SEPTEMBER 2019 | ELUL/TISHREI 5780
Rosh Hashanah dinner By Sandi Teplitz
APPLE NOODLE KUGEL
HONEY LIME CHICKEN
Ingredients: 1/2 lb. wide noodles, boiled, drained and rinsed 3 egg yolks 3 egg whites 1/2 stick pareve margarine, melted 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 t. baking powder 4 Tbsp. pareve bread crumbs 1/2 c. raisins
Ingredients: 6 chicken breasts, skin on 1 c. honey 1/2 c., freshly squeezed lime juice 1/2 c. oil 2 onions, diced Technique: Mix all ingredients except chicken; add to chicken. Marinate for an hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 1.5 hours.
SWISS CHARD WITH MACADAMIA NUTS AND BALSAMIC ‘BUTTER’ Ingredients: 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. brown sugar 24 oz. chard, stems cut, then leaves cut into 3 inch pieces 2 Tbsp. oil 6 Tbsp. chopped macadamia nuts 1/2 tsp. kosher salt garlic powder 2 Tbsp. unsalted pareve margarine Technique: Mix first three ingredients together. Saute chard stems with oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic powder, chard leaves and salt. Cook until chard is wilted. Stir in margarine and half of the macadamia nuts. Place in serving bowl and garnish with remaining nuts.
Technique: Beat egg whites with baking powder until stiff. Blend rest of the ingredients except bread crumbs in another bowl. Fold in egg whites. Place in greased 8x8 pan; top with crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, adding extra margarine as needed.
BROWN SUGAR CRISPS AND COTTON CANDY GRAPES* Cookie Ingredients: 1/2 c. brown sugar 1 c. Crisco 2 c. all-purpose flour 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/2 c. chopped walnuts Technique: Cream sugar and Crisco. Add rest of ingredients. Chill overnight. Roll out thinly and place on greased cookie sheets, an inch apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. *These delicious grapes are available at Wegmans.
CREATE SOMETHING SPECIAL THIS ROSH HASHANAH - YOUR JEWISH LEGACY. HOW WILL YOU ASSURE JEWISH TOMORROWS? To learn more about ways that you can remember local Jewish organizations with a gift in your will, trust, retirement account or life insurance policy, contact 610.821.5500 or visit jewishlehighvalley.org/lifeandlegacy.
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2 SEPTEMBER 2019 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | NEW YEAR 5780
Rosh Hashanah
By Harvey Cartine Special to HAKOL My wife Liz and I have been fortunate to have travelled to various countries in Europe. We always made it a highlight to explore Jewish culture and heritage during these visits. When possible, we attended services or talks in various synagogues. All of our trips to Europe have always included stays in England, as that is where she was born, grew up and has family. In addition, one of our sons, Michael, decided to move permanently to England, as that’s where his company wanted him stationed (he also wanted a “jumping off place” to visit the continent). This of course led to more trips to England and the continent. Last year, we arranged to be in England during Rosh Hashanah, and this is our experience. Mike lives with his wife, Petra, a native of the Czech Republic, and our grandson, Joshua, in the relatively small town of Potters Bar, which is just north of London. Close by is a larger town called Borhamwood, which has a significant Jewish population and some synagogues. Mike and family belong to the Elstree Liberal Synagogue, and this is where we went for Shabbat services. Rosh Hashanah services were held in a nearby religious school to accommodate the large attendance of the nearby Jewish communities. Prior to Rosh Hashanah, we went to a Friday night Shabbat service at the synagogue, which was small by our standards with an even smaller parking area. This should not have been as much as a surprise to me as it was, since everywhere in England, especially close to London, parking is a problem. The attendance was small, as it was still late summer and many people were on holiday (vacation). The Elstree
Synagogue belongs to the Liberal movement in the United Kingdom, and the service was similar to our Reform movement with some Conservative ideology “thrown in” as well. The service was musically lively with a peaceful, meditative quality slide show that drew worshippers away from their hectic daily lives to the tranquility of Shabbat. Background music, hard to believe, but effective was Pink Floyd. Rabbi Tobias was also very musical and very relatable to people. We had a talk and found out both of our respective communities shared many of the same problems, and in many ways Jewish life in this part of England was very much the same as ours in the Lehigh Valley. Our next Jewish adventure was a weekday walk through downtown Borhamwood, which pleasantly surprised us with both a major movie studio and many Jewishowned shops. After having a delightful lunch in a kosher restaurant, we went next door to a kosher butcher. I’m sure our son was pleasantly surprised when we picked up the tab for the order. The butcher’s wife threw in a generous amount of chopped liver, followed with a “Shana Tova.” This experience brought back youthful memories of our frequent family visits to the Lower East Side of New York City, our everyday lives growing up in the Weequahic section of Newark, New Jersey, and to some extent our suburban lives in Maplewood, Essex County. The climax of our integral experience with English Judaism culminated with our participation in the Rosh Hashanah services. Services were held at the local Jewish school, in a great hall, to accommodate the large community turnout. The community was well represented with a mixture of all age groups, and it was nice to see many school-age children and young adults.
Services were, as expected, pretty close to ours at home, with the exception that often the chanting melodies were different. The weather was beautifully sunny and warm, an unexpected bonus (it, of course, was England). In truth, it was too warm, but it did bring back youthful memories of a time when air conditioning in the synagogue was non-existent. After the service, during the “tea,” we again got to speak with various people – some of whom we already knew. We went away thinking about how much we have in common with one another: our hopes, our problems, what makes us laugh and cry and our common understanding of tikkun olam and tzedakah. Much of making the service so successful was due to the amazing amount of volunteers helping out where needed. This is pretty much the end of our little story that fills a great spot in our hearts. Now I think is the proper place to address security. We did have some concerns about safety and security. Thankfully, there were no issues. There were lots of people, like our son, who volunteer for the various security measures necessary. The local police provide some training and advice, but were not needed. In view of what has happened in our country, I recently asked our son if their congregation plans to do anything different this year, and his reply was no. This is quite contrary to what we are experiencing throughout the Lehigh Valley, and across our nation, this year. Finally, I asked Mike what he liked most about the Rosh Hashanah service last year. His reply was, “because we were there.” What parents wouldn’t like to hear those words? Shana Tova, Harvey (and Liz) Cartine
NEW YEAR 5780 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2019 3
By Ben Sales Jewish Telegraphic Agency Picture services for the High Holidays: What likely comes to mind is a roomful of congregants sitting with heavy books in their laps listening to a rabbi sermonize or a cantor chant. Baking pizza? Embracing a chicken under a tree? Not so much. But those are some of the things that Jewish clergy, educators and activists are doing to zetz up observance of the holiest days of the year. Aside from attending synagogue or dipping apples in honey, the extensive body of High Holiday traditions includes rituals that are participatory, intricate and even acrobatic—but also obscure, inaccessible and sometimes distasteful. In recent years, Jewish educators have tried to reclaim these rituals—changing and innovating them to be more engaging, understandable and relevant. Here are five ways Jews are getting creative with the High Holidays.
Forgiveness is a warm chicken
If you walk into a haredi Orthodox neighborhood the day before Yom Kippur, don’t be surprised to see men swinging live chickens above their heads. The ritual, called kapparot, aims to symbolically transfer a person’s sins onto the chicken, who then is donated to the poor and slaughtered for food. Some observant Jews, unable or unwilling to gain possession of a live chicken, now swing money over their heads that then goes to charity. Others have taken to protesting communities that still use chickens. But at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in rural Connecticut, Sarah Chandler has a different response: Instead of grabbing the chicken and whipping it through the air, just give it a hug. Chandler, who was ordained as a Hebrew priestess at the Kohenet Institute and also goes by Kohenet Shamira, takes a group to the center’s chicken coop on the Sunday before Yom
Kippur and begin to recite the kapparot prayers. Then, if the chickens agree, the assembled will take them, retreat to a shaded area and individually embrace them while completing the prayers, confessing their sins or meditating. At the end of the ritual, the worshippers will simply let the chickens walk free. Although Chandler is a vegan, she appreciates the parts of ancient Jewish rituals that involve connecting to animals. This version of kapparot, she said, strengthens the relationships between people and animals while causing the animals no harm. “How can we include these chickens in our Jewish life?” she asks. “I want the ritual to be so embraced that people really really believe that this chicken, and this moment looking into the chicken’s eyes, will help them be written in the Book of Life.”
The crowdsourced confession
Every year on Yom Kippur, no
COURTESY OF SARAH CHANDLER
Hug a chicken and 4 other twists on traditional High Holidays rituals Sarah Chandler is leading a twist on the Kapparot ritual where participants hug chickens instead of swinging them over their heads. matter where he’s lived, David Zvi Kalman has joined other congregants at synagogue in standing through a long list of communal sins recited by the entire congregation. The confessional prayers, known as the Viddui (Hebrew for confession), all begin “For the sin we have sinned before you …” The laundry list of transgressions, covering everything from eating impure foods to berating a friend, is a central piece of the day’s liturgy and is repeated eight times. Worshippers are supposed to gently beat their chests at each line. Kalman had trouble identifying with the prayers, finding the confessions to be overly general and prescriptive. They’re the sins the liturgy says you should feel sorry for, not necessarily the ones you actually committed. So in 2013, he created
AtoneNet, a bare-bones Tumblr where people can anonymously post the sins they would like to confess and receive forgiveness for. While the response rate has tapered off in the four years since it launched, in the weeks leading up to the holidays, a fresh batch of posts regarding “sins,” such as not giving enough charity or getting angry, has been known to trickle in. One post reads, “For caring more about being perceived as woke or the least racist than about the actual impact I have on the people of color around me.” Or another: “For taking housemates’ food that isn’t mine without asking.” Kalman prints out the entire site each year as a booklet and ships it to those who order it for use on Yom Kippur. He hopes the booklet allows them
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to atone for sins they feel are closer to their lived experience. “A lot of people have specific regrets about the way they treated a family member in the time of illness,” said Kalman, a doctoral student in Near Eastern languages at the University of Pennsylvania. “You don’t see a recognition of that in the traditional confession.”
Cast your pizza crusts upon the waters One of the more hands-on rituals of Rosh Hashanah is tashlich—literally, “cast away”—a ritual where people gather at a natural body of water and toss in bread, representing the casting away of their sins. (Sensing a theme here?) Rabbi Jeremy Fine of the Conservative Temple of Aaron in St. Paul, Minnesota, could never get people to come to the Mississippi River for the ritual after they had sat through a long service. So last year he involved the congregation’s kids. The Sunday before Rosh Hashanah, about 100 Hebrew school students came to the synagogue and baked pizza for lunch. Then they ate the pizza, but not the crusts — they went in bags marked with the kids’ names to be stored in the synagogue refrigerator. After services on the first day of the holiday, the kids retrieved their crusts, headed with their parents to the river and chucked them in. The year before, Fine got about 50 worshippers to tashlich. Last year he expected 150. “If we just did a little piece of bread, we don’t know if it’s so important,” Fine said. “But when the kids see the crust cut off, it’s like there’s actually something we’re giving away.”
Zen and the art of Noraa Kaplan
For Ashkenazi Jews, the kickoff to the High Holidays happens when congregations gather to begin saying selichot, or prayers of atonement. Depending on a congregation’s tradition, the prayers range from a lively call-and-response to long, complex poems muttered almost silently. But in recent years, two people are doing it differently. At Lab/Shul, an experimental Jewish congregation in Manhattan, Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie noted that Rosh Hashanah sometimes coincides with the beginning of the Muslim year — so the synagogue’s theme for the High Holidays in a recent year when this happened was interfaith worship. The congregation prayed with Muslims throughout the holidays, but for the Selichot service, it partnered with the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, a meditation space. The service interspersed Selichot prayers from a range of traditions with meditation practices. “It’s a way to begin the season by taking responsibility and accountability for who you are in front of God,” Lau-Lavie said. “The liturgy and the assumption of saying sorry to
God feels a little challenging, so we feel that scaffolding and pairing [that] with introspection and the tools of meditation and contemplation are everyone-friendly. They don’t assume faith.” Another take on Selichot happened in Providence, Rhode Island, where musician Noraa Kaplan turned the service into a concert. Kaplan invited fellow musicians to perform, and ended the night with a piece of performance art that challenges a range of Jewish rituals. It included her parodying a bad bar mitzvah DJ, as well as swinging a rubber chicken over her head. The event, at a concert venue she runs in Providence called “Al Dios No Conocido,” was a benefit for charity, but Kaplan let the crowd decide where the money went at the end of the night. To her, there’s not a lot of difference between traditional Selichot and a weekend show. “Selichot is supposed to happen in this late-night setting, and in many communities you see these Jewish people gathering at midnight or later,” she said. Playing a DJ, she plans to “ask people to clap their hands, and then ask them to clap their hands if they’ve ever wronged someone.”
Tell your dog: It’s Jewish animal New Year time! By Temim Fruchter Jewish Telegraphic Agency Most Jews will tell you that other than Rosh Hashanah, the Hebrew month of Elul isn’t terribly notable. It’s just the time to make High Holiday plans—right? According to the Mishna, though, the first of Elul is the new year for animals. More specifically, for domesticated animals—those who depend on humans for food, shelter and care. There’s another Mishnaic opinion, though, that Rosh Hashanah L’Behemot, the New Year for Animals, is actually on the first of Tishrei, which coincides with Rosh Hashanah. Aharon Varady of Open Siddur, explains that the Gemarah concludes that the first of Elul is for animals conceived earlier in the spring, and the latter date is for those animals conceived a bit later, and born after Elul (Bekhorot 57b, Rosh Hashanah 8a). In the Temple era, this new year was honored with a tithing, where animals were passed through a gate, with every tenth animal getting marked. A modern-day initiative to revive the tradition, but with a focus on the ethical treatment of animals, began in 2009 at the goat barn of
Adamah Farm, in Connecticut. The ritual involved blessing the animals, meditating on personal dependence on animals, and blowing the shofar to mark the new month of Elul. It has even inspired organizations such as Hazon and Jewish Initiative for Animals to make available resources about Judaism and animal rights. This new year provides an opportunity to consider the awesome interdependence of all living creatures. Prompting new rituals, prayers and reflections on animal rights and ethics, the New Year for Animals has inspired a rich contemporary conversation rooted in an ancient tradition. Happy new year to all!
Yizkor for gun victims
Yizkor, the memorial service for deceased relatives, is among the most well-known and best attended parts of the High Holiday service. But what to do if you live in a place where people are regularly getting killed? That’s the challenge confronted by Tamar Manasseh, a rabbinical student and anti-gun violence activist on Chicago’s South Side. Manasseh runs Mothers Against Senseless Killing, a group of moms that patrols a street corner in the violence-plagued neighborhood of Englewood. Given the local strife affecting the largely non-Jewish neighborhood, Manasseh felt a service focused only on relatives who passed would be inadequate. So in 2017, Manasseh organized a Yom Kippur service on her street corner for the community that along with a shofar blast and prayers included a reading of the names of Chicago’s gun violence victims that year. Just reading the list, she says, took 15 minutes. “A lot of times the funeral is closure,” she said, regarding the families of victims. “It’s not like their loved ones are spoken of after that, and they’re definitely not prayed for.” At the Yizkor service, she said, “You get to remember, you get to pray.” NEW YEAR 5780 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2019 5
FROM THE LEHIGH VALLEY CLERGY Rabbi Nisan Andrews Congregation Sons of Israel
The Jerusalem Talmud writes “God blessed the Jewish people with three gifts: they are merciful, modest, and they perform deeds of kindness (gomley chasadim).” The Rabbis derive the last of this list from the first verse in Parshat Eikev: “Because you will heed these ordinances and keep them and perform, that the Lord, your God, will keep for you the covenant and the kindness that He swore to your forefathers.” The commentators ask, however, all we see from this verse is that God will bestow kindness onto us, how do we learn from here that we are performing kindness? The answer some give is based on a statement from the Gemara: God does to us what we do to others (bimeda she'adam modded, moddedin lo). In order for God to do acts of kindness with us, we must first be the kind of people to do such deeds ourselves. As we enter the High Holiday season, we should take stock of our actions and deeds. Perhaps if we can find a place in our own hearts to forgive others, God will do the same for us. I wish every one of you a meaningful Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and a sweet new year with success and growth in matters both physical and spiritual.
Rabbi Melody Davis Temple Covenant of Peace
The more peace there is within us, the more peace there will be in our troubled world. Etty Hillesum Shlom bayit, the proper Hebrew pronunciation of shalom bayit, is the cornerstone of Jewish family life. While it actually refers to peace in the home, it also refers to any path which may promote those ends. A Midrash about Abraham and Sarah explores the import of shlom bayit: When Sarah laughs in amazement that she and Abraham were going to have a child, God softens her words when discussing it with Abraham by omitting her reference to their advanced age. Why hurt someone’s feelings unnecessarily? Shlom bayit is an on-going process, not 6 SEPTEMBER 2019 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | NEW YEAR 5780
something that happens on its own. Some of the basics usually associated with shlom bayit include complimenting and thanking your spouse several times per day, not contradicting one another in public, not making an issue over details, being nice to one another ... If you extend this behavior to your children, your siblings, your parents, your friends … you see where I’m going. You can change the world. My parents, Pearl and Harold Glatt, z”l, were cultural, gastronomic Jews. We celebrated the New Year with a family dinner—which can be a time of strife. One of the traditions they passed down to me has to do with food. (Jews and food … Who would think it?) We make sure that each of us has one of our favorite dishes on the menu for Rosh Hashanah. If we have company, we ask for their favorites, too. We serve foods in memory of those who have passed. My dad loved brisket. My mother adored homemade cole slaw. Bubbie loved rugelach. They will be on the table. Through this custom, we hope to honor the memory of cherished loved ones and—in an oblique way—to ensure a good year of the things that we enjoy. We wish you and yours a year of good health, learning and enjoyment. May you be inscribed for a good and sweet year.
Rabbi Yaakov Halperin Chabad of Lehigh Valley
What is the secret of having your prayers answered on the High Holidays? The story below says it all. A jeweler in Jerusalem watched as a 9year-old girl strolled back and forth, eyeing his glass cases. Finally, she stood before him and said, “I want to buy that bracelet,” pointing it out to him. The jeweler took the bracelet out, placed it before her, and said, “My, you have wonderful taste. How did you happen to pick this one?” The bracelet the girl had selected sold for $3,000. “It’s for my older sister,” she answered. “I want to get her something really nice because she takes care of us. Our mother and father are no longer living.” The jeweler nodded. “And how much do you have to spend?” The girl took out a pouch full of coins. She dumped them on the counter and began to sort the coins as the jeweler watched. “Seven shekels and 80 agorot,” she proudly announced.
The jeweler exclaimed, “That’s remarkable! That happens to be the price of this bracelet,” even though seven shekels and 80 agorot equates to just over $2. With tears in his eyes, the jeweler delicately wrapped the bracelet, handed it to the girl with a big smile and wistfully followed her path out the door and into the street. Not long after, the older sister appeared. She strode across the store, thrust the bracelet at the jeweler, and said, “Here is your bracelet. I am terribly embarrassed.” “Why are you embarrassed?” the jeweler gently asked. “I am sure this bracelet is very expensive,” she responded. “My sister could not possibly have paid you what it is worth.” The jeweler replied, “You could not be more wrong. Your sister paid me with seven shekels, 80 agorot … and a pure heart. Every day people come into my store and buy expensive jewelry for their loved ones, but they can well afford what they are paying. “You see, I am a widower, and from the day my wife died, this is the first time I have felt what love means. Your sister paid me in full.” At this time of year, we gather in synagogue to pray to G-d for a healthy year. A happy year. A fulfilling year. And what is our “payment” to G-d for these favors we ask? We promise to be kinder, to be more generous, to look deeper into ourselves in search of ways we can more fully realize our potential and make our world better. And are those promises “payment” enough? Because G-d is merciful and abounding in understanding, the answer is yes. As long as we come before Him with a pure heart. May we all unite in prayer for our IDF soldiers, those who have lost their lives and those who are risking their lives every day on the front lines of Gaza, and express our support, love, gratitude and appreciation, and hopes that peace will be achieved and no more lives will be lost. Ktivah v’Chatimah Tova: May you be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life. We hope to see you this year at our holiday table.
Rabbi Malkah Binah Klein Congregation Am Hasklalah
Teshuva (repentance/ return) is said to have been created even before the creation of the physical world
(Bablylonian Talmud, Pesachim 54a). What is the meaning of this teaching? That teshuva, the capacity to transform, is woven into the very fabric of our existence. Fundamental to our humanity is our capacity to learn and grow, to heal our traumas and addictions, to overcome injustice and to forgive. Fundamental to our humanity is our capacity for hope, new possibilities and resilience. Being human is not about being perfect. Being human is about living in the world with the intention to be a loving presence and to be of service—sometimes we succeed and sometimes we fail. Our challenge is to be a student of life, learning to practice kindness with ourselves and others and to give and receive ever more love and light. During the High Holiday season, we gather as a community to support one another in striving toward manifesting our Higher Selves. All are welcome to join us in community for prayer and learning— those who are active members and those who have not been to synagogue in years, those with years of Jewish education and those who are new to Judaism, those who are feeling relatively settled in their lives and those who are struggling. We are more alike than different, each of us navigating this troubled world, on the path to becoming more aligned with whom we are meant to be. May we support one another in community, opening to greater love, joy and connection. May we all be blessed with a sweet New Year. L’shana tova.
Rabbi Seth Phillips Congregation Keneseth Israel
Elsewhere in this issue you can read about my three week attempt to connect with the historical tragedies that have befallen our people in summer months by growing a beard. My “aha” moment was to realize that our traditions and rituals provide us with the tools to change ourselves and realize our potential as creations “littler lower than angels!” Fortunately, if you want to change yourself and can’t wait until next summer …or can’t grow a beard, there is another alternative. This High Holiday edition of HAKOL will arrive a month before Rosh Hashanah. Just as you can’t have Pesach without cleaning or Tisha b’Av without fasting three weeks earlier, you can’t get to the Jewish New Year without going through the month of Elul. The final month of the old year is unburdened by historical events, but has a liturgical change to begin our preparation to enter a new year. Psalm 27 is added to the morning service and daily reassures us about the future: The LORD is the stronghold of my life, whom should I dread? Should war beset me, still would I be confident. Though my father and mother abandon
me, the LORD will take me in. But TANSTAAFL, as sci-fi readers and practitioners of the “dismal science” know, there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. What is required of us? Show me Your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path. Look to the LORD. Psalm 27 can help us to make room in our lives for the “More than Me” and the “More than Today in My Life” as can a meditation a day book like “Preparing Your Heart for the High Holidays” (Olitzky & Sabath) or “Forty Days of Transformation” (Elkins). The High Holidaze are oft regarded (sadly) as an opera without subtitles. Every clergy represented on these pages will suggest that some preparation will improve your experience. Try a Psalm (27) a day in the month before you pray. May you find the strength and courage to renew yourself for the year ahead.
Rabbi Moshe Re’em Temple Beth El
Teshuva is usually translated as “repentance.” Repentance is a pretty weighty word. It connotes a process that is centripetal, moving inward toward the core of my being. As such, Teshuva can be a
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solitary activity. This, however, seems to contradict much of the liturgy. We say Al Chet Shechatanu “For the sins WE have committed,” and not “For the sins I committed.” Why recite these prayers in the plural if Teshuva is a solitary process? While the process of change must begin with a truthful personal reflection on the self, it cannot end there. It must involve a self examination of one's relationship to God and to others in the community. As a collective, we can achieve tremendous accomplishments. That is why Abraham Joshua Heschel translates Teshuva not as “repentance,” but as “answer.” To say, as Heschel did, that God is waiting for our answers to life's ultimate questions implies action on our part, not just passivity. It means that our commitment to change must effect the world around us—those we love and complete strangers. To think of Teshuva in this way is to see it as both a centripetal and a centrifugal force. It is a process that unfolds from the heart outward to the world at large. Only when change is effected outward and collectively can it make a difference for the world around us. L'Shana Tova! May the year 5780 hold blessing and promise for us all!
Rabbi Michael P. Singer Congregation Brith Sholom
One of the most ubiquitous (and yummiest!) symbols of Rosh Hashanah is dipping apples into honey for a sweet new year. But, interestingly, the original fruit associated with the holiday was not the kind of apples we generally use today but the pomegranate (seeded apple -
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Latin) or rimon in Hebrew. But why the pomegranate? One simple answer might be that since the pomegranate has so many seeds inside, it was an ancient symbol of fertility and prosperity fitting in with the theme of the New Year. “May your New Year be filled with blessings as numerous as the pomegranate’s seeds!” is a perfect Rosh Hashanah greeting card. Yet, delving a little deeper, our tradition found another spiritually uplifting meaning as well. The Rabbis teach us that the pomegranate was the original fruit of Creation - filled with 613 seeds corresponding to the Mitzvot in the Torah. Even before the world was created, God brought Torah into existence out of an abounding love for Creation. Torah’s purpose would be to guide humanity in the ways of love, care and respect necessary to fully understand and appreciate the blessing of life and our role in it. The fruit of the pomegranate therefore became the mystical symbol linking Creation, Torah and the Divine attribute of love. In fact, many synagogues crown the wooden staves (Atzei Chayyim - Trees of Life) of the Torah with silver pomegranates (rimonim) adorned with bells connecting all three of these ideas together. The pomegranate acts not only as a passive symbol but a reminder—a call to action. “Our world is sustained/stands on … Torah, service to God and deeds lovingkindness”(Shimon HaTzaddik Pirkei Avot 1:2). Like the bountiful seeds of the pomegranate, Torah, service to God and lovingkindness require all of our participation and are best when shared with others. May the New Year 5780 be filled with the wisdom, strength and resolve to redouble our efforts to love our neighbor, the stranger and our planet so that everyone may enjoy the fruits of God’s loving Creation for generations to come. L’Shanah Tovah Tikateivu v’Tichateimu!
Cantor Ellen Sussman
Temple Shirat Shalom Chair, Lehigh Valley Jewish Clergy Group
It is the end of July, and I am writing High Holy Day greetings to all the Jews in the Valley. It just happens all of a sudden the High Holy Days creep into my consciousness. Colleagues begin to discuss what they are singing, HAKOL reminds us to write our articles, and I start to think about traditions, parents passed on, children and the future. Today, I was speaking to friends of ours and telling them we are planning to be in Washington, D.C., right after Yom Kippur and perhaps we could go out to dinner. What struck me is that I spoke of our date in terms of the Jewish Holy Day not the date on the secular calendar. The rhythm of Jewish life is different than that of the culture around us. To preserve our heritage, it is important to remember our sacred times and work our lives around them. They should be a priority. A religious school parent just asked me the dates of the High Holy Days so that he could send them to the soccer coach. I said I think the lesson to be learned is that observing the Jewish Holy Days are more important than a soccer game. We are hoping our children will be Jewish their whole lives and pass on the love of Judaism to their children. My wish for all of us this season is that we make Judaism important in our lives and we begin to “look at the world with Jewish eyes.” Have a joyous and meaningful New Year from the SussmanVaida family.
High Holy Day Schedule of Services at area synagogues Allentown CHABAD OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY
Rabbi Yaacov Halperin, Chabad Lubavitch 4457 Crackersport Rd, Allentown 610.351.6511 EREV ROSH HASHANAH Sunday, September 29 7:00 p.m. Evening Services 7:45 p.m. Rosh Hashanah Community Dinner ROSH HASHANAH Monday, September 30 9:30 a.m. Morning Services 11:30 a.m. Shofar Sounding 6:00 p.m. Tashlich Service 7:50 p.m. Evening Services Tuesday, October 1 9:30 a.m. Morning Services 11:30 a.m. Shofar Sounding EREV YOM KIPPUR Tuesday, October 8 6:45 p.m. Kol Nidre Service YOM KIPPUR Wednesday, October 9 9:30 a.m. Morning Services 11:30 a.m. Yizkor (memorial service) 5:15 p.m. Afternoon Services 6:15 p.m. Neilah Closing Service 7:12 p.m. Fast Ends (Followed by break fast) SUKKOT Monday, October 14 10:00 a.m. Morning Services Tuesday, October 15 10:00 a.m. Morning Services EREV SHEMINI ATZERET Sunday, October 20 6:30 p.m. Evening Services Followed by Kiddush & Hakafot SHEMINI ATZERET/EREV SIMCHAT TORAH Monday, October 21 10:00 a.m. Morning Services 11:45 a.m. Yizkor Memorial Service 7:00 p.m. Evening Services Hakafot Under the Stars SIMCHAT TORAH Tuesday, October 22 10:00 a.m. Morning Services
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CONGREGATION AM HASKALAH
Rabbi Malkah Binah Klein, Reconstructionist All services will be held at: JCC of the Lehigh Valley, 702 N. 22nd St., Allentown | 610.435.3775 EREV ROSH HASHANAH Sunday, September 29 6:00 p.m. Evening Services ROSH HASHANAH Monday, September 30 9:30 a.m. Morning Services Followed by picnic potluck lunch and tashlich Tuesday, October 1 9:30 a.m. Morning Services EREV YOM KIPPUR Tuesday, October 8 6:00 p.m. Kol Nidre YOM KIPPUR Wednesday, October 9 9:30 a.m. Morning Services with Yizkor 5:30 p.m. Afternoon and Neilah Services 7:30 p.m. Communal Post-Yom Kippur Breakfast
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CONGREGATION KENESETH ISRAEL
Rabbi Seth D. Phillips, Reform 2227 Chew St., Allentown | 610.435.9074 EREV ROSH HASHANAH Sunday, September 29 8:00 p.m. Evening Services ROSH HASHANAH Monday, September 30 9:30 a.m. Morning Services Tashlich Service Following Tuesday, October 1
10:00 a.m. Hike – Call for location Sunday, October 6 2:00 p.m. Memorial Service at the KI Cemetery EREV YOM KIPPUR Tuesday, October 8 8:00 p.m. Kol Nidre YOM KIPPUR Wednesday, October 9 9:30 a.m. Morning Services Meditation Service immediately following 2:00 p.m. Afternoon Service 3:45 p.m. Yizkor Service 5:00 p.m. Neilah Service
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CONGREGATION SONS OF ISRAEL
Rabbi Nisan Andrews, Orthodox 2715 Tilghman St., Allentown | 610.433.6089 SELICHOT Saturday, September 21 – Sunday, September 22 11:55 p.m. Pre-Selichot Social 1:00 a.m. Service 8:30 a.m. Shacharis 6:40 p.m. Mincha/Maariv EREV ROSH HASHANAH Sunday, September 29 8:00 a.m. Selichos/Shacharis 9:30 a.m. Hataras Nedarim 6:30 p.m. Mincha/Maariv 6:29 p.m. Latest candle lighting ROSH HASHANAH Monday, September 30 8:00 a.m. Shacharis 10:00 a.m. Youth Programming 10:30 a.m. Shofar Blowing 5:00 p.m. Mincha, followed by Tashlich 7:05 p.m. Maariv 7:28 p.m. Earliest candle lighting *Light candles from an existing flame Tuesday, October 1 8:00 a.m. Shacharis 10:00 a.m. Youth Programming 10:30 a.m. (approx.) Shofar blowing 6:30 p.m. Mincha/Maariv 7:27 p.m. Yom Tov ends EREV YOM KIPPUR Tuesday, October 8 6:30 a.m. Selichos/Shacharis 3:00 p.m. Mincha 6:14 p.m. Latest candle lighting 6:15 p.m. Kol Nidrei 6:32 p.m. Fast begins YOM KIPPUR Wednesday, October 9 8:30 a.m. Shacharis 10:00 a.m. Youth Programming 11:30 a.m. (approx.) Sermon and Yizkor Mincha immediately following musaf 5:45 p.m. Neilah 7:14 p.m. Maariv EREV SUKKOT Sunday, October 13 6:05 p.m. Mincha/Maariv 6:07 p.m. Candle lighting SUKKOT Monday, October 14 9:00 a.m. Shacharis 5:05 p.m. Daf yomi 6:05 p.m. Mincha/Class/Maariv 7:06 p.m. Candle lighting and preparation for second day after. *Light candles from an existing flame Tuesday, October 15 9:00 a.m. Shacharis 5:05 p.m. Daf Yomi 6:05 p.m. Mincha/Class/Maariv 7:04 p.m. Yom Tov ends SH’MINI ATZERET/EREV SIMCHAT TORAH Monday, October 21 9:00 a.m. Shacharis 10:45 a.m. Yizkor (approx. time) 5:55 p.m. Mincha/Maariv/Hakafos 6:56 p.m. Candle lighting and preparation for second day after. *Light candles from an existing flame SIMCHAT TORAH Tuesday, October 2 9:00 a.m. Shacharis Hakafos, Torah readings, Kol Hane’arim
Mincha after Mussaf 6:54 p.m. Yom Tov ends/Maariv
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TEMPLE BETH EL
Rabbi Moshe Re’em, Conservative 1305 Springhouse Rd., Allentown | 610.435.3521 SELICHOT Saturday, September 21 8:15 p.m. Program (at Congregation Brith Sholom) 9:00 p.m. Services (at Congregation Brith Sholom) EREV ROSH HASHANAH Sunday, September 29 6:29 p.m. Light Candles 7:15 p.m. Dedication of Memorial Plaques 8:00 p.m. Evening Services ROSH HASHANAH Monday, September 30 8:45 a.m. Shacharit Service 9:45 a.m. Torah Service/Musaf 9:45 a.m. Children and Teen Service 10:00 a.m. Bim Bom Buddies Playgroup 11:30 a.m. Traditional Service *Tashlich Service at the Stream following Services* 7:28 p.m. Light Candles 8:00 p.m. Ma’ariv Service Tuesday, October 1 8:30 a.m. Shacharit Service 9:45 a.m. Torah Service (Combined) 11:00 a.m. Contemporary Family Service Sunday, October 6 11:30 a.m. Cemetery Service and Genizah Ceremony EREV YOM KIPPUR Tuesday, October 8 6:15 p.m. Kol Nidre 6:15 p.m. Light Candles YOM KIPPUR Wednesday, October 9 8:45 a.m. Shacharit Service 9:45 a.m. Torah Service/Yizkor/Musaf 9:45 a.m. Children and Teen Service 10:00 a.m. Bim Bom Buddies Playgroup 12:00 p.m. Traditional Service (Musaf) 2:00 p.m. Private Prayer Opportunity 4:15 p.m. Mincha 5:45 p.m. Neila 5:45 p.m. JFE Program 7:00 p.m. Ma’ariv/Havdalah/Shofar Blowing EREV SUKKOT Sunday, October 13 6:07 p.m. Light Candles SUKKOT Monday, October 14 9:30 a.m. Morning Services 10:00 a.m. Dor L’ Dor Program 7:05 p.m. Light Candles
Rabbi Michael Singer, Conservative 1190 W. Macada Rd., Bethlehem | 610.866.8009 EREV ROSH HASHANAH Sunday, September 29 7:00 p.m. Candle lighting 7:05 p.m. Evening Services ROSH HASHANAH Monday, September 30 8:00 a.m. Morning Services 6:15 p.m. Tashlich 7:15 p.m. Afternoon/Evening Services Tuesday, October 1 8:00 a.m. Morning Services EREV YOM KIPPUR Tuesday, October 8 5:45 p.m. Afternoon Services 6:00 p.m. Kol Nidre Service 6:13 p.m. Candle lighting YOM KIPPUR Wednesday, October 9 10:00 a.m. Morning Services 4:45 p.m. Afternoon/Evening Services EREV SUKKOT Sunday, October 13 4:00 p.m. Sukkah Bar & Grill 6:06 p.m. Candle Lighting 6:45 p.m. Evening Services SUKKOT Monday, October 14 9:00 a.m. Morning Services Tuesday, October 15 9:00 a.m. Morning Services SHEMINI ATZERET/ EREV SIMCHAT TORAH Monday, October 21 9:00 a.m. Morning Services/Yizkor 7:00 p.m. Family Service SIMCHAT TORAH Tuesday, October 22 9:00 a.m. Morning Services
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Easton B’NAI ABRAHAM SYNAGOGUE & TEMPLE COVENANT OF PEACE Rabbi Melody Davis B’nai Abraham Synagogue, Conservative 1545 Bushkill Street, Easton | 610.258.5343 Temple Covenant of Peace, Reform 1451 Northampton St., Easton | 610.253.2031 EREV ROSH HASHANAH Sunday, September 29 at B’nai Abraham Synagogue 7:30 p.m. Services
Tuesday, October 15 9:30 a.m. Morning Services SHEMINI ATZERET/EREV SIMCHAT TORAH Monday, October 21 9:00 a.m. Yizkor 6:30 p.m. Evening Services 6:55 p.m. Light Candles SIMCHAT TORAH Tuesday, October 22 9:00 a.m. Morning Services
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TEMPLE SHIRAT SHALOM
Cantor Ellen Sussman, Reform cantorsussman@gmail.com Our High Holydays are home based. Those with perspective interest in our services should email our president Susan Shmookler at susanshmoo@gmail.com.
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Bethlehem CONGREGATION BETH AVRAHAM
CONGREGATION BRITH SHOLOM
ROSH HASHANAH Monday, September 30 at Temple Covenant of Peace 9:15 a.m. Children’s Service 10:15 a.m. Morning Service followed by Rosh Hashanah Tea 3:00 p.m. Tashlich Service Tuesday, September 11 at B’nai Abraham Synagogue 10:15 a.m. Creative Service Sunday, October 6 1:00 p.m. Graveside Service at Easton Cemetery 2:00 p.m. Southside Service 3:00 p.m. Graveside Service at B’nai Abraham Synagogue Cemetery EREV YOM KIPPUR Tuesday, October 8 at Bnai Abraham Synagogue 7:30 p.m. Kol Nidre YOM KIPPUR Wednesday, October 9 9:15 a.m. Children’s Service at TCP 10:15 a.m. Morning Service at TCP 4:30 p.m. Mincha/Yizkor/Ne’ila Service at BAS Followed by Break-the-Fast at BAS
Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod, Orthodox 610.905.2166 Contact Rabbi Yagod for service address and schedule. NEW YEAR 5780 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2019 9
Applesauce soufflé bread pudding room temperature 2 large egg whites 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar, plus additional for dusting the dish 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
A less traditional Rosh Hashanah dessert alternative By Olga Massov Nosher INGREDIENTS 1 cup whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 9 ounces (8 cups) challah cubes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg Pinch of cloves Pinch of allspice 4 large egg yolks 1 cup unsweetened applesauce,
DIRECTIONS Heat oven to 375 degrees and position the rack in the middle. In a small saucepan set over low heat, bring the milk and the cream to a simmer. Place challah cubes in a bowl. Remove milk-cream mixture from heat and pour half of the liquid over the challah. Let sit. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment set on high speed, cream the butter and the brown sugar until light and fluffy (start the mixer on low and gradually increase to high speed). Add the egg yolks, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice, beating well, on medium high, until emulsified. Add apple sauce and the remaining dairy mixture, and mix until thoroughly combined. Fold the soaked challah into the apple sauce mixture. Place
the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl and add the sugar and the salt. Starting with the mixer on low and gradually increasing the speed to high, beat until the egg whites form stiff peaks. Gently fold the whites into the batter. Butter and sugar a 3-quart soufflé dish or eight 3 1/2-inch ramekins, then place or evenly divide the batter. If baking in a soufflé dish, bake the pudding about 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a knife, inserted into the pudding, comes out clean. Check on your bread pudding after 1 hour. (If the top of your bread pudding starts to get too brown, cover it with tin foil and continue to cook.) If using the ramekins, bake the pudding for about 25 minutes, or until a knife, inserted into the pudding, comes out clean. Baked puddings can be wrapped and kept in the refrigerator for up to three days, then heated in the oven wrapped in foil or microwaved until warm. Serves 8 servings
Prepare for the High Holidays with a special Selichot program Three local congregations are joining together to prepare for the High Holidays with a special Selichot program on Saturday, Sept. 21. Join Congregation Am Haskalah, Congregation Brith Sholom and Temple Beth El at their co-sponsored event exploring Jewish wisdom on the afterlife journey of the soul, particularly in the traditions of Kabbalah. Through storytelling, discussion and an examination of traditional texts, the evening will endeavor to provide understanding to the contemporary relevance of these teachings. A Havdalah and Selichot service will take place at Brith Sholom at 8:15 p.m., followed by a presentation by Reb Simcha Raphael, Ph.D. He is the author of the groundbreaking book “Jewish Views of the Afterlife,”
which was recently released in a 25th anniversary expanded edition. He is also the founder of the DA’AT Institute for Death Awareness, Advocacy and Training. Raphael will be giving a talk, “Preparing to Meet the Ancestors: Exploring Jewish Views of the Afterlife” at 9 p.m., followed by a dessert reception.
Donations being accepted for Beth Tikvah Jewish Prisoner Outreach Once again, Joy Miller is collecting new Jewish year calendars for 5780 and new or gently used tallit, tefillin, matzah or challah covers and Jewish bibles for prisoners to be distributed through the Beth Tikvah Jewish Prisoner Outreach. Please make any donations to the Federation office, JCC front desk or Congregation Keneseth Israel. Donations go to Jewish prisoners across the United States. If you have questions, please contact Joy at miller.interpretations@gmail.com.
PJ Library Family of the Month:
THE PILDIS FAMILY
The arrival of PJ Library books in our mailbox not only excites our children with a monthly treat, but also provides us as parents with a fun and approachable way to incorporate Jewish traditions and beliefs into our family’s daily life. - THE PILDIS FAMILY To learn more about PJ Library and register to receive free Jewish-themed books for children from 6 months through 8 years, visit www.pjlibrary.org.
10 SEPTEMBER 2019 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | NEW YEAR 5780
The High Holidays at JDS: A new year brings new adventures!
By Joanna Powers JDS Hebrew and Judaics Director A new school year at the JDS brings with it, as usual, a new Jewish year to celebrate. Unlike last year, however, we have the month of September to learn, prepare, create and hear the daily shofar blast before 5780 makes its debut. Our Judaics team is raring to go to use this time with our students as they learn the customs, celebrations and the deeper meaning of our holidays of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. Our annual Rosh Hashanah seder will be filled with songs, traditional and symbolic foods, stories and engaging discussions about the opportunities and responsi-
bilities that a fresh new year presents to us. Just as we dip our apples in honey, we will dip our spirits into the sweetness and excitement of the new year. The serious side of Rosh Hashanah deepens as we prepare for Yom Kippur. We reflect on the past year and offer apologies and forgiveness to those around us. Our classes will focus on how to make Yom Kippur significant to all of us, from the youngest pre-K friends to our mature middle school students. Some classes will be embellishing machzor bookmarks for the special prayer books used during these holidays while others will be “diving” into the story of Jonah and creating art pieces that reflect this Yom Kippur reading.
PJ Library 'rides' through Israel for Rosh Hashanah
On Sunday, Sept. 15, please join PJ Library in celebrating Rosh Hashanah as we take a “train ride” through Israel. Based on the book, “Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride,” by Deborah Bodin Cohen and illustrated by Shahar Kober, the children will visit various “stations” on their travels through Israel. Stations will be designed by our Israeli schlicha, Rotem Bar, and in partner-
Our High Holiday season will roll right into the joyousness of Sukkot, a celebration of bounty and family. Our school sukkah will be built with many helping hands, and the decorations will be made and hung by every grade. Please join us on Friday, Oct. 11, to help build our sukkah. As we prepare for Sukkot, we will enjoy putting together our sweet and edible mini sukkot and try not to nibble before the pictures are taken. The big finale to our fall holiday celebrations will be our very special Community Sukkot Dinner. Please join us on Thursday, Oct. 17, at 5:30 p.m. for a delicious feast in our Sukkah and enjoy music, our playground and JDS Sukkot fun. Our JDS family wishes you and your family a New Year of health, happiness, love and laughter. Shanah Tovah U’Metukah!
ship with our Lehigh Valley area synagogues. They will be manned by members of the synagogues. Each station will have a Rosh Hashanah activity or craft. Enjoy Rosh Hashanah snacks and, of course, a PJ Library story. Free and open to the community at JCC of the Lehigh Valley, 3 to 5 p.m. Please RSVP to Abby Trachtman at abbyt@jflv. org or 610-821-5500. NEW YEAR 5780 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2019 11
happy
ROSH HASHANAH