking spaces, but that doesn’t mean you want to keep everything on the counter in plain sight. Install an appliance garage and you can park your most frequently used appliances behind closed doors. Have a professional electrician install an outlet inside the garage, and you can keep appliances tucked away in one place.
Get creative with kitchen cabinet organization ideas that suit your specific needs. Semi-custom and custom cabinets can be outfitted with nearly any specialty hardware to add unique functions outside of food and dishware storage. A basic drawer in the kitchen island, for example, can be designed to pull out into an ironing board.
Individual servings of prepackaged snacks can be slippery and impossible to stack. To create an organized kitchen snack cabinet, gather a few small containers, such as trays, baskets, or bins, to hold similar items in your pantry. You’ll also be able to tell at a glance when it’s time to go grocery shopping again.
Small items can easily disappear into the depths of corner cabinets. To keep items in sight and easy to grab, add a corner kitchen cabinet organizer, such as a multi-tier lazy Susan insert ($30, The Container Store). If you don’t need another food storage solution, check out recycling and trash bin inserts to make the most of your corner space.
There is nothing more rewarding than topping off your freshly-cleaned-for-Pesach home with delicious scents. Diffusing essential oils can help to deodorize your home, lift your mood, purify the air, and just make things smell pretty awesome.
However, if you aren’t quite ready to invest in a diffuser, OR you need an off-grid option, I’m excited to share this simple tutorial for DIY essential oil reed diffusers with you.
A glass container with a narrow opening (check thrift stores)
4-5 reed diffuser sticks OR bamboo skewers
1/4 cup carrier oil (I recommend lighter oils such as fractionated coconut oil, sweet almond oil, or safflower oil.)
20-25 drops of essential oil(s)
Mix the essential oils and carrier oil together in the glass container. Place the diffuser sticks in the container. It will take a while for the oil to travel up the sticks, so speed up the process by flipping the sticks after several hours. Continue to flip the sticks every few days to refresh the scent.
My
The sky is the limit when it comes to all the essential oil combinations you can create for your reed diffuser! Here are a few of my favorites:
A container with a narrow-opening is preferred for this project since it will slow down evaporation. Another option would be to find a glass container with a cork, and drill holes in it for the reeds.
Heavier oils, such as olive oil or jojoba oil, will take longer to travel up the reeds, so for quicker results, stick with lighter oils, like sweet almond.
Some folks add a bit of alcohol (either rubbing alcohol or vodka) to their mixture to help speed up the process of the oil moving through the reeds. I haven’t done that personally, but I suppose it’d be worth a try.
Once the reeds become completely saturated, you’ll need to replace them with new ones. And you’ll also need to replenish your oil supply eventually, although that will depend on what type of essential oils, container, and carrier oil you are using.
The scent coming from my reed diffuser is noticeable, but not overwhelmingly strong. For instances where I need a strong blast of scent or a purifying effect, I’ll be sticking with my regular cold-air diffusers. But this is a nice little “accent” diffuser–and it’d make a great gift!
Rosemary Lemon + Lemon Lime Grapefruit Lavender + + + Wild Orange Cinnamon + Juniper Berry Lavender + Patchouli Bergamot + Wild Orange Peppermint + Eucalyptus Lavender +
By Suri Sprei HHP, NC
April showers brings May flowers…and lots of seasonal allergies. With Spring upon us, those that are prone to seasonal allergies are gearing up to live in dire misery for the next few months as the flowers start budding and the wind is laced with pollen. Why are some people prone to it and some not? Because the true cause is a struggling or sensitive immune system. While some have strong and robust immune systems, others are compromised in the face of an environment trigger; sort of the way mold exposure works. Some remain completely well, while others will get very ill when in a moldy environment. Symptoms that can arrive are watery, itchy eyes; congestion; sneezing often and runny nose. There are many ways to build up ones resistance to pollen and experience this season while remaining completely unaffected by the change in weather. You can actually enjoy smelling the flowers again.
The first allergy supplement to add to your daily regimen is good old Vitamin C. We all grew up knowing that Vitamin C builds immunity but it’s far more significant than that. Vitamin C acts as an anti histamine and reduces the histamine response the body produces when exposed to pollen. While there is plenty of Vitamin C found in our food, particularly fruits and vegetables, taking Vitamin C as a dietary supplement can help one meet the higher doses necessary to tackle the pollen allergy. I recommend buffered Vitamin C which is easier on digestion so Sodium Ascorbate, Calcium Ascorbate or magnesium ascorbate are all good options to look for. Being consistent is key so missing a day can be cause for another symptomatic day so be mindful to take it, without fail, daily to build up immunity.
It can be taken as an herbal alcohol free tincture or tea, but for allergy relief, capsules made from dried nettle leaves are the most effective option.
Zinc is an important nutrient that is foundational for a healthy immune system and by default a healthy immune response to seasonal allergies. Zinc has the capacity to provide a major boost to the immune system by strengthening white blood cells such as lymphocytes. This keeps the immune system strong and not vulnerable to invaders like seasonal pollen. It is possible to obtain a good amount of zinc through diet as well, and its very helpful to include foods like sprouts, microgreens, collard greens, pumpkin seeds, radishes, parsley, onions, and raw honey. However, it is also important to consider supplementing with zinc as our soil is getting more depleted in zinc as time goes on. I prefer a liquid zinc over a tablet as it gets easily and readily absorbed.
Raw garlic isn’t just an important ingredient in your homemade Shabbos dips anymore. Thanks to its ability to help heal the body of all type of ailments, it’s also an important part of any wellness regimen. Garlic is a potent anti-inflammatory and immune enhancer that contains compounds like quercetin. When it comes to fighting spring allergies naturally, quercitin is at the top of the list of natural compounds that have been proven to improve symptoms. And research has demonstrated that plant-derived quercetin has quickly become a key ingredient in many allergy-fighting supplements and drugs. When garlic is consumed raw, its ability to protect from seasonal allergies is amplified as heat will kill many of its healing enzymes. You can easily incorporate raw garlic in your daily dishes like salads, hummus, guacamole, and dressings.
Technically rose hips is considered a fruit and stem from the rugosa rose plant. They possess exceptional healing properties and have the ability to keep inflammation low, especially when combatting pollen exposure. It’s a fruit that’s significantly high in a highly bioavailable form of Vitamin C which rapidly boosts the immune system. This wonderful fruit also aided with chronic health issues like vertigo and bloating and can help kick a cold or flu quickly. It’s sweet and delicious and can be found dried in the form of herbal tea or tincture and can be made hot or cold.
Head into this beautiful spring season with a bounce in your step, and enjoy the blooming flowers again with these helpful seasonal allergy tools. The great thing about them is you can easily access these herbs and readily have them stocked in your vitamin cabinet for whenever the times arise. Wishing you a healthy and sneeze free Spring and Summer!
Regular Wheat Oat Matza or Spelt Matza
Organic
Grape Juice
Grape Juice
Potato Starch
Almond Flour
Cane Sugar
Butter and Cheese Spreads
Honey or Coconut Sugar
The Pesach season is typically one of indulgence, whether it’s on heavier foods laden in sugar and oils or saturated fats and fried food. While that’s occasionally ok, it’s helpful to know that you can still enjoy your Pesach with your traditional cuisine while using options that are lighter on the digestive tract and blood sugar. This can also prevent the usual constipation that often accompanies this particular Yom Tov. I’m happy to present to you some healthier swaps to your typical ingredients and staples we rely on for Peach.
Cottonseed Oil
Egg
Lukshen
Eggs in Cakes
Chocolate Bars
Potatoe Side Dishes
Fried Dishes
These swaps are ones that I’ve used over the years with my family and it’s helped us feel our best over this Yom Tov season, while not compromising in the kitchen and enjoying delicious meals. Wishing you a Chag Kosher Vsameach!
When I was a kid, one of the most challenging parts of our Pesach Chol Hamoed trips was figuring out what snacks to pack along on the trip to keep us kids from going hungry. What was easy to pack without getting super messy, what was filling enough to be worth packing, what was kosher for Pesach enough, etc. We would end up just packing loads of chocolate bars and bags of potato chips and boxes of lady fingers. Sometimes a hard-boiled egg or two would make it into the car as well. And of course, a ton of crumbling matza that would shower the car floor with Matza crumbs. The problem is that most of those snacks were devoid of nutrition and really didn’t keep us full for more than 10 minutes and we would end up famished until we make it home to dinner.
Fast forward to today, we have grown up and are raising our own families and have figured out some pretty clever snacks that are easy to make, easy to transport, AND will satiate hungry bellies.
These are crunchy and delicious and easy for small hands to hold. They hold together nicely and don’t make a mess. You can use these as a bread and make a sandwich with avocado. Potatoes are high in carbohydrates and are loaded with b vitamins. They also hold a decent amount of calories which has the capacity to satiate for long periods of time. I wouldn’t consider this a recipe but rather a technique.
Simply mash steamed or boiled potatoes, add salt and pepper to taste. Feel free to add sautéed onions or minced garlic to the mix. Heat a non-stick waffle machine to high heat. Add the mashed potato until the base of the waffle machine is evenly covered, then close the machine and cook until the waffle is crispy, about 10-15 minutes. Repeat with rest of the mashed potatoes until done. These freeze beautifully but are best consumed fresh or the day they are made.
These cookies are a favorite all year round in my home for its simplicity and minimal ingredients. There’s never enough and it’s always gone within a day or two. It’s egg free and even oil free, making it allergy and vegan friendly. It’s a delicious and nutritious cookie to hand out to the kids on a long road trip. Make sure to make enough because they go quickly.
• 2 peeled apples chopped
• 2 cup almond flour
• 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of sea salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Process apples in a food processor until puree. Place the almond flour in a bowl. Add 1 cup of apple puree, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt. Stir until completely blended. Using a cookie scoop drop tablespoons of batter onto prepared cookie. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown. Freezes beautifully.
Nuts on Pesach is a great snack option and a good way to satisfy your sweet tooth. These roast in 20 minutes and will make your whole kitchen and house smell amazing.The maple syrup creates a crystallized coating on top of the almonds which is absolutely delicious.
• 1 cup of almonds
• 1 Tbs maple syrup or honey
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Evenly spread out 1 cup of almonds onto the cookie sheet and bake them for about 5 minutes. Remove the almonds from the oven, but keep the oven on. They will smell a bit like popcorn at this point. Put the almonds into a bowl and top with 1 Tbs of maple syrup. Mix. Then top the almonds in 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg, mix again. Evenly spread out the almonds onto the lined cookie sheet again and bake for 12-15 minutes, mixing them half way through. They will smell sweet and roasted at this point and will have turned a darker brown.
These macaroons are incredibly easy to throw together with minimal ingredients.
• 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 2 tbsp solid coconut oil
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
the ingredients to a food processor—pulse a few times until the mixture is
uniform and the coconut shreds are smaller but still noticeable. Using a cookie
scoop, scoop out firmly-packed balls of coconut mixture and place them
on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes, until golden on the 55
bottom. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a cooling rack. makes: 12-16 macaroons
Your kitchen is ready for Pesach; now is the time to cook ahead!
Cook whatever meals you plan to store in the freezer. That means your briskets, kugels, cookies and soups, stock your freezer now and Pesach eating will be easier than ever.
Planning in advance is one of the keys to a successful and relaxing Yom Tov. Stocking your freezer with ready-to-heat seder and Yom Tov meals—makes all the difference.
And I've got your back. Browse the following pages for all the recipes you can make ahead and freeze.
• 4 pounds English cut short ribs
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup sliced onion
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups cola
• 2 cups tomato chutney
• Radish sprouts, for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven or ovenproof pot over medium-high heat.
3. Season ribs with salt and pepper, then place in the pot. Sear ribs until browned on all sides. Set aside.
4. Lower heat to medium-low and add onions. Sauté for 10 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 5 minutes more until tomato paste starts to brown.
5. Pour in cola to deglaze pot. Increase heat to high. Cook for 5 minutes, then add chutney and stir until fully combined. Turn off heat and add ribs back to the pot. Cover and place in 350°F oven for 2½ hours.
6. Remove from oven; transfer liquid to a separate saucepan and cook for 15 minutes, or until sauce is reduced.
7. Pour sauce over ribs and place under a broiler for 3 to 5 minutes to glaze meat.
8. Serve immediately. Top with radish sprouts, micro herbs, and julienned radishes.
• 1½ cups extra virgin olive oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 large Idaho potatoes
• 1 large onion, quartered
Steps
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Liberally oil six (4 to 6 ounces) glass dessert dishes or custard cups with 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil each. Place custard cups on a baking pan.
2. Fill a large bowl with cold water and, as you peel potatoes, place them in cold water to prevent browning.
3. Place the pan of cups in 425°F oven to heat up the extra virgin olive oil (be very careful with glass, extreme temperature changes can cause it to shatter).
4. Beat eggs in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper, mix well, and set aside.
5. Pour ¾ cup of extra virgin olive oil in a small saucepan and place over medium-low heat.
6. Cut potatoes lengthwise into halves or quarters so they fit into food processor feed tube. Process potatoes and onions using the blade that creates thin, shoestring-like strips.
7. Transfer potatoes and onions to a large bowl, add egg mixture and heated oil from stovetop, mix very well. Remove any large pieces of potatoes or onions that weren't processed properly.
8. Remove heated cups from the oven and spoon potato mixture evenly into hot, oiled cups.
9. Bake at 425°F for 1 hour. If the sides are still pale, cook for 20 minutes longer until the tops look crunchy and sides look golden and browned. Loosen edges with a knife, unmold and serve on a platter.
Prep Time 5 min
Ingredients
Cook Time 75 min
Servings 8
1 (2-pound) bag frozen chopped broccoli cuts, thawed and drained
1 cup light mayonnaise
4 eggs
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon coarse black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Steps
1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Liberally coat a 9-inch round baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, place broccoli, mayonnaise, eggs, salt, black and cayenne peppers, and mix well.
4. Pour broccoli mixture into prepared baking dish.
5. Bake at 375°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until set with golden edges.
6. Remove heated cups from the oven and spoon potato mixture evenly into hot, oiled cups.
7. Bake at 425°F for 1 hour. If the sides are still pale, cook for 20 minutes longer until the tops look crunchy and sides look golden and browned. Loosen edges with a knife, unmold and serve on a platter.
Servings 4-6
Ingredients
• 1 diced onion
• 1 chopped butternut squash
• 4 chopped apples
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon coriander
• ½inch fresh ginger
• 4 cups stock or water
Steps
1. Start by sautéing a diced onion in a large pot. When onions are translucent, add one chopped butternut squash and 4 chopped apples. Sauté for about 10 minutes or until squash and apples are golden and begin to brown.
2. Add 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin and ½ teaspoon coriander. Add a ½ inch of ginger, either whole or diced, depending on how much ginger flavor you like. Adding a whole piece and removing it after simmering will impart a more subtle flavor; dicing it into the soup will give it a powerful taste.
3. Add 4 cups of liquid (chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water) and simmer 30 minutes, or until very soft.
4. Purée in a food processor or with a hand blender.
5. To garnish, either chop an apple and toss with a little lemon juice, or cut ginger into thin matchsticks and fry into crispy ginger chips.
• 3 large onions, thinly sliced
• 3 whole heads of garlic, sliced in half to reveal the cloves
• 1 whole brisket (fat on) or 2 second cut briskets, such as Grow and Behold brisket
• Kosher salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 3 cups beef or chicken broth
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 225°F.
2. Layer sliced onions and garlic in a large roasting pan or Dutch oven. Season brisket with salt and pepper.
3. Place brisket on top of onions and garlic. Pour red wine, broth and tomatoes, if using, into pan. Cover food directly with a layer of parchment (foil will leech onto your food) and then seal tightly with foil.
4. Roast at 225°F for 10 hours.
5. Gently transfer brisket to a cutting board to cool before slicing. While brisket is cooling, strain onions and garlic from pan juices, being sure to press all juices out. Skim fat off of pan juices and reduce pan juices stove top until it coats the back of a spoon.
6. Slice brisket across the grain and transfer back to braising pan. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for 1 month (freeze reduced braising liquid separately).
7. Reheat brisket, covered in a low oven at 250°F, until hot. Serve with reduced pan juices.
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 pounds boneless lamb, cut into 1 1/2-inch (4-cm) pieces
• 2 medium onions, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
• 1/3 cup (80ml) fresh orange juice (from 1 orange)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 cups (480ml) beef, chicken, or vegetable broth
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 ounces (170g) dried apricots
• 1/2 cup (45g) sliced almonds, toasted (see below)
• 1 large pear, not peeled, cut into 2-inch (5-cm) cubes
• 1/4 cup (15g) chopped fresh mint leaves
1. In a large, wide saucepan or dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the lamb pieces in batches and cook, use tongs to turn the pieces, until well browned on all sides. Do not crowd the pan.
3. Remove the browned pieces to a large bowl.
4. Add the onions and garlic to the saucepan plus the other tablespoon of oil and cook, scraping the bottom of the saucepan to avoid sticking, for 5 minutes, until the onions are browned. If the onions start to burn, turn the heat down to medium.
5. Add the lemon zest, orange juice, cinnamon stick, honey, and broth to the saucepan and bring to a boil.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Return the lamb pieces to the saucepan, cover, and cook on low heat for 1 1/2 hours.
8. Add the apricots, almonds, and pear cubes to the pan, stir, and cook for another 40 minutes. Add the mint, stir, and serve.
• Two top rib roast cut into 1 cm thick 'Boksburg Ribs', often found as flanken. Ask your butcher to cut the strips vertically (1/2 inch) so that you will have a strip of meat with about 7 little bones
• 2 Beef Bouillion Cubes
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup coca cola (not diet)
• Oil for frying
• 2 cloves fresh garlic crushed
• 2 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and grated
• 1 red-eye chilli (finely chopped)
• Bunch of coriander (This gives it that fresh Thai taste)
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoon sweet wine
• 1 tsp potato starch dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water
1. Pre heat oven 350°F
2. Fry meat strips until golden brown. These can also be cooked on the braai/BBQ first. Remove and set aside.
3. In a small pot, dissolve the beef bouillon cubes in boiling water over medium heat. Don't simmer for too long as you don't want the liquid to evaporate too quickly.
4. Fry garlic and ginger in a little oil for a minute.
5. Add sugar, honey, wine, coke and return to heat. Whisk as you bring it to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add dissolved potato starch while still whisking.
6. Cook until thickened. Remove from heat.
7. Add the fresh coriander to the sauce.
8. Pour sauce over meat and roast covered for 30 minutes.
9. Reduce heat to 300, remove cover and continue to cook, for about another 30 minutes basting every now and then until golden brown. Cover until ready to serve. Then reheat.
• 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 (8-ounce) carton button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 (1-pound) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2 eggs, lightly whisked
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon celery seed
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons minced onion
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large, nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over mediumhigh heat.
3. Saute mushrooms until golden brown.
4. In a large bowl add mushrooms, spinach, eggs, mayonnaise, turmeric, sugar, celery seed, minced onion, onion powder, parsley, salt and pepper, and mix until well combined.
5. Pour into a well greased muffin tins and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Let cool, then serve.
• 2½ pounds sweet potatoes (4 medium), peeled and cubed
• 4 tablespoons vegan butter or extra virgin olive oil, such as Colavita
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 (10-ounce) bag marshmallows
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish.
2. Cover potatoes with water in a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Drain well and return to the pot. Add margarine, egg, vanilla, and salt. Mash with a fork or potato masher until slightly chunky. Stir in pecans.
4. Transfer to prepared baking dish and smooth top. Cover with marshmallows and bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.
Ingredients
• ¼ cup oil
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1½ cups almond flour
• 2 eggs
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips
Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix all ingredients together until fully combined, adding in the chocolate chips at the end.
3. Pour mixture into a parchment-lined, 8-inch brownie pan, and bake for 30 minutes.
4. Allow to cool and cut into squares.
From creating your own schlissel challah to learning about this unique and beautiful mitzvah, there's something for everyone in these pages!
I know that the first Shabbos immediately following Pesach is what is known as Key Challah week, aka, shlissel challahs. What is this minhag all about? Doesn’t Hashem decree what we will make for the whole year on Rosh Hashana?
The minhag to bake shlissel challah for the first Shabbos after Pesach is a long-standing one. To quote the Sefer HaTodah by R’Eliyahu Kitov: “The Shabbat after Pesach when we announce the coming of Iyar some…have the custom to make challah in the form of a key and to sprinkle it with sesame seeds. This is to remind us of the Mahn that fell in the desert and began falling in the month of Iyar; it also symbolizes that the ‘key’ to our parnossa is in Hashem’s hands. We pray that Hashem will open up his store of treasures and shower us with abundance.”
Sesame seeds are used to depict mahn as they are small and white as it says about the mahn, “they were like small seeds, white, and [tasted] as if they were dipped in honey.”
As for what is decreed on Rosh Hashana…a Yid always can use more bracha. We all want to pray that our parnossa comes through an easy and normal way, with no undue stress and hardship, so the extra tefillohs and brachos can only help.
I also interviewed Rebbetzin Sara Meisels (of Bobov) about this minhag and she had an additional background story to tell me about it:
There’s a beautiful story about the Maharal M’Prague that happened during the time that Klal Yisroel were persecuted relentlessly by non Jews with blood libels, r’l. After Lail Haseder, the
I tried making key challahs so many different ways but they come out looking anything but like a key. Any ideas you can share?
Maharal was sitting and learning in his room at home; the key to the shul was with him, hung up in its place on the wall. The key suddenly fell to the ground. He picked it up and put it back on the hook. After it was hung up, it fell again. He picked it up once more. And then it fell a third time. This time he realized that Shomayaim was trying to tell him something, so he went to check the shul. When he got there, he saw that the paroches was moved out of place. He opened the Aron Kodesh and saw, hidden inside the Aron, what looked like a bottle of wine. After opening it he realized it was a bottle of blood; the non Jews were trying to set up a blood libel against them! Quickly, he pulled out the bottle, poured out the blood and rinsed it. He then poured wine inside instead.
The next morning the goyim burst into shul with the police, yelling and screaming. They went straight to the Aron Kodesh – obviously they knew where to go – and pulled out the bottle. The kehilla was very frightened but the Maharal was calm as he watched what happened next…the police opened it up and smelled it and it was only wine! They got very angry at the perpetrators and threw them in jail. Miraculously, the entire kehillah was saved. It was a huge hatzalah for the whole Jewish community.
Afterwards the Maharal wanted to do something to commemorate this special miracle. He knew that everyone bakes challah right after Pesach –
especially in those years they had no other food besides the bread they made themselves – so he told his Rebbetzin to bake the challahs for that week, in the shape of a key. Afterwards, it became part of Klal Yisroel and their Kehilla for every generation. We also know that these ‘key challahs” symbolize the key to parnossa, as the Sefer Hatodah mentions.
So, since nearly all of us want blessings for a good parnossa, we usually find a way to push ourselves to get those challahs done somehow, even after all the work of Pesach has finished. I know of someone who would make extras and give it out to some of her neighbors to wish them a blessed year filled with parnossa tova…
There’s lots of interesting ways to make a key challah. I’d like to try a new way. I saw this done by a lady named Sara E, who hired me to do a challah show for her whole family on Chanukah. In fact, you can even combine this with another minhag of having a challah that is made out of 12 pieces, a yud beis challah…
Take 12 smaller pieces of dough. Roll each one up into a small roll, whichever shape suits you. I liked the idea of them being small round flowerlike shapes. You roll out the challah strand, and holding one end you make a small circle; the long end of the strand that you have left over, weave in and out of the hole of the circle three times, ending on the bottom of the roll. When these bake they will resemble a closed flower. Line up five of them in one row, with one or two rolls connected to the side of the second to bottom roll in this row. This will become the bottom of the ‘key.’
The top part is very simple. Continuing where the top roll of the handle is, place the rest of the little rolls in a circle coming off of it. This is the top of your ‘key.’ Now take a piece of baking paper that you squish into a ball shape OR a round small cookie cutter (and grease it with oil first so it wont get stuck inside the challah) OR use a piece of foil. Place this in the center of the circle so it will stay open.
Let it rise for 15-20 minutes and not longer. Too long and it will lose its shape. Preheat the oven; while it is heating, brush your challah with a beaten egg. If you make more than one challah, even better! Then sprinkle them with white sesame seeds and bake them at 375°F / 190°C.
It should take about 20-25 minutes to brown to perfection on both the top of the challahs as well as the bottom.
When it is done, remove it carefully to a wire rack to cool; being careful that it should not break apart. Freeze it on a flat, lined cookie tray until hardened, and them wrap it in plastic until the day of use. Or just shape it that Friday morning and then bring it directly to the table to await Hamotzi that night.
Break off the rolls and serve. If you have more than 12 people at the table, I guess you will have to cut them up a bit more!
warmest wishes for parnossa tova u’veshefa, Tamar Ansh
Suri Jaroslawicz is one of those rare people who doesn't just say they are busy, they truly are busy. After weeks of trying to set a time, only for her to have to run to another Challah bake, we finally arranged for an early morning call. “Oh I am so tired right now, I had a super crazy day yesterday that did not finish until the middle of the night,” she begins, and I am afraid that she will have to once again postpone our conversation. “Before you hang up, please tell me the mekor, the source for the Challah Bake being a segulah.” Before I finish my question, Suri interjects, “There is no
mekor. Rebbetzin Kanievsky told her daughter to do it, but there is no mekor.”
Suri speaks rapidly and I am scrambling for my note pad to keep up and trying to remember everything. “To me the Challah Bake is not a segulah, it is like tefillah. Though taking challah is special for a woman. It says that when a woman separates Challah from the rest of the dough, it is equivalent to her keeping Taryag (613) mitzvos.”
But going back to her origins, Suri and her husband owned a pizza store where she took
Suri Jaroslawicz travels around the country, making challa bakes for people who need yeshuos.
challah for thousands of batches of dough every year. “I used to be a teacher and then a principal, and my husband owned a pizza store for thirty years. Every day I was in the back of that stor taking challah. One day, around eleven years ago, someone invited me to a challah-bake. I dismissed her at first saying that I do this every day, but she asked again, saying, it is for her daughter who was married ten years without having children. A rebbetzin told her to do this. So I went. There were forty women there. When it was my turn I remembered my niece who was single for a long time, as well as my son who was soon entering shidduchim. I never thought it would happen quickly as my son was still wearing braces. But a week later he was engaged. After that I began doing Challah-bakes.”
Though she started locally, Suri now travels all over the tri-state area doing multiple challahbakes every single day. “I go to Lawrence, I do it with Sefardim, just about every type of background, not just chassidim. Sometimes I go to multiple cities in one day. Baruch Hashem people are beginning to recognize the koach of a Challah-Bake and do it more often.”
People call Suri when there is an urgent need. “When there is a very sick person in the family or somebody has not had children or any other tzorech need, they reach out and we arrange for a time and place. They have to get at least ten women who bring a batch of dough, although a Challah Bake ranges between 10 and 100 women per bake. Ten is the most common number but the second most popular is 40. Forty is a very powerful number in Yiddishkeit.
Moshe Rabbeinu went to shamayim for forty days. There are forty sa’ah in the mikvah. There is inyanim of saying shir hashirim for forty days straight. But it does not have to be forty. But I insist on at least ten.” Again she throws out numbers and sources and I try keep up with her frantic pace as best I can.
“The reason for ten is because you have ten women answering amen ten times, each woman once for all the other’s bracha. Ten times ten is a hundred. One hundred amen’s is a days-worth of brachos. There is a halacha in shulchan aruch that one needs to say at least one hundred brachos a day. Right there with ten women you reach that threshold. So, you women, making a maamad siyum hatorah because it is taryag mitzvos for them, and a moment of pure kapparas avonos. To me, it is like ne’ilah, it is a moment so holy and pure.”
Seemingly gone is Suri’s exhaustion and she speaks with such youthful unbridled energy that, although I am several years her junior, I feel like I cannot keep up. “I tell women that shabgos is mekor habracha and when she is standing by her candles on friday evening she has the koach, the power to bring blessings galore into her home. A woman is like the kohen gadol of her home because a house is a mikdash me’at, like the pasuk says ve’asu li mikdash veshachanti besocham, build me a mikdash and I will reside in it, and chazal say that it means a person’s home. Bayis has the numerical value of 412 and mikdash has the numerical value 444. How do you turn you bayis, 412, into a mikdash, 444? You are missing 32. Lev, heart is thirty-two. If you put your heart into it, you turn your home into a mikdash. To keep a home is an avodas hakodesh. For example, how does shabbos happen? The second the candles are lit. If five minutes before the zman the woman is not ready the husband can’t light for her, because she has to bring the kedusha into the home. Shabbos is very powerful and the same goes for Challa. Challa is an acronym for Chutz Lederech Hatevah, it is beyond nature. It is also an acronym for Chelek le’olam haba’ah, having a part of the world to come, and also for Chanun Hamarbeh Lisloach, complete forgiveness. A woman who takes Challah receives complete kapporas avonos. That is the power of Challah, not some hibijibi segulah. It is tefillah.”
A basic challah bake has ten or more women, each bringing their own dough, ready to make the bracha hafrashas challah on it. “I don't have to be there,” Suri exclaims emphatically. “I am no rebbetzin, nor does it have anything to do with me. I tell the women gathered that this is not a segulah. Every segulah has a source, this has none,” she repeats. “Rebbetzin Kanievski told her daughter to do it. She didn’t have children for a long time and it is one of the hardest things to go through. It is extremely painful. That couple had a baby after many years.”
She instructs women that, “tochen libam takshev aznecha, to beg in your heart that hashem should hear and listen to you. What I am mainly there for is to set the tone, the mood for the seriousness of the hafrashas challah. Technically they can do it themselves. But I try to impress upon them that they are standing by neilah and siyum hatorah.”
Although Suri claims not to be rebbetzin she could have fooled me with all the sayings, gimatriyos, roshei teivos, and chazal. “It is important for them to understand that every amen creates a malach, an angel. Amen’s acronym is echad malach nivrah, one angel is created. The numerical values of amen and malach are 91. Because we are standing by ne’ilah and siyum hatorah the ten malachim that go up to shamayim are powerful. We also say the name of the person who needs the yeshua and the women answer amen again, so we double down on the tefillah.”
What keeps Suri so energized are the constant stream of open miracles that she hears about.
“There was a car accident where a car was almost completely totaled by a tractor trailer. They declared the driver dead and called for a body
bag. As they began putting him in the body bag they felt a pulse, but he had a very low chance of survival. The family asked for an emergency challah bake the next morning. The scene at that bake is hard to describe. The driver was in his twenties with a little baby. His condition was precarious. I thought that even if he survives, he will never be fully back to himself. His mother attended the bake. Tears were streaming down the women's faces as each made a bracha in his zechus. We had the bake for him in January and the day of bedikas chametz I received a call that he came home. He walked out of a car walking home to the crowd singing ‘chasdei hashem ki lo samu’ in tears. His condition was so bad that at one point the doctors told him that he must keep his face perfectly still because they had to pin his skin back and him smiling might have ruined it. I have had many women whose doctors told them there is nothing they can do for them and they should say goodbye to their families, yet are here to tell the tale.”
Suri breaks for just a second to catch her breath and then keeps going, “We make the bracha “Lehafrish Challah min ha’isah” which is the acronym for machlah, illness. Have in mind that when you remove the Challah you remove the illness. There was a woman that had raw hands, meaning that the skin on her hands was severely cut. She had to wear gloves and could barely use her hands for anything. Someone mentioned to her to take challah and began laughing, saying that she is crippled with her hands and could not even hold a spoon. But that friend was relentless and brought her a dough which needed taking challah. As the woman got to the word elokeinu she experienced such tremendous pain in her teeth that she almost fainted. After regaining her composure, she finished taking challah. On
The lesson I took from that Pesach is that although some places are gaudy and having a yom tov catered with anything one could hope can be nice there still is no place like home.
Monday she called her dentist to examine where that pain came from. After inspecting her, he says that he discovered a fungus in her back tooth. He told her that this is a very old infection and he was puzzled how it had not yet been discovered. It had started traveling to her brain and would have killed her had it not been found soon. Six weeks after cleaning out the infection, the skin on her hands started growing normally again and she was finally able to use her hands and did not have to wear gloves. Since then, she never missed an erev shabbos without taking challah. One time taking challah gave her her life back.”
As if these miracles are not enough, Suri tells story after story of open miracles. “I have a cousin who was involved in a challah-thon in Florida. It was an outreach event by a kiruv organization and they were looking for sponsors for the hundreds of batches of dough, the hall, and other costs. My cousin had a friend who was married for thirteen years and did not have children. She called a few friends and together they sponsored the event as a zechus for the childless woman. The Challah-thon was in June of 2021, and that night the group of friends held a parallel Challah-bake here also as a zechus for this woman. In march of 2022, nine months later, all the women who sponsored and separated challah, as well as the childless women, had children and made a bris in the same week.”
Once again Suri starts telling me a gimatriya. “Think about the process of Challah. We prepare a dough and separate a piece which we call challah and burn it. Dough is called isah, which has the numerical value of 145. Challah equals 43. When you take off 43 from 145 you are left with 102 which equals emunah, faith. Faith is the cornerstone of tefilah. If you don’t believe something could happen you won’t daven as fervently to hashem for it to happen. If you daven for a 60 year old to find a shidduch but you really doubt that it will happen then your tefillah will be lacking. But if you truly believe that something can happen it will be reflected in the way you
ask hashem for it. Believing while davening for it gives the tefillah more potency. A woman in Eretz Yisroel had her first child at the age of fifty-four, thirty four years after she got married. Chazal says that only one in five left Mitzrayim because they did not believe in it. Emunah is essential to the tefillah. And when you add certain actions, it elevates the tefillah even more. Women do not have many mitzvos but taking Challah is equal to keeping six hundred and thirteen mitzvos. So, add that to emunah and you are more likely to have a yeshuah.”
But it is not just the Challah-Bakes that help people. “So many have witnessed what power hafrashas challah has that they tell me that every time they have a difficult day, expect a diagnosis, are awaiting an answer from a shadchan they grab a mixer and begin davening. It is a woman’s go to for salvation. And when you make a challah bake, it becomes like a tefillah betzibbur.”
Since she started, Suri has held all kinds of events and seen immense yeshuos. “Even if you don’t need anything, everybody knows someone who needs something and therefore daven for them. One time I did a Bake in a camp and one of them campers said ‘I davened for my brother who is married for fifteen years without children.’ Within ten months he made a pidyon haben.”
Suri says that she has an unlimited treasure trove of true stories of miracles and salvations that came shortly after having a challah-bake in their zechus. “I wish that Challah-bakes will become a norm. And everybody can do it themselves and don’t need me. But they should understand that it is not a segulah. Also, the recipe is unimportant, the hafrasha, the kavanah is important, the fervor is important. I provide the stories to set the mood and impress upon people how real and tangible the power of a challah-bake is. What I have seen is that it brings yeshuos to Klal Yisroel.”
Counting means forging a conscious, mindful relationship with time and its moments.
The very same time can arrive and be counted by us. Counting means forging a conscious, mindful relationship with time and its moments.
simply another opportunity. A chance to work on deepening our faith in God, on growing as a person and as a Jew.
Sometimes it may seem outwardly, or in society's eyes, that we are 'in transit'. Just waiting for a date, a child, a degree, a job. But in truth, the journey is never simply a stepping stone to something else; it carries the destination within. Here, and only here, lies our mission of Now. God loves us and He has a plan for us at every stage of our lives, even the painful ones. He led us down to Egypt, not despite but because of the suffering we endured there, so that we could gain what we needed from that experience. Then, at precisely the right time, He led us out to become His Nation and receive the Torah. Both stages were essential parts of our journey
we take with us forever. Just like Abraham, our forefather, who the Torah describes as "arriving with his days" (Genesis, 24:1). We need to also remember that in life it's never 'all or nothing'. Days that passed without being used to the maximum don't limit the new vessel of today, which is always ripe to be filled with good and saved for eternity.
The first mitzvah we received as we became a Godly nation was sanctifying the new month. Its message: Break free! Take charge of your life by taking the reins of time. Bring time into the realm of your awareness instead of letting it just slip by. Use its seconds, minutes, hours and days for spiritual elevation, instead of being enslaved under them. Where does this process start? With a choice to make this moment matter.
As the home to some of the community’s most treasured Holocaust survivors, Boro Park Center, in collaboration with Bikur Cholim, the premier agency in servicing Holocaust survivors, is honored to pay tribute to their legacy.
Week
Dedicated care and Recovery
The dedicated Boro Park Center team helps Mr. Green feel better and get stronger.
After a terrifying car accident, the patient came in with severe pain, suffering from a broken neck, right hand, left forearm, right hip, and multiple spine and rib fractures.
*Based on a true story. Name change and actor used to protect our patient’s privacy.
Recovery
Mr. Green starts rehab while enjoying minyanim, a chavrusa, and exciting recreational programs.
Week 7 Thank You, Boro Park Center!