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Midbar

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December 2020 | Kislev 5781

Desert Jewish Life

Chanukah Edition COMPLETE GUIDE ON PAGE 42

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Midbar Midbar is a local magazine, produced four times a year, for the Jewish community of the Greater Palm Springs area. It is published by the Desert Jewish Center, in affiliation with Chabad of Palm Springs and the Desert Communities. Please direct inquiries, submissions, suggestions, corrections, and letters to the editor to editor@midbarmag.com

Midbar Magazine is dedicated to Mr. Herman Wouk, of blessed memory. The Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Caine Mutiny, The Winds of War, War and Remembrance, and other classics of 20th century American literature, Mr. Wouk lived in Palm Springs, and was for years an active member of Chabad of Palm Springs. Through his support for local institutions, the Torah classes he delivered and hosted in his home, and through works like This Is My G-d, Mr Wouk profoundly impacted and inspired countless people, locally and throughout the world. He passed away in 2019. It is our hope that this publication – a written celebration of life and learning in the desert – is a worthy

IN THIS ISSUE

tribute to this great man of Jewish letters.

with Jean Carrus

At The Bottom Of The Peach Tree

PAGE 18

PAGE 20

The Surprising History of

Public Menorah Lightings PAGE 12

Desert Lives

48 MINUTES

The Greater Midbar community, one person at a time.

WINTER HOLIDAY GUIDE

PAGE 36

PAGE 42

6 JEWISH NEWS 20 THE UNORTHODOX: FILM REVIEW 22 CHALLAH 33 COMMUNITY PHOTO JOURNAL 46 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

A PUBLICATION OF THE DESERT JEWISH CENTER

DIRECTOR

Arik Denebeim EDITOR

Boz Werdiger CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Shaindy Friedman BOOKS AND FILM

Debbie Orgen-Garrett COVER ART

Chaya Friedman

COVER ART BY

ART DIRECTION AND GRAPHIC DESIGN

Sholom Denebeim - mintleafcreative.com

MIDBARMAG.COM

Chaya Friedman

Chaya Friedman is a 13 year old local artist. Prints of her work are now available at the at midbarmag.com/shop.

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Editor’s note “This is the book of the generations of Man” (Genesis 5:1) Dear Reader, Just a few days after Chanukah comes a little known holiday of more contemporary vintage. Within the Chabad Chasssidic tradition, for just over thirty years now, the 5th of Teves – this year Sunday the 20th of December – has become an annual celebration of Jewish books. (See the Holiday Guide for more information.)

about a Friday night Challah catastrophe in our food section (p. 22), while Ruth Levitsky shares a beautiful piece just in time for the New Year of Trees (p. 20). You can learn more about that in the Holiday Guide too (p. 42), and there’s also a blast from a Chanukah past (p. 17), along with an unmissable gift guide (p. 46). I’d also like to take this opportunity to pay respects to another Midbar life: Just a few weeks ago, Auschwitz survivor Hedy Ferber – featured along with student Graci Novack in our inaugural issue – completed her journey in this world. Alongside a profound sense of loss, we’re proud to have presented her important story in the pages of this magazine, and grateful to Graci for having captured her elevated soul on film. May G-d bring solace to all who knew her, and to all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

On this day, the Lubavitcher Rebbe would amplify his long-standing campaign for Jewish books to “fill the home.” The power of the Jewish book is not to be underestimated: More than repositories of knowledge, the presence of holy books in a home – a Chumash, a prayer-book, a book of Psalms – announce to guests and occupants alike that here is a Jewish home, where Jewish lives are lived. Perhaps the proximity of this day to Chanukah is no mere coincidence: As the tradition of public Menorah lightings (see page 12) suggests, the Festival of Lights is all about the public celebration of the Chanukah miracle; the Menorah a symbol of Jewish pride. Like those books, the Menorah is a proud declaration of Jewish life, and of the values that sustain it. Jewish lives and Jewish books have long been intertwined, and in our second issue of Midbar Magazine, we have both: Alongside the regular book, film, and Torahs study sections, we’d like you to meet a few of the Jewish lives of the Coachella Valley, like Robert Sylk, Dr. Amy Austin, Neil Sidel, and Laurel Cline. Shaindy Friedman sits down with Jean Carrus (p. 18), and also reminisces

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Hedy enjoying her article in Midbar, with Chaya Denebeim

Finally, my deepest thanks to Midbar’s many well-wishers, for the enthusiastic feedback we’ve received following our inaugural issue, and for all those have made this issue possible – especially our virtuoso graphic designer, Sholom Denebeim as well as Shaindy and Mendy Friedman, for their invaluable contributions and counsel. Enjoy! Rabbi Boz Werdiger - Editor, Midbar Magazine

A Word from the Publisher A

s the Hebrew month of Kislev arrives, sometime around November or December, the nights begin to lengthen, while sunlight grows ever more scarce. A wintry chill fills the air and, even in Palm Springs, forgotten sweaters emerge, and old heaters are cranked up once again. As the days become darker and shorter, life itself seems to slow down. And then, all of a sudden, the holiday of Chanukah arrives as a burst of light and of life. There are songs, games, latkes, and of course the lighting of the Menorah. The energy of Chanukah – the Festival of Lights – seems almost out of place amidst the winter gloom. Another incongruent aspect of Chanukah lies less in its timing than its observance: The name Chanukah refers to the rededication of the divine Temple service, and the holiday celebrates the reassertion of an explicitly spiritualreligious identity, by a small band of Jewish hardliners, against the modern, assimitionalist, acculturating influence of

the Hellenes. And yet, despite its status as a “minor” holiday, Chanukah is popular even amongst secular Jews. Survey data indicate that more Jews light the Menorah than go to a shul on the High Holidays – and who doesn’t like eating a good Chanukah donut? The mystics tell us the oil of the Menorah represents the very essence of the Jewish soul. Chanukah is all about celebrating the spark that lies at the heart of Judaism, which has kept the flame of Yiddishkeit alive all these years. It’s the oil that explains the paradox of Chanukah: That irrepressible spark is precisely the jolt of energy we need when things are most dreary. And, because it symbolizes our essential Jewishness, the oil of Chanukah is innate to each and every Jew. May the light, warmth, and power of the Menorah shine forth from your home, to the rest of the world.

Rabbi Arik Denebeim Director, Desert Jewish Center

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In Focus: On Rosh Hashanah, the final day of the year, trailblazing Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away at age 87. After graduating at the top of her class in Cornell University, Ginsburg married and became a mother before pursuing her legal career. She was the first woman on the Harvard Law Review, and later the first tenured female professor at Columbia Law School. At the ACLU, she fought gender discrimination at the workplace, arguing six “landmark cases” at the Supreme Court – before ascending to the august institution herself, the sixth Jew and only the second woman to do so. As a justice, she wrote notable majority opinions, like that of United States v. Virginia, which ruled that qualified women could not be denied admission to the Virginia Military Institute, along with forceful dissents, as in Ledbetter v. Goodyear, a pay discrimation case. 6

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Justice Ginsburg combined a liberal judicial outlook with a moderate, even conservative style: Her attitude was that “major social change should not come from the courts, but from Congress and other legislatures.” Perhaps her example can help reduce the rancor that has come to surround the court; certainly her tenacity, awesome work ethic, and commitment to justice will inspire others many years into the future. Equally inspiring was the way RBG’s Jewish heritage influenced her life’s work. “The demand for justice runs through the entirety of the Jewish tradition,” she once wrote in an essay for the American Jewish Committee in 1996. “I hope, in my years on the bench of the Supreme Court of the United States, I will have the strength and courage to remain constant in the service of that demand.” May her memory be a blessing. ►

From Israel, and Around the World ◄ Ginsburg’s replacement on the bench, Justice Amy Coney Barrett of the Notre Dame Law School, may be a devout Catholic, but she has her own connection with Judaism. As an expert on constitutional law, she has worked to defend religious liberties in her legal career, and has even helped fight for the right to hold public Menorah lightings on Chanukah – see our story on the history of the public lightings, inside! (Oyez, SF Sun-Sentinel)

NEWS

San Jose, California: Another videoconferencing record is broken – now

for the longest Zoom call – by a bunch of rabbis. The ongoing pandemic has meant that Chabad was unable to put on the annual “Kinus Hashluchim” conference normally held in its Crown Heights, Brooklyn headquarters each year. Instead, representatives from around the world logged on for a virtual plenary session following Shabbat, sharing stories, speeches, and songs – and then stayed on. For the next five days, numbers fluctuated between 200 and 1000 participants, as they checked in and out from different parts of the world. On Twitter, a representative of the San Jose based company called the meeting “impressive,” and after 136 hours, it finally came to a close – but the inspiration lives on. Rabbi Mendel Kalmenson, of the Belgravia neighborhood of London, who gave one of the keynote addresses at the convention, said: “The same medium shluchim (Chabad representatives) have used for the past half a year to inspire their communities has now become the medium by which they are receiving inspiration from each other. (Chabad.org, Jewish Chronicle)

Washington, DC: The Associated Press’s VoteCast survey finds that 68

percent of American Jews were voting for candidate Biden, a higher share than any other religious grouping, including Muslims. Only those who do not identify with any religion, known as “Nones,” went blue at a higher rate – 72%. An exit poll conducted by the Republican Jewish Coalition, however, found that only 60.6% of Jews said they voted for Biden, while another poll from J Street put the figure at 77%. Support for President Trump ranged accordingly, from 21 to 30.5 percent. (NPR, JWeekly)

Houston, Texas: Axiom Space, a private company based out of Texas aiming to

create the world’s first commercial space station, has planned the first trip to the International Space Stations manned entirely by private astronauts, set to launch next year. One of those brave, private enterprising astronauts? Eytan Stibbe, a former ace fighter pilot turned investor, who will be paying his own way there. Stibbe, 62, was a colleague the legendary pilot Ilan Ramon, who died in the Space Shuttle Columbia accident in 2003. If NASA approves the mission, Stibbe will be the second Israeli in space and, please G-d, the first to return alive. (JTA)

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NEWS

JEWISH NEWS

Psagot, Israel: Top US diplomat Mike Pompeo pays a visit to the Psagot Winery, located outside of Ramallah, about

a twenty minute drive from Jerusalem. In so doing, he became the first Secretary of State to visit a town in the West Bank, or Judea, as it is known in Hebrew. In connection with his announcement that the State Department views settlements in the territory as being part of Israel proper – and that goods exported from there to the US should be clearly marked as such – the winery has named a recent vintage in his honor. According to the company’s website: Pasgot’s Pompeo is a limited edition, “refreshing, fruity, and beautifully balanced,” 2018 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot grapes “harvested from... the Judean mountains.” While in the Holy Land, Pompeo also met with the Bahraini Foreign Minister, Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani. Later – in Saudi Arabia – he went on to have a ground-breaking but secretive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Could there be another Middle East peace deal in the cards? (i24 News, Times of Israel)

London, England: The beloved, visionary Rabbi Lord Jonathan

Sacks passes away after a brief illness. Sacks served as Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom from 1991 to 2013, re-energizing British Jewry while engaging deeply and passionately on the intersections of traditional Judaism and modern life. At the same time, he reached far beyond his own community, by presenting an eloquent Jewish perspective to society at large, with a regular column in the Times of London, a slot on BBC Radio 4 and as a commentator on national TV. In 2016, he was awarded the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion, previously awarded to figures like the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa. After leaving the Chief Rabbinate, Sacks took up professorships at NYU and Yeshiva University, and continued to reach an ever larger audience with his speeches, discussions, and writings, authoring some 30 books in all. He was 72. (WP, Guardian)

Buenos Aires, Argentina: After an El Al plane carrying close to 100 Israeli rabbis received

special permission to fly into the country this past June – international flights have been suspended there since March – now a second flight bearing 87 rabbis landed in Argentina in early November. The rabbis are shochtim – ritual slaughterers – and kosher certification experts, and they have come to keep the country’s kosher meat industry in operation, at six different industrial sites. Normally, 15 or so rabbis will travel there twice a year and stay for a few months. Argentina is the world’s fifth largest beef exporter and Israel is one of its largest buyers, especially as Covid-19 has affected markets in China and the EU. About 24,000 tons of kosher meat were exported last year, a figure that the Argentine government expects will double for 2021. (JTA)

Khartoum, Sudan: Taking a cue from Gulf States Bahrain and the United

Arab Emirates, Sudan becomes the next Arab League nation to establish official diplomatic ties with Israel. Normalization with Sudan is especially significant, since Khartoum was the site of the League’s infamous “Three No’s” declaration in the wake of the Six Day War: No peace with Israel, no recognition, and no negotiations. In more recent years, Sudan has allegedly provided support and Iranian arms to Palestinian terrorist groups, but last year long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir was deposed, which has opened new new political possibilities for the country. The announcement was made along with the United States, while President Donald Trump formally removed Sudan from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, unblocking economic aid and investment. He also added that “at least five more” Arab states wanted a peace deal with Israel. Let’s hope the momentum keeps up! (BBC)

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From Israel, and Around the World

NEWS

Thessaloniki, Greece: After American pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced a

promising vaccine for Covid-19, Makeleio, a Greek daily newspaper, runs a front page story on the development with deeply anti-Semitic overtones. A prominent picture of Pfizer’s Jewish CEO – a Thessaloniki-born veterinarian named Albert Doura – appears next to a picture of Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, notorious for his inhumane medical experiments in Auschwitz. “A Jewish veterinarian will stick the needle! Terror countdown for the mandatory vaccine” screamed the article, which also referred to the vaccine as “poison.” The chief medical officer of Moderna, another drug company touting an even more effective vaccine, is an Israeli scientist named Tal Zaks. Do the strong links between conspiracism and anti-Semitic thinking – coupled with the prominence of vaccine-related conspiracy theories – mean that such aspersions might become more common as coronaviurs vaccination programs are rolled out? (JTA)

Almaty, Kazakhstan: English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen releases

a sequel to his hit mockumentary Borat. In the film, Cohen plays the eponymous Borat Sagdiyev, a comical Kazakh journalist with an outlandish anti-Semitic streak, who considers his country’s involvement in the Holocaust a point of pride. But Borat is actually half right: Far from being complicit in genocide, Kazakhstan became a haven for 8,500 Jews during the Holocaust. Something to be proud of, indeed! Today, as many as 20,000 Jews still live in the Central Asian country. Rabbi Yeshaya Cohen, the chief rabbi, says that Kazakhs continue to welcome the Jewish minority in their midst, and notes that Chanukah normally coincides with Kazakhstan’s Independence Day on December 16 (as it does this year). “It’s a reason to be twice as happy,” as he put it. (Aish.org)

Stockholm, Sweden: An impressive five members of the tribe

Lagos, Nigeria: The largest city in Africa receives its

first rabbi. Rabbi Mendy and Mazal Sternbach will be opening a Chabad House to serve about 450 Jewish residents in the coastal city of Lagos, Nigeria— a bustling metropolis of 17.5 million, in the continent’s largest economy. The couple, who married last year, will not be the first permanent Chabad presence in Nigeria; the capital city of Abuja already has representatives of its own. Together, they will provide a Jewish home for businesspeople and expatriates working for international corporations and aid organizations, or for the dozens of Israeli companies in the spheres of construction, infrastructure, high-tech, communications and information technology, agriculture and water management that operate in the country. (JNS)

receive Nobel nods. Virologist Harvey Alter, who preceded Dr. Anthony Fauci, today serves as chief of the NIH’s infectious diseases section, shared the Nobel Prize for Medicine with two others, for their discovery of the virus that causes Hepatitis C; English physicist Roger Penrose and UCLA astronomer Andrea Ghez were acknowledged with one other scientist, for their work on black hole formation; poet Louise Glück for the “unmistakable… austere beauty” with which her poetry “makes individual existence universal”; and Stanford’s Paul Milgrom shared the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences with a colleague, for their work on auctions, and how to improve them. In Oslo, Norway, the Nobel Peace Prize went to the UN Food Program, which is close enough: Is there anything more Jewish than feeding other people?

Melbourne, Australia: Member of the local Jewish community,

and amateur aviator Moishe Gordon performs the ritual of Kaparos for his entire neighborhood – from a plane. In a tradition with roots in Eastern Europe, Kapparot is normally performed before Yom Kippur each year, by reciting a prayer asking G-d to transfer any pending judgements to a chicken, which is held overhead. With Melbourne under a heavy Covid-19 lockdown, it looked as though the community would have to give the custom a miss. Instead, after securing permission from the relevant authorities, Gordon took a couple of chickens on board a Vulcanair P68C, six-seat monoplane, and flew several laps around the suburbs of St. Kilda and Caulfied – to the bemused smiles of its residents on the ground. MI DBA RMAG .C O M

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The Surprising History of

Public Menorah Lightings

Menachem Posner, with Boz Werdiger

t was a frigid Saturday night during Chanukah of 1974, when Rabbi Abraham Shemtov had the unusual, perhaps wild, idea of lighting a menorah right in front of Independence Hall, home to the Liberty Bell, the icon of American freedom. The menorah was crude and made of wood; he had fashioned it with the help of some visiting yeshivah students. Hardly anyone was on Independence Mall in Philadelphia that night to witness the actual lighting, but that simple 4-foot menorah was the seed from which thousands of public menorahs have sprouted up

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in public and private places throughout the United States and around the world. Fast-forward more than four decades, and these menorahsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;many of which are set up and celebrated by Chabad-Lubavitch centers as part of their Chanukah festivitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;have become a staple of Jewish cultural and religious life. Jews from Moscow to Minnesota, from Monaco to Martinique, gather every year to celebrate the holiday with the lighting of an oversized menorah, usually 9-feet tall or more, and often towering above the celebrants. But back in 1974, it was all just beginning.

Why Make a Scene? A Letter from the Rebbe

Rabbi Shemtov in 1979 with President Jimmy Carter at the first menorah-lighting on the White House Lawn.

The following year, Shemtov— regional director of ChabadLubavitch in Philadelphia and chairman of Agudas Chassidei Chabad, the umbrella organization of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement—returned with a more substantial menorah, as well as the permits necessary to light it. Over the next few years, menorahs began springing up in cities and towns all across America. The next major development was in 1979, when Shemtov collaborated with Stuart Eizenstat—President Jimmy Carter’s chief domesticpolicy adviser and executive director of the White House domestic-policy staff—to arrange for a menorah to be placed on the White House lawn. Despite the fact that Carter was awash in the opening weeks of the Iranian hostage crisis, he pointedly walked from the White House to the menorah, where he lit the shamash—the helper candle from which the others are kindled—and shared greetings with the assembled crowd. Perhaps reflecting his state of mind, the president voiced his dismay with the fact that only four candles were then lit—it was only the fourth night of Chanukah–as it signified a world still very much

shrouded in darkness. Of course, the traditional method of lighting the menorah is to add one extra candle for each night, as a reminder always to increase in light and holiness. So it was for the holy public Menorah lighting, which was by then spreading nationwide.

A Little Help From New York Even as Jews everywhere flocked to public menorah-lightings in their cities and took pride in knowing that Chanukah was being celebrated in the public arena, the idea met with significant resistance—particularly

from certain sectors of the “Jewish establishment” and from the ACLU, which claimed that it was a violation of the separation of church and state as mandated by the First Amendment. In 1980, Rabbi Yisroel Brod, then director of Chabad Lubavitch of Bergen County, N.J., arranged for a large menorah to be set in front of the Bergen County Courthouse in Hackensack, N.J. “It was beautiful,” recalls Brod. “It was an ideal location. Every night we would get hoisted up by a cherry picker to light the menorah. We ► MI DBA RMAG .C O M

Rabbi Abraham Shemtov, right, in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, lighting the very first public menorah in 1974. With him were yeshivah students who helped build the wooden menorah from scratch. (Photo: Lubavitcher Center)

had people from the Federation there, and everyone had a wonderful time.” In advance of Chanukah 1981, Brod decided to erect a second menorah in his hometown of Teaneck, N.J., with its much larger Jewish population. “I was so naïve then; I had no idea that people would have an issue with it,” he relates. “So I was shocked when I got a calls asking that we not go ahead with it.” In response to a letter from the Jewish Community Council of Teaneck, which opposed the menorah, the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, penned two extraordinary letters in which he outlined his position on the matter. (See insert for an excerpt of ◄

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the second letter) “ . . . experience has shown,” the Rebbe wrote, “that the Chanukah menorah displayed publicly during the eight days of Chanukah has been an inspiration to many, many Jews, and evoked in them a spirit of identity with their Jewish people and the Jewish way of life. To many others, it has brought a sense of pride in their Yiddishkeit and the realization that there is no reason really in this free country to hide one’s Jewishness, as if it were contrary or inimical to American life and culture. On the contrary, it is fully in keeping with the American national slogan ‘e pluribus unum’ and the fact that American culture has been enriched by the thriving ethnic cultures which contributed

very much, each in its own way, to American life both materially and spiritually ... ” Concerning the legality of placing a religious symbol on public grounds, the Rebbe cited precedents from the menorahs in major cities, as well as the one on the White House lawn. “That it was also constitutional, legal and proper goes without saying since the President of the U.S. personally participated in it,” he wrote. Ultimately, Brod’s bid for a menorah that year was rejected by the Teaneck Township Council, and he decided not to pursue the matter. When other representatives faced similar opposition to erecting public menorahs, however, the Rebbe’s letters provided an invaluable articulation of Chabad’s perspective on the matter. But assistance in making the case for the Menorah also came from unexpected sources. When Rabbi Yosef and Shiffy Landa, Chabad representatives in Greater S. Louis, began lighting a public menorah in the early ‘80s, New York City Mayor Ed Koch – who happened to be in town – gave their initiative a major boost. While attending S. Louis Federation dinner, Koch was asked how he would approach the issue, and answered: “I have no problem whatsoever with having a privately funded menorah on public property,” replied the Jewish mayor. “I think it’s absolutely wonderful. I’m proud to say that we have one in New York City at Fifth Avenue and Central Park. “Let me tell you what else we do in New York,” he continued. “The menorah is in Manhattan. The people who light the menorah are the Lubavitchers. They live in Brooklyn. So when they light the menorah in Manhattan late on Friday afternoon when it’s getting close to Shabbos, we provide them with a helicopter and we fly them back to Brooklyn, so they can get home in time for Shabbos!” After hearing all sides, county officials decided to keep the menorah.

The Menorah on the Stand Back in Teaneck, the Township Council decided not to erect a menorah until a court ruling decided whether or not doing so was consistent with the U.S. Constitution. That ruling would come on July 3, 1989, when the Supreme Court of the United States ruled (in County of Allegheny v. American Civil Liberties Union) that the city of Pittsburgh was allowed to place an oversized menorah lent to them by Chabad, alongside a Yuletide tree. The case was argued by attorney Nathan Lewin – on the basis of the same First Amendment that was being evoked against the lightings. In time, the Pittsburgh victory formed a precedent for dozens of cases he would go on to successfully litigate in a decades-long effort to secure the right for Jewish people to place a menorah and observe Chanukah on public property. Still, the fight was far from over. In fact, Lewin would need to litigate the same case the following year and even flew from Los Angeles to enter a last-minute application before Supreme Court Justice William Brennan one Friday afternoon just before Chanukah. On a national scale, Lewin explains that the Pittsburgh decision only meant that a government body had the right to display a menorah on public property right next to other holiday displays. It would take until 1993 (as part of a court case known as Flamer v. White Plains) to establish that individuals and groups have the right to put up such displays. That year, Sonia Sotomayor, newly elected to the U.S. District Court for

For decades now, attorney Nathan Lewin has litigated for the right to place menorahs on public property. (Photo: Rikki Lewin)

the Southern District of New York— who went on to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2009—heard the case. It was a decision that Lewin says would take take “independence and courage,” since the Second Circuit – which had jurisdiction over Sotomayor’s court – had only recently shot down a similar request in Burlington. Nevertheless, in a “length and detailed opinion,” the promising young judge cited a line of Supreme Court decisions that had upheld “speech with religious content and found it no less worthy of constitutional protection than secular speech.” Accordingly she ruled that “the City may not deny Rabbi Flamer a permit to erect a fixed free-standing menorah in a City park during the Chanukah holiday because of the menorah’s religious message.” There were yet more victories for Lewin over the years, as in cities like Atlanta and Grand Rapids, Mich., each one establishing important precedent that would pave the way for future menorahs. One year, he spent the entire Thanksgiving day preparing arguments to be presented to Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, who allowed the menorah to be put up “given the square’s historic character as a public forum.” In 1999, after a challenge by another chapter of the ACLU, thenCircuit Judge Samuel Alito wrote the majority opinion allowing Jersey City to put up a menorah, as a part of a holiday display in front of City Hall. It was around this time that Lewin’s “menorah team,” as he called it, was joined by an up-and-coming legal star by the name of Amy ConeyBarrett. That year, Coney Barrett had wrapped up a Supreme Court clerkship for Antonin Scalia, taken on the last name Barrett, and began working as an associate for the Miller Cassidy Larroca and Lewin law firm. In 2020, she would ascend to the highest court in the land herself. Today,” Lewin says, “when a community has an issue, our office sends a packet explaining the issues and the previous court rulings, and that is often enough to settle the issue favorably.”

For his part, Lewin says he’s still busy in the weeks and days ahead of Chanukah, as he continues to safeguard the right to erect menorahs on public property and still litigates the issue when necessary.

‘Let There Be Light’ With the legal issues largely moot, menorahs continue to crop up all over the country. “It is not just the custom here, but now in other countries as well,” says Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, the educational arm of the ChabadLubavitch movement, who regularly monitored these developments and reported them to the Rebbe. “From Berlin to London to Melbourne, public menorahs are almost a routine thing. It’s a beautiful display of Jewish pride and does a lot of good. “It seems Chanukah is the most observed of the seven rabbinic mitzvahs,” he continues, “and it’s singularly because of the Rebbe’s insistence and perseverance that celebrating Chanukah in the public sphere became popular.” At the Rebbe’s behest, following Chanukah 1985, Krinsky’s office compiled a book chronicling public menorah-lightings around the world. Titled Let There Be Light, it contains photographs of menorahs from Alabama to Australia. The many menorahs at state, city and county municipal centers demonstrated how widely accepted the menorah had become in Jewish life. The following year, a sequel called . . . And There Was Light graphically depicted how much more extensive the celebrations were during Chanukah of 1986, which went into the new year of 1987. Among its many photographs is one from Palm Desert, and another of a delegation from American Friends of Lubavitch presenting a silver menorah to President Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office, a tradition that began in 1984.

Modern Markers of History Throughout the following decades, the number of menorah ► MI DBA RMAG .C O M

The Rebbe watches “Chanukah Live” 1991, where holiday celebrations in New York, Paris, Moscow, Melbourne, Hong Kong and Jerusalem were united by satellite hookup. (Photo: The Avner Institute)

◄and scope of their reach has continued to blossom. Last Chanukah, it was estimated that as many as 15,000 Chabad-Lubavitch menorahs were publically lit worldwide. One of the largest lightings is the one near the Eiffel Tower in central Paris, which has attracted as many as 20,000 French Jews. Starting in 1989, the lighting was part of the “Chanukah Live” satellite hookup, in which the Rebbe would participate in a simultaneous celebration with communities from Moscow to Melbourne. And in 1991, in the presence of approximately 6,000 Jewish people, longtime Chabad underground activist Avraham Genin kindled a giant menorah inside the Kremlin Palace of Congresses (it was the second year that a large public menorah had been lit in the U.S.S.R.; the previous year, a menorah had been placed near Russia’s White House). Like before, the celebration was broadcast live. A new menorah—more than 30 feet tall, the highest in Europe— was constructed in 2013 and lit on the first night of Chanukah at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, once the site of Nazi Party spectacles of racism and hatred, and a place that was inaccessible during the years of communist rule in East

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Germany. Thousands of people attended the public ceremony, as did local dignitaries, including the president of the German parliament, Norbert Lammert, and Berlin’s mayor, Klaus Wowereit. “Bringing light to places of darkness is the message of Chanukah,” said Chabad-Lubavitch of Berlin’s director, Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal. “There is no greater contrast than lighting a menorah here—in the place that was once the epitome of darkness—and now flooding it with the essence of light.” The same year, a 9-foot-high menorah was lit on the Gallaudet University campus in Washington, D.C., a federally chartered private university for the education of deaf and hard-of-hearing students. “There was a wonderful spirit of inclusion and pride there, as the deaf community joined together with our hearing brothers and sisters around the globe in publicly celebrating our Jewish heritage,” says Rabbi Yehoshua Soudakoff, a Chabad rabbi who lit the menorah with the assistance of Gallaudet President Dr. T. Alan Hurwitz and Provost Dr. Stephen F. Weiner. “The menorah really touches people,” asserts Rabbi Menachem Evers, who organizes the annual public lighting in Dam Square in front of the royal palace in

Amsterdam, Holland. “I can recall an elderly lady who came to me with tears in her eyes, saying 60 years ago, she never dreamed she would live to see Jews proudly celebrating in the streets.” These Chanukah celebrations are echoed in cities and towns, in shopping centers, on military bases, in hospitals, and nursing homes, even in prisons, and just about any other place where Jews can be found—a roaring fire of Jewish pride, kindled from a few flickering flames on one cold night back in Philadelphia. Speaking at the lighting of the National Menorah back in 2014, then-Vice President Joe Biden said: “The Lubavitcher Rebbe taught us that every living thing must grow. Just as Hanukah lights will grow from the first day to the eighth, just as even those who have achieved good and holy things, must never be satisfied with what they’ve achieved yesterday, may you all go from strength to strength.” Amen - and may the menorah continue to give strength to us all. ♦

Opposite page: Looking back at Chanukah in the Desert. Top: Mayor Jeff Bleaman of Rancho Mirage lights the Menorah together Rabbi Yonason Denebeim, as the young studetns of Desert Torah Academy stand by, at Palm Desert’s Town Center Mall, c. 1986. Bottom, from left: The DTA children’s choir, Sonny Bono at the Chabad Chanukah bash, and Rabbi Denebeim with Rabbi Kreiman!

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of their institutions and how they bring their students forward to address today’s needs. I’ve done the same [learning through] Brandeis. Supporting Brandeis, as you know, is one of the greatest endeavors of my life.

48 MINUTES with Jean Carrus

Jean Carrus is a longtime local philanthropist and devoted communal volunteer. Whether by serving on the boards of the Palm Springs Art Museum, New York Metropolitan Opera, and Brandeis University Woman’s National Committee, or working with the College of the Desert and the McCallum Theatre, Jean has always believed in giving back to her community. This past November, she sat down to chat with Sunshine Circle’s Shaindy Friedman.

Hi Jean! We’ve spent so much time chatting over the years but never in an interview format. I’m excited to learn more about you. Tell me how you are these days? I’ve really done very well considering that we’ve had nine months of Covid. In February, a doctor canceled my medical appointment because of this new disease everyone was worried about and that’s when I started staying home. Because I’m an active person and my mind is now more active than my body will allow, I needed to maintain intellectual stimulation

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during this time and I’ve done that quite successfully. You’re one of the busiest people I know. Always advising, learning, visiting. I can imagine it’s been a challenge to stay put for so long. Can you talk about your current intellectual pursuits and how you socialize while at home? I use the telephone a lot more than before because I like to hear your voice rather than send you an email. I’ve been contacting people, giving them a chuckle or two, letting them know I care. Nurturing people who needed nurturing. I sit on six boards and everything now is being done virtually so I have board meetings to “attend” on the computer. I’ve spent a lot of time doing webinars. My chief source of intellectual stimulation comes from the Technion in Israel. It’s an international organization that has, you know the old joke, stores all over. They have institutions all over this country and they give information about diseases and what they’re doing for it. They discuss their educational process

Have you learned anything new about yourself during this time? I’ve been putting together a family tree, discovering relatives I’ve never heard of until now. It’s been a labor of absolute love. Something I’m not sure many people do at age 90, but it’s been very exciting! The internet is so complex and convoluted! The process has not been straightforward, that’s for sure. It was almost like a birthday party every time I found someone. I would discover a name of a relative and a little history attached to it, and add it to the family tree. It’s hearing names I’ve never heard before that is remarkable. The other day, while I was showing this to my daughter, a message pops up--a woman from the Boston area who shares my DNA! A relative from my mother’s side of the family. She called me not long after and I was on the phone with this woman for nearly two hours. It’s so exciting I can hardly sleep after that but I still wake up refreshed. What’s your daily routine? I could chapter and verse it. It’s the same every morning. I do the same things. I’m very compulsive, very organized, very detail oriented. How do you like your coffee? Black and unadorned and I only drink one cup. You’ve lived in the desert most of my life and I’ve known you for a solid portion of that time. What do you like most about living in the desert? I’ve lived here since 1985. It’s Nirvana. The smartest move I ever made on many levels. It gave me the

opportunity to reinvent myself totally. The confidence, even the flow of language for me, was freed up. I had no one to censor me. I could do what I wanted to do. I was financially stable, I was physically free, and I was in the sunshine. I hated New York in the winter! And I think emotionally, it’s the healthiest thing I’ve ever done. Where did you grow up? I was born in Manhattan in Women’s Hospital on 110th Street and Broadway. It’s no longer in existence. I lived in Washington Heights until my father went in to have brain surgery in 1932. My mother could not cope and so my brother and I were put into foster care. During that time I lived everywhere. In the Bronx with a dentist because his children were off in college in California. Then in Staten Island at a home that had lots of children but then we caught whooping cough and had to leave. My father’s twin sister was kind enough to host us for a very short period of time. As soon as we were well enough we were out again. My father was recuperating because brain surgery in 1932 was not considered an everyday, run-ofthe-mill medical procedure. He was given six months to live. I remember when my father finally came to pick me and my brother up from the very last foster home we lived in. It was in Brooklyn on East 8th Street and Avenue U. So that was my peripatetic life as a child. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Perfect happiness? That’s pie in the sky. You know, I believe life has its ups and its downs. It’s how you learn to live within the scope of your own talents and your own abilities. ‘Not to go to bed angry’ is a cliche but it works. To have good health. What is your greatest fear? I don’t have many fears but my greatest desire is that I don’t linger in a painful, unaware state at the end. I have no need to live to a hundred and four or eight.

I’m hearing that all over the place and in my condition, that may be possible. But I have no desire for that. I had a hard, happy, sad, every-emotion-kind-of-life. When it’s my time, let me just graciously disappear. Which living person do you most admire? I don’t have a special person. I admire honesty more than anything. I think honesty and chemistry are what create the relationship I have with anyone. I don’t carry a 45 pound monkey on my back, ever. And I get rid of it. So that’s what’s important to me--the value of the people that I love and that I hold close to me. What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Attitude. Attitude is what you judge people by and I’m not comfortable with anybody who lords it over anyone. When they’re pounding their own chest and telling you how great they are, this to me doesn’t mean anything. I’d watch the feet, not the mouth. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Sweetheart. You know at my age it isn’t easy to remember everyone’s name! Do you have a hidden talent? Any talents I have I think are pretty obvious. My best attribute is that if I say I’m gonna do something, I do it. And I do it to the best of my ability. I’m no Pollyanna but I don’t make false promises and if something needs to be done, I get it done. I don’t like things lingering. What would you consider your greatest regret? That’s a waste of energy. If you’re going to regret it, don’t do it. What is your most treasured possession? There are things that are very meaningful to me. I have a Louis XIV commode in my powder room, that was my father’s when

he married my mother in 1926. He used to keep his pipe and his tobacco in it. My house is very contemporary, very eclectic in its art and artifacts, but I look at that and it gives me a feeling of warmth. I didn’t live with my mother, meanwhile I got her engagement ring; a single circular diamond. I don’t have an attachment to my mother but I have an attachment to the sentiment that my father gave this to her. I have a beautiful, lace handkerchief from WWI from France that says 1919 on it. I framed it on blue velvet in an antique frame. My father sent this home to his sister. Sentimental. Who are your favorite writers? I love Daniel Silva. He writes a fictional account of an Israeli art restorer whose parents are Holocaust survivors. [Silva] describes the framework in Israel, the political structure, and the management of Israel in its early days. It is so well written, that while fiction, I could visualize the streets in Israel that I’ve never heard of and that may not even exist! What does it mean to you to be a Jew? I like the food. I love Jewish food. I read something recently that brought back all my history in Brooklyn. Gedempte this, schmaltz that...all the foods! In theory, they’re not all that healthy. But in reality, they’re all very tasty. Every once in a while I’ll go into the supermarket and I’ll buy a jar of gefilte fish just to have it with red horseradish and a slice of matzah and that feels good. As a girl I never went to Sunday school and there are things I miss knowing. Some of the traditional behavior, some of the songs, some of the prayers are things I really should know and I don’t. And yet, I like being in Temple and feeling those feelings. I don’t know how else to explain it. It’s something very ethereal and difficult to articulate. It’s in your core. ♦

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ART

At The Bottom Of The Peach Tree By Ruth Levitsky

On the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat, we celebrate the New Year for Fruit Trees. At its simplest level, this holiday is a legal marker used for calculating tithes. It is also an opportunity to focus on the rich symbolism of trees and fruit – of which much is written in our mystical and homiletic literature – and the gift that they are from G-d. Please refer to the Holiday Guide for more information on the holiday. Here, from the vantage of her Sun City garden, Ruth Levitsky reflects on the boundless, sometimes surprising, generosity of the natural world.

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ART

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What was it doing there? Early on a cool morning I went out back to check on and water my potted vegetables and fruit trees. Our newest addition was a peach tree. I had given it lots of love, attention, and a compost mixture I had made myself. My compost consisted of coffee grinds, egg shells, peelings, and cantaloupe seeds. The little peach tree stood erect with many purplish buds but, for a long time, no fruit. One day, when I looked down at its base I was surprised to see a canopy of prickly, clover-like leaves and lots of yellow buds. My homemade compost concoction seemed to be working. Approaching carefully, I pulled the leaves back. I saw five unblemished round balls, with mottled yellow-brown skin. They were well hidden by a plethora of leaves. I shared the treasure with my husband. “Can we eat them now?” he asked. “Let’s wait until they are bigger.” I answered. Every day I visited my developing treasures. They were amazing, growing larger and rounder each day. Time to harvest my bounty. I cautiously removed them from their vines. Placed them on a a white plate. Their final resting place, the kitchen table. With a sharp knife we carefully sliced them open. The smell was sweet. The color of the fruit was a lovely light orange. We removed the seeds. We washed them, dried them, and saved them in the freezer in hopes of future produce. We ate them slowly. The delicious juice dripping down our chins. The sweet warm fruit tantalizing our taste buds. It wasn’t peach, though: That day we discovered the joy of eating warm cantaloupe, right off the vine. An unexpected harvest, sensuously enjoyed. Every morning I search my garden and life for the bounty of a little seed.

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FOOD

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Challah

BY SHAINDY FRIEDMAN

I RECALL A CHALLAH CALAMITY one Friday night, about thirteen years ago. Deep in the Judean hills, we encircled a long, beautifully dressed table, resplendent in printed cloth and set with gleaming glasses, plates, and silverware. We were an eclectic group that Shabbos. An artist with her hair wrapped in a tall cream turban and her teacher husband in a linen tunic, some yeshiva students, a bearded scientist, a few young seminary girls and our hosts—chasidic hippies, relaxed, middle aged, well read, and funny. I remember the warm lamplight and the many Shabbos candles that flickered around the room. Our host raised a silver kiddush cup, wine spilling generously over his hand and pooling on his plate. We washed for the Hamotzi blessing, and waited, singing with anticipation. Our host, well known for her hospitality and challah, smiled towards the oven where the loaves kept warm. At the close of the lively niggun she threw open the oven door with a dramatic flourish. Ta-da! We craned our necks, smiling appreciatively. Behind the gaping oven door the challah sat; impossibly pale, soft and doughy, decidedly raw. Our host yelped. She had completely forgotten to turn on the oven! Disappointment, the likes of which only an unbaked challah can induce, settled over the room. The tunicclad teacher rose and motioned that he’d be right back, before disappearing into the starry night. Moments later he returned, like a challah angel, holding two long, whole grain, seed studded braids a generous neighbor had happily supplied. A sigh of great relief swept over the table. Faith restored, the meal commenced. Ultimately, challah is the star of the show--challah is Shabbos. I can’t imagine the meal without it. It’s a funny thing with challah; unlike citrusy,

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spicy kubbeh, herby gravlax, or barbequed ribs, I can’t trace back to the first time I tasted it. Certainly that primordial loaf was of my mother’s making; her crowning culinary glory all these years. A well risen braid, or sometimes a pull-apart version, soft, warm, fresh, with a lightly shellacked crust. It was the same glorious creation from week to week. On Friday nights, in our glowing dining room, we would watch my father methodically cut the challah. First into slices, then stacked, then in thirds. We vied for the “mitelste shtikel,” the prized center piece with a maximum fluff to crust ratio. They often say “you don’t gain weight on Shabbos.” Of course, Shabbos meals are famously lavish, but I’m certain whoever coined that saying had exactly one food in mind. Because here’s the thing about challah: it pairs well with everything. It’s the vehicle for enjoying a variety of dips, the perfect bite in between golden spoonfuls of chicken soup, and great for mopping up gravy. At some point during the meal I must remind myself I am not preparing for a long Russian winter. And yet, beyond the physical delight of a tasty challah, there are mystical realms unlocked by its preparation and consumption. Water and yeast, representing our life-giving Torah and spiritual growth, are swirled together with a sprinkle of sweetness and left to proof. To that we add flour, symbolic of sustenance; a pinch of salt (melach in Hebrew), for discipline with forgiveness (mechilah); some sugar for compassion; and eggs, symbolizing rebirth and renewal. A luxurious pour of oil anoints the dough and then we knead. As we bring all of these elements together, we meditate on the Oneness of Hashem, and His unity with all things. We focus on the meaning these simple ingredients suggest. We bless, we ply, we shape. A wash of egg yolk, and into the oven it goes. We are taught that Sarah, the first Jewish woman, baked a challah like no other. Under the clouds of glory that hovered above her tent, and by the light of her candles that miraculously remained lit all week, Sarah kneaded a dough that once baked, stayed fresh. From

FOOD a few mundane ingredients, Sarah formed an ethereal food that nourished her family and guests in body and spirit. Her daughter-in-law Rivkah picked up where Sarah left off and it’s been a woman’s mitzvah ever since. Every year, my mother and a small army of determined and highly organized women plan a phenomenal community Challah Bake. Hundreds of women gather to perform this timeless mitzvah

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together. There’s a moment after the blessing on the dough is recited and before the shaping begins, when the room is hushed in thought and silent prayer. In that transcendent space we meditate on our families and our people. We pray that our children, and their children too, will be nourished and sustained by our traditions. That the joy and pleasure of Shabbos, will always be. We pray for a world immersed in Shabbos, where we experience true peace. ♦

SUSSIE DENEBEIM’S CHALLAH Yield: 6 large or 8 medium challahs

3 TABLESPOONS YEAST 1 TABLESPOON SUGAR 4 1/4 CUPS WARM WATER 1 CUP OIL 4 EGGS 1 CUP SUGAR 3 TABLESPOONS SALT 5 LBS. FLOUR 1 EGG + 1 YOLK, BEATEN, FOR EGG WASH Method: - Measure warm water into a large mixing bowl. - Add the yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar to warm water and allow the yeast to proof for a few minutes. Add the oil, eggs, sugar, and salt and mix thoroughly. - Add half of the flour and mix with a spoon until incorporated. Add most of the remainder of the flour and knead with your hands until your dough is smooth and no longer sticky (add additional flour as needed). - Coat dough in a tablespoon or two of oil, cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm spot for 1-2 hours or until the dough is double in size. - This is the moment to make the blessing on the dough and remove a piece for the mitzvah of hafrashat challah. (Instructions: chabadps.com/challah)

- Shape the challahs as you wish and allow to rise for an additional 30 minutes. Brush with egg wash. Bake at 350 until golden brown (about 35 minutes). MI DBA RMAG .C O M

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FILM

In the previous issue of Midbar, Debbie Orgen-Garrett reviewed 2004’s Ushpizin, starring Shul Rand. This time, she takes a look at one of Rand’s more recent films, The Unorthodox, which featured in November’s Palm Springs Jewish Film Festival.

Cohen is a man on a mission, driven to form a religious political party representing the interests of Sephardic Jews. The incident that sets him off, and with which the film begins, is the expulsion of his daughter Heli from the prestigious ultra-orthodox, Ashkenazi Bais Yaakov school. There is little doubt that she has been expelled for nothing more than her Sephardic background. These tensions between Ashkenazim and Sephardim form the backdrop to the entire story. The Sephardim, also known as Mizrahim, or Oriental Jews, trace their roots back to communities in Spain, North Africa, and the Middle East. In their countries of origin, the Mizrahi Jews had led stable, respectable lives for centuries; on balance, they were cultured, educated and well-off. Moving to Israel changed that, for many Sephardim. Following Statehood in 1948, they found themselves marginalized by an establishment dominated by Ashkenazim (Jews from Europe and Russia). The discrimination at that time was by no means hidden.

THE UNORTHODOX (2018) 92 minutes, Hebrew with English subtitles. Written and directed by Eliran Malka.

THE UNORTHODOX

he Unorthodox is an Israeli comedy drama depicting the establishment of Israel’s Sephardi-Haredi “Shas” political party (an actual party of traditional Jews of Middle Eastern extraction) in

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Jerusalem, in the 1980s. The year is 1983, and the protagonist is Yaakov Cohen. Played by award winning ultra-orthodox actor, Shuli Rand (star of Ushpizin),

In another scene, an Ashkenazic client and politician refuses to pay Cohen, who runs a modest print shop, for a significant amount of work he’s already completed. The client challenges Cohen to sue him in rabbinic court, knowing that the beit din will favor a well-respected Ashkenazic leader over a struggling Sephardic businessman. The client also happens to be the brother-in-law of Heli Cohen’s school principal. Cohen can do nothing but hurl his freshly printed box of flyers in wounded anger. Turned off by the corruption within mainstream religious institutions, Cohen realizes that the Sephardic and Mizrahi communities in Jerusalem can wield power only by forming a political party, the Sephardi Torah Guardians, or Shas. In Hebrew, the full name of the party is Shomrei Torah Sephardim, meaning “Torah Observant Sephardim,” but it is better known by the punning acronym►

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◄ Shas – another term for the Talmud. In its abbreviated form, then, the party name stands for Shomrei Sephardim, the Guardians of the Sephardim.

The Shas party in this film, began as a beautiful dream. It was the result of an incredible vision from a few simple, working men from well outside the political establishment. Today it is one of Israel’s most controversial political parties due to its neo-conservative and religious-based political agenda. And so, this film explores what makes a political movement succeed and what can drive it into irrelevance. Eliran Malka, the writer and director, notes

the political process that three clueless but likeable men must navigate as they attempt to start this new party. He also notes the brutal consequences of power, for as Cohen’s party gains success on the national stage, Cohen finds his idealism undermined by his own comrades, and his own position under threat. Above all, it’s a morality tale, both loving and critical, but one with a good sense of subtlety, which it keeps by avoiding an easy feel-good ending. Skillfully scripted and wonderfully acted, this is the first feature film directed by Eliram Malka. Malka, who grew up in a religious Mizrahi family

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in Nahariya, moved to Jerusalem so he could attend The Ma’aleh School of Film and Television, one of the only Modern Orthodox Film Schools in the world devoted to exploring the intersection of Judaism and modern life. He is best known as the creator of the Israeli hit television series Shababnikim a comedy that follows the shenanigans of four handsome, stylish, ultra-orthodox boys studying in a Jerusalem Yeshiva. Having this film open the Jerusalem Film Festival, with its largely secular atmosphere, is therefore part of the debut filmmaker’s broader efforts to bring the religious world to the big screen. Along with having his film selected for the festival, Malka’s other great accomplishment is a casting selection – getting the ultra-orthodox actor Shuli Rand, after a fifteen year absence from film, following his performance in Ushpizin, to play the lead role. The Unorthodox has racked up numerous nominations for Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Director. It won several technical prizes last year at Israel’s premier film award ceremony, the Ophir Awards, along with a few more nods at Film Festivals all over the world. It is a film we highly recommend watching. ♦

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BOOK CLUB

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Just a few weeks ago, the Jewish world was shocked and saddened to learn of the untimely passing of Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Sacks. Emeritus Chief Rabbi of the UK. His office had only announced his illness less than a month before. From his perch in the rabbinate, as a Member of the British House of Lords, numerous appointments at universities in the US, the UK, and Israel; through lectures, Torah classes, interviews, columns, books, and newsletters; Rabbi Sacks sought to present a Judaism that could meet and exceed the challenges of the modern day, with passionate sincerity and intellectual vigor. Beyond his essential work on behalf of the Jewish community in the UK, he engaged with broader British society, and inspired many thousands around the world. In tribute, the Midbar Book Club will read one of Rabbi Sacks’s books for its next meeting. A shortlist is presented here, with a description for each book. Which would you like to discuss? To submit your vote, or if you would like to join the Book Club, please email books@midbarmag.com

The Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the Clash of Civilizations (2002).

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks presents a proposal for reframing the terms of this important debate. The first major statement by a Jewish leader on the ethics of globalization, it introduces a new paradigm into the search for co-existence. Sacks argues that we must do more than search for common human values. We must also learn to make space for difference, even and especially at the heart of the monotheistic imagination. The global future will call for something 26

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stronger than earlier doctrines of toleration or pluralism. It needs a new understanding that the unity of the Creator is expressed in the diversity of creation; Sacks argues that this new thinking also sheds fresh light on the global challenges of an age of unprecedented change: economic inequality, environmental destruction, the connection between information technology and human dignity, and the structures of civil society.

Future Tense: Jews, Judaism, and Israel in the 21st Century (2010).

A Vision for Jews and Judaism in the Global Culture. We are in danger, says Rabbi Sacks, of forgetting what Judaism’s place is within the global project of humankind. The Jewish people exist for a reason, and it is not for themselves alone. They

must recommit themselves to their foundational purpose: to the task of creating a just world in which the divine presence can dwell among us all. Without compromising one iota of Jewish faith, Rabbi Sacks declares, Jews must stand alongside their friends—Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and secular humanist—in defense of freedom against those who desecrate life. And they should do this not to win friends or the admiration of others but because it is what a people of God is supposed to do. Rabbi Sacks’s powerful message of tikkum olam— using Judaism as a blueprint for repairing an imperfect world—will resonate with people of all faiths.

BOOK CLUB The Great Partnership: Science, Religion, and the Search for Meaning (2011).

Writing with his usual grace and fluency, Jonathan Sacks moves beyond the tired arguments of militant atheists such as Dawkins and Hitchens, to explore how religion has always played a valuable part in human culture and far from being dismissed as redundant, must be allowed to temper and develop scientific understanding in order for us to be fully human. Ranging around the world to draw comparisons from different cultures, and delving deep into the history of language and of western civilisation, Jonathan Sacks shows how the predominance of science-oriented thinking is embedded deeply even in our religious understanding, and calls on us to recognise the centrality of relationship to true religion, and thus to see how this core value of relationship is essential if we are to avoid the natural tendency for science to rule our lives rather than fulfilling its promise to set us free.

Not In God’s Name: Confronting Religious Violence (2015).

In this powerful and timely book, one of the most admired and authoritative religious leaders of our time tackles the phenomenon of religious extremism and violence committed in the name of God. If religion is perceived as being part of the problem, Rabbi Sacks argues, then

it must also form part of the solution. When religion becomes a zero-sum conceit—that is, my religion is the only right path to God, therefore your religion is by definition wrong—and individuals are motivated by what Rabbi Sacks calls “altruistic evil,” violence between peoples of different beliefs appears to be the only natural outcome. But through an exploration of the roots of violence and its relationship to religion, and employing groundbreaking biblical analysis and interpretation, Rabbi Sacks shows that religiously inspired violence has as its source misreadings of biblical texts at the heart of all three Abrahamic faiths. By looking anew at the book of Genesis, with its foundational stories of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Rabbi Sacks offers a radical rereading of many of the Bible’s seminal stories of sibling rivalry: Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his brothers, Rachel and Leah. “Abraham himself,” writes Rabbi Sacks, “sought to be a blessing to others regardless of their faith. That idea, ignored for many of the intervening centuries, remains the simplest definition of Abrahamic faith. It is not our task to conquer or convert the world or enforce uniformity of belief. It is our task to be a blessing to the world. The use of religion for political ends is not righteousness but idolatry . . . To invoke God to justify violence against the innocent is not an act of sanctity but of sacrilege.” Here is an eloquent call for people of goodwill from all faiths and none to stand together, confront the religious extremism that threatens to destroy us, and declare: Not in God’s Name.

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Judaism’s LifeChanging Ideas: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible (2020).

What is Judaism? A religion? A faith? A way of life? A set of beliefs? A collection of commands? A culture? A civilization? It is all these, but it is emphatically something more. It is a way of thinking about life, a constellation of ideas. One might think that the ideas Judaism introduced into the world have become part of the common intellectual heritage of humankind, at least of the West. Yet this is not the case. Some of them have been lost over time; others the West never fully understood. Yet these ideas remain as important as ever before, and perhaps even more so. In this inspiring work, which includes a foreword by the former New York Times columnist Bari Weiss, Rabbi Sacks introduces his readers to one Life-Changing Idea from each of the weekly parashot. This new volume – now available from Koren Publishers, online and in all good Jewish bookshops – brings together all the weekly Covenant & Conversation essays from 5778, updated, and collated in book form.♦

These books are available for purchase on rabbisacks.org

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STUDY HALL A TASTE OF LEARNING, FROM SOME RECENT DESERT TORAH CLASSES:

may not hear you, especially if they are in an emotive state. But if you set the tone by your example, by doing acts of kindness, then you inspire others. You can really change the world around you, when those ripples of decency you create around yourself continue to expand in concentric circles, to form a tsunami of kindness and respect. ***

ASK THE RABBI For years a staple of Palm Springs’ Village Fest, Rabbi Denebeim has now moved his Ask the Rabbi booth online, fielding questions from the public every Thursday night, between 7 - 8:00 pm.

The following is an edited transcript of some recent questions.

Aaron O: My belief is that G-d wants us to work together. But, if we’re honest, we have some serious divisions; how do we work to make things less divisive? The Rabbi: The most effective tool is setting an example. I’ve previously quoted the Mishna (Pirkei Avos 4:18) that says “Do not appease your friend at the height of his anger and do not comfort him while his dead still lies before him.“ As wonderful as it is to say something that will be of benefit to others, it’s better not to say something that won’t be listened to. So if you decide to give someone a lecture about unity and the importance of getting along with each other, they

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Noreen S: I know you don’t discuss politics or religion in public, but is it wrong to pray for a certain politician to win an election? The Rabbi: You know when I pray, I can be a little selfish, and so I try to pray for what I think the world needs. But the truth is that my limited understanding of what the world really needs, or of what I need isn’t necessarily what is truly best for the world, or for myself. So our Sages advise that we pray to change, improve and refine ourselves so that we might more effectively manage the challenges G-d gives us. Of course, you may pray for whatever you want or whomever you wish, but prayer is not about changing G-d’s mind; He already knows what’s best for the world and you. Really it’s about changing myself, and becoming a better vessel for G-d’s wisdom. I make sure to vote in every election because I’m a proud American, but I try not to be so presumptuous to think that what I want is necessarily the right thing for the country. And once the election has passed, we should have the maturity to accept what happens, even if it’s our favored candidate losing.

The Rabbi: I refuse to accept it’s stupid! The only “stupid” question is the one not asked. Barbara R: If G-d is all powerful, why didn’t He or She create a world that was perfect, so that we’d be happy? The Rabbi: There can be no perfection in a finite world. And that’s fine: G-d created us imperfect so that we may strive towards perfection. The flaws and challenges that we work to overcome engage us as partners with G-d in fulfilling the Divine plan for creation. But there’s a simpler way to resolve your question: If the world was perfect, you wouldn’t experience being happy! Without the possibility for imperfection, we wouldn’t have been able to appreciate the good that exists in our lives in contrast to the challenges, nor the area of improvement we are able to produce in this world. We wouldn’t have been able to recognize the difference between light and dark, good and evil or bitter and sweet. Although I should mention that Trader Joe’s does sell a popcorn that is both bitter and sweet. *** Jill: In the Morning Prayers, it says: And G-d spoke to Moses saying, “Speak to Aharon and his sons saying, ‘Thus shall you bless the Children of Israel, and say to them...’” and then we go on to read the Priestly Blessing.

***

If this is Aharon’s blessing to give the Jewish people as the High Priest, why does G-d tell Moses to tell it to Aharon. Why not just tell it to Aharon directly?

Barbara R: I know there’s no stupid questions, but I have one.

The Rabbi: This is something the Rebbe once discussed: Why did►

everything have to go through Moses? Who is the blessing for? Israel. And who is the conduit for the blessing? The Kohanim, the priests. ◄

A conduit must be as open and free as possible. It’s like how the arteries have to be kept clear of any cholesterol build up if they are to function properly. Aharon, representing the Kohanim, was the perfect conduit for showering blessings on the Jewish people because of the great affection he felt for the people. He was famously a man of peace, who mediated between people with great love and kindness. But loving kindness (Chesed) needs to be moderated as well. Abraham also personified loving kindness, but it was unmoderated. So when he married Hagar, he ended up having Ishmael, who ended up perverting the ideal of kindness: Where Abraham was kind to everyone, Ishmael was kind to himself. So kindness can lead to trouble. It doesn’t discriminate between the worthy and the undeserving, and it doesn’t know how to pull back when being overly generous can lead to perverse consequences. That’s why you needed Moses. Moses gave us the Law, so he represented justice, focus and judgement, and what is fair and balanced. That’s why he was included in the Priestly Blessing. ♦

ADVANCED TANYA:

THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM Moshe Witkes leads an advanced men’s Tanya study group every Sunday morning at 9:00 am. If you’re interested, please reach out to witkes@gmail.com

hat relevance does Torah study and Mitzvah observance have in our rapidly changing, and increasingly unrecognizable world? For someone who grew up without the warmth of Judaism, the religious lifestyle can seem dated and distant. An individual focused on worldly pursuit, and primed for a life of physical indulgence cannot readily see the value of Mitzvah. There is a verse in Deuteronomy that addresses just this doubt, by saying, “This thing is exceedingly close to you, in your mouth, and in your heart, to do it.” This thing – meaning Torah observance – is within the realm of the possible, its fulfillment innate to our very being. In mystical texts, the city of Jerusalem is used as a metaphor for this state of mind: It is a city so dedicated to G-d that its physical aesthetic shines with light and glory. So it is with a life dedicated to G-d.

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These days, with international flights scarce, and lockdowns everywhere, getting to Jerusalem isn’t easy. So what is the path one must take to arrive at his or her “personal Jerusalem”? Deuteronomy tells us it’s possible to get there - but how?

The Talmudic sage Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananiah tells a story (Talmud, Eruvin 53b): “Once I was traveling, and I met with a child at a crossroads. I asked him, ‘which way to the city?’ and he answered: ‘This way is short and long, and this way is long and short.’ “I took the ‘short and long’ way. I soon reached the city but found my approach obstructed by gardens and orchards. So I retraced my steps and said to the child: ‘My son, did you not tell me that this is the short way?’ Answered the child: ‘Did I not tell you that it is also long?’” Truthfully, there is more than one way to Jerusalem. In his magnum opus Tanya, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi teaches what he refers to as the “long and short way.” By this he means that the way to achieving a fully actualized religious life is through the diligent, methodical work of self-improvement. Changing oneself might be long and arduous labor, but ultimately it is the direct path to forging an enduring, sustaining religious experience. It is the long, but short, road to Jerusalem. I’ll leave off here to allow you to ponder how one might apply this approach, but if you can’t wait for the next installment of Midbar, you can reach out to me or to the Tanya teacher nearest to you. ♦ MI DBA RMAG .C O M

JOURNEY W I TH THE P ROPHETS:

UNFIT FOR COMMAND? Boz Werdiger teaches Journey with the Prophets on Mondays, at 7:30 pm.

ing Saul was the first king of Israel. Tall, handsome, humble, he seemed a natural fit for the office. And he was – at first. But, just a couple of years into his reign, he slips up, deviating from the instructions handed to him by the Prophet Samuel. The first time while prosecuting a war against the Philistines and then, with greater consequence, after failing to follow through with the war on the Amalekites. Since he has not meticulously followed the word of G-d, Saul is told that he has lost G-d’s confidence, and with it, his kingship. In the tragic scene depicted in Chapter 15 of Samuel I, Saul scrambles to save face, first by defending himself, and then by begging for forgiveness: Saul said to Samuel, “I did wrong to transgress the LORD’s command and your instructions; but I was afraid of the troops and I yielded to them. Please, forgive my offense and come back with me, and I will bow low to the LORD.” But it is too late. As Samuel tells the crestfallen king: “I will not go back with you; for you have rejected the LORD’s command, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel.”

What’s curious about all this is that King Saul isn’t the first flawed Jewish leader, and he certainly isn’t the last. In fact, just a few chapters later, Saul’s own successor – King David – is criticized for his own ethical shortcomings, and for acting against G-d’s will. He pursued a married woman, Batsheba, and is taken to task for doing so. But he remains king. It is not immediately clear why Saul’s slipup is worse than David’s: So why does he get fired, while King David keeps the job? One explanation is cited by the early 15th century Spanish philosopher Rabbi Yosef Albo, in his Sefer Ha’ikarim. In the middle of a broader discussion on repentance, Albo writes that “Saul violated a specific command given to him...as king.” David, on the other hand, did not transgress any law or rule that applied to kings per se. In other words, leaders are often imperfect, but whether or not they are fit for office depends on whether they possess those character traits necessary for leadership. When it came to where it counts – compassion for his own people, courage, honesty, among others Albo lists – David had all the qualities a king needs. ♦

www.chabadps.com/study

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Weekly Study Schedule at Chabad of Palm Springs: Tanya with Moishe Witkes, Sundays at 9:00 am; Women’s Coffee and Conversation with Chaya Denebeim, Sundays at 11:00 am; The Prayerbook with Sussie Denebeim, Mondays at 2:00 pm, The Prophets: Stories that Shaped our History with Boz Werdiger, Mondays at 7:30pm Insights for Daily Living, from the Torah with Sussie Denebeim, Tuesdays at 7:00 pm Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Yonason Denebeim, Thursdays at 7:00 pm. Havdallah Ceremony with Rabbi Arik, motzei Shabbat (Saturday nights) at 6:30 pm

To find out more about any classe or to join an online session, visit

chabadps.com/study

To join an online meeting for all of the above, simply scan this code during a scheduled class time. You can use your phone camera with a QR Reader to scan.

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COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD If you would like to have a timely birthday, Yahrtzeit, or other special occasion included in the next issue, please send a message to submissions@midbarmag.com.

Midbar Magazine would like to wish a joyous Mazel Tov to all those members of our community celebrating a special date or a happy occasion; to extend our sincerest condolences to the families of those who have passed on; and to remember old friends and loved ones whose Yahrtzeit is approaching - may their memory be a blessing.

DEATHS

Grant Todd Pitts (Gedaliah Tuviah ben Avrohom)

Hedy (Miriam) Ferber IN MEMORIAM

Phillip Kantor (Feivel ben R. Shmuel Yeshaya), 20 Kislev

Chana Kreiman

BIR THDAYS

Rita Werdiger

Albert Silverman (Eliyah ben Yakov, beloved husband of Annette Silverman),

Liat Saig

Malya Werdiger Laurel Cline

BAR MI TZVAH

Rabbi Yankel Kreiman - Happy 60th!

Alex Allen | Arik Laber

7 Teves

Leah Platt, (Leah bas R. Dov), 22 Teves Celia Golden Kantor, (Tzirel bas R. Moshe), 15 Shevat Harvey Austin, (Hershel ben Morris),

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17 Shevat

Mendy and Aliza Denebeim, on the birth of their son, Sholom

THE EXTENDED GILBERT, MCNABB, AND GILBERT MCNABB CLAN WISHES ALL READERS AND THEIR EXTENDED FAMILIES

A VERY HAPPY HANUKAH!

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KOSHER PIZZA STATION 310-276-8708 8965 WEST PICO BLVD., LOS ANGELES, CA, 90035 WHERE YOU CAN HAVE YOUR ‘PIE IN THE SKY’ (WITH HUGS & DIVREI TORAH AS SIDE DISHES.) FROM: SHEINA GILBERT, BOAZ MCNABB PENINAH & BER BAUMGARTEN (WITH MENUCHA ROCHEL, REUVEN DANIEL, YISROEL GAVRIEL NOACH, SHIMON & MENACHEM MENDEL),NISSA BRACHA AND AVRAHOM SHLOMO HAKOHEN YARMUSH (WITH REUVEN GAVRIEL, DOVID ARYEH, YISROEL ISSER & TZVI HACOHENIM, ELKA & SIMA ESTHER), CHAYA-MORASHA & DAN OZ BERKOWTIZ (WITH CHAIM YISROEL HALEVI & LEAH CHANA FAYGA), HERSHEL-ELIYAHU, NOA MIRIAM & YOSEF HILLEL HALEVI TRUXTON (WITH BRACHA ELKA, CHAYA MUSHKA & AARON YAKOV HALEVI)

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Elsie Regar, (Elsie bas Shmuel), 29 Shevat

Our heartfelt prayers are with all those in need of healing: May He who blessed our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon, heal (sick person’s Hebrew name and that of his mother), because (Hebrew name of the person who pledged charity for the sake of the sick person and that of his/her father) pledged charity, without a vow, for his sake. In this merit may the Holy One, blessed be He, be filled with mercy for him, to restore him to health and to cure him, to strengthen him and to invigorate him. And may He hasten to send him from heaven a complete recovery to his 248 bodily parts and 365 veins, among the other sick people of Israel, a healing of spirit and a healing of body; and let us say, Amen.

If you, or someone you know, would like a home visit, a phone call, or for someone to pick up urgent supplies, please reach out to Rabbi Arik, at rabbi@jewishps.com

Community P HOTO JO U R NA L

Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s handing out Chabadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful High Holiday boxes, shaking the Lulav during a socially-distanced Sukkot, or making pickles over Zoom, nothing slows Jewish life in the Coachella Valley!

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Aleph Schoolhouse Fall Photos

Clockwise from top right: Morah Dina Pinson teaches the Aleph-Bet; learning about Chanukah by counting the candles of the menorah, graphing dreidel results, finding that last drop of oil, and creating a beautiful play-dough menorah; after picking up some gardening tips with Chaya Denebeim, the kids get to work; and having fun at the Aleph Schoolhouse!

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Extreme Makeover: Shul Edition Chabad Builds Back Better!

Taking advantage of the disruptions to regular services, Chabad of Palm Springs has begun to revamp its 250 E Palm Canyon synagogue, with gorgeous Italian floor tiles, and a spectacular Ark by carpenter extraordinaire Chezzi Denebeim. We hope to see you there as soon as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safe for services!

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Desert Lives

The Greater Midbar community, one person at a time.

Amy Austin Dr. Amy Austin is a registered nurse and psychotherapist, with a local practice specializing in addiction and couples’ counselling. Some thirty years ago, her two sons attended the Desert Torah Academy – today known as the Aleph Schoolhouse – and now two granddaughters do too. She also has a children’s book, soon to be published.

We first moved here as a young couple. Then one day, we got a phone call from the Denebeims; they had just moved here, not long after us, with their eldest daughter Dina, who was just eight months old or so. When we first met, I remember sticking out my hand – not knowing that the rabbi couldn’t shake it. They invited us for our first Shabbat dinner, in their home in Palm Springs, and then, three months later, we were already keeping Shabbat ourselves. [Raising a Jewish family in the Desert] hasn’t always been easy. My son Jacob went to the Jewish school here, Desert Torah Academy until sixth grade, and Ari until third grade, but then after that they went to public school…. The hardest part was the pressure of assimilation. I remember my son saying that he doesn’t like that he can’t go out to play soccer on Saturdays, because of Shabbos. My divorce was also hard, which was difficult on them, as it is for any child. We have a picture of my son Ari davening, and his daughter Aliyah is looking up to him. Aliyah is his 36

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eldest, she’s five, and Levanah is four. They’re both at the Aleph Schoolhouse now. To me, that picture just says everything. I’ve known Dina [Ed. - Dina Pinson, teacher at the Aleph Schoolhouse] since she was 8 months old. I don’t know how well you know her, but she is quite a human being. Anybody being taught by Dina is lucky…. I’m beyond grateful that when they go to school, they are immersed in such positivity. The real legacy I leave is knowing that my children and grandchildren will carry on a pride in their Yiddishkeit and observance, because Barry and I put the hard work in. It gives me the greatest joy to know that, proudly, on a daily basis, through their acts of kindness, observance, and community service, they carry on my legacy in life, and that’s what’s most important to me. Each week at the Friday night meal, we have this thing where we sing Shalom Aleichem with the kids, and at the end we bang on the table and clap. It gives us such joy. I’m a psychotherapist now, but before that I was a nurse. When I was 40, I decided to go back to school to complete a Bachelor’s degree. Then one day I was driving by what was then Chapman University – it’s now called Brandman – and decided to stop in to ask about their graduate program in psychology, and they said that orientation is tomorrow. And that was it. After I graduated, a friend said to me, “Do you want to get a doctoral degree together?” And I said. “Sure!”, and did that, and graduated in 2004. It was Hashgacha Pratis – Divine Providence – I that it was destined, and meant to be. I once wrote a letter to the Rebbe, in the late eighties, and believe it or not, he answered. It’s hanging up in my house today. I poured my heart out, and the gist of what he wrote back was that “The way for a Jew to receive all one’s blessings, is through Torah Chaim – the Torah of Life. That is the way a Jew lives.” And he underlined the word “lives.”

Robert Sylk Robert Sylk currently serves as the Chairman of the Board for the Jewish National Fund’s (JNF) Palm Springs chapter. Working for Israel is something of a family tradition: In the 1940s, his father, drugstore magnate Harry S. Sylk, was a president of the JNF in the USA, which brought him - and his family – into contact with many of the notable personages of the day. Recently, the younger Sylk concluded a campaign for mayor of La Quinta, where he lives today.

My dad had about 5,000 employees in his companies and I think I met just about every one of them when I was growing up, whether they were executives or truck drivers That person, whether he goes home to a big mansion or a little apartment with his big TV set or a little TV set he’s still a man to himself and you have to give him respect. It may not be taking him out to dinner or something but you still have to say hello, how are you, and shake their hands. That’s how I was brought up. In 1950, the Philadelphia Athletics baseball team was owned by Connie Mack, the grand old man in baseball. The team wasn’t doing that well financially and he wanted to sell the team. So my father rounded up his guys and we made an offer, for

2 million dollars. That was in 1951-52. He had an offer for a million eight from Mr. Johnson in Kansas City. And Connie Maker was very anti-Semitic. So he sold it for 1.8 million, to Kansas City, rather than take 2 million to keep the team in Philadelphia. Mr. Johnson held it for two years and then sold it to Charles Finley, who moved it to Oakland, where it is today the Oakland Athletics. I came home from school one day, and Golda Meir was there, sitting in the kitchen, speaking with my father. I remember she said to me, “Rrrobert, I want you to rrremember something: When you want something said, you ask a man. When you want something done, you ask a woman. This year, I ran for mayor. Last year, Linda [Evans] ran unopposed, and four years ago, she beat the previous mayor 85 to 15 percent. She said to me, “How many votes do you think you’re going to get against me?” I said, “One percent. I’m here to discuss the issues we care about and you guys aren’t doing anything about. And you’re taking too long to act, you form a committee, then wait for the committee, and by the time you make a decision it’s a year later. We’re electing you as leaders, to make decisions, not to put it off for others. If we did that in Israel, we’d never get anything done.

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Laurel Cline Laurel Cline has lived in Palm Springs for the past thirteen years. Trained as a medical photographer, she now works as a massage therapist, and is a beloved presence at Chabad prayer services and weekly classes.

I first met Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, of blessed memory, when I went to a class he was giving, that a girlfriend invited me to. I was just blown away. I was brought up Reform, and I kept thinking something was missing. Between him talking about Judaism, and going to Shabbos retreats, and learning more, I was very impressed. I liked the Chassidic stories he would tell. I said, this is what’s missing in my life. He would welcome everyone into the shul, and would daven Musaf. I couldn’t imagine anyone not being moved. When he swayed in prayer [shokled], he said even his toes swayed. His whole being was praying. They weren’t just words. I mean you could tell, he was davening with his whole heart and soul, his whole being. On a Saturday morning, they weren’t rushing through as fast as possible, in Hebrew, trying to see who could outdo each other.

I take notes from the Thursday Chassidic mysticism class, and then tell them over to my friend who can’t attend because she works at that time. We like to swim at the pool in her condominium and she so 38

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happens to swim with her head above water because she doesn’t like to get her hair wet! Recently, when I was relaying my Torah notes, I walked back and forth by the pool as she swam, telling her what the rabbi had said in the class! I don’t get everything down verbatim, but I had two pages of notes. Personally, I don’t mind getting my hair wet.

I put myself through college and got a Bachelor’s of Science degree, in medical and biological photography. I worked at a couple different county hospitals and then a couple VA hospitals, as a medical photographer, working for doctors teaching or doing research. Once they called me down to the morgue, for this man who was born with his organs reversed. His heart was on the right side, and his liver – I took anatomy and physiology, so I should know this – but it was also on the opposite side. I went to the OR and photographed surgeries, for unusual cases or MRIs, made negatives, then turned them into prints that went into medical publications. We’d also photograph different apparatuses that people would invent to help others , like a robotic hand that did sign language, or this cane or walker attachment. They needed somebody to pose for it, so I was the female model, since I was the only woman in the department. Henrietta Szold, who started Hadassa – which I’m a member of – is someone I look up to. I don’t think I’m like her, but I should aspire to be her. She helped women be stronger and to be doers, and to help raise money for Hadassah Hospital. I don’t think I had the head to be a doctor, and I didn’t want to be a nurse, but in my own way I helped doctors doing research and teaching, to help mankind.

Neil Seidel Neil Seidel has been an elegantly attired fixture at Chabad of Palm Springs for some three decades. He and his wife split their time between Palm Springs, Los Angeles, Nova Scotia, and Israel, where their children live. A classically trained guitarist, Neil accompanied and recorded music with the legendary Chassidic-folk musician Shlomo Carlebach, in addition to recording several albums of his own.

When I was 7 years old, my brother got into a group guitar lesson thing at his school in New York City. I expressed interest in the guitar as well, so he would teach me what he knew. My father was a fireman in New York who liked folk and blues. When I took up guitar he set one requirement – that I had to practice one hour a day. If I missed a day, I had to make it up, which was somewhat tortuous for a seven-year-old. At 9 I was already proficient, won some talent contests, and played my first job. My brother and I had a band in the Catskills at one of these hotel bungalow colonies in South Fallsburg, and hung out with the musicians there. We were pretty good! By the time I was 15, we had moved to

Los Angeles, and I was already a professional. I worked with professional musicians, even playing in bars and night-clubs. I had a fake ID and all that. When I graduated high school, I was a member of the Musicians Union of Los Angeles, and went on the road when I was 18, 19 years old. I played with a mariachi band in Puerto Rico, and then met the dean of the New York College of Music in New York. He recognized my talent and got me into a classical guitar program there. Since I started playing music so young and I took any job that came my way, I learned many styles of music and was able to work constantly. By the time the Beatles became a phenomenon, and the guitar became ubiquitous, I was already well trained, so that gave me the jump economically, and my ship sailed. I played country and western, I played blues, Dixieland, polka, mariachi music, rock and roll, jazz. Then I started playing as a recording musician on people’s records and shows, TV shows, and later got into the New York society music scene in ‘67, ‘68. All of a sudden, my old friends from Los Angeles called me. They were playing in a band called Gary Lewis and the Playboys and they needed a guitar player. In those days, a lot of the bands used to record their music using studio musicians, and then they would find► (continues next page)

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A DV E R T I SE ME N TS

(continued)

◄ people who wanted to travel as the band. They said if you want the job, you have to be in Los Angeles in three days.

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We rehearsed for a week, did an opening at Disneyland, and then a few days later we went to the Philippines. We get off the plane and there’s like thousands of people there, there’s mob hysteria, and we have this police escort to Araneta Coliseum, which was then the largest indoor colosseum in the world. [Gary Lewis] was like, the biggest act in the Philippines. He had married a Filipina actress, and was well known, and so he was a national hero. The Beatles had been there before, and had insulted the dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, in an interview, so they barely got out of the country safely. When we came, they wanted to use us to quell the student unrest, so we got our own interview – but with all the answers to the questions. So we were bigger than the Beatles in the Philippines. We had 10 hit records on the radio. 10 hit records on the radio. What they used to do

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was if there was a hit in the United States, we would re-record it. We did covers, but they never knew about the original, only our version. Anyway, we did TV shows day at night, we toured the country for a week, for 50,000 people a night. My next big band was called Shanti, which had two of India’s greatest musicians. We did Indian classical music, mixed with rock n’ roll, and jazz. We were arguably the first world music band, and were on Atlantic Records. It was a big deal. During that time, my wife [Patricia] and I decided to get married. I was looking for a spiritual rabbi, and somebody recommended Shlomo Carlebach. I was living in San Francisco and went to to House of Love and Prayer and met Shlomo. I didn’t know what he was talking about, but I had a pintele Yid [Ed. - a Yiddish expression, referring to the Jewish soul] experience with him. He married us, and he loved my playing, and called me to accompany him at his concerts. Later, when he got funding for a record, he asked my wife and I to produce it. That record was

called Days Are Coming. He wrote many of the songs on that album – which are some of his greatest pieces – in my house. As he was bringing down these melodies, I almost anticipated where he was going and I could almost follow him there. He would bring down these melodies very spontaneously, and as I would emphasize what he was playing, it would become more codified.

Music is like a divination. In the purest music, it’s like you are an empty vessel, into which you are intuitively channeling this spirit. For the musician, this translates into music. It’s a very spiritual experience. The art of playing music is the constant reinterpretation of the spiritual energy that is coming through you. It comes to you and you factor in all of the stimuli that are surrounding you – the people that might be listening, the atmosphere – and you reinterpret it, even if it’s something you’ve played a thousand times. It becomes recalibrated to the moment that you inhabit. There was a period that I divorced myself from music and went back to college, and one day, I had this epiphany. I remember, I was walking on the Cal State campus from a botany class and I thought to myself, “I don’t have my guitar, but I’m playing music right now because everything is music.” It’s all music. It’s all the art of interpreting the moment that you inhabit, honestly and creatively, and factoring in that newness. Every moment is unique. Unprecedented. If we tune into that powerful newness, and discover it, it’s like playing the music of this moment. That’s what I do when I play the guitar. I can play something a thousand times, but then I tune into it and I find out how it’s a discovery. It’s just like prayer: You can open

your Siddur [prayer book] and say “Hey, I’ve done this a thousand times, it’s my routine and I do it – but that’s not where it’s at. You have to find one phrase, one word that you’ve never seen before in the same way. There’s something that every single time I read it in the davening it blows me away and it underscores exactly what I’m saying: Sing to the Lord a new song (Psalms 96:1).

musicians and we wouldn’t work on Shabbos. For 25 years, that’s what we did.

This is the challenge of life: to make every second sing a new song. That’s the essence of what I’ve learned from music.

Sometimes I walked a few miles to be at a party that was gonna start right after Shabbos, and a few things like that. Occasionally I’d show up, there would be a band playing, my band, and I’d be there in my tuxedo standing in front. And then when the clock struck the appropriate hour, somebody would hand me my guitar and I would join in.

Shlomo started me with keeping Shabbos a little bit, and I only did it on occasions when I wasn’t working, and then I started, like, making Kiddush on Friday night, even if I was going to work. But then I met the Ribnitzer Rebbe [Ed. – a revered Chassidic figure and community leader, who lived in America after his release from the Soviet Union in 1970], and I was totally inspired by this image of a completely saintly person. I realized that this was the embodiment of holiness. He never asked me or said, “Hey, you know what? You should become Shomer [observant of] Shabbos.” But I just made up my mind at that point. I had no idea how I was gonna make a living but I said to my wife, “If this is real, if God is real, if what I’m experiencing is real, we have to become Shomer Shabbos.” Just from being around the Ribnitzer, for like three weeks, changed my life. I mean, it’s another story, but he gave me a blessing that my whole life would change and really he did, he truly reordered my molecules. We just went cold turkey – I had no idea how I was gonna make a living. I couldn’t make a living as a freelance musician because, you know, most of the jobs are on Friday night or Saturday. But then we figured out that we would start this little business where we would book other

It was a miracle because, I mean, on one Saturday night in December we had a hundred musicians working, and we didn’t answer the phone, okay? You know, in the 25 years, the miracle is that very rarely did anything go wrong.

With the help of G-d, I have visited about 65 countries in the world, and I have seen many many beautiful places, and this humble beautiful town of Palm Spring is one of the most beautiful. It’s a privilege to live in a city that is this quiet, peaceful, and beautiful. The Indians, the indigenous people here, had a place just a few kilometers from the shul in the Indian Canyons. That was their city of refuge, not quite a city, but a place where they were forbidden from having any kind of conflict or violence. It was a designated sanctuary. It was also the place that the Indians retreated to for the summer when it was so hot because it’s a bit cooler in the canyons. And for this is for hundreds of years. The waters that the city of Palm Springs is named after, and which the Agua Caliente considered like their sacred Mikvah [Jewish ritual bath], are still the essence of this town. It’s a place of peace and a place of healing. And those people who are sensitive to that energy will really perceive it. And that’s why millions of people come to this place. ♦

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SPONSORED BY THE SPRING RESORT AND SPA DESERT HOT SPRINGS, CA

WINTER HOLIDAY GUIDE NOTE: All candle-lighting and holiday times are for the Palm Springs area.

Chanukah Chanukah, the eight-day, wintertime “festival of lights,” begins on the eve of Kislev 25 and continues for eight days. This year, on the civil calendar, it runs from Dec. 10-18. Literally, the name of the Holiday means “dedication,” and commemorates the victory

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of Jewish forces in driving the Seleucid Greeks out of the Land of Israel, and the subsequent rededication of the Holy Temple, in the second century BCE. Each year, we celebrate the holiday with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers, giving gelt (gift of money) and charity, playing the dreidel – and eating plenty of fried food!

The Menorah in a Minute After sundown (4:38 pm in Palm Springs) on Thursday, December 10, we light the first candle of the Menorah, and add an additional light each day, until there are eight in all. Some communities wait until nightfall (5:06 pm) to light. An extra– known as the shamash, or “servant” – is used each night to kindle the others. This is why Menorahs have space for nine in all. The Chanukah lights should consist of lamps or candles—i.e., a flammable fuel that feeds a visible flame via a wick. The most ideal way to fulfill the mitzvah is with cotton wicks in olive oil, or beeswax candles; paraffin candles or other types of candles or lamps are also acceptable, but not gas lights or electric lights. The lamps or candles must contain enough fuel, at the time of the lighting, to burn until half an hour after nightfall. (If circumstances do not allow the use of an open flame, a proper rabbinical authority should be consulted.) The lamps or candles should be arranged in a straight row, and should be of equal height. The shamash—the “servant” candle that kindles the other lights—should be placed apart from the rest (higher, outside the row, etc.). Traditionally, the Menorah is place near a doorway or window, but take care to safely place it on a sturdy, fireproof surface not near curtains or other flammable materials. One Friday night, December 11, make sure to light the Menorah earlier, before lighting the regular Shabbat candles, and before sundown. On the next night, wait until Shabbat is over, at 5:19 pm, before lighting the Menorah. ♦

Blessings and Prayers The blessings provided here can be recited in Hebrew, transliterated Hebrew, or English. Recite all three before lighting for the first time this year, but only the first two on subsequent nights.

‫ׁנ ּו‬ ‫ׁר ִק ְּד ָש‬ ‫ֲש‬ ֶ ‫ֶך ָהעוֹלָם א‬ ְ ‫ל ֵֹהינ ּו ֶמל‬-ֱ‫דֹנָי א‬-ֲ‫ָּברו ְּך ַא ָּתה א‬ ‫ְּב ִמ ְצו ָֹתיו ו ְִצָוּנ ּו ְל ַה ְד ִליק נֵר ֲחנֻ ָּכה‬ Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech ha-olam a-sher ki-de-sha-nu be-mitz-vo-tav ve-tzi-va-nu le-had-lik ner Cha-nu-kah. Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light.

‫ׂה נ ִִּסים‬ ‫ׁע ָש‬ ָ ‫ֶך ָהעוֹלָם ֶש‬ ְ ‫ל ֵֹהינ ּו ֶמל‬-ֱ‫דֹנָי א‬-ֲ‫ָּברו ְּך ַא ָּתה א‬ ‫ַלאֲבו ֵֹתינ ּו ַּבָי ִּמים ָה ֵהם ִּב ְז ַּמן ַהֶזּה‬ Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech Ha-olam she-a-sa ni-sim la-avo-te-nu ba-yamim ha-hem bi-zman ha-zeh. Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days, at this time.

‫ׁה ֱחיָנ ּו ו ְִק ְי ָּמנ ּו‬ ֶ ‫ֶך ָהעוֹלָם ֶש‬ ְ ‫ל ֵֹהינ ּו ֶמל‬-ֱ‫דֹנָי א‬-ֲ‫ָּברו ְּך ַא ָּתה א‬ ‫ּיענ ּו ִל ְז ַּמן ַהֶזּה‬ ָ ‫ו ְִה ִג‬ Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech Ha-olam she-heche-ya-nu ve-ki-yi-ma-nu ve-higi-a-nu liz-man ha-zeh. Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion. *** P R AY E R A F T E R L I G H T I N G T H E M E N O R A H :

We kindle these lights [to commemorate] the saving acts, miracles and wonders which You have performed for our forefathers, in those days at this time, through Your holy priests. Throughout the eight days of Chanukah, these lights are sacred, and we are not permitted to make use of them, but only to look at them, in order to offer thanks and praise to Your great Name for Your miracles, for Your wonders and for Your salvations.

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Hey Teves A special day for the Chabad Chassidic movement, the 5th of Teves – this year Sunday the 20th of December – has become an annual celebration of Jewish books. The holiday has its origins in the legal disposition of a library maintained by the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe; according to the courts, these books were best understood as a kind of public property, held in trust by the Rebbe on behalf of the Chassidic movement, rather than as his own personal property. Nor could any private heir lay claim to the library for himself. “The books – and my father – belonged to Chassidim,” was how his daughter, the Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneersohn put it. When the presiding federal judge ruled accordingly on January 6, 1987, the Chassidim greeted the decision with joyful celebration. This Hey Teves, work on expanding your own library, by buying Jewish books you’re interested in, and ones that will raise the spiritual character of your home. You can take advantage of some great online book sales, or maybe just restore and dust off some books you already own! ♦

Asarah B’Teves

On the 10th day of the Jewish month of Tevet, in the year 3336 from Creation (425 BCE), the armies of the Babylonian emperor Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem. Thirty months later—on 9 Tammuz 3338—the city walls were breached, and on 9 Av of that year the Holy Temple was destroyed. The Jewish people were exiled to Babylonia for 70 years. This year, Asarah B’Tevet falls out on December 25, 2020, and is observed as a day of fasting, mourning and repentance. We refrain from food and drink – including Chinese food! – from daybreak (5:25 am) to nightfall (5:12 pm), and add selichot and other special supplements to our prayers. The fast ends at nightfall or as soon as you see three medium sized stars in the sky. ♦

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Tu B’Shevat The 15th Day of Shevat, this year the 28th of January, is the New Year – for Trees! In the Land of Israel, and around the Mediterranean, the rainy season begins around the festival of Sukkot. Over the next four months, the rains of the new year saturate the soil, the roots of the fruit trees, and eventually cause them to blossom. Although this day is Rosh Hashanah for trees, we attach special significance to this holiday because “Man is [compared to] the tree of the field” (Deuteronomy 20:19). Through cultivating strong roots – faith and commitment to G‑d – we produce many fruits—Torah and good deeds. On this day it is customary to partake of the fruit with which the Holy Land is praised (Deuteronomy 8:8): olives, dates, grapes, figs and pomegranates. Together with wheat and barley, these make up the Seven Kinds. If tasting any of these fruit for the first time this season, remember to recite the Shehecheyanu blessing, along with the traditional blessing for fruit. ♦

Blessings and Prayers The blessings provided here can be recited, before eating, in either Hebrew, transliterated Hebrew, or English. FOR FRUIT:

‫ֶך ָהעוֹלָם ּבוֹרֵא ְּפ ִרי ָה ֵעץ‬ ְ ‫ל ֵֹהינ ּו ֶמל‬-ֱ‫דֹנָי א‬-ֲ‫ָּברו ְּך ַא ָּתה א‬ Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam borei pri ha-aitz. Blessed are You, L-rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the tree. FOR NEW FRUITS, ADD:

‫ׁה ֱחיָנ ּו ו ְִק ְי ָּמנ ּו‬ ֶ ‫ֶך ָהעוֹלָם ֶש‬ ְ ‫ל ֵֹהינ ּו ֶמל‬-ֱ‫דֹנָי א‬-ֲ‫ָּברו ְּך ַא ָּתה א‬ ‫ּיענ ּו ִל ְז ַּמן ַהֶזּה‬ ָ ‫ו ְִה ִג‬ Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech Ha-olam she-heche-ya-nu ve-ki-yi-ma-nu vehigi-a-nu liz-man ha-zeh. Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion. FOR WINE:

Save the Date! Join Rabbi Boz Werdiger for a

Tu B’Shvat Seder exploring the spiritual significance of the Fruit of the Land of Israel.

‫ָפן‬ ֶ ‫ֶך ָהעוֹלָם ּבוֹרֵא ְּפ ִרי ַה ּג‬ ְ ‫ָּברו ְּך ַא ָּתה יְ‑ָי אֱ‑ל ֵֹהינ ּו ֶמל‬ Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam borei pri hagafen. Blessed are You, L-rd our G‑d, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.

The Tree’s Prayer A man was travelling through the desert, hungry, thirsty and tired, when he came upon a tree bearing luscious fruit and affording plenty of shade, underneath which ran a spring of water. He ate of the fruit, drank of the water and rested beneath the shade.

Wednesday, January 27 7:00 PM

When he was about to leave, he turned to the tree and said: “Tree, O tree, with what should I bless you?

Live on ZOOM You’ll be sure to have a grape time!

“Should I bless you that your fruit be sweet? Your fruit is already sweet.

“For Man is a tree of the field...”

“Should I bless you that your shade be plentiful? Your shade is plentiful. That a spring of water should run beneath you? A spring of water runs beneath you. “There is one thing with which I can bless you: May it be G‑d’s will that all the trees planted from your seeds should be like you . . .” – Talmud, Taanit 5b ♦

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Midbar Presents!

13 inspired gift ideas – for the holidays or any time of year, curated by Chaya Werdiger

Turquoise Zsiska Heart Pendant $36 - A perfect gift for someone close to your heart. Shirley’s Boutique (Palm Desert), shirleysboutique.com

Wooden Aleph-Bet Blocks $48 - Natural, gorgeous, timeless: This child-safe set of the Hebrew letters is as much a piece of art as it is a toy! Available from Chabad of Palm Springs

The First Roast Coffee Beans

$14 - A rich blend of Colombian, Honduran, and Ethiopian beans, roasted right here in the desert. Joshua Tree Coffee (Joshua Tree), jtcofee.com

Frankies 457 Extra Virgin Organic Olive Oil 4

Trace Chanukiah $155 - The Menorah re-imagined in midnight-blue steel – modern and classic at the same time. Via Maris, via-maris.com

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$20.80 - If Chanukah’s all about the oil, you may as well give the best! Cold pressed from Sicilian olives, it’s produced by Brooklyn’s famous Italian restaurant, Frankies. Frankies 457 Spuntino, Amazon.com

Sababa Cookbook, by Adeena Sussman $14 - Let a little Israeli sun into your kitchen, and your cooking. amazon.com

9 Bonsai Tree Grow Kit

7 Axel Caramel Mug $6.95 - This stylish stoneware, hand-glazed mug is just the thing for serving up that Joshua Tree coffee!

$24.95 - With the New Year for Trees coming up, why not give a whole tree (starting from a seed)? NatureIt, natureit.co

Judaism’s Life-Changing Ideas, by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks $24.95 - In his final book, published within days of his passing, the great Rabbi Sacks explores the revolutionary nature of Jewish thought, one week at a time. Koren Publishers, korenpub.com

$12.30 - It is tradition to give children money, or “gelt,” on Chanukah – and here’s just the book to go with it. Kehot, store.kehotonline.com

$24.99 - 44 hand-dipped candles, for all 8 nights of Chanukah. BeesMadeIt, etsy.com

CB2, www.cb2.com

The Very Best Place For A Penny, by Dina Rosenfied

Ner Mitzvah Beeswax Chanukah Candles

13 First Nibs 3-Month Gift Subscription

Free Subscription to Midbar Magazine

$60 - A chocolate gift subscription that’ll last all the way to Purim, with 3 bars of boutique, kosher, dark chocolate every month, for 3 months. Raaka,

$0 (Donation optional) - Who says presents have to cost money? Give the gift of Midbar! midbarmag.com/subscribe

raakachocolate.com

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