APRIL 2017
STARTUP: r e v o s Pas SAN DIEGO Community partners do good for all
ISSUE
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HILLEL'S FINGERHUT: THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2017
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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2017
contents
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April 2017 • www.lchaimmagazine.com
in this issue... 1000 WORDS
Hillel International CEO, Eric Fingerhut.........................................................................................
COVER STORY: STARTUP SAN DIEGO Community bolstered by Startup18, an innovation hub
and supportive home base for projects...................................................................................... PASSOVER
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HILLEL'S FINGERHUT
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Four Cups, Five Stars: Sophisticated Kosher wines for Passover seders.............. Israeli Library scores 1500 year-old Haggadah......................................................................
The "Wooden Jews" of Poland.......................................................................................................... FEATURES Jewish FOod Fair at Temple Adat Shalom................................................................................ Strangers and Refugees at Temple Emanu-el.......................................................................
START SOMETHING
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Cadena San Diego: When Disaster Strikes .............................................................................
FOOD KOSHEROLOGY: Carrot and Sweet Potato Tzimmes........................................................
COLUMNS Torah: Of the Book................................................................................................................................... Humor: Mazel & Mishagoss................................................................................................................
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JewishMom.com.........................................................................................................................................
PUBLISHERS Diane Benaroya & Laurie Miller EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alanna Maya CREATIVE DIRECTOR Laurie Miller
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TORAH l BY RABBI DANIEL BORTZ
of
the book Harmonious Balance
T
oday, it’s hard to ignore the emphasis placed on being in shape, exercising regularly, eating right, and doing everything in one’s power to live a long and healthy life. But healthy living isn’t only related to one’s waistline but also to one’s mind and inner well-being. The greatest of Sages, with Maimonides (1135-1204) at the forefront, taught that the path to good health comes through living a balanced life. The need for balance must pervade all of reality, as it is said, “Man is a miniature world.” (Maimonides, Guide to the Perplexed, 1:72.) Too much sugar can cause diabetes while low blood sugar can lead to hypoglycemia. Too many bacteria-fighting white blood cells is neutrophilia, while too few is neutropenia, both conditions lead to ill health. Our lungs breathe in and breathe out. Our muscles contract and expand. The waves of the ocean dash forward to shore only to return back to the sea. Just as we need physical balance for optimal functionality, we also need mental and emotional balance. It’s important to strive and accomplish, but this ambitious mentality must be balanced with time for relaxation and restoration, time with loved ones and a balanced schedule. Raising children requires a balance of kindness and love with discipline and boundaries. Every holiday has a unique spiritual energy connected to the original events it
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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2017
commemorates, an energy that resurfaces every year on that date. The holiday most aligned with balance is Passover. On the first night of Passover, it is an ancient Jewish tradition to speak about the exodus from Egypt and the miracles that occurred, while partaking of a symbolic meal known as a pesach seder. Pesach literally means “leaping” (as God did when he passed over the homes of the Jewish people during the plague of the Egyptian male first-born), and seder means “order.” The seder is a program of “orderly leaping” compiled in a way that enables us to leap to great spiritual heights — a balanced order of directed, spiritual transcendence. Passover is also known as the holiday of freedom, not only from physical slavery but also from internal mental and emotional bondage. What does it mean to be free? Is it doing whatever we want, whenever we want to? That approach may just be a form of selfish individualism as a slave to one’s desires. True human freedom is mastering one’s internal drive, tempering emotion by using the mind to transcend one’s limitations. At this time of Passover, we are granted a special ability to transcend and free ourselves from anything that hinders us from achieving our true potential. Whether it’s depression, anger, low self-esteem, or addiction, Passover has an energy that we can tap into to reach true inner freedom. We just need to locate an area in our lives that’s in need of balancing,
choosing to ride the spiritual energy of the moment to break free of its shackles. Mistakes are normal. We aren’t expected to eliminate our animalistic desires. We work on taming and channeling them in a positive direction. This ability to balance our material desires with spiritual vitality is the key to a healthy and just life, as Maimonides teaches: “The upright path is the middle path.” There are two areas of the human psyche that Maimonides says must be avoided to the extreme with no middle path: anger and ego. Sometimes, we need extreme methods in certain areas to reach a balance. Humility is symbolized by the matzah cracker that is flat, while hametz is bread that’s bloated and puffed up, symbolizing someone full of self. On Passover, we don’t just lessen or moderate our hametz intake; we eradicate it completely! Are matzah and hametz really that different from one another? Matzah and leavened bread are separated only by a few extra minutes, even seconds, of baking flour in an oven! But that’s the point: Matzah is simply disciplined bread, symbolizing the crucial importance of healthy discipline and boundaries that give our lives true balance. Wishing you and yours an inspiring and liberating Passover! RABBI DANIEL BORTZ IS THE DIRECTOR OF JTEEN SAN DIEGO, JTEENSD.COM. FOR INFORMATION ON CLASSES, CONTACT HIM AT DANIELBORTZ@GMAIL.COM.
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HUMOR l BY STEPHANIE LEWIS
mazel
& mishagoss PassOver the Rainbow
T
his Passover we’ve invited a nonJewish family to our Seder table to share our culture and traditions. Obsessed with The Wizard of Oz, they’ve politely requested (for the children’s sake, of course!) that we compare Pesach to their favorite movie so they’ll better appreciate our customs. Uh oh! I don’t think we’re in Egypt anymore! But hey, why not? Dorothy was kinda like Moses in that she led her people (The Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Lion) through a path to freedom on what might’ve been a road paved with crispy boards of Matzo instead of yellow bricks. The Wicked Witch was kinda like Pharaoh, torturing and inflicting pain on everyone – even her own slaves, those Flying Monkeys. And we’ll make the Munchkins Jewish (by calling them Menschkins!) and the little dog Toto, too. (AKA “Todah” which of course means “thank you” in Hebrew.) Later on in Emerald City, the significant parting of that curtain (pay no attention to that man behind it!) exposed the Wizard to be weak and small, incapable of great feats; contrasted to the meaningful parting of the Red Sea, which revealed the giant and powerful miracle of G-d. But I also think family holidays benefit from music, so in addition to Dayenu and Go 8
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Down Moses we’ll sing the following songs: Sung Like Scarecrow to the Tune of “If I Only Had a Brain!” There was this brand new Pharaoh, Had us all over a barrel, And always gave us flack, Now from bread we must abstain, But you won’t hear us complain, Boiled eggs make a nice snack. And the pyramids were built . . . So to heck with Jewish guilt, If we only had some grain! Sung Like Glinda to the Tune of “Come Out, Come Out!” Pull him out, pull him out, whoever you are, And see the new baby become a Jewish star. He floated so far, glided half of a mile, Meet the special young boy who came from the Nile! He drifted in that river, it flowed very fast, Later on in his role, Charlton Heston will be cast. Sung like Menschkins to the Tune of “The Lollipop Guild”
We represent the Matzo Ball League, the Matzo Ball League! And in the name of the Matzo Ball League ... We forbid you to eat Chometz for 8 more days! Sung like Dorothy to the Tune of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” Somewhere out of the desert, way up high, There’s a land that I’ve heard of, up on Mt. Sinai. Somewhere, out of Mitzrayim, A flaming bush will burn. And through those Ten Commandments, Many idol worshippers will one day learn. Now if happy little children can find The afikomen hidden in the venetian blind ... Why, oh why can’t I ??? Okay, okay, I guess there’s only one thing left to cover: the scary ten plagues. And we can start by chanting three of them, “Locusts and Boils and Hail, Oy Vey!” STEPHANIE D. LEWIS IS A REGULAR WRITER FOR THE COMEDY SECTION OF THE HUFFINGTON POST. VIEW MORE OF HER HUMOR ON ONCEUPONYOURPRIME.COM AND FOLLOW HER @MISSMENOPAUSE.
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L’CHAIM l BY SAM LITVIN
Eric Fingerhut, Hillel's president and CEO. PHOTO BY SHAHAR AZRAN FOR HILLEL 10
L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2017
L’CHAIM
A THOUSAND
WORDS ERIC FINGERHUT, PRESIDENT AND CEO, HILLEL INTERNATIONAL
H
e sat with a phone against his ear in the dim hallway of the Fairmont of Grand Del Mar. We nearly passed him but I recognized the silver-haired man with a grey kippah from my research. Minutes later, the ex-congressman, Stanford Law graduate and the current CEO of Hillel International entered the large oakpaneled dining room. “Hi, how are you,” Eric Fingerhut said, full of energy as he shook my hand with a smile. He excused our surroundings, explaining that he heard that this is the “Versaille of San Diego and so I had to stay here.” I looked out the window onto the lawn below where fountains crisscrossed and bushes artfully manicured into intersecting diamonds. It was no Versaille, but it certainly tried and was in stark contrast to my usual perception of Hillel. As Fingerhut sat down next to me, the cuffs of his blue blazer pulled up exposing a bracelet that could have been on a 20-yearold traveler at a hostel in Costa Rica. Over the next hour, we spoke about all things Hillel. Hillel was one of the first American Jewish student organizations, founded in 1923 to engage students in American Universities. Over the years, Hillel expanded, operating chapters in over 550 institutions inside 18 countries. However, one thing hasn’t changed: Hillel continues to challenge itself to reach all Jewish students.
This challenge is ever present because contemporary Hillel grapples with the same issues all contemporary Jews grapple: What is a Jew? Whom do we welcome? (As if there is a singular Jew with a singular viewpoint.) “We are the home for all Jews of all backgrounds,” Fingerhut says. Since 2013, he has run Hillel while calling upon his experience as an ex-congressman and an former Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents. He grew up in one of the most Jewish areas of the country, Cleveland, Ohio. He attended synagogue services and was part of Hillel during his time as an undergraduate student at Northwestern and Stanford, where he studied law. He was on the board of his synagogue and active in the Jewish community after graduating and represented the concentrated Jewish community of Cleveland in Congress. Fingerhut entered Hillel with zest and a desire to do “holy work.” It is why he says he now dons the kippah, which he never wore in Congress, “to remind me that I’m working on behalf of the Jewish people, not on my behalf.” He wants peace in Israel and he says Hillel “doesn’t have a singular point of view about what policies Israel should take,” and he wants peace between Jews. He wants everyone to feel accepted and leads Hillel in creating programs to build a more vibrant Jewish community. In fact, community is his approach to most issues facing Hillel, such
From Fingerhut’s perspective, “There is no Jewish people without a sense of a Jewish homeland,” so, it is in this difficult climate that Fingerhut is trying to drive a message of cohesion and dialogue home. as the Boycotts, Divestments and Sanctions (BDS) movement; and views on Israel. “We hope we’re building a model of understanding and civility that is so desperately needed,” he says. He may not be wrong. After all, it is only through mutual understanding and shared bonds and values, that we have become a Jewish people. From Fingerhut’s perspective, “There is no Jewish people without a sense of a Jewish homeland,” WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM
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L’CHAIM
Check it out hillel.org
A Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) protest against Israel in Melbourne, Australia, on June 5, 2010. How to deal with the challenge posed by the BDS movement on North American campuses will be a task for Eric Fingerhut. PHOTO BY MOHAMED OUDA VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
so, it is in this difficult climate that Fingerhut is trying to drive a message of cohesion and dialogue home. During Fingerhut’s days at Northwestern and later Stanford, Hillel was a different institution, made up of a loose organization of small clubs. Since then, the organization has grown in scope and power, primarily thanks to the generosity of the Schusterman Foundation. (The Schusterman Hillel International Center has an annual budget that is a quarter of the entire Hillel organization.) An influx of donations to Hillel in the late '90s allowed for added resources for students, making Hillel the largest organizer of Birthright trips and pro-Israel events and speakers on college campuses. With a current yearly budget of $35 million, (Hillel 12
L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2017
Worldwide is $126 million), Hillel faces the challenges of BDS, the disagreements with Jewish Voice for Peace and J Street U about how to discuss the conflict in Israel and the contentious and divisive red and blue states, cities and families. This diversity of opinion is a minefield for a man who so desperately wants everyone to get along. Fingerhut explains that of course they invite proPalestinian speakers to their hosted campus events, as long as they are “representing the situation in a fair [..] manner.” Similarly, he supports the work of J Street U on the anti-BDS front, but he recently cancelled a planned speech at their conference when they invited Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian negotiator who compared Israel to ISIS. In the time we spoke, Fingerhut was able to masterfully speak his talking points as if
still in Congress, and I learned much about his love for Israel and for the Jewish people. He quoted Hillel and the Talmud; and put me at ease. It was clear that he is a man who does love all Jewish people, who cares for all Jewish students and who truly wants the best for his organization. SAM LITVIN IS A WRITER AND PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YOUR STORY, OUR SIPUR BOOK ABOUT JEWISH DIASPORA IN 32 COUNTRIES. HE WAS THE JFS ANTI-BDS ADVOCACY FELLOW IN 2015 AND YIDDISH BOOK CENTER TENT JOURNALISM FELLOW IN 2014. HE EMIGRATED FROM UKRAINE IN 1992 AND LIVES IN NORTH PARK SAN DIEGO WRITING ABOUT JEWISH ISSUES IN HIS SAMTHEJEWISHGUY BLOG AND WORKING ON MATTERS PERTAINING TO FREE PRESS WITH HIS STARTUP PHITTLE.
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COVER STORY l BY EMMA SASSON
TOGETHER AS ONE
SAN DIEGO JEWISH COMMUNITY BOLSTERED BY STARTUP18, AN INNOVATION HUB AND SUPPORTIVE HOME BASE FOR LOCAL PROJECTS Yachad. This Hebrew word meaning together lies at the very core of our Jewish being. Judaism is not meant to be explored alone, but rather, it is meant to encourage bonding, community-building, and building a better world. There is always a Jewish people, not just a Jewish person. Although Judaism includes time for silent meditation and personal prayer, it also calls for many collective customs. We have the silent Amidah, however it is quickly followed by an all-inclusive version led by the Hazzan. Certain religious practices cannot even be performed unless a Minyan (a group of at least 10 adult men) is present. It is in our Jewish nature to be together, as we are a people of community. However, in recent years, synagogue attendance and Jewish communal life in general has declined. In San Diego, only about 15 percent of the Jewish population is involved in our Jewish community in some way or another. The very anchors of our Jewish selves – our people – are not as connected as we once were. Local resident Jennie Starr wanted to make a change to this downward trend. In 2006, Starr founded the Tarbuton, a non-profit organization and cultural center. Tarbuton’s focus was to bring our Jewish community closer by engaging Jews of all ages and bridging the gap between American and Israeli Jewish families. Her idea was to strengthen Jewish identity in San Diego by bringing Israeli culture and language to people in fun and innovative ways. One such program, “Kishkushim,” was started by community members and supported by Tarbuton. The idea was to organize local meetups for Jewish mothers and their children where they could come together, support one another, and introduce the children to Jewish life at an early age. These meetups led to the eventual growth of classes, storytimes, to holiday celebrations and summer camps. As the need for more Jewish community involvement grew, Starr continued to brainstorm. Recently, Starr expanded her endeavors by founding a new project called Startup18. Its focus is to encourage
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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2017
COVER STORY THE IDEA IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART "WE HAVE CREATIVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS EAGER TO BUILD... COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS & IF SUPPORTED THEY CAN AND WILL DO BRILLIANT THINGS."
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innovation and support the local, grassroots San Diego Jewish programming in town; complete with community advisors, group brainstorming, and a way to help organize donations and incoming grant funding for these projects. “I know we have creative community members eager to build Jewish education and community engagement programs and if supported they can and will do brilliant things,” Starr says. Startup18 has three core components: The first component is the Jewish Engagement Lab, which meets once a month to provide support to new project founders. Starting a nonprofit endeavor can be a daunting process, but with the support and mentorship of Startup18 advisors, it can feel a lot less intimidating. “The information Jennie and the StartUp18 project provide is invaluable,” Cheri Weiss, an Engagement Lab member, says. “Providing a forum for start-up entrepreneurs to share information with each other means we don’t have to reinvent the wheel on our own.” Weiss is the project founder of “Hineni: Music for the Homebound,” one of the projects being guided under the mentorship of Startup18. Last year, she distributed close to 1,000 copies of her album, HINENI: Music for the High Holy Days free of charge to homebound seniors and others who were unable to attend synagogue services due to illness or other reasons beyond their control. This year, under the non-profit umbrella of Tarbuton, she is applying for grants that will enable her to distribute the album to 10,000 homebound people. The Engagement Lab brings community members of all ages together to support members’ various projects. Another musical endeavor, KOL CALIFORNIA, is Engagement Lab member Gady Amour’s brainchild. Amour wanted to share Israeli music through internet radio to better connect people in San Diego who were craving the tunes of the Holy Land. Through his partnership with Startup18, Amour was paired with advisor Roey Kruvi, who has helped him to launch his program. The very magazine you are reading is also a recipient of support from Startup18. CHAIFIVE, founded by Diane Benaroya and Laurie Miller (L’CHAIM Magazine’s publishers), is a non-profit program whose objective is to bring the San Diego Jewish community closer through multiple projects targeting unique areas of Jewish life. The first of the CHAIFIVE initiatives is Our Tribe, which utilizes the magazine as a jumping off point for community engagement. Members of the San Diego Jewish community
THERE IS ALWAYS A JEWISH PEOPLE, NOT JUST A JEWISH PERSON.
WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM
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COVER STORY
are encouraged to publish their life cycle events in L’CHAIM Magazine free of charge. “By getting the word about the actual people who live in our own community, it allows us to celebrate and honor our local Jewish brothers and sisters and pay homage to these special individuals,” Benaroya says. The second CHAIFIVE project, Mensches of San Diego gives the community an opportunity to read about some standout personalities in our hometown. Instead of just thinking about our community as some vague entity, Mensches of San Diego puts the spotlight on true faces and stories of the Jewish people living right here in our own neighborhoods doing incredible things. CHAIFIVE also supports the JPIX program. Today, social media, photos, and technology rule, so why not use that to our advantage to bring Jewish life closer in San Diego? JPIX is a project whose main goal is to share photos of local Jewish events inside the pages of L’CHAIM Magazine and on social media to spread awareness of what’s going on in the local Jewish community. It’s another way that we can all connect and become more involved with our local San Diego Jewish family. But Startup18 is not solely about projects. Roundtables provide a platform for community members to talk about what they want to see happening in Jewish San Diego. The community gets connected through Jewish conference calls and Skype sessions to discuss what Jewish programs they would be interested in hosting, or attending. Finally, Startup18 will bring San Diego its first ever community Hackathon next month. Scheduled for May 7, the Community Hackathon is an event where community members come together to discuss new innovative projects that will help educate and bring the San Diego Jewish community closer to each other. Not only will groups get to brainstorm new ideas, they will get to pitch their projects and have the opportunity to receive seed funding from Hackathon’s generous supporters. The Covenant Foundation will allocate $7,500 in crowd-sourced monies for projects that support the strengthening of our community’s education of our Jewish heritage, culture and Jewish identity. The Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation will allocate $5,000 in crowd-sourced seed funds to projects that strengthen America’s ties to our Jewish homeland: Israel. Other supporters that were so graciously involved with this event include PresenTense, and it is co-hosted by the Jewish Federation of San Diego County and the Leichtag Foundation. We, as a Jewish people, are stronger together than apart. Yachad, meaning together, actually comes from a much more powerful word, Echad, which in Hebrew means one. Now thanks to so many up and coming Jewish innovators, San Diego is coming up with new ways to connect and build stronger ties as a Jewish community; as “one.” It’s up to us to continue to help each other by brainstorming new ideas, kickstarting your own project, or just donating to a project that is already trying to get off the ground. It is in our Jewish nature to come together, so let’s get to it! FOR MORE INFORMATION ON STARTUP18 AND ITS PROGRAMS AND EVENTS, VISIT STARTUP18.ORG. 16
L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2017
MENSCHES OF SAN DIEGO
JANA MAZURKIEWICZ I grew up in Poland, formerly the heartland of the Yiddish world. While studying in Europe and the U.S., I discovered and cultivated a passion for Yiddish theater. So much so, that I'm currently working on my PhD on Yiddish Theatre in Poland during Communism.I moved to San Diego in October 2016. I suffer from Hashimoto disease, a type of thyroid disease, so, being able to go down to the ocean every day improves my health. Coincidentally enough, there are more Yiddish speakers from Mexico here than in other cities, so it just worked out. As a Yiddishist, I am devoted to rescuing the Yiddish language and culture. I want to demonstrate that Yiddish can be revived not only in academia, but also in the arts. Some refer to Yiddish as the “rejected daughter of Jewish culture,” I disagree and believe Yiddish theater can be a fertile source of vitality for enriching contemporary Jewish life. I am determined to bring Yiddish back. To learn more www.lchaimmagazine.com/chaifiveprojects #MENCHESOFSANDIEGO
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PASSOVER
BY DEBORAH FINEBLUM | JNS.ORG
FOUR CUPS, FIVE STARS Sophistacated kosher wine inscreasingly popular at Passover seders
E
ven the most finicky wine snob won’t be able to “pass over” the new generation of kosher wines. Increasingly, the current mindset is that since Jews are commanded to drink four cups of wine at the Passover seder, they might as well drink high-quality wine in the process. The last decade has witnessed a veritable explosion of high-quality kosher wines, a far cry from the heavy, sweet and vaguely medicinal wines that graced the seder tables of yesteryear. “These days there are so many different kosher wines out there that even Trader Joe’s sells them, and you know what? They’re not bad,” says Arlene Mathes-Scharf, speaking with JNS.org at the time of year when her email is humming, her phone is ringing off the hook and her website — kashrut.com — is getting countless hits from consumers who find themselves in Passover-related food and wine quandaries. Indeed, industry insiders report that for more than a decade, the variety and quality of kosher wine has been on the rise, matching customers’ tastes and demands. “Today’s Jewish consumer is more sophisticated and discerning, and not satisfied with sacramental wine,” says Jay Buchsbaum, a vice president at the New Jersey-based Royal Wine Corporation. “They have more disposable income and they’re willing to spend a little more for a good wine. They’re not willing to settle.” In addition to kosher wine industry giants such as Carmel from Israel, Baron Herzog from California and Bartenura from Italy, many smaller European boutique wineries are securing kosher certification for a segment of their wines. 18
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“They like that there’s a ready market for better kosher wine today,” Buchsbaum says. “They know that the moment the grapes are crushed, the wine has already been bought.” Why is Passover high season for kosher wine? The demand for kosher wine also makes a steep climb around the time of Passover, the widely celebrated Jewish holiday that often attracts a mix of family members and friends with varying needs at the same seder table. In such scenarios, even those who don’t keep kosher laws might purchase kosher wines. “It’s safer that way,” says Buchsbaum. It’s no wonder, then, that 40 percent of all kosher wine is sold in the months leading up to Passover. “If you estimate that a seder has 18 adults who each drink four cups, that adds up. There’s a lot of wine coming in the door,” says Israeli wine blogger and columnist David Rhodes, who runs the “Drink Israel” Facebook page. Since seder participants drink so much wine at the traditional gathering — much of it on a relatively empty stomach — before the meal, it’s important to supply wine that won’t make them too drunk to appreciate the message of the seder, warns California-based kosher wine critic and blogger David Raccah, who runs kosherwinemusings.com. “That’s why it’s the worst time to try ‘bombastic,’ high-alcohol wines,” Raccah says. “You’ll want to stick to light wines like Via Sparkling, preferably under 10 percent alcohol, that won’t land you flat on your back by the time the food is served.”
Israeli Wines: The ‘Hottest Trend’ When they’re combing the supermarket shelves this time of year, many consumers reach for wines from Israel, which exports some 1.5 million bottles to the U.S. each year. “Not only is Israel the place that the story of Passover is about — wine is mentioned over 70 times in the Torah — but buying Israeli is a chance to support Israel and Israelis,” says Rhodes, who adds that vineyards are an efficient way to use the Jewish state’s land since grapes are both a low-water and highprofit crop. “You can get upscale French and Italian kosher wines along with California ones, but the hottest trend is the Israeli wines,” says Royal Wine’s Buchsbaum. According to Rhodes, Israel’s expanding high-quality wine market took off in 1983, when Golan Heights Winery (under its Yarden label) opened its doors. These days, Israeli wines are bringing home prizes from international competitions. “And 2016 was a very good year for Israeli wine,” notes Rhodes. Eran Pick of Tzora Winery was recently named Israel’s first-ever accredited “Master of Wine,” and a story on Israeli wines was featured on the cover of the October 2016 issue of the popular Wine Spectator magazine. The same magazine’s 2016 list of the world’s Top 100 wines included two from Israel, selections from the Tzora and Galil Mountain wineries. “We’re only the 36th wine producer in the world in terms of size. We produce 1/400th of the French output, a drop in the barrel. But our recognition is growing geometrically,” Rhodes says. Raccah says that the Israeli market is still somewhat bifurcated between the religious
“You don’t have to compromise anymore. You can buy kosher, support Israel and still enjoy wonderful wines.” Jews “who just want to make kiddush (the blessing on wine for Shabbat and holiday meals)” and the more yuppified Tel Aviv market “that demands excellent boutique wines whether for home or to order in restaurants.” But Rhodes says he is optimistic that the two market sectors can coexist, “since Israel is increasingly able to produce kosher wines that are religiously proper while still pleasing a more refined palate.” “You don’t have to compromise anymore,” Buchsbaum adds. “You can buy kosher, support Israel and still enjoy wonderful wines.” What may be the ultimate affirmation for the growing field of top-flight kosher wine is the following sentiment that Buchsbaum says he has heard hundreds of times from consumers: “I’m not really kosher, but I had to bring something nice to a seder once and I’ve been drinking that wine ever since.” “Look at it this way,” Buchsbaum says. “The largest-selling Moscato (an Italian sparkling wine) in the world is a kosher wine by Bartenura that sells 5 million bottles annually. Most of those customers aren’t even Jewish. They just like the wine.”
PICKING A KOSHER WINE Ahead of Passover, industry experts Jay Buchsbaum, Arlene Mathes-Scharf, David Raccah and David Rhodes convey the following advice to kosher wine consumers: TAKE IT FROM THE PROS. Try to buy from a wine store that specializes in customer care, with a wide selection of kosher wines and knowledgeable staffers. CHECK YOUR LABELS. Although most kosher wines are marked KP (kosher for Passover), there is the occasional kosher wine that isn’t approved for the holiday, including some fruity sangrias. AVOID INEBRIATION. Since most of the ceremonial four cups of wine are consumed on a relatively empty stomach in the first hour of the seder, you’ll want to buy wines with an alcohol content of under 10 percent. DRINK UP YEAR-ROUND! The more varieties you sample, the better your palette will evolve, and eventually you’ll start to taste the different between high-quality and low-quality wine. Go to local wine events or get together with friends for wine tastings. DON’T BREAK THE BANK. You can get some very good wines in the $15-$20 range. Spending any more than that doesn’t guarantee that you’re getting a vastly superior wine. BE READY FOR SPECIAL CASES. Prepare for guests who have sulfate allergies (symptoms like headaches can surface as additional cups are consumed at the seder). Have at least one bottle of kosher for Passover organic sulfate-free juice or wine on hand, just in case. WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM
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PASSOVER
BY ALINA DAIN SHARON | JNS.ORG
PASSOVER SHOWSTOPPERS Israeli library buys book collection containing rare 1500s haggadah
O
n the right, a man sits and prays holding a liturgical book. On the left, a rabbi is seen explaining the story of the Jewish exodus from Egypt to a child. These images were printed on the pages of a Passover haggadah in the city of Prague in 1556. This nearly 500-year-old haggadah, one of only two remaining copies, is part of the Valmadonna Trust Library collection that was recently sold to the National Library of Israel, with the help of philanthropy from the Haim and Hana Salomon Fund. “The haggadah is the most widely published book in Jewish history,” says Sharon Mintz, senior consultant for Judaica at the Sotheby’s auction house, which arranged the sale to the Israeli library. Mintz says that more than 3,000 editions of the haggadah have been printed during the last several centuries — more than the Bible. In particular, the Valmadonna collection’s 1556 Haggadah is a rare, luxury edition with Yiddish interpolations that “constitute the earliest examples of such texts,” says Marc Michael Epstein, the Professor of Religion and Visual Culture and the Mattie M. Paschall (1899) & Norman Davis Chair at Vassar College in New York. THE HAGGADAH’S PLACE IN PRINTING HISTORY Just a few decades after Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press around 1440, printing spread to the Jewish world, beginning in Rome and then moving throughout Italy and the Iberian Peninsula. Scholars tend to refer to the era of early printing, before 1501, as the Incunabula period. Jews were “tremendously excited” to be able 20
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to print multiple books, Mintz explained. “They viewed it as a gift of God,” she says. The earliest printed haggadah was printed in Spain in 1482. Another early haggadah dates to roughly 1486, and was published by the Soncino family, named for the Italian town where the family ran its printing operation. These early haggadahs were not illustrated. The earliest known illustrated haggadah was printed in Constantinople (modern Istanbul) around 1515, but only a few pages of this haggadah remain. Jewish printing spread to other parts of Europe in the 1500s, which also led to a growth in competition among printers. “The cradle of Hebrew printing is, of course, Venice. But the printing of Jewish books north of the Alps began in Prague in 1512 in the circle of Gershom ben Solomon Kohen and his brother Gronem,” says Epstein, who is the author of “Skies of Parchment, Seas of Ink: Jewish Illuminated Manuscripts” and “The Medieval Haggadah: Art, Narrative, and Religious Imagination.” “Due to the humanistic patronage of the Holy Roman Emperor and a general climate of relative tolerance and free trade, Prague in the 16th century was a place of vibrant of Jewish communal and cultural life, and thus — along with Venice — a crucial center of the newly developed art and craft of Hebrew printing,” he says. “Jewish printing spread from Prague throughout Western as well as Eastern Europe, the next great centers being in the Polish communities such as Lublin.” By 1526, the family of Gershom ben Solomon Kohen, which also went by the name Katz and built an important and influential Jewish printing house, produced a printed, illustrated haggadah that has become known
as the Prague Haggadah, and is the earliest complete illustrated haggadah in existence. The 1526 haggadah is notable for the 60 woodcut illustrations accompanying its text, a number that Epstein called “extraordinary.” “That number means that illustrations as a means of commentary were deemed to be central to the enterprise of printing and disseminating the haggadah,” he says. In 1556, the Katz family printed the Haggadah whose copy is in the Valmadonna collection. This haggadah utilizes some of the same illustrations from the 1526 haggadah, as well as several original illustrations. For example, one illustration features a depiction of Moses. “[Moses] appears in the 1526 edition, but in the 1556 edition he has horns. Michelangelo’s ‘Moses’ in Rome was completed in 1516. The famous horns on that statue seem to be Michelangelo’s response to the challenge of attempting to represent in sculptural form the light that streamed from Moses’s face from the time he descended from Mount Sinai [in Exodus 34:30]. The word ‘streamed’ and the word ‘horn’ both have the Hebrew root K-R-N, and thus the sculptural challenge converged with a display of grammatical punning,” Epstein explained. “Michelangelo’s ‘Moses’ had conquered the aesthetic world of that time. Everyone who was anyone knew of it. So…the inclusion of horns in the 1556 image of Moses seems to indicate that fashionable Jews wanted to be in on the ‘new’ way of depicting him, however ‘un-Jewish’ this seemed. The message here is that ‘Jews are modern and fashionable, and aware of currents in the art world,’” the scholar added.
UNIQUE ATTRIBUTES: FONTS AND PARCHMENT Dr. Yoel Finkelman, the Haim and Hanna Salomon Judaica Collection curator at the National Library of Israel, also says that the 1556 haggadah is “an amazing example of several phenomena.” First, the haggadah provides examples of two unique fonts. One is a Hebrew font unique and identifiable to Prague from that period. The other is known as the most common font for printing in Yiddish at the time. The other unique attribute of the 1556 haggadah is the fact that it is printed on parchment as opposed to paper. In that era, parchment-printed books were considered a luxury because parchment was more durable than paper, and was more expensive and harder to print on than paper. Sotheby’s consultant Mintz also pointed out that this haggadah doesn’t open with the standard haggadah text, but instead with the text that is recited the night before Passover when Jews are traditionally required to search for hametz (leavened products) by candlelight at night, followed by the burning of that hametz. “This printed haggadah begins with what one does on the eve of Passover,” Mintz says, adding that several songs that Jews associate with Passover today, such as Ehad Mi Yodea or Had Gadia, are not present in this haggadah because they became part of the Passover tradition in later times.
The Valmadonna collection was a “showstopper” when it was displayed at Sotheby’s before the sale to Israel, attracting more than 3,000 visitors a day, says Mintz. “People were lining up for hours outside the door,” and “you could see all the spectrums of the Jewish people,” she says. COLLECTION’S ROOTS The collection was founded by Jack Lunzer, who Mintz described as a “passionate lover of Hebrew books and Jewish culture” who collected books for more than six decades and assembled the “largest private collection of Hebrew books in the world…one of the most significant collections.” Lunzer also assembled the largest collection of books printed on parchment, such as the 1556 haggadah. Notably, the collector possessed a copy of the Babylonian Talmud produced by the Christian printer Daniel Bomberg, which was sold in 2015—before the sale of his entire collection to Israel’s library—for
the reported price of $9.3 million. Finkelman says that aside from its acquisition of the Valmadonna collection, Israel’s national library is home to the world’s largest collection of haggadahs, including the haggadah from 1482, which was printed just 10 years before Jews were expelled from Spain. Additionally, the library houses a haggadah made by the communist movement in Ukraine during the 1930s—an alternative haggadah that was used to undermine Jewish religious practice, for example, by equating hametz with capitalism. Israel’s national library is currently waiting for the arrival of the Valmadonna collection, which it plans to catalogue and unveil to public in a special event. The collection will also be displayed in the library’s new building, which is set to open in 2020. The purchase of the Valmadonna collection, Finkelman says, is indicative of the library’s attempt to amass the world’s “most complete collection of Jewish printing.”
The Valmadonna collection on display at Sotheby’s in New York, before it was sold to Israel’s national library. Photo Courtesy Sotheby’s
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PASSOVER
BY JANA MAZURKIEWICZ
WOODEN JEWS From "Jews for Luck" to "Jews for Culture," the intricacies of the Polish Jewish Renaissance
W
hile conducting a survey of American press releases on contemporary Jewish life in Poland, I noticed a fascinating phenomenon that has to do with the current state of PolishJewish relations. On the one hand, there are numerous articles that put emphasis on how post-Communist Poland is doing a great job embracing and even supporting creations of Jewish-themed culture: New Jewish institutions emerge and big Jewish festivals are organized every summer in major Polish cities; Polish universities invest in Jewish Studies programs and conferences. On the other hand, there are an equal number of articles stating that anti-Semitism in Poland is growing and that one of its most visible features are the kitschy figurines and paintings of Jews that are sold in souvenir stores all over the country. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. Out of countless public and private initiatives, many are worthwhile and they educate the public about Jewish culture, and equally many, because of either misunderstanding or pure ignorance, perpetuate stereotypes and generate conflicts instead of animating and advancing Jewish culture. Let’s take a closer look at that doublenatured phenomenon.
“JEWS FOR LUCK”
Sad, pale faces with big crooked noses and a crucified Jesus-like expression, bodies bending down over a musical instrument or a penny, are a part of the intricacies of the Polish Jewish “Renaissance.” I first spotted them in a “European” – de facto Polish restaurant in Ann Arbor, Mich., where I used to go when I was craving food from 22
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my home country. The restaurant owner had a big collection of figurines of Jews that he brought all the way from Cracow, Poland. In Ann Arbor, these wooden figurines tend to scare Jewish customers away. In Poland, they attract non-Jewish locals and tourists who buy them as amulets believing they will bring happiness to their households. The figurines originate from the tradition of Polish folklore crafts. For centuries, they represented primarily the villagers and village animals. After the Fall of Communism, the range expanded to meet the expectations of foreign tourists visiting Warsaw. Today, the most popular figurines are those of Orthodox Jews who play musical instruments or hold a penny. Of course, Orthodox Jews now constitute a microscopic percentage of Polish society. Before the Second World War, however, their representation in Poland was much larger. Poles buy the figurines for their “cuteness,” a mixture of “exoticism” and familiarity, and as a good luck charm. Sales of the Jewish figurines are surrounded by all sorts of controversies. For some, they represent Polish nostalgia for the lost Jewish minority and the modern “Jewish Renaissance” brought forth by Poles. For others, they are a sign of ever-present Polish anti-Semitism, since the figurines are very stereotypical and caricaturist. One thing is certain: the “Jewish figurines” entered the debate about PolishJewish relations and are the subject of heated debates within and beyond Polish society. Besides the figurines, Jewish-themed paintings flooded the market. Multiple touristy galleries exhibit reproductions of works of art of many epochs next to original
art that focuses on Catholic topics and perceptions of Jews. I noticed a fascinating phenomenon within the original art section. The Catholic-themed paintings depict nothing else but the Holy Family or John Paul II, while the Jewish-themed paintings depict, again, exclusively Jews counting money or playing musical instruments, primarily the violin. The “Catholic” paintings are always more expensive than the “Jewish” paintings and thus are positioned above them. I believe that the themes, positioning, and pricing of these two types of works of art represents the place and significance of both religions and cultures within modern Polish society.
“JEWS FOR CULTURE”
On the other side of the coin, state funded initiatives are an attempt to foster a vibrant Jewish community. Some of the now existing Jewish state (or partially state sponsored) institutions, such as The Ida and Rachel Kamińska Jewish Theater of Warsaw, the Jewish Historical Institute, the SocioCultural Association of Jews in Poland, and the editorial office of the Jewish magazine Midrasz, originate from the post-World War II period. These institutions had to negotiate with the state for the specifics to create the model of the Jewish homo Sovieticus in order to survive Communism. After WWII, the Polish government began to support the remnants of the once-sizable Jewish minority. The state support model was built around creating and protecting an image of a nonassimilated, easily recognizable, “cute” Jew in traditional Jewish garb (as in the case of the lucky Jew figurines). The assimilated Jews did not fit this image and thus did not
enter the Jewish culture under Communism. That mental pattern prevails to this day and thus causes the impression that all Polish Jews either died in the Holocaust or left the country. The activity of the state-sponsored institutions is focused on displaying the prewar Jewish world in a way suggesting that Jewish culture ceased to exist after the World War II. At the Jewish theater, for instance, productions are based on a pre-war repertoire performed in an old-fashioned (19th or early 20th century) style. That institution functions more like a museum than like a theater. Projects that have no ties to the government tend to be more interesting and modern and acknowledge the “missing” Jews. The artist Rafał Betlejewski, for instance, arranged a controversial performance in 2005, in which he sprayed on empty walls the phrase “I miss you, Jew.” He also made people he met on the streets of Polish small and big towns and villages stand next to an empty chair and hold a sign with the same phrase: “I miss you, Jew.” Observing people’s reactions to his experiment was an important part of the project. While some regarded his graffiti as defacement of public space, others appreciated a spontaneous expression of longing for the Polish Jewish past. Betlejewski’s initiative is only one example of these independent artistic projects that comment on Jewish topics in a way that engages the public. The Jewish renaissance is palpable in Polish academia which produces worldclass scholars in the area of Jewish studies and educates Polish youth about Jewish culture, including Jewish languages: modern and biblical Hebrew, Yiddish, and Ladino.
Educational programs with Jewish content start as early as elementary school and continue into post-doctoral programs. These educational initiatives attract not only Poles who discover their Jewish roots but also non-Jewish students who express authentic interest in the culture of a once large Jewish minority that for centuries co-created Polish culture. The Polish Jewish “Renaissance” has surprisingly many faces. Some of them harm Polish-Jewish relationships, since they rely on stereotypes and clearly emerge just for profit, like in examples of Jewish-themed figurines and paintings. Others promise the rebirth of the Jewish community and reveal and fight against the stereotypes that emerged in the Polish society in the almost total absence of a Jewish population. Analyzing these
socio-cultural complexities is crucial for understanding the place of Jewish culture in contemporary Poland and Polish-Jewish relations in general. JANA MAZURKIEWICZ GREW UP IN POLAND, FORMERLY THE HEARTLAND OF THE YIDDISH WORLD. SHE MOVED TO SAN DIEGO IN OCTOBER 2016. SHE IS A 4TH YEAR PH.D. CANDIDATE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, ANN ARBOR. SHE IS WORKING ON HER PH.D. THESIS ON YIDDISH THEATER IN POLAND DURING COMMUNISM. BEFORE HER TIME AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, SHE EARNED AN MA IN POLISH PHILOLOGY WITH SPECIALIZATIONS IN JEWISH STUDIES AND IN RHETORIC FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WROCŁAW, POLAND.
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FEATURE STORY l BY DEBORAH VIETOR
SAN DIEGO JEWISH FOOD FESTIVAL Something for everyone at Temple Adat Shalom
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D
o you enjoy international Jewish food? Spectacular entertainment, celebrity chefs, children’s activities and a focus on charity? The 6th San Diego Jewish Food Festival & Community Food Drive (JFF), held at Temple Adat Shalom is the place for you! Open to the public, the food festival offers lots of delicious food including kosher meat offerings, entertainment, chef demos, kids activities and much more from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, May 7. In addition, food collected during the festival will be donated to Interfaith Community Services (ICS), feeding the hungry and housing the homeless for over 25 years in North County. ICS is a sponsor for the festival and partners with Adat Shalom throughout the year, providing meals and shelter for those in need. A highlight of the festival is the Kosher Grill. Festival organizers set up a completely self-contained kosher kitchen to prepare all grill offerings. Kosher beef is purchased from
a Kosher butcher in Los Angeles and prepared on a Kosher grill. This year the grill will feature kafta seasoned sliders made with lean ground chuck, tenderized flank steak sandwiches, and Hebrew National hot dogs. In addition to the grill, festival attendees will be able to dine on many traditionally Jewish foods. The New York Deli booth will feature corned beef on rye, pastrami on rye and chopped liver … on rye! Other food booths will offer traditional dishes such as knishes, falafel, kugel, strudel, rugelach, black and white cookies, rainbow cookies and many other items prepared using time-tested recipes. Along with 6 volunteers, Diane Hillman will bake for 1,500 to 2,000 expected attendees. She is responsible for supervision and preparation of baked goods for the festival. The most popular items, according to Hillman are the apple strudel and rainbow cookies, in addition to the black and white cookies. Allison Weisman is the bakery chair and in charge of the black and white cookies and the
FEATURE STORY
Jewish Rainbow Cookies, both made with her recipes. “I started my business, Allison’s Custom Confections, about three years ago and I provide desserts for many occasions, although a good deal of my business is Bar/Bat Mitzvahs as well as many temple events,” she said. “Growing up on the east coast, I have fond memories of visiting the local Jewish bakeries in New York City with my family. My maternal great-grandmother was from Hungary and taught my mother to cook and bake. My mother passed many of her skills and recipes on to me. As an adult, I try to recreate many of the cakes/cookies I loved as a child. Although there is a science to baking, many of the festival recipes have been altered from individual’s family recipes, becoming even more delicious! All baking is done at the temple in a certified commercial kitchen. In addition to fabulous baked goods, chef demonstrations always draw a crowd at the festival, and will take place throughout the afternoon. According to Richard Stern, one of the festival co-chairman, Celebrity chefs scheduled to provide cooking demonstrations include Deborah Scott, Executive Chef for the Cohn Restaurant Group; and Ron Oliver, Chef de Cuisine at the Marine Room in La Jolla. A food drive adds another element to the festivities, and Stern notes that “the spirit of volunteerism is contagious” among the festival-goers. “Our dedicated group is working collaboratively within the community to provide an amazing festival experience and, at the same time provide food that will be used to feed those in need of assistance in the North County area,” he said. Hundreds of volunteers contribute thousands of hours each year, working to ensuring cuisine, drinks and entertainment are at a top tier level. The festival expects between 1,500 and 2,000 people will gather to share in culinary delights from Israel, the Mediterranean, and Eastern Europe from delis throughout the United States. Traditional and contemporary Jewish music will be enjoyed, including top vocalists, Israeli dancing and exciting Klezmer band performances. A large tented area provides attendees with a shaded area containing tables and chairs to relax and enjoy the food while being entertained. Adat Shalom religious school children will be performing Israeli dancing as well. A Kid’s Corner complete with children’s activities will be a perfect spot for families to gather. A beer and wine garden will be located at the south parking lot. Kosher wines from both Israel and California will be poured by the glass. A special tasting flight of selected premium Kosher wines will also be offered. Parking includes a shuttle service for easy access. Superb shopping is also available, featuring jewelry, clothing, Judaica, glass art, baby items, crafts and an array of interesting vendors. Major festival sponsors include Unicorn Jewelry, Interfaith Community Services, Streeter Printing and Barons Market. THE JEWISH FOOD FESTIVAL & COMMUNITY FOOD DRIVE WILL BE HELD AT TEMPLE ADAT SHALOM: 15905 POMERADO ROAD IN POWAY, ON SUNDAY, MAY 7, 11 A.M.-6 P.M. FESTIVAL TICKETS ARE $20. HOWEVER, PURCHASE PRIOR TO APRIL 8, AND RECEIVE A $5 DISCOUNT. CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12 ARE ADMITTED FOR FREE WHILE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT. VISIT THE WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION & TO VOLUNTEER, SDJEWISHFOODFEST.COM.
FREDA HELLER’S MANDEL BROT
Freda Heller is a remarkable woman. At 98 years young, she is still going strong and oversees some of the baking at Adat Shalom. We are fortunate that Heller has shared her famous recipe for Mandel Brot, a cookie which is much like biscotti. People at the synagogue rave about it! You will need: A four-sided baking sheet. INGREDIENTS 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat flour – (Not bread flour) 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 cup, plus 2 tbs. sugar, (place in separate mixing bowl) 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 extra large eggs 1 cup of corn oil plus 2 tbs. added to amount 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract INSTRUCTIONS Butter (not PAM) baking sheet before you begin.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 2. Combine all dry ingredients, except for sugar and set aside.
3. Place sugar in a separate bowl and set aside. 4. With a whisk, beat oil, eggs and vanilla until frothy. Add this mixture to the bowl of sugar.
5. Mix vigorously with a large wooden spoon until creamy.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the egg/oil/vanilla/sugar mixture and stir together until it forms a ball.
7. Sprinkle flour around the edge of the bowl, and
continue to form the batter into a ball. (This should take a few minutes.) 8. Place the ball of dough onto a baking sheet and flatten to fit edge to edge. There should be enough batter to fill three sheets, about half an inch thick. 9. Place in preheated oven and bake 28 to 30 minutes. 10. Remove from oven. While cookies are still in the pan, cut across with a spatula to make 6 separate sections; remove 2 at a time. 11. Slice wide, about 3/4-inch slices. 12. On an empty baking sheet, place the cookies, cut side facing upward. 13. Place in the oven to complete baking again for 9 to 10 minutes. 14. Remove from oven, allow to cool completely before placing in a sealed container. WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM
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Strangers & Refugees BY R A B B I D E VO R A H MA RC U S , TE M PLE E MA N U - E L
“Because you were strangers in the land of Egypt…” Over and over and over again in Torah, we are called upon to remember our humble ancestry and that we were strangers in the land of Egypt. This truth of our existence as strangers in strange lands has become an unending reality for our people as we have wandered this planet from one corner to the next. Some of our moves have been the result 28
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of forced population transfers, sometimes as slaves, sometimes as a persecuted people fleeing a hostile government, sometimes as refugees, sometimes as pursuers of hope and a better tomorrow. This is why so many of us in the Jewish community have felt a particular prophetic call to act in response to the Trump administration's two decrees which have sought to limit and, in the case
of Syria, permanently cease the admittance of refugees into our country. On March 8, our community was privileged to sponsor and host a joint presentation with Jewish Family Service San Diego, ADL, the Leitchtag Foundation, and the Jewish Federation to continue a community conversation on the topic of refugees and our response to their plight as
FEATURE STORY
a Jewish community. Our keynote speaker for the evening was none other than Mark Hetfield, President and CEO of HIAS, the Hebrew Immigration Aid Society. HIAS was originally founded in 1881 by the Jewish community in order to facilitate and aid the immigration of Jews from Europe and Russia, many of whom were fleeing violence, pogroms, conscription, and brutality. Ironically, many of the same sentiments being expressed today to oppose the immigration of people from Arab nations and the acceptance of refugees from all nations, especially Syria, are echoes of the sentiments expressed to oppose Jewish immigration and Jewish refugees. Accusations were that Jews were unlikely to be loyal, to be assimilated, and would harbor Bolshevic or Communist views (depending on the years in question), that they would seek to undermine U.S. security and interests. At the same time, we acknowledge and understand that many in our community have fears and concerns over refugees and immigrants from Arab nations and Syria. The countries on the immigration ban list are known for anti-Jewish attitudes and their unwillingness to recognize Israel’s legitimacy and her right to exist. Many in the Jewish community are concerned that by accepting immigrants and refugees from these nations, we run the risk of importing anti-Jewish and anti-Israel sentiment. Our challenge is to recognize and wrestle with our own fears, concerns and biases. Our opportunity is to embrace the possibility that the only way we’re going to create meaningful peace in this world is by building relationships with the people we fear the most and know the least. We are not naïve in our commitment to helping immigrants and refugees – we are doggedly optimistic and committed to meaningful engagement, relationship building and dialogue. At the same time, we call attention to the fact that refugees fleeing Syria, Somalia, Iran, Libya, Yemen, Sudan, and countless other countries that are not banned are trying to escape the very violence and hatred we all fear. We also call attention
to the fact that the 9/11 hijackers came from nations not on the “ban” list. Ultimately, our engagement comes down to a question of our Jewish obligations to welcome the stranger because, as Torah reminds us over and over and over again, we were strangers in the land of Egypt. We know the heart of the stranger. We know what it is to live in a perpetual state of existential anxiety. Especially at this time of year, the tensions between security and insecurity, between oppression and liberation, between persecution and safety, are particularly highlighted. We recently celebrated Purimour holiday that explicitly explores the motifs of bigotry, intolerance, and the threat of genocide. This month we celebrate Passover and our deliverance from violent oppression. This month we sit at our tables for our seders and recount the miracle of the exodus from slavery in Egypt. We embrace the remembrance – Avadim Haeyinu! We were slaves! This sentiment echoes to us from the pages of the Haggadah and implores us to act as the ancient Egyptians should have acted as they witnessed our suffering. We cannot remain silent in the face of closed doors. If America had opened her doors to our families fleeing Hitler’s Europe, six million of our people would not have been murdered. People seeking refuge on our shores today are coming from around the world, desperately seeking safety and an opportunity to live without mortal fear. They come from Haiti, from Ethiopia, from Uganda, from Iraq, from North Korea, from Myanmar, from El Salvador, from Mexico, from a thousand small corners of the world. We know their stories – we have lived their stories. We here in San Diego have long and proud history of welcoming refugees and through our community partners, especially Jewish Family Service, and we hope to continue that long tradition that reaches back to 1918 when the sixteen amazing women banded together to welcome and aid new immigrants and refugees here in San Diego. This spring, we will be exploring the topic of refugees and our obligations to them in
"Ultimately, our engagement comes down to a question of our Jewish obligations to welcome the stranger because, as Torah reminds us over and over and over again, we were strangers in the land of Egypt." our Robert M. Gardner Memorial Scholars Series. On April 8, we’ll learn about the process of entering the country as a refugee and why it reflects the safest and most vetted group of immigrants our country has. We’ll learn from JFS about the profound and proud history of refugees being welcomed in San Diego, JFS’ own origins as an organization dedicated to assisting refugees, and who our refugee neighbors actually are. We’ll hear from refugees about their experiences and put faces to the nations and numbers. On April 22, we’ll welcome the internationally renowned scholar Rachel Korazim to reflect on the nature of a country that chooses to be by-standers rather than up-standers through the poetry of the Shoah and the post-Shoah generations. Finally, on May 12, we’ll engage in a community conversation on how we want to be involved and be advocates on behalf of refugees and immigrants who currently stand where our people once stood. Guided by the wisdom of Torah and the best of our prophetic tradition, we hope to continue to demonstrate America’s greatness through our commitment to welcome the stranger because God asks us to, because kindness is greatness, and because Abraham entered us into relationship with the Eternal when he welcomed strangers to his tent, because we were strangers in the land of Egypt. WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM
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FOOD
KOSHEROLOGY Carrot and Sweet Potato Tzimmes STORY & PHOTOS BY ALEX THE KOSHEROLOGIST KOSHEROLOGY.COM
The dish packs an awesome sweet old-world flavor that will make this one of your holiday favorites, at Passover and any time.
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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2017
FOOD
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n March of 1993, my father had the privilege of being featured in the food/metro section of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. With Passover approaching, one of the newspaper’s food columnist approached my father at his kosher bakery with the idea of featuring his bakery and some of his select recipes in honor of the upcoming holiday. Being that the bakery was not kosher-for-passover, nor many of his bakery recipes appropriate for the holiday, my father suggested that the AJC feature a recipe for a traditional Jewish dish for Passover instead; and one of our family favorites and holiday staples for both Passover and Rosh Hashanah: Tzimmes. With the headline “Baker keeps a ‘proper’ kitchen,” my father’s awesome Carrot and Sweet Potato Tzimmes (which he learned to make by the guidance of his mother and by observing his grandmothers in their kitchens) graced the pages of the Atlanta paper. The recipe is simple and the dish packs an awesome sweet old-world flavor that will make this one of your holiday favorites. It is said that the name “tzimmes” comes from the yiddish words tzim (for) and essen (eating). If that’s truly the case, then I think its really awesome how this dish comes with”instructions”. MEAT Serves 10-12 Ingredients 2 ½ - 3 lb. flanken (short ribs) Fresh grated onion or Onion powder Fresh minced garlic or Garlic powder 2 lb. carrots, sliced 3 large sweet potatoes, cubed 1 small onion 2 TBS. margarine 2 TBS. Potato Starch ½ -3/4 cup brown sugar Salt and pepper to taste Directions 1. Season meat well with salt, pepper, onion (powder), garlic (powder). 2. Sear the meat in an un-greased frying pan for 3-5 minutes on each side. 3. Place into a 6 quart pot, let sit in refrigerator for several hours. 4. Remove meat from refrigerator, cover with water, bring to a boil. 5. Simmer for approximately 2 ½ -3 hours, or until meat is tender. 6. Add carrots and sweet potatoes and cook another ½ hour. 7. Melt margarine in a small pan. 8. Add flour to margarine and stir until smooth. 9. Add brown sugar, salt, and pepper. 10. Preheat oven to 350°F. 11. Spoon the vegetables and meat onto the bottom of a 10x15x3 inch oven safe dish. 12. Pour sauce over tzimmes and bake for 1 hour, or until all vegetables in the mixture are glazed and lightly browned.
ABOUT ALEX (THE KOSHEROLOGIST) BORN AND BRED IN THE AMERICAN SOUTH, ALEX ‘THE KOSHEROLOGIST’ IDOV, WAS RAISED ON COLLARD GREENS STEWED WITH SMOKED TURKEY LEG (IN PLACE OF HAM HOCKS), BLACK-EYED-PEAS, AND BRUNSWICK STEW. HE BOASTS BEING A 4TH GENERATION JEWISH SOUTHERNER, WITH ONE OF HIS GREAT-GRANDMOTHER’S BORN IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA IN 1888. HIS OTHER GREAT-GRANDPARENTS HAILED FROM RUSSIA, POLAND, AND FRANCE-INSPIRING MUCH OF HIS COOKING WITH THE CUISINES OF HIS HERITAGE. ALEX’S CULINARY REPERTOIRE GOES BEYOND TRADITIONAL JEWISH AND SOUTHERN FARE, AS HE REVISITS AND REINVENTS THE CUISINES OF HIS ANCESTORS. ALEX HOLDS A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN CULINARY SUSTAINABILITY AND HOSPITALITY FROM THE KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY MICHAEL A. LEVEN SCHOOL OF CULINARY SUSTAINABILITY AND HOSPITALITY AND WORKS AS A FREELANCE FOOD WRITER. FIND MORE RECIPES AT KOSHEROLOGY.COM
WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM
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UNDERSTANDING MEDICAL CANNABIS A Panel of Experts May 21 • 1:30pm at the Scottish Rite Event Center 1895 Camino Del Rio S, SD 92108
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L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2017
FAMILY
JEWISHMOM.COM A LETTER TO AN EXHAUSTED MOTHER BY RABBI SHAIS TAUB
R
ecently, Ami Magazine printed a letter from an overwhelmed and exhausted mother of several young children who wrote: “I have suddenly realized that I have no idea why I am doing what I am doing! What is the purpose of all the extraordinary effort that I am putting into raising [my children] to become proper adults and good Jews?” Here is Rabbi Shais Taub’s response: Dear Tired Mother, The greatness of motherhood is all too often underemphasized, and thus it becomes very difficult to feel that one’s sacrifices [as a mother] are truly worthwhile. Yet, if we were to think for a moment about even a fraction of the importance of motherhood, we would see that it is the most important function that a human being can fulfill, and, accordingly, worthy of any sacrifice that people make for any other goal in their lives. Our Sages explain that Moshiach (Yevamot 62A) will not come until all the souls have descended into this world. By having children, we directly hasten the coming of Moshiach; may it be speedily in our days. In short, every single child that you bring into this world brings all of us closer to the fulfillment of the very purpose for which Hashem created the world. [Parenting a child requires, of course, the] immensely demanding work of caring for your children and raising them in the proper path. In order to appreciate just how lofty of a task this really is, consider the story of the prophetess Chana. After many bitter years
BY CHANA J E N N Y WE I S B E RG
of childlessness, Chana poured out her heart in prayer at the Tabernacle in Shilo. The result was that she gave birth to the prophet Shmuel. Once Shmuel was born, even when Chana’s husband Elkanah and the rest of the household returned to Shilo for their yearly pilgrimage, Chana remained home to tend to her child during his formative years, as it says “But Chana did not go up” and “she stayed home.” Being that Chana was a prophetess, one can only imagine what kind of sublime experience she was privy to during her visits to the Tabernacle. Yet she chose to remain behind to take care of her child. From this we can begin to appreciate that a mother’s job of tending to her small children is loftier even than the experience of a prophetess in the Tabernacle! Now I understand that sometimes this may not be the most compelling argument. Tending to small children may indeed be the loftiest occupation in the world, but not always is everyone interested in what is lofty. TO the contrary, sometimes people would rather pursue and have success in less sublime goals. That is only human nature, which is why I think it’s important to consider the following…Each of us has a spiritual side as well as a more ‘earthly’ side. In order for one to be able to make the sacrifice of time and energy required to raise a child, not to mention putting other life goals on hold while engaged in raising children, one must ‘conquer’ his or her own ‘earthly’ side. If one looks at the situation from a strictly material perspective, the task may appear excessively demanding. But if one can look from a spiritual point of view
and ask, ‘What does my soul say. How does my soul view this thing? Then it becomes clear that raising children is worth every inconvenience in the world. If one will only conquer and subdue the earthly calculations that make being a parent seem like an inordinate burden, he or she will discover that there is nothing in this world as rewarding, important and worthwhile as being a parent. Ultimately, of course, often only after the passage of decades, one comes to see how even from a material perspective all of their sacrifices for their children paid off. There are many people (sadly, far too many) who look back at their lives and wish they had spent less time working towards other goals and more time raising their children. The opposite, on the other hand, is basically unheard of… I wish you much nachas from your children and, needless to say, nachas from your very own self, as you continue this worthiest of occupations–raising the next generation of Jews. With blessing, Rabbi Shais Taub. CHANA JENNY WEISBERG, THE CREATOR OF JEWISHMOM.COM, IS A STAY-HOME MOTHER OF 8 CHILDREN LIVING IN JERUSALEM WITH HER HUSBAND, RABBI JOSHUA WEISBERG. ORIGINALLY FROM BALTIMORE, CHANA JENNY HAS DEVOTED HER NON-MOM TIME OVER THE PAST DECADE TO PROVIDING INSPIRATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR OTHER JEWISH MOMS THROUGH HER POPULAR BOOKS EXPECTING MIRACLES AND ONE BABY STEP AT A TIME. WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM
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BY SHARON RAPOPORT | FEATURE STORY
HELPING OTHERS, HELPING OURSELVES Cadena Foundation in San Diego
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n 2005, Hurricane Stan devastated Chiapas Mexico, causing many casualties and leaving thousands of people without food, clothes and other essential necessities. Five members of the Mexican Jewish community volunteered to personally transport and deliver food, clothing, and medication to the disaster area. The goods were collected by the Jewish community in Mexico City, and taken directly to families in despair. Everything was distributed hand by hand, ensuring that the aid reached those who needed it most. This was not only their chance to help the most vulnerable, but also an opportunity to portray the Jewish community’s commitment and willingness to help. That´s how CADENA (Chain) Foundation was created; when the group realized that “by helping others we were also helping ourselves.” Fast-forward to 2017, and Cadena has evolved into a group of more than 2,000 Jewish and non-Jewish volunteers of all ages, and opened offices in Israel, Argentina, Costa Rica, Panama,
Guatemala, Miami, Argentina and now, San Diego. The group has helped more than 553,175 people in 137 missions throughout the world; distributed 1,106 tons of food; 2,299 water filters and 360,342 clothing items. The volunteers have conducted 8,779 medical consultations; 197 psychological consults, and 2,847 dental procedures. Cadena’s emergency missions are integrated by a Rescue Team which is trained in Israel. They use a device that was developed with Israeli technology, which helps locate live people who are trapped under debris in the case of a structural collapse. Also on the team are doctors, psychologists and social workers; and Enzo, a search and rescue dog. Cadena’s missions have helped local populations following the earthquakes in Haiti (2010), Turkey (2012), Nepal (2015), Ecuador (2016), Belize (2016), Costa Rica (2016), Haiti (2017). They brought assistance to victims of Kenya’s hunger crisis (2012), the typhoons in Indonesia (2013)
and Vanuatu (2015), the fires in Chile (2014) and the floods in Guatemala (2015). The non-profit has served as the vehicle to collect and distribute Humanitarian Aid gathered by Jewish congregations, schools, and other institutions to help anyone and everyone, without distinction, who has been affected by any natural disaster. Its mission is to reduce the vulnerability of the population that live at a constant risk of natural disasters and make a significant contribution to improving their living conditions. This is accomplished through three fundamental factors: 1. Help - React or respond immediately to the care of victims of natural disasters and emergencies. 2. Educate - Generate awareness and action in the community towards natural disasters and emergencies. 3. Transmit - Integrate groups of people and promote solidarity without taking into consideration place of origin, economic status, gender, religion or beliefs. THE MISSION An essential part of Cadena´s mission is to teach children that helping others should be a part of our daily lives, instilling in them the value of tikkun olam. Thus, they have partnered with schools, universities, community centers, Macabi, and other organizations, implementing educational programs which focus on “creating a better world for our children but also better children for our world.” Despite Cadena’s active participation in worldwide missions, all the human and financial resources for those missions have depended solely on Jewish communities and institutional sponsors in Mexico. Their global expansion was a result of the realization that creating a network of humanitarian aid would strengthen their ability to respond faster and to reach more people in despair. Cadena’s official presence in San Diego will bring educational opportunities for youth, and the possibility of participating in an emergency or preventive mission to different parts of the world. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE, PLEASE CONTACT NATALY SUTTON OR DAVID GARBER CADENASANDIEGO@ CADENA.NGO WWW.LCHAIMMAGAZINE.COM
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UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS BETH ISRAEL’S SPRING FUNDRAISER, EAT, PRAY, SING! MAY 6. Delicious dinner catered by Giuseppe, signature cocktails, a silent auction, and entertainment by NRG Dueling Pianos. cbisd.org/ programs/eatpraysing. TEMPLE SOLEL, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM GALA ON SATURDAY, MAY 6. Elegant dinner dance and live auction will feature a cocktail hour complete with champagne 38
and fine scotch by the glass. Please visitwww.templesolel. net/gala 2017 or call Barry Friedman at 760-4360654 x255 or bfriedman@ templesolel.net. EARTH FAIR 2017, APRIL 23RD @BALBOA PARK. 10AM-5PM. The world's largest FREE annual environmental fair and Earth Day Celebration. Come for free tomatoes and learn about Israel's contributions to world health and science, sponsored by House of Israel.
L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • APRIL 2017
HOUSE OF ISRAEL LAWN PROGRAM 5/21, ETHNIC FOOD FAIR 5/28 ISRAEL FEST, SUNDAY MAY 21ST, SDJJ 2:30-6:30 @ SAN DIEGO JEWISH ACADEMY. Activities include Friendship Circle Walk, Henna Tattoos & Crafts, Face Painting, Entertainment & Games SAN DIEGO HISTORY CENTER, SUNDAY, APRIL 9 11AM-4PM Matzo Memories: Passover
Stories, Songs, And Activities Family friendly program open to anyone that would like to participate in Passover traditions, explore the customs and San Diego's participation in this holiday against the backdrop of the History Center's exhibition on San Diego's Jewish history!
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Three guided tours Matzo-making Storytelling and songs Fused glass workshop