A little nosh for the soul, compliments of Chabad Fox Chapel
SHAVUOT
THE DAIRY HOLIDAY Read the exclusive
Tzvi Freeman on
HOLIDAY GUIDE
REDEFINING LIFE
SHAVUOS
IPHONE UPGRADE:
Stacy Spensley on
Yosef Y. Jacobson on
DAIRY EATING
OF CHEESECAKE
HEALTHY
THE KABBALAH
Dear Friend, DEDICATED TO THE LOVE AND INSPIRATION OF THE LUBAVITCHER REBBE OB”M
Shavuot is the day 3325 years ago when our entire nation stood as one person with one angels and all of creation held their breath, we declared our devotion to G-d and the Torah. Our sages teach us that every Jewish Neshama-Soul, including those of all later individually. Experience the giving of the Torah as the Ten Commandments are read on this very day. We invite you to relive this moment with us on Wednesday, May 15th @ 5:45 pm as we read the Ten Commandments from the Torah Followed by an Ice cream party and
Happy Holiday, with blessings to receive the Torah internally and with joy! Sincerely, Rabbi Ely Rosenfeld
zalmy berkowitz photography www.zalmyb.com
PRODUCED BY: Chabad Fox Chapel Rabbi Ely Rosenfeld uel M
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Debbie Witchel, EDITOR IN CHIEF: Rabbi Shm d arcus Cheryl Klein, Heidi Pantanowitz MANAGING EDITOR: Shira Gol EDITOR: BlumaNikki Marcus O’Gorman DESIGNER: m Gre DISTRIBUTION: Rabbi Avraha ma Men
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Stacy Spensley, CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Necha arcus Georgie Atkin, Yosef Y. Jacobson, Emily Levenson, DESIGN: Berkowitz ww Freeman Shais Taub,Zalmy Tawnya Panizzi,tz,Tzvi PHOTOGR APHY: Zalmy BerkowiGreen w.Zalmyb.com
THANKS TO: Binah Magazine and Chabad.org SECTION EDITORS: Fay Kranz Rabbi Shais Taub
e, Rashi Brashevitsky,
Mauri WEBSITE: www.chabadfc.com s Frie
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: ce Lamm, Jon Taba Rabbi Zalman Kantor, Rabbi Manine an dman, Rochel Prits
k, SPECIAL THANKS: Shalom Lai om, Cd www.tphny.com, ker Pinkerson, Boruch Cohen, Kehot.c ne.co habad.org Bill The Spark Magazine is published WEBSITE: www.SoulWiseMagazi m by Chabad Fox Chapel, 1343 Old ies pri Freeport Rd., Pittsburgh, PA tion o ©2012 by Soulwise Magazine (Over 250,000 15238 and is cop sent to nted ourinternationally) All rig her, exc reserved, including the right toMembers reproduce any porFriends f is magazine in any form and without prior written permission from the publis eptthe by a reviewer who wish hts infrequently throughout , to quote brief passages. year. Issue # 36 es Printed in the USA
SHAVUOS 5773
Why is the Rabbi Running? “I am constantly asking people to ‘go beyond themselves’ to help others. Running this marathon, raising this money is my way of stepping out of my comfort zone and ‘going beyond myself ’ in an attempt to make a difference and set a positive example.” Rabbi Ely ran 13 miles in 2:08 among the top third half marathon runners. The charity benefitting from proceeds of Rabbi Ely’s run is the Jewish Relief Agency. Teaming with the JRA brings volunteers together, allowing Chabad to send a 12x12 box of food once a month to Jewish families in the Pittsburgh area who need assistance.
By Yosef Y. Jacobson energy. In Jewish mysticism, dairy products are associated with the attribute of chesed, or love, while deli products reflect the attribute of gevurah, or strength (4). The serene whiteness of milk and it being a substance that, unlike a solid, flows and expands readily -- are physical features reflecting the emotional energy flow of loving-kindness and tender nurturing. The redness and toughness of meat are reflections of man's capacity to create boundaries and walls, to discipline and withhold, to reject and to say no (5). Strength and rejection are not necessarily evil or cruel; they are important components in a relationship. If there is only love and no borders, only giving and no reciprocity, only generosity and no consequences, we are denying the person we love the ability to develop their independence. If love eliminates the gulf between people, borders underscore the space we give each other, recognizing the otherness and distinctiveness of our beloved one.
A Cheeseburger With a Cappuccino? The Shavout menu mirrors the first serious meal captured in the Bible -- the meal our father Abraham offered his angelic visitors in the beginning of Genesis, a feast, to be sure, rather uncharacteristic for a religious Jewish host. "Abraham fetched some cottage cheese and milk," records the Torah, "and the calf that he prepared, and he placed it before his guests. He stood over them as they ate under the tree (1)." Sounds like a cheeseburger with a cappuccino to me. Indeed, exactly 400 years later, G-d refused to give the Torah to the angels because they had eaten trief (non-kosher food) at the table of Abraham. The Midrash relates (2), that when G-d was about to present the second set of tablets to Moses, the angels protested, saying that the Jews had violated the Torah and G-d ought not to trust them with His blueprint for life. "Leave the Torah with us," the angels exclaimed, "here it shall be safe and sound.� G-d responded: "If anything, it was you who violated the Torah by eating non-kosher in Abraham's home." Upon hearing this, the Midrash relates, the angels conceded to G-d and the Torah was granted to the human race. Yet, a closer reading of the biblical story suggests that Abraham's menu was Glatt Kosher and would be readily sanctioned by the most ultra-orthodox of rabbis. Let us reread the verse: "Abraham fetched some cottage cheese and milk and the calf that he prepared and he placed it before his guests." In other words, Abraham first offered his guests cheese and milk, and only afterward did he present the calf's meat, something entirely permitted according to Jewish law (3). So why did G-d accuse the angels of eating a trief meal?
Balancing the Forces The Kabbalah teaches that all physical substances represent spiritual forms of
Yet, though both elements are crucial in order to maintain a healthy balance in life, the attribute of chesed must always overpower the attribute of gevurah. One needs to make sure that his acts of disciplining are an outgrowth of love and caring rather than the other way around. For example, parents need to discipline and rebuke their children. But parents' primary enjoyment ought to come from nurturing and creating close relationships with their children, not from constructing boundaries and punishing.
The Wait In Jewish law there is a principle known as tattah gavar, which states that in the natural order of the universe, the bottom overpowers the top (6). Based on this principle, we may understand why following the consumption of meat one must wait six hours before eating dairy (7), while one who eats dairy need not wait prior to eating meat (8). When man absorbs meat first, the energy of rejection becomes the bottom substance in his body, so that if he were to consume dairy immediately afterward, the attribute of rejection would overpower the attribute of love in his life, based on the principle that the bottom overpowers the top. Only when six hours have elapsed, during which the rejection energy of meat is fully digested in his system, and there is no residue of meat left in his throat, palate or between the teeth (9), can he ingest and internalize the dairy energy of love in a healthy and productive manner. On the other hand, when man consumes dairy first so that the flow of chesed is the bottom substance, then he almost immediately may proceed to eat meat. In this case, the prevailing substance would be chesed, and it would dominate the power of gevurah that came second.
Earth Battles Heaven Why did G-d establish the natural law to be that the bottom substance overpowers the higher substance? Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi explains (10) that this is because in the cosmic battle between heaven and earth, earth - the bottom - prevailed over heaven - the top.
Our rock-bottom world, a world which is lowly and coarse, became the recipient of the Divine blueprint for life. It is on our soil and within our frail hearts that the objective of all creation is implemented. The bottom overpowered the top. When the angels protested G-d's plan to send the Torah down to Earth, demanding instead that it remain within the higher realms of existence, G-d demonstrated to them that they really did not believe what they were saying. For if they truly felt the Torah belonged above and not below, it would mean that their perspective held that the top ought to overpower the bottom. But if that were the case, they would need to wait six hours after eating cheese before they could consume meat so that the rejection power of meat would not override the loving power of cheese - all this based on their perspective that the higher substance overpowers the lower substance. The fact that the angels did consume meat immediately following their dairy meal demonstrated that they, too, believed that the Divine blueprint for life was reserved for the human race, living and struggling in a lowly and mundane world. They, too, conceded to the fact that the bottom overpowers the top. That's why they allowed themselves to consume dairy and immediately after that eat deli. It was in the merit of the dairy-followed-by-deli feast that the Torah was given to the Jewish people. Hence, each year on Shavuot we reenact that Abrahamic feast: We eat dairy, followed by deli, demonstrating that earth prevailed over heaven; that it is in our labor to sanctify the soil in our life where we touch the truth of existence. To reach the author or to subscribe to Rabbi Jacobson's weekly essays by e-mail, please e-mail YYJacobson@theyeshiva.net
Get Beautiful.
SHADYSIDE HenneJewelers.com | 412-682-0226
By Emily Levenson
Yesterday was an amazing day. I spent it working on a new design project (!) for a client. I felt creative and productive. I was beaming with pride at what I had created. I felt fulfilled and deeply satisfied with my life. And then it hit me: saying YES to this project -- even though design work was not something I had ever done before -- was the best decision I have ever made. Of course I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to deliver on the design work, anxiety-ridden that she would regret her decision and think it was a waste ofmoney, and even a bit hesitant to step out of my comfort zone. And then I remembered my mantra for the year: Do Epic Things. You can't do epic things by saying no.
How often is our inclination to say no?
Be honest with yourself here. Is no a regular fixture in your vocabulary? For me, it comes up more often than I'd like. And while it occasionally comes up out of a real need for self-preservation (ie - I need a break), most of the time it's out of fear. Fear for what would happen if I said yes, and failed. Fear of feeling incompetent. Fear that I won't like the task at hand. When I catch myself getting into a no-rut, I sit back and think about why I'm really saying no. And then I make it a priority to say yes.
Be a Yes Man.
I was introduced to this idea (and actually paid attention) in a very strange way: while watching the movie Yes Man with Jim Carey and Zooey Deschanel. The idea of saying yes to everything for an entire year was mind-blowing to me. And made me think about how I could start applying the same principles into my life. I realized that I said no a lot. I also realized how little I did thingsjust because, or pushed myself out of my comfort zone. Most importantly, I fully understood that saying yes does not mean that you do it at the risk of your safety or sanity.
Say yes more.
Be a
Saying no keeps us safe. Saying yes pushes us higher than we think we can. Saying no is defensive. Saying yes, empowering. Saying yes allows us to be open to the possibilities. It lets us do things just because. And it pushes us outside of our comfort zone, and into where the magic happens.
man..
And we can do it by saying: I do. Yes. Let's do this. I'm in! What are you waiting for?! Of course. Sure thing. I was born for this. You lead, I'll follow. Aye, Aye, Captain. Undoubtedly! Totally! Affirmative. Positronics, dude. Obviously, please.
Learn, grow, and have fun!
This week I challenge you to: Say yes more than you say no. Say yes to things that you normally would brush off or think is crazy. Say yes to an invitation, even if it's not what you normally do. Say yes because you can. You may be surprised at what you learn about yourself. And even the new (and exciting) direction that your life starts to take. Emily Levenson is a Certified Holistic Health Coach in Pittsburgh, PA. You can find her online at emilylevenson.com, on Facebook at fb.com/emlevenson, and on Twitter via @emilylevenson.
Life, Death and Blintzes Reflections on Passover and Shavuos
By Shais Taub You would think people would get excited about mass prophecy, but alas, there's no denying: Passover, the holiday of the Exodus, is way more popular than Shavuos when we received the Torah. Passover, with its plagues and miracles, grabs our attention. Passover is life-and-death, a dramatic escape from doom. But Shavuos? It’s what happens seven weeks later after things settle down. G-d takes us into the desert and tells us how to live. The popularity of Passover compared to the
obscurity of Shavuos reflects a larger issue with which we struggle. Why is it that we are more attracted to drama than to enlightenment? And how do we get over this? The solution is cheesecake. Not just cheesecake. Blintzes and ice cream, too. Because there’s an ancient custom to eat dairy on Shavuos, and it’s the dairy of Shavuos that is the solution to our emotional and psychological dilemma. But this requires a bit of explanation. In 1967, at the outbreak of the Six Day War,
many young Jewish people from around the world rushed to Israel to help. When the war was over, they started returning to their homes. Then Foreign Minister and future Prime Minister, Golda Meir, was taken aback, "In time of war you were willing to die with us," she marveled, "But in time of peace you don’t want to live with us?" Sadly, it’s human nature to be more roused by crisis than by conviction. In everyday terms, it’s why we can’t get serious about studying for that exam or working on that project at the office until there’s just barely enough time to get it
done. Because the average human being is to some degree “an adrenaline junky.” We thrive on our animal fight-or-flight response.
Chicken says, “How about ‘ham-n-eggs’?” Pig thinks for a moment and says, “No thanks. I'd be committed, you'd only be involved!”
tion, it is a fitting reminder of the mighty way in which G-d took us out of our bondage and the bold manner in which we followed Him.
So how do we learn to be as impressed by spirituality and connectedness as we are by tension and conflict? Or how do we get as excited about Shavuos as we do about Passover?
When I heard this tale from my friend, I was shocked because I had known this story since I was a child, except that it had a completely different ending. My grandfather, may he rest in peace, was a lawyer and a businessman. He was not rich, but his charitable giving throughout his lifetime exceeded the philanthropy of many a millionaire. Here’s how my grandfather told the story:
But on Shavuos we remember the fact that forty-nine days after we left Egypt, G-d found a quiet place where to speak to every man, woman, and child of the Jewish people and to share with them His innermost wisdom and will – a “Torah of Life” that gives us guidance for every moment of our lives.
One way of understanding the Passover-Shavuos dynamic is that it’s the difference between blood and milk. Blood is life and milk is life, but in two very different ways. A warrior gives his life when he bleeds for his people on the battlefield. A mother gives life when she nurses her child. The warrior’s sacrifice is a spectacle, a bold event that may quite literally come but once-in-alifetime. The mother’s dedication to her child, on the other hand, while just as heartfelt, is a private, somewhat unremarkable moment that will quietly happen many times a day. When the hero has given his last drop of blood,
Pig and Chicken were talking about what they do on the farm. Pig said, “Look how fat I am. When the farmer and his family decide to eat me, they will have all this meat.” Chicken said, “That’s very noble of you, Pig, and it’s true that I don’t have very much meat on me. But you’re no good until you’re dead. What I do is give an egg every day. And one day when I have no more eggs, I’ll give the rest of myself, too.”
So again, we ask, is it blood or milk that moves us? The warrior or the mother? The intensity of the all-or-nothing moment or the simplicity of that which is solid and permanent? Of course it’s more natural for us to get excited over a Passover than over a Shavuos. And that is precisely why we must remind ourselves that if we can commemorate the blood, we must equally commemorate the milk. If we teach our children about the martyrs of the
So again, we ask, is it blood or milk that moves us? The warrior or the mother? The intensity of the all-or-nothing moment or the simplicity of that which is solid and permanent? there is nothing left to give. But when the mother has given the last of her milk, she will make more. She will give again and again, over and over. Which is easier? I’m not sure. But which is more attractive? Which is more exciting to the ego? We all know the answer. Funny, isn’t it? You were willing to die with us, but you're not willing to live with us? A fundraiser for a charitable cause once told me the following un-kosher fable he claims to have used successfully in motivating his donors: What is the difference between being involved and being committed? Pig and Chicken are walking down the road. Chicken says, “Let’s open a restaurant!” Cow replies, “What will we call it?”
My grandfather’s version, like so many of his stories, does not end with much of a zinger. The fundraiser’s version has a better punch line. But I’ll take my grandfather’s version any day because what he was telling me was a lot like what Golda wanted those young volunteers to understand. You can die once for what you believe in, but you can live for what you believe in everyday. It’s the hero’s blood or the mother’s milk. Passover or Shavuos. On Passover we remember the blood that the Jewish people placed on their doors so that the Almighty would skip over their houses during the death of the firstborn. This was the blood of the Pascal lamb offering as well as the blood of the circumcision. Blood is the symbol of intense sacrifice and on the anniversary of our redemp-
Holocaust, do we teach them about simple, day-to-day Jewish observance? If our feelings of Jewish identity are roused when Israel is threatened, do we feel equally Jewish when we eat kosher, light Shabbat candles, or put on a kipah? This is the lesson of the Shavuos cheesecake. Jews have always been ready to die as Jews. History, unfortunately, has had ample occasion to prove that. It is up to us to show history that we are ready to live as Jews as well. Rabbi Shais Taub is a noted author and lecturer. He lives in Pittsburgh, PA with his wife and children.
Marlene Harris Collection
Your source for antique engagement rings, wedding bands and mountings. 238 1/2 Freeport Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15238 (412) 828-1245 | info@marleneharriscol.com
www.marleneharriscol.com
By Georgia Atkin
“Beauty is truth, Truth beauty, - that is all ye know on earth and all Ye need to know.”
collection being sold in nine Kaufmann stores, including the Vendome.
“Ode on a Grecian Urn” This quote from the poet John Keats immediately comes to mind as you cross the threshold of Marlene Harris’s Antique Jewelry store on Freeport Road in Blawnox. Marlene herself is a beautiful person, shining with goodness from the top of her mane of perfectly coiffed hair to the tip of her artistic imagination and the inner workings of her gorgeous soul. Marlene has been an entrepreneur and a designer of jewelry as far back as she can remember. She was only eight when she sold her first creation and by the time she was a senior in high school, she had earned a reputation for her style and flair. In 1960, she accompanied her husband Leroy to a business convention in New York City and as they strolled down Madison Avenue, Marlene was captivated by a window display of antique buttons. Being a Sunday, the shop was closed but Marlene returned the next day and spent over a hundred dollars on buttons; buttons she then turned into pins and rings.
She opened her shop in Blawnox on September 1, 1991, renovating the space, covering the walls in fabric and the ceiling in lace. The cozy shop is filled to capacity with rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces; all in silver, gold or white gold. Always keeping abreast of current avenues in commerce, She has sold pieces all over the world and often commerce glides into friendship, “Selecting jewelry is such an intimate exchange,” says Marlene, and many times a purchase is made to commemorate a special event: a bride-to-be choos choosing her wedding band, a husband searching for that perfect anniversary gift.
“Selecting jewelry
is such an intimate exchange.”
It is important to understand that these buttons, some from the early nineteenth century, were miniature works of art, commissioned by gentlemen and crafted by top artisans. Back then, buttons were the stamp of individuality for men in much the same way “jewelry is a personal signature” for women today. While the buttons were the genesis of Marlene’s designs, today her business is exclusively estate and antique jewelry, specializing in wedding jewelry. In fact, she was displaying her collection at a charity event when she was approached by a Vice-President of Kauffmann’s and this encounter led to her
Chatting with Marlene in her shop this past week, it was hard not to be inspired by her beauty and resilience. It is no secret that she recently suffered a terrible accident and, as a result, had to undergo two surgeries. What motivates her to come to the shop and carry on with her work in the face of this recent tragedy? Her faith and her family, especially her Chabad “family, “are her bedrock,
“Chabad has always been near and dear to me, “said Marlene, “after the accident, Ely and Shternie were unbelievably wonderful. They were there fifteen minutes after I came out of surgery, made meals for me; treated me in every way as good as family.” How best to appreciate this inspiring artist and entrepreneur? Visit her shop at 238-1/2 Freeport Road, Blawnox, peruse her collection at MarleneHarriscol.com and read the testimonials, or call her at 412-8281245 and treat yourself to a gift that you will cherish for a lifetime. Georgia Atkin is a freelance writer living in O’Hara Twp., PA.
ften, certain complex and unpleasant layers of a nation’s history lie simmering just below the surface of public knowledge, waiting for its time to be brought to light. Until Dr. Jonathan Sarna’s page-turning book, When General Grant Expelled the Jews, entered the American literary world, few American Jews were aware of Ulysses S. Grant’s Civil War order of 1862, demanding that all Jews immediately vacate the lands of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi. immediately overturning the order and preventing greater upheaval. Yet the action in itself still spoke volumes. Singling out the Jews as illegal smugglers trading with the South, Grant’s overt antisemitic frustration (referring to the “Israelites” as “an intolerable nuisance”) put antisemitism on the national presidential campaign. Grant’s shocking demands represent the kind of historical byway that Dr. Sarna exposes to the public, in his mission to return the great complexities of American Jewish history to our collective memory.
A professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University, and a preeminent scholar of American Judaism, Dr. Sarna has written, edited, or coedited more than 25 books. His seminal book, American Judaism: A History, won the Jewish Book Council’s “Jewish Book of the Year” Award in 2004. History, however, is often not as black and white as it might appear, and Dr. Sarna is certainly not afraid to admit it. His Grant book depicts the Grant spent the rest of his career trying to undo the stain on his reputation, Dr. Sarna duly notes. Sarna relates, “and we shouldn’t always pigeonhole people as Haman or Mordechai, or as sinners or saints.” Sarna’s upcoming book on Abraham Lincoln and the Jews is slated for publication in 2015, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s assassination and a major exhibit at the National Museum of American Jewish History, where he serves as chief historian.
Abraham Lincoln’s relations with the Jewish community is another times, and the realization of this history carries great weight. “Like a child is little-known chapter of American history. For example, it was Lincoln who shaped into an adult by his early childhood years,” Sarna explains, urged Congress to change the chaplaincy laws to “communities are very much shaped by their early ::::::::::::::::::::: permit rabbis to become military chaplains, setting a years, even if our own precedent that helped pave the way for a more ancestors were not there.... Even non-Jewish Americans should understand that Jews were here minorities as well. in the early period and can simply appreciate the On the future of American Jewry, Dr. Sarna remains long trajectory of Jews in the United States.” resolutely optimistic. history began in high school, when he wrote his
:::::::::::::::::::::
surmising, “Maybe it was the combination of my interest in Jewish life, suggested,” Sarna adds with a touch of his classic wit, “that I went into the Sarna], who was an immigrant, did not know.”
maintained.”
fears—and I don’t say that the fears are misplaced, it is because we’re nervous that we work hard—when you least expect it, there seems to be a revival of interest of
ometimes the best birthday presents are those you never even knew you wished for. Ayelet Matheson, a third generation Jewish Chilean who arrived in the US in 2003, had a surprise for her husband Hal’s birthday. Packing up the family’s bags and ushering her curious spouse and two young children (Hadassa, 2, and Avigail, 9 months) into the car, they set out for a mysterious, exotic destination: Greenwich, Connecticut.
Apparently, Ayelet’s persuasiveness holds incredible sway. The next year, Roberto and Calanit Paz—Ayelet’s father and sister—accompanied Hal and Ayelet to the Retreat. Moved by Ayelet’s rave reviews, they were determined not to miss out, even if for Roberto, it meant an intercontinental flight from his home in Chile. Calanit, a family therapist in Palm Beach, reports that Retreat speaker Howard Behar, former president of Starbucks, inspired her to use her talents to create a better world centered on helping people.
An unusual decision for a thoughtful wife. As Ayelet relates, “I thought about the birthday trip this way: for one week, you go on a vacation to a beach, and you come back with nothing. So you spend the money and do nothing, instead of doing something that can enhance our lives in so many ways.... I think Hal thought we were going on a cruise.”
As Roberto, an architect and town planner, relates of his time at the Retreat, “It was quite deep and very interesting to learn about the Jewish view of marriage and the relationships between men and women, in terms of spirituality as well as putting it into practice.It was also about sharing with different people from all over—from South America, from Mexico, and all over the world.”
Hal, a Floridian real estate broker, whose family has been in America for at least eight generations, had a feeling his wife was up to something Jewish. “Knowing Ayelet,” he said, “this has something to do with learning Torah.”
“The learning gave me a different perspective on Judaism,” Roberto explains, “which means that I can integrate it in a life that is not so Orthodox. I understand that Judaism can be everywhere, and that we are really a light to the rest of the world. By learning Jewish wisdom, we can show the world that we are a real example, and I think that at the Retreat we can inject in ourselves an identity to accomplish it.” An identity injection: a striking metaphor for the power of the JLI Retreat.
Ayelet laughs. “It was very funny,” she explains, “As we were getting out of the taxi at the hotel, there was another car stopping in front of us and some Jewish people were getting out. And Hal said, “Oh look, look how in the hotel in Connecticut there are so many Jewish people. When the staff in the lobby greeted us with ‘Welcome to the National Jewish Retreat!’ my husband looked at me and he said, ‘Oh, this is not a cruise.’ But it was great. We loved it and he had a blast.” Hal admits that the Retreat, though not his initial dream vacation destination, blew him away.
As the saying goes, behind every strong man, is an even stronger woman. And if that strong woman packs your bags and tells you you’re going on an amazing surprise vacation, prepare yourself for an adventure of a lifetime. As Hal Matheson quickly learned, a family-bonding opportunity to learn with accomplished Jewish faculty from around the world can leave footprints on your mind and heart that influence you forever.
“This gave us an opportunity to take a break from life for five days, go to a place with a couple of thousand like-minded people, and get to study in a relaxed environment. You work every day, you have your family, and you don’t have the time to just stop and focus on studying Torah. I also liked being able to learn together, or meet after class and talk about it.” In terms of the content of the courses, Hal’s intellectual curiosity was satisfied with the caliber and content of the classes. “I liked all the classes at the Retreat,” Hal admits, “but especially learning more about the link between religion and science, and seeing great thinkers and scientists who are also observant Jews. Getting to meet people like Rabbi Manis Friedman and some of the other speakers was great. I’d go over to some of the rabbis and scholars during meals and ask them questions. The only problem was, I would have wanted even more time.”
August 6-11, 2013 30 AV-5 Elul, 5773 HILTON ALEXANDRIA MARK CENTER
Alexandria, Virginia
: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THIS GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A BREAK FROM LIFE FOR FIVE DAYS, GO TO A PLACE WITH A COUPLE THOUSAND LIKEMINDED PEOPLE, AND GET TO STUDY IN A RELAXED ENVIRONMENT. ~Hal Matheson
Join us for the 8th Annual National Jewish Retreat. Enjoy five days packed with the best in Jewish learning and living, surrounded by luxurious amenitites and exciting activities.
For more info and to register: 1-877-JRetreat (573-8732) or www.JRetreat.com
Shternie’s Recipe Corner Ingredients
Low-Fat Cheesecake My family asks me to make this cheesecake every week for Shabbos. I happily oblige, since it is delicious — and wholesome, too. Yield: 1 9” round pan (about 10 servings)
• 4 chocolate graham crackers • 1 (16 oz.) low-fat cottage cheese • 1 (8 oz.) low-fat vanilla yogurt • 3 eggs • 1/3 cup flour • 1/3 cup sugar • Chocolate syrup (optional) • Assorted berries, as garnish (optional)
Directions Preheat oven to 350° F. Crush graham crackers in blender. Press graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of a 9" round pan. Mix cottage cheese, yogurt, eggs, flour and sugar in blender. Pour onto graham cracker crumbs. Bake for 45 minutes, or until cheesecake is firmly set and gets ever-solightly browned on top. Serve cold with berries. Optional: For a marbled effect, squirt and swirl some chocolate syrup onto the cheesecake before baking.
Carb-Free CauliflowerCrust Pizza With this ingenious recipe, you can have your pizza without the carbs! Don’t get scared off by the extra step with the cauliflower — it’s worth the effort!
Ingredients • 1 cup riced cauliflower* • 1 egg, beaten • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top • 1 tsp Zing oregano • ½ tsp crushed garlic • ¼ tsp salt • Pizza sauce
Directions
Spread pizza sauce on top and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Return to oven for 3 to 4 minutes on broil.
Mix riced cauliflower with beaten egg and cheese. Add oregano, garlic, and salt and mix well. Place in a 9" round pan and bake at 450° F for 15 minutes until the top is golden.
*To make riced cauliflower, place half a 16-oz. bag frozen cauliflower florets in a food processor with the knife blade attachment. Pulse for 1 to 2 minutes until it looks like grain.
Recipes courtesy of Binah Magazine
The Jewish holiday of Shavuot
celebrates the anniversary of G-d’s rendezvous with the Jewish people, over three thousand years ago at a humble mountain named Sinai. It was the first and only time the Creator of the Universe communicated with an entire nation. Fifty days after leaving Egypt, the Jewish People received G-d’s holy Torah. A nation of slaves became the nation entrusted with the cosmic mission of bringing Divine light to the entire world. On Shavuot, we celebrate that moment, and rededicate ourselves to the fulfillment of our task. We celebrate by staying up all night studying Torah on the eve of Shavuot (this year May 28), and everyone, even the youngest children, come to hear the Ten Commandments read from the Torah on the morning of Shavuot (this year May 29). Of course, no Jewish holiday would be complete without traditional foods: on Shavuot we eat dairy.
On the last day of his life, Moses inscribed the Torah on parchment scrolls. This written Torah was preceded by an engraved Torah: forty years earlier, at Mount Sinai, the Divine law was given to us in the form of Ten Commandments etched by the hand of G-d in two tablets of stone. When something is written, the substance of the letters that express it—the ink—remains a separate entity from the substance upon which
they have been set—the parchment. On the other hand, letters engraved in stone are forged in it: the words are stone and the stone is words. There is an aspect of Torah that is “inked” on our soul: we understand it, our emotions are roused by it; it becomes our lifestyle or even our “personality”; but it remains something additional to our selves. Then there is the quintessential self. At the core of every soul of
every Jew, the spark of G-dliness remains constant, unchangeable and unaffected. This is a dimension of Torah that is engraved in our being and expresses a bond with G-d that is the very essence of the Jewish soul. Let us access our true, innate selves this Shavuot, and accept the Torah’s engraving on our hearts.
What does the word Shavuot mean?
Shavuot means ‘weeks,’ referring to the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot. In the desert, the Jewish People counted the days and weeks from leaving Egypt up to the giving of the Torah, in anticipation of this momentous event. Today, we also count from Passover to Shavuot. During these seven weeks, or 49days, we refine the seven basic character motions (Kindness, Strength, Harmony, Perseverance, Commitment, Connection, and Royalty) in preparation for receiving the Torah.
Ruth was a sincere convert who embraced Judaism with all her heart. On Shavuot, all Jews became converts by accepting the Torah and all of its precepts.
Late Learning
Stay up the entire first night of Shavuot studying Torah in preparation for receiving it the next day.
What exactly is the Torah?
Torah is G-d’s wisdom, an expression of His essence. G-d created the world so that the Torah’s ideals could be actualized. The Torah, as we experience it, is Divine wisdom distilled for consumption by the human mind. Through studying Torah’s laws, logic, mystical system and stories, it becomes possible to wrap our rational human mind around Divine concepts. Torah is the soul’s best nourishment. So study whenever you have time, ideally twice a day; morning and evening. The Web is a great place to begin. For starters, check out www.chabad.org’s weekly Torah magazine.
Why the all-nighter?
Imagine the night before receiving the Torah. Would you be able to sleep? Yet our ancestors in the desert slept soundly. They actually overslept, and were late for the receiving of the Torah! How could they!? They wanted to prepare for receiving the Torah, but didn’t know how. How should finite people in a finite world prepare for the revelation of the Infinite? They had no answer, so they slept, hoping to prepare by sending their souls into higher realms. It was a mistake to escape into spiritual worlds, because we are supposed to bring the great and lofty Torah into our limited physical world. To rectify this, we stay up all night studying Torah, and try to use our human minds to fathom the Divine wisdom contained in the Torah.
Why the emphasis on kids?
Before giving the Torah, the Midrash relates, G-d asked for a guarantor to ensure its perpetuation. The Jews said, “Our children will be our guarantors.” Throughout the generations, the Torah has been transmitted through the children, for they are the future. With G-dly innocence, kids naturally absorb the ideas of the Torah. Therefore, children of all ages, even infants, attend the reading of the Ten Commandments on Shavuot, and relive the event as we experienced it the first time, over three thousand years ago, at a humble mountain named Sinai.
Why dairy foods?
One reason is that when the Torah was given on Shavuot, the Jews became obligated to observe the laws of Kashrut. Since it was Shabbat, no cattle could be slaughtered nor could utensils be koshered, and so they ate dairy.
How to Celebrate
Ten Commandments
Relive the original Sinai experience by hearing the Ten Commandments read in the synagogue. Make sure to bring the kids.
Home Décor
Some have the custom to decorate their home and synagogue with flowers—reminiscent of the miraculous emergence of flowers on Mount Sinai. Eruv Tavshilin – Preparing Food for Shabbat:
In addition to the observances common to all Jewish holidays, Shavuot is celebrated with a number of unique customs Eat dairy foods
This year Shavuot falls on Friday and Shabbat. Ordinarily, on the Festivals we are only permitted to cook, or bake foods necessary for that day.
In addition to the festive holiday meal, we eat dairy foods reminiscent, among other things, of the 40 days and nights Moses spent on Sinai. The Hebrew word for “milk” is numerically equivalent to 40.
By performing an “Eruv Tavshilin” and starting our food preparation for Shabbat-on the eve of the Festival, (Thursday, may 28th, 2009) any further food we prepare for Shabbat during the holiday is regarded as a continuation of that initial preparation that began before the Festival.
Book of Ruth
In many synagogues the book of Ruth is read on the second day of Shavuot.
For more details and blessings visit www.chabad.org/2327.
By Stacy Spensley
"Since maintaining a healthy and sound body is among the ways of God – for one cannot understand or have any knowledge of the Creator if one is ill – therefore you must avoid that which harms the body and accustom yourself to that which is healthful and helps the body become stronger." (Maimonides, Laws of the World) Shavuot , the Festival of Weeks, has both historical and agricultural significance. It celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai and is associated with the first harvest brought to the temple. It is also associated with cheesecake.
{Use Dairy as Garnish}
Dairy products contain protein and fat, both macronutrients which help you feel satisfied and full as they are digested slowly. However, they are also calorie-dense, which means you only need a small amount. Instead of focusing on dairy as a central element, incorporate it into holiday dishes as a garnish. Highlight nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables as the centerpiece with dairy in a supporting role. It’s easier than you’d think. For savory dishes, start with a recipe you normally make; double the vegetables and use half the usual amount of cheese. Sprinkle feta or goat cheese on top of a salad or tart. Top roasted vegetables with freshly grated Parmesan. Melt a pat of butter to sauté fresh vegetables. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt and honey to fresh fruit.
Although cheesecake was not part of the original celebration of Shavuot, it has become a typical dairy food consumed for the holiday. Many popular dishes are rich desserts, one website even touting a recipe for an espresso brownie sundae “to help you stay up all night on Shavuot.” Other common dishes are cheesy lasagna, sweet blintzes, and ice cream. These items are all delicious, but few would claim these creamy, sugary items as health food.
Load up first on fresh produce, then whole grains and protein before adding dairy elements. The fiber of nutritious fruits, veggies, and whole grains fills you up, while dairy adds richness, flavor, and contrasting texture to the dish. When using cheese, select high-quality varieties with strong flavors so you don’t need to use as much.
Dairy foods contain calcium and protein, but are high in saturated fat, often linked to heart disease. Recent studies question that assessment, but it’s still healthier to choose nutritious foods which are higher in vitamins and minerals. There’s nothing wrong with indulging a bit – especially on holidays – but what if you’re trying to choose healthier options, or even have a medical condition which requires limiting rich or sweet foods?
You might be surprised that I don’t recommend low-fat dairy products as a healthier alternative. When fat is removed during processing, the texture of a food suffers. The calorie savings are minimal because of additives like gelatin, cornstarch, and sugar. Low-fat or fat-free dairy is less satisfying, making you more likely to have a second serving and consume more calories than you would have if you’d just used the full-fat item in the first place. The added sugar also wreaks havoc with your blood sugar resulting in increased sugar cravings later.
Don’t worry, here are some alternatives which are festive and delicious, no deprivation required.
{Make Breakfast Your Dairy Meal}
A long night spent in study means sleeping in late, past your usual breakfast time. Make breakfast your holiday dairy meal, even if it’s technically your lunch or dinner. Breakfast fare is often lighter than dinner entrees or a rich dessert. Various sweet and savory options will please any palate. Melinda Strauss of New York loves to celebrate Shavuot with her family, but as a Type 1 diabetic, carbohydrate-heavy morning meals are normally off limits. “I get excited to have breakfast for lunch! Eggs, French toast, pancakes, cheesy quiche and more! Any time I get to make buttermilk pancakes, I'm a happy cook in the kitchen.” Eating starch later in the day means she can indulge a bit without worry. Brunch was not a Shavuot tradition when she was growing up. “We ate a lot of comfort foods like macaroni and cheese, and tuna casserole.” While she still enjoys those dishes, she says her kids love having pancakes as a festive dinner treat. An avid cook, she doesn’t limit herself to her children’s top choice. For the adults she has prepared dishes like cheese-and-vegetable quiche, rustic vegetable tart with feta cheese, salad, whole wheat French toast casserole, and her grandmother’s custard recipe. Strauss tries to have several options, “but I don't like to overload everyone with cheese since we will all feel it later.”
{Indulge Mindfully}
My favorite example of this is comparing chocolate lentils to a decadent flourless chocolate torte. The chocolate lentils have fewer calories per serving, but you can mindlessly eat them until you’ve consumed half the bag. The flourless chocolate torte is served in a tiny wedge, and after three small bites it’s almost hard to continue because it’s so rich. So go ahead and make your cheesecake, but use full-fat ricotta or cream cheese. Make individual mini cakes, or cut small slices. Eat slowly; put your fork down between bites to help with pacing. Chew each bite thoroughly. Let yourself fully experience the food and be satisfied. When you eat quickly, you don’t taste your food and want to keep eating to taste it more. Slow down and enjoy eating without guilt. Shavuot is a holiday of learning and celebration, but it doesn’t have to mean over-indulgence. Popular Shavuot dishes that are loaded with sugar and fat are treats that can be enjoyed mindfully. If you have dietary or health concerns, serve breakfast for dinner as your dairy meal, or use dairy as a garnish instead of the focus are great ways to “avoid that which harms the body and accustom yourself to that which is healthful and helps the body become stronger.” Stacy Spensley is a certified health coach based in San Diego. You can find her at centerstagewellness.com, on facebook.com/centerstagewellness, and on Twitter @stacyspensley.
By Tawnya Panizzi Journalist for the Aspinwall Herald
and moved it in 1969 to its current headquarters in Parksville, New York. Today, there are several hundred CGI’s with an enrollment of more than 100,000 children. The camps operate with a focus on Judaism, and days are filled with songs, lessons and pride. Squirrel Hill parent Anne Linder said camp “was an incredible experience. My son learned the opportunity of Judaism through inspiring stories, songs and creative projects. He son woke up each morning with a smile on his face, singing camp songs. We are counting down until June.”
From mad science and music movement to field trips and food art, Shternie Rosenfeld’s Izzys are a busy bunch.
Locally, what began as a two-week session has grown to six weeks of non-stop fun for campers from Fox Chapel, O’Hara, North Hills and Squirrel Hill. Rosenfeld jokes that there are no more weeks left in summer to expand camp any further.
With more than 100 children at her Fox Chapel Camp Gan Israel, Rosenfeld is the affable director who infuses each of the six week sessions with love, laughter and pride in the Jewish heritage. She is earnest in her mission to entertain and educate.
“We want them to get a good sense of the flavor of camp,” she said, adding that 70 percent of campers attend the full session.
“We give our kids the most warm, loving environment,” said Rosenfeld, who founded one of the two Greater Pittsburgh camp chapters in 2005 with her husband, Rabbi Ely, head of Chabad Fox Chapel, The Jewish Center. “When I choose my staff, I want the best you can get next to mom,” said Shternie, whose passion for camp is palpable and whose own mother was director of a Jewish camp for 25 years in her native England.
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Camp Gan Israel, the largest camping network in the world hosting programs everywhere from Florida to Finland, kicks off the Fox Chapel division’s ninth season here on June 24. Open to children ages pre-school to sixth-grade, Rosenfeld, a mom of four who earned her Bachelor's Degree in teaching in Bournemouth, England, hopes to expose students to a world of experiences – without ever traveling too far from the suburban camp setting at O’Hara Elementary School. “A lot of parents sign their kids up for camps with specific activities,” Rosenfeld said. “They want soccer camp or art camp. Our goal is to have it all under one roof. We have six weeks of fabulous options.” Founded in 1953 by Rabbi Jacob Hecht in New York, Chabad-affiliated camps originally were for girls only. Three years later, the Rebbe opened a boy’s camp under the name Gan Israel (Garden of Israel)
Children can attend one to six weeks of camp, but Shternie recommends at least two weeks so that the kids have a chance to relax and adjust.
Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays. Within three age-related camp divisions, students spend long summer days with their peers in a non-stop array of activities like arts, crafts, silly science, sports and theater. Activities run the gamut but none of them are run of the mill. Mini Gan Izzys, for example, have parachute races, make their own play dough and build sandcastles. Squirrel Hill parent Ranissa Davidson said “We could not have been more pleased with Aviv’s first summer at CGI. Between his nurturing counselors and the awesome activities, we knew that from the time Aviv stepped on the bus, he was in great hands and having a blast.”
papier mache' puppet-making next week,” said Chezky, 25, who relishes his position as head of 300 students in the East End after being a life-long camper himself. “You can choose to do one thing for the week and next week, you can concentrate on something else.” There are about 300 children enrolled in Chezky’s camps, held at the Yeshiva Boys and Girls schools on Wightman Street and Forbes Avenue. For Chezky, the fun-filled summers remain fond memories but he cherishes most the friendships he formed during his days at camp that started as a toddler. “There are many different spectrums throughout the Jewish community and we cater to different crowds. It’s summer, there’s learning, but it’s a lighter atmosphere,” he said. “Some of my lasting friends are kids I didn’t go to school with, but that I spent the summer playing ball with at camp.” Both Shternie and Chezky agree that the secret to the CGI success is the world-renowned staff they seek. It is literally a global search for the best in the profession, Shternie said. “The counselors bring a real energy and life to the program,” Chezky said. “They fill ordinary activities with excitement and there is a connection with the kids.” The camp’s Junior and Primary divisions maintain the mini’s free spirit but enjoy an enhanced schedule that includes swim sessions three times a week at the Etna Pool and field trips twice a week to Pittsburgh treasures like the zoo, Heinz Field and River Quest.
Rabbi Yaakov Halperin of CGI of the Lehigh Valley says, “We strive to provide creative activities, terrific field trips and warm and caring counselors. We want to provide enjoyment and inspire children to try new and exciting things”
With these outings, Rosenfeld hopes to open children to new ideas.
Shternie said that choosing her staff comes with tremendous pressure because of the rigor and high standards she operates under. She expects parents to be at ease when they leave their children in her care. This summer, there are counselors coming from England, Canada and New York, she said.
“Some of my lasting friends are kids I didn’t go to school with, but that I spent the summer playing ball with at camp.” “There are a lot of families who go to the zoo or science center. But we like to do something special, a workshop or go behind the scenes of a particular animal habitat, that they wouldn’t get to do normally,” she said.
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For students in grades one through six, Rosenfeld ramps the stakes even higher. There are specialty electives, or Camp Academies, that alternate throughout the summer to offer an even more unique experience. Children can choose weekly from Art, Performing Arts and Sports for catered activities that draw confidence, pique interest and hone skills. Activities fuel the body and creative soul, and include soccer, baseball, jewelry making, drama and juggling. There’s a big show at the end of camp to showcase the young talent. Rabbi Chezky Rosenfeld, in his second season heading the CGI in Squirrel Hill, said the Academies are hugely popular because they allow children to sample and switch activities. “Maybe you really want to play football this week but you want to learn
“From the age of 11, I was the head staff at my mom’s camp,” Shternie said. “Even as an adult, I continued to go back to England. I love it.”
iPhone It was one of one of those grand summits in the
journey through life, when the entire landscape is set before you in ultra-high definition. Suddenly, you know where you are, where you are going and what you have to do to get there.
WHERE DOES LIFE TRULY RESIDE, ANYWAY?
I upgraded my iPhone. It was hard. I wanted the new one. But I couldn’t let go of the old. Hey, for almost three years I had spent my entire life with that warm metal device firmly in my hand, securely in my pocket, on my dash, or lying next to my pillow, measuring my every movement so as to report on my sleep patterns in the morning. And now, the salesperson was telling me that I had to let it go. For a $70 discount off my new phone, all I had to do was just leave this old one behind. “What will you do with it?” I gulped. “My entire life is on there!” “Don’t worry,” he said, “we’ll wipe it clean before reselling.”
first downloaded to your device. They’ll download again, as soon as this new device becomes attached to your ID. The same with any music you bought from the iTunes store, or books from the iBook store. That’s where they came from, and that’s where they still are. You could say, that’s their real place.” “And what about everything I’ve created on this phone?” I was trying to sound contained, to act my age, and not doing a great job. “The docs I’ve written? The pictures I’ve taken? The recordings I’ve made?” “I’ve checked. Everything you’ve done is stored there in the Cloud. Even your personal settings.” “And it’s safe there?”
My second gulp reverberated through the noisy store. Panic-induced tunnel vision blocked all visual stimuli other than the image of my precious device. The sweat was oozing from my palms; the panic shrilled in my voice.
“A lot safer than on your device. Your device has only so much battery, can only can live so long. But in the Cloud, it might as well be there forever.”
Fortunately, the salesman kept his cool. Apparently, he’d been through this before.
Then he went on with his Cloud pitch. “And once it’s in the Cloud, it’s so much easier to
“All that data,” he told me, “will appear on your new iPhone. All your apps, all your music, your e-mail, notes, docs, pics . . . all of it.” “Don’t I have to transfer it first?” I asked. “That’s not necessary. It’s all in the Cloud.” “The Cloud?” Enlightenment began here. The salesman spoke: “Well, not everything. The apps you purchased, they reside in the app store, from where they were
“WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH IT?” I GULPED. “MY ENTIRE LIFE IS ON THERE!” share with others. On our devices, each of us is in our own world. We communicate, we interact, but the devices—they divide us. But there, in the Cloud, it’s all one. So easy to create that synergy that comes through sharing.” At his instruction, I entered my ID and password into that cute little upgrade. I watched in awe as
its very soul reappeared before my eyes. Looking into his eyes, I saw he was confident and earnest. I trusted him. I had to move on in life. At his instruction, I entered my ID and password into the cute little upgrade. I watched in awe as it connected with the Cloud. Within moments, my treasured contents began to appear, like dry bones rising to life from the dust. All the apps that had once resided on my old device, along with all that I had created upon it, even my personal settings, popped up, one by one. Its very soul reappeared before my eyes. I held it in my hand and began to stroke its surface, interfacing with its buttons. Yes, it was my old handheld self, but so much more sensitive, so much crisper and brighter, speedier and spacier. Life had just moved up a notch. Life. Yes, that’s pretty much what’s on there. There’s this new voice that doesn’t understand most of what I say. Messages I have little interest in. Tchatchkas that I have no clue what to do with. Life. Only now, it’s a higher life. I lay in bed that night, my iPhone carefully placed facedown next to my pillow (plugged in, and not under covers, as per the instructions—and in Do Not Disturb mode), and I wondered, “What is this body, if not the real me? Where do I really reside? What’s up with Body 2.0? And all that I create down here, where is that stored? Who am I sharing it with? Who are we, really? Who am I?” By Tzvi Freeman - Chabad.org
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