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October 2015 Tishrei/Cheshvan 5775

Tracking Our Ancestors The JewishGen Cemetery Project Comrades & Conversations on the Court A Win-Win for Everyone

Lainie Kazan The Jewish Mother Everyone Wants

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Startling evidence of what was a vibrant, thriving Jewish community in Iraq came to light in May 2003 when a U.S. Army team discovered over 2,700 books and tens of thousands of documents in the flooded basement of Saddam Hussein’s intelligence headquarters.

Exhibit Open through November 15, 2015 PLEASE JOIN US FOR FREE PUBLIC LECTURES Wednesday, October 7, 2015 at 5:30-8:00 pm Please join us for “History and Identity: The Iraqi-American Jewish Experience” with Maurice Shohet, President World Organization of Jews from Iraq. Program includes a screening of the documentary “Forgotten Refugees” from the Executive Producer, Ralph Avi Goldwasser.

Sunday, October 18, 2015 at 5:00-7:00 pm ”Origins of a Contemporary Crisis: Secret Middle Eastern Diplomacy During and After World War I” with Dr. James L. Gelvin, Professor of Middle Eastern History at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

RSVP: www.nixonlibrary.gov

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We’ve replaced dues with a voluntary commitment.

Visit our website or drop by for more information. www.cbtfv.org · 714-963-4611

9669 Talbert Avenue · Fountain Valley, CA 92708

inside VIEWPOINT

LIFESTYLE

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58

My Birthday

O.C.’s Fresh Faces

24

62

Opening the Doors to Jewish Spirituality

Jewish Nostalgia in 21st Century Film

FEATURES

64

Israel Scene

JLIFE | Tishrei/Cheshvan 5775 | OCTOBER 2015

Fresh Orange Jews

On The Lighter Side

Reeling in the Millennials

62

A Shooting Schmiracle!

32

Return and Renewal

OC Gun Enthusiasts Mix Bullets with Bagels

After the Fire at Temple Beth Sholom

68

History/Blogs

34

The Secret of Chabad New book reveals inside story.

Orange County’s Jewish History & The Blogosphere

38

IN EVERY ISSUE

JewishGen Cemetery Project Finds Families’ Missing Links

First & Foremost

Tracking Our Ancestors

42

Comrades & Conversations on the Court A win-win for everyone.

16

A Second Bar/Bat Mitzvah

46

18

Letters/Who Knew Words from our Readers

56

44

News & Jews

Tikvah Hospice

O.C. Jewish Scene

Blending Jewish Tradition and Values into Care

66

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Fitness, Education & More

46

Seniors Calendar

70

Advertising Index

Out & About A Guide to OC Fun

Our crossword puzzle is taking the month off. Answers to last month’s puzzle will be in the November issue of Jlife. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Thank you for playing!

48

Thriller Writers The Kellermans Make Mystery Their Business

50

Cooking Jewish

50

Look inside for Kiddish, our insert publication, right after page 36.

With Judy Bart Kancigor

60

OC Jewish Arts Festival 2015 Celebrating Jewish Culture Through Music, Books and Film

28 On the Cover Lainie Kazan The Jewish mother everyone wants.

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PUBLISHER | MODY GORSKY, LLM, MBA PUBLISHER | MARK EDELSTEIN PUBLISHER | MOTAN, LLC PUBLISHER EMERITUS | DR. MARK MOSS MANAGING EDITOR | TRACEY ARMSTRONG GORSKY EXECUTIVE EDITOR | LISA GRAJEWSKI, PSY.D. EXECUTIVE EDITOR | FLORENCE L DANN CONTRIBUTING EDITOR | TANYA SCHWIED CONTRIBUTING EDITOR | PERRY FEIN FOOD EDITOR | JUDY BART KANCIGOR EDITORIAL INTERN | HANNAH SCHOENBAUM CREATIVE DIRECTOR | RACHEL BELLINSKY PHOTOGRAPHER | CHARLES WEINBERG CONTRIBUTING WRITERS MARTIN BROWER, MERAV CEREN, ADAM CHESTER, FLORENCE L DANN, ROBIN DAVIS, PH. D., RABBI DAVID ELIEZRIE, HARRIETTE ELLIS, JUDY FLORMAN, STEFANEE FREEDMAN, LISA GRAJEWSKI, PSY.D., EVE GUMPEL, CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER, DVORAH LEWIS, CARINE NADEL, PAMELA PRICE, NAOMI RAGEN, MAYRAV SAAR, RACHEL SCHIFF, TANYA SCHWIED, ANDREA SIMANTOV, DALIA TAFT, TEDDY WEINBERGER COPYEDITOR JOSH NAMM CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS/ARTISTS RACHEL BELLINSKY, ALLEN BEREZOVSKY, PEPE FAINBERG, JANET LAWRENCE ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES DIANE BENAROYA (SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE) MARTIN STEIN (SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE) EDITORIAL (949) 230-0581 (TRACEY ARMSTRONG GORSKY) OR (949) 734-5074 EDITORJLIFE@GMAIL.COM ADVERTISING (949) 812-1891, MODY.GORSKY@GMAIL.COM CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS MODY.GORSKY@GMAIL.COM, (949) 734-5074 ART ART@OCJEWISHLIFE.COM JLIFE IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY ORANGE COUNTY JEWISH LIFE, LLC 1 FEDERATION WAY, IRVINE, CA 92603

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We are the only full service synagogue in O.C. providing services three times a day, 365 days a year.

Delicious Weekly Kiddushes

Active NCSY Teen Program

Warm and Nurturing Jewish Montessori Preschool

• Expanded Samson Family Campus • Olam Jewish Montessori Preschool • Social Hall • Rabbi Yisroel Ciner • Irvine Community Mikveh • NCSY Teen Program • Life Cycle Events • Bar and Bat Mitzvah Training • Beth Jacob Women’s Group • Hebrew Classes • Judaism and Torah Classes for Adults of all Levels • Jewish Enrichment Classes for Children • Regular Daily and Shabbat Services • Community Events • Guest Speakers • Delicious Weekly Kiddushes • Sephardic Minyan

Contact (949) 786-5230 • bethjacobirvine.org

Call for a tour of our preschool!

Jlife

| OCTOBER 2015 13

FIRST & FOREMOST

A SECOND BAR/ BAT MITZVAH Starting over at 70!

BY FLORENCE L. DANN

HAVE YOU SEEN the promo for the new movie, “The Intern” starring Robert Deniro as a 70-year-old man who takes a positon as an intern at an online fashion site? “When you turn 70 you can say, `Oh, my G-d, the warranty is over and I’m on borrowed time,’ or it can (be seen as) a whole new lease on life,” said Rabbi Mark Gross of Temple Beth Orr in Coral Springs.

Seventy years after Judith Kaplan Eisenstein, had her first Bat Mitzvah in 1922, she had a commemorative one at the age of 83. And when the actor Kirk Douglas turned 83, he celebrated with a second Bar Mitzvah.

Since the 1970’s the concept of an adult bar/bat mitzvah has grown. For those who didn’t have this ceremony when they were the appointed age, many adults, who want In biblical times, to connect further with their the age of 71 Judaism, choose to study and and older was become a bar/bat mitzvah in considered as and adding 13 years to rededitheir adults years—a number cate themselves to Judaism. starting over of them at 83.

There are other reasons as well.

This tradition is based on Numerous survivors of the the reading of Psalm 90:10, which tells us that 70 years is the expected lifes- Holocaust never had an opportunity to have pan of most humans. Similarly, Moses, poeti- a Bar Mitzvah when they were thirteen. They cally spoke of a person’s life as being on average feel that they missed out and wish to publicly 70 years. King David lived to age 70 and in the demonstrate their joy at being able to observe ancient book of Jewish wisdom, “Ethics of Our Judaism without restraints. Of course, doing Fathers” (5:25), Rabbi Yehuda Ben Tema states so is not obligatory.

The celebration of a second Bar Mitzvah that the age of 70 is considered a “ripe old age.”

So, in biblical times, the age of 71 and older is more a custom rather than Jewish law. A second Bar Mitzvah is an opportunity to give was considered as starting over.

The math is simple: 70 + 13 = 83. So 83 is thanks for having reached a significant age in the perfect age to become Bar Mitzvah or Bat relative health and wellbeing. It can be celMitzvah all over again. Many Jewish seniors ebrated in many ways but it usually involves are calling age 70 the beginning of a new life being called to the Torah for an Aliyah and 16 OCTOBER 2015 |

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Model synagogue Model synagogue Tzedakah boxes.

Tzedakah boxes.

The Sarajevo haggadah

reciting the Haftorah, or the prophetic portion, for that day. It is also an opportunity for family to come together around a beloved octogenarian, and to mark this moment with gratitude and rejoicing.

Celebrating a Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah, whether it is the first or second time, is a wonderful way to celebrate a full life. And what an impression it will make on the grandchildren and great-grandchildren! They will learn that it is never too late for something so important and special. A Florence L. Dann, a fourth year rabbinical student at the Academy for Jewish Religion in LA has been a contributing writer to Jlife since 2004.

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LETTERS

PHOTO BY ZACH DALIN

Kvetch & Kvell

Who Knew?

ROAD TO RECOVERY Dear Jlife, I was delighted to read the article about raising awareness regarding addiction among our Jewish children in OC. My name is Netta Halpern and I am an Intern MFT (I am about to test for my license).

I did most of my intern hours volunteering at the Salvation Army Drug and Alcohol Rehab Center in Anaheim, CA. I discovered that there are many Jews that end up in the Salvation Army, a Christian Faith-based rehab since they could not afford private rehab facilities.

After finding out some of the needs of the Jewish Community, I contacted Beit Teshuva, a Jewish rehab in LA, and asked them to open a satellite facility in the OC. When my request was denied, I started a non-profit Jewish Rehab called “Beit-Or.” Currently, we are waiting for our last stage of achieving state tax-exempt status.

Our vision is to open our door in a year and a half, provided we’re

able to raise a sufficient amount of money in order to open our facility.

Beit-Or is a non-profit Jewish drug and alcohol rehab that is based on Jewish Wisdom.

Our mission is to offer the benefit of a faith-based foundation for recovery from forms of substance abuse by accentuating the Jewish ethical and moral values. We will be employing various modalities of treatment including a 12-step program and Smart Recovery.

I’m so happy to see Jlife help increase awareness and encourage our children to get the help they need in a timely manner. According to the article in the last issue of Jlife, “No Longer A Shanda” by Tanya Schwied and our research, it is clear that it is an epidemic.

Sincerely, Netta Halpern Apologies go out to Judith Gottesman.

On page 72 of the September issue we mistakenly listed her company as being profiled in said issue. Her company Soul Mates Unlimited will, in fact, be profiled in our November issue.

We welcome your letters! Email editorjlife@gmail.com with your feedback.

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If you thought your parents were cool, well wait until you meet Lou and Evelyn Cohen (parents to Bravo super host Andy Cohen).

Cracking jokes, doing impressions and basically acting a total fool all to get a laugh and help their son make this show one of the most popular talk shows on television.

Andy’s mother, Evelyn, has done outreach to help other parents adjust to the news when their son or daughter reveals they’re gay (Andy is the first openly gay host of an American late-night talk show). And Lou has become very popular with most of Andy’s female guests for his likeability, sense of humor and general Silver Fox-edness. It seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in this instance as Andy is Mr. Charming himself. His folks are definitely doing something right because not only have they raised an incredibly successful daughter and son, they make it look down right easy. Andy just launched his own 24-hour radio show on Sirius along with still holding down his duties as an executive producer of The Real Housewives franchise and host of Watch What Happens: Live. Together, this family shows us the very best of the Jewish family dynamics we’re so lucky to share.

Israel Scene | BY ANDREA SIMANTOV

VIEWPOINT

My Birthday

HE WAS DEPRIVED AS A CHILD AND I WANTED MY BIG MANCHILD TO KNOW THAT IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARN. 20 OCTOBER 2015 |

YEARS AGO, MY husband’s 60th birthday turned into a real bust when his visiting-from-overseas children wouldn’t commit to a one-hour sitting for a family photo with his other children and their kids.

I’d hired the photographer, confirmed with all of the respective participants, but was forced to cancel. I felt angry. No, furious. But they aren’t my children and blowing one’s stack is NOT a cool move in any second marriage, especially during the early sucking-up years.

And because the evident hurt and humiliation plastered on my partner’s face quickly sent me into love/ protection mode, I wanted him healed. I made light of it and we dined in an expensive restaurant. The wait staff delivered his gift along with the birthday parfait: a wide-neck guitar—suitable for stubby fingers—draped in ribbons and lollipops. It’s never mind that he never held a guitar in his life, doesn’t read music and is nearspastic in the rhythm department. He was deprived as a child and I wanted my big man-child to know that it is never too late to learn. Never too late to aspire.

As my own 60th birthday approached, I issued early warnings that sent everyone around me into a tailspin: it was NOT to be ignored, forgotten, sloughed-over with uncomfortable wrist-flips and pronouncements of “Age is only a number” or “For religious Jews, it is the date of death that is important!” I would have none of that.

Nevertheless, I felt compassion for those who claim to love me; we don’t have a large social circle, no extended family to speak of and a surprise-party would be comprised of mainly acquaintances. A little silly, n’est pas? A cruise or elegant getaway costs serious money. Considering the budget, we could embark on a romantic camping trip near the Egyptian border

by Taba where ocean access is free: Sleeping bag and butane burner costs extra.

My husband surprised me. Actually, he blew me away (and knocked me into humble-mode) that morning with a plain white envelope with a photo of my mother clipped to the flap. I hadn’t seen Mom in almost three years because of distance and finances.

Inside the envelope was an e-ticket to Johannesburg where three daughters and their families reside. He explained that my 86-year-old mother and younger Jlife

DRAWING BY PEPE FAINBERG

Nothing can replace the gift of love.

sister were flying over from New York so I could turn 60 surrounded by the people I love and miss every moment of the day. He promised that although there was not enough spare cash to include him or my children who live in Israel, we would all party-hearty upon my return from the African love-fest.

All of this has taught me that age-equals-wisdom and a few things do appear clearer even as my eyesight and ability to retain facts deteriorates. Asking “What does she want” can reveal a lot more than “What should I do?” My sometimes doddering, often silent husband has an uncanny ability to send my achingheart to the places that my touted-but-flawed intellect has trouble reaching. He has taught me with patience and a low voice that being with people we love will trump fanfare every time.

Hands down. A New York-born Andrea Simantov is a mother of six who moved to Jerusalem in 1995. She frequently lectures on the complexity and magic of life in Jerusalem and can be contacted at andreasimantov@gmail.com.

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On the Lighter Side | BY MAYRAV SAAR

VIEWPOINT

Opening the Doors to Jewish Spirituality How a pair of old garage doors trumped the Sistine Chapel.

MORE THAN 1,000 JEWISH MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN FROM ROME WERE CARTED OFF TO THE CAMPS. ONLY EIGHT RETURNED. 24 OCTOBER 2015 |

ROME SURPRISED ME. I traveled to Italy this summer with my incredible best friend, intent on hitting all the highlights—Venice, Florence and Milan. But I have to admit visiting Rome took some convincing. All I knew of Rome was that Romans destroyed the Temple and paraded our most sacred objects through their streets. To then walk those same streets, albeit two millennia later, seemed odious.

(Silly, I know, but I don’t forgive easily.)

But we did the dutiful tourist thing and gawked our way through the Vatican. The priceless artwork painted onto every minute corner of every room in this palatial feat of architecture, the Sistine Chapel, the grand hallways… it was so dizzying and overwhelming that the only thing my friend could say of it was, “It looks like Vegas. Where is the poker room?”

What we didn’t yet know was that Rome is also home to one of the oldest Jewish communities of the Diaspora.

Roman streets include Jewish Ghetto streets—and walking those streets was a truly humbling honor.

Immediately following our visit to the Vatican, we connected with Jewish Roma Tours, a tour group consisting of Roman-born Jewish guides who illuminate the strengths and vigilance of this incredible community.

Our guide, Micol, is an energetic, passionate young mom who punctuated her insight about the Jewish Ghetto and the Great Synagogue with personal anecdotes about her family.

We saw the Fontane delle Tartarughe, read the plaques memorializing the Romans who were carted off to perish in the Nazi camps. She showed us the splendor of the Great Synagogue and guided us on an incredible tour of the Jewish Museum.

But the most memorable thing Micol showed us was a garage.

During WWII, more than 1,000 Jewish men, women and children from Rome were carted off to the camps.

Only eight returned. The scant other Jews who survived did so by hiding, usually with the aid of sympathetic neighbors. Micol’s father was a young boy at the time, and plain wooden double-doors of an ordinary garage Jlife

were all that separated his family from the Nazis for more than six months during the occupation.

The family who owned the garage not only kept them safe, they made Micol’s very existence possible. The metaphor of a door separating the possibility of life from the probability of death was not lost on any of us, and our whole group lingered around the garage, seemingly unwilling to leave.

A few hours earlier, I had been snapping pictures of Michelangelo’s most famous painting, amazed at my proximity to this incredible work of art. But in the hot and stifling air of a former fish market and Jewish imprisonment, where thousands of Jews were crammed into a few tiny blocks and persevered against unbelievable odds, I found myself taking picture after picture of a garage door.

But I guess that’s perfect. The story of the Jewish people is not frescoed onto grand walls. It’s told in the candlesticks that were smuggled out of Europe, Torah scrolls that survived pogroms and garage doors that kept young boys hidden.

A few feet away from the garage is the school Micol’s kids attend. It’s a Jewish school. And it’s thriving. A Mayrav Saar is a writer based in Los Angeles.

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COVER STORY

Lainie Kazan W

hen you are a young Jewish girl growing up it is basically essential that you watch Funny Girl. I’m not ashamed to admit that my VHS tape was on repeat for most of my childhood, and then once again in college, on a DVD this time. So for me, to be speaking with someone who actually got to perform in the title role of Fanny Brice on Broadway, feels like I had just died and gone to heaven. Then to find out that she was the understudy to the one and only Barbara Streisand? I had to be revived and pulled up off the floor of my office.

Who is this woman that could possibly take on that pressure and live up to that expectation? Lainie Kazan—that’s who! The woman has chutzpah. She took that part and the press that came with it and hasn’t stopped working since. A true entertainer in every sense of the word.

Lainie Kazan was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City at the dead end of Beekman Street. The daughter of a Russian Ashkenazi Jewish father who worked as a bookie and a Turkish Sephardic Jewish mother, Carole, whom Kazan has described as “a gentle Mama Rose,” she would sing and dance for all the neighbors to see (and hear!). She knew from a young age exactly what she wanted to do, and was deter-

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mined to do it. When she was 13 years old when she decided it was time to get the correct training and went on to study and graduate from Hofstra University, in Hempstead, New York.

Kazan made her Broadway debut in The Happiest Girl in the World in 1961 followed by Bravo Giovanni (1962). But her big break came when she served as understudy to Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl, finally getting to go on 18 months into the run when the star was ill with a serious case of strep throat. When I asked her what that moment felt like when they told her she would be going on she said, “It was horrible.

Exhilarating, exciting, everything—I got real sick from it (she laughs) because I took my job very seriously and I wanted to be prepared at every end. I went on and got amazing publicity and press!”

After she displayed her incredible talent in those two shows, she became the “chanteuse” of her native New York, with nightclub stints and guest appearances on virtually every top variety and talk show on network television, including an unparalleled 26 appearances on “The Dean Martin Show.”

She described Dean as, “simply the best. I adored him. He was the funniest, warmest, most sincere guy there was! We had such chem-

The Jewish Mother Everyone Wants

by TANYA SCHWIED

istry and so much fun together.”

I highly recommend checking out the YouTube clips of her and Dean Martin—you can’t help but smile and laugh at the way those two would tease each other.

She even hosted her own variety special for NBC and opened the popular “Lainie’s Room” and “Lainie’s Room East” at the Los Angeles and New York Playboy Clubs. Rave reviews, a record contract and numerous nightclub tours around the world followed. But behind the scenes, Kazan’s mother wasn’t so happy about her career.

“The nightclub world is cruel, and she saw me suffer a lot of pain,” Kazan said.

The sensual magnetism she exuded in her variety shows and nightclub appearances attracted film directors and producers, leading her quickly into acting on both the gold and silver screens. After watching her coo through ballads and belt like a sassy blues vocalist at San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel, an astonished Francis Ford Coppola (also a classmate of hers at Hofstra University) offered her a plum role in “One From The Heart.” In 1983, Lainie received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in Richard Benjamin’s “My Favorite Year,” starring Peter O’Toole.

While Kazan’s early showbiz per-

COVER STORY

“It was horrible. exhilarating, exciting, everything.”

— Laine Kazan

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COVER STORY

Along with playing the role of some our favorite matriarchs, Kazan also spent much of her career as the “chanteuse.”

“Always keep growing, open your mind and soul. When life kicks you down, bust yourself up and get going!”

sona was that of a sexy chanwith honesty and heart. It’s astounding to me how mothers teuse, she eventually found from all ethnic backgrounds— herself relegated to playing whether it be Italian, Jewish, moms, often Jewish, in films or Greek are all very similar. such as “Beaches.” But perhaps the role she is best known Food to soothe, overbearing, smothering, loud and perfect for is in My Big Fat Greek Wedding where she plays in every way. the lovable, traditional Greek Speaking of mothers, when mother Maria Portokalos, I asked her what her favorite role was, her answer was spouting genius lines like my personal favorite, “The man “Mama Rose” from what may be the greatest of all American is the head, but the woman is the neck. And she can turn the musicals, Gypsy. Rose is a — Laine Kazan head any way she wants.” woman boiling over with her Vardalos said she based the characters on own frustrated ambition. She channels all her large, “loud, always-eating Greek fam- her energies into turning her daughters into ily that loves me to the point of suffocation.” stars—to hell with you if you try to get in And Kazan, who plays her Greek mama, hails her way. “I understood her—she wanted to from a similarly boisterous ethnic clan. “It was be that little girl. As a mother she had such everyone talking at the same time, ‘eat and duplicity—the love and also the resentment. you’ll feel better’ and [female] relatives who She built her up but then was so jealous,” said Kazan. We both agreed that when a really nourished, literally and figuratively.”

I asked her if she drew upon her own complex and grand role like that comes along mother for inspiration and she said, “No. My there’s nothing quite like it!

In addition to Ms. Kazan’s extensive resume, mama was a diva.” Although, she told me that she did grow up around women like that—she she also is involved and a supporter of many knew instinctively how to play the character charities. She received the “Woman of the

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Year” award from B’Nai Brith and has graced the stage for many AIDS benefits, telethons and non-profit organizations throughout the United States. Her most recent credit in this area includes “Doin’ What Comes Natrur’lly,” an all-star Broadway tribute to Ethel Merman to benefit Gay Men’s Health Crisis that Lainie both produced and starred in. It also featured Patti LuPone, Elaine Stritch, Andrea Martin, Madeline Kahn and Bette Midler. Lainie was also named the reigning 1997 “Queen of Brooklyn” at a ceremony by Brooklyn Borough President, Howard Golden. She also serves on the Board for the Young Musicians Foundation, AIDS Project LA and B’nai Brith to name just a few. In 1990 she was presented “The Israeli Peace Award.”

As part of the OC Jewish Arts Festival you can see her perform in, “An Evening with Lainie Kazan” on Saturday, Nov. 14th at 7 p.m. at the Merage Jewish Community Center of Orange County. What can we expect from this evening? Kazan told me, “All the great standards, a few originals, and even a few from Funny Girl.” (I tried to hold in my squeals of excitement) Her voice has never sounded better either. She admits that her voice has changed over the years, but critics and jazz lovers praise the maturity and depth of feeling that grew from years of experience.

What’s next for Ms. Kazan you might be wondering? “We just wrapped My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, we had so much fun making it and I’m excited for everyone to go see it.” She also told me that we can expect all of our favorite characters from the original hit movie and even some new familiar faces (John Stamos—hello!) I, for one, will be first in line.

After speaking to this incredibly inspirational woman and wondering how she is still able to push the envelope and sustain such a diverse and fruitful career, I had to ask her, what she thought the best piece of advice for our readers is. “Never give up—as Winston Churchill said. Study and learn. Always keep growing, open your mind and soul. When life kicks you down, bust yourself up and get going. There are a lot of hills and valleys, but it’s all worth it.” Ain’t that the truth!

For tickets to “An Evening with Lainie Kazan” visit www.jccoc.org, and for more information about Ms. Kazan visit www.lainiekazan.com. A

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F E AT U R E S

PHOTO BY CHARLES WEINBERG

Despite the fire’s devastation, members of the synagogue and greater community rallied to bring it back to life.

RETURN & RENEWAL After the Fire at Temple Beth Sholom

BY LISA GRAJEWSKI, PSY.D.

CLOSE TO 900 people gathered on the hot Sunday afternoon to fill Temple Beth Sholom’s (TBS) new sanctuary and celebrate Retrun and Renewal. Attendees were met with a festive atmosphere a year and a half after a kitchen fire decimated the synagogue. It was a spectrum of religious diversity: the Catholic Archdiocese of Orange, Latter Day Saints, clergy from Bat Yam, Beth Tikvah, Beth El, Beth Emet, TBS Rabbi Emeritus Shelton Donnel, and former TBS Rabbi Frank Stern were present at TBS to bring the Torahs home.

In addition community, civic, and state leaders expressed their commendation.

The event began with a series of hakafot, in which hundreds of people participated in the Torah procession around the synagogue’s campus. Before entering the synagogue the Torahs were announced by a blast of the shofar. The Tokea (shofar “Blaster”) paved the way for the 32 OCTOBER 2015 |

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displaced Torahs as they were marched up the center aisles of the new sanctuary and finally placed in their rightful and new dwelling.

Carrying the Torahs were several congregants and staff members who rescued the Torahs the morning of the devastating fire. Keeping with modern technology Rabbi Cohen took a moment to take a selfie as the Torahs were held near the bima.

Despite the fire’s devastation, members of the synagogue and greater community rallied to rebuild the sanctuary, social hall, administrative offices, rabbi’s office, board room, gift shop and kitchen. The $11.2 million project was funded through $3.2 million in insurance and $7.3 million in private donations. Also included in the new construction are a new campus entrance, with an expansive in-door, out-door living room, a new administrative building, drought resistant plants throughout

the campus, a meditation garden outside of the sanctuary and the Horowitz Family Chapel (donated by Bernie and Brad Horowitz in loving memory of wife, mother, and philanthropist, Maxine Horowitz).

“This has been a challenging, yet inspiring journey for our congregation,” said TBS president, Andrea Wasserman. “Return and Renewal was filled with overwhelming emotions. It was hopeful, it was joyous, it was a historical day for all who participated and brought us to this tremendous accomplishment.”

“The leadership of the Return and Renewal event were co-chairs, Michele Shugarman and Soni Sanberg. Our Living Legacy Committee leadership headed by Jeff Winston, Linda and Dan Weissberg, and Bernie Horowitz have, along with their committees, moved mountains in raising funds, planning and working with architects and builders to rebuild our awe-inspiring campus.” Wasserman continued.

The journey is not complete, with “We can. We will. Rebuild TBS” resonating in the ears of congregants, staff and clergy, TBS will continue to work on completing the construction, which is scheduled for completion in December 2015.

And completion goes beyond repairing damage by the fire. Says Wasserman, “Our job is not done... Our original master plan called for the rebuilding of our religious education building. It’s my dream that we all be greatly inspired and motivated to make that our very next priority, as we provide for the needs of our children and theirs…”

To find out more about Temple Beth Sholom and to contribute to the balance of the project go to www.tbsoc.com. A Lisa Grajewski, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist and adjunct Assistant Professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She has been a contributing writer for Jlife magazine since 2004.

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THE SECRET OF CHABAD New book reveals inside story.

BY FLORENCE L. DANN

THE WHITE TRUCK was parked on 49th Street just west of Fifth Avenue. As I peered into it I saw a young bearded man putting phylacteries on another young man. Just then, I heard a voice asking me if I was Jewish. I turned to see yet another young man. When I replied “Yes,” he asked if I would like to learn how to light Shabbat candles. “Thank you” I said, “but I know how.” We both nodded and I continued walking to 5th Avenue to catch a cab to NYU. That was my first encounter with a mitzvah tank—a vehicle used by Chabad members involved in outreach as a portable “educational and outreach center” and “mini-synagogue” (or “minagogue”). Commonly used for advancing Mitzvah campaigns, mitzvah tanks have been commonplace on the streets of New York City since 1974. Today, they are used wherever Chabad is active. And Chabad is very active.

In 1951, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, became the seventh and last Lubavitcher rebbe, and transformed it from a small Chasidic movement into the largest and most widespread Jewish movement in the world today. The Chabad movement represents an intellectual-mystical school of thought established and led by a dynasty of Chasidic rebbes. Few understood the immense scope of Rabbi Schneerson’s vision. Those who did thought the goal difficult, if not impossible, to attain.

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Chabad shluchim (“emissaries”) have moved all over the world to assist Jews with all their religious needs, as well as with physical assistance and spiritual guidance and teaching.

The goal is to encourage Jews to learn more about their Jewish heritage and to practice Judaism.

Typically, a young Lubavitch rabbi and his wife, in their early twenties, will move to a new location, and as they settle in will raise a large family. This family unit will aim to fulfill their mandate of bringing Jewish people closer to Judaism and encouraging non-Jews to adhere to the Seven Laws of Noah.

The Rebbe established a network of more than 3,600 institutions that provide religious, social and humanitarian needs in over 1,000 cities, spanning 80 countries and 49 of the 50 American states. Chabad provides outreach to unaffiliated Jews and humanitarian aid, as well as religious, cultural and educational activities at Chabad-run community centers, synagogues, schools, camps and soup kitchens. When the Rebbe passed in 1994, there were 1,032 shluchim; today there are over 4,200. The growth of the movement and its impact on the Jewish community worldwide is the focus of Rabbi David Eliezrie’s book

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Opposite page: The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson who sparked a worldwide Jewish Renaissance.

PHOTO BY CLIFFORD LESTER

Left: Rabbi David Eliezrie

“The Secret of Chabad.”

Because of its outreach to all Jews, including those quite alienated from religious Jewish tradition, Chabad has been described as the one Orthodox group to evoke great affection from large segments of American Jewry.

Considered one of the most influential movements in modern Judaism, writers have speculated for decades about the unparalleled success of Chabad Lubavitch. Eliezrie attempts to provide the answer.

Eliezrie who attended rabbinical school in Israel and completed his studies in Brooklyn,

founded the Chabad House Jewish Student Center at the University of Miami and served as a chaplain at the school. He came to North Orange County with his wife Stella twenty years ago and started the Chabad Center in Anaheim. They moved the center to Yorba Linda in 1988 and purchased the present campus and founded Congregation Beth Meir HaCohen.

Today, Eliezrie is the president of the Rabbinical Council of Orange County and Long Beach. He serves on the board of the Jewish Federation of Orange County. He

also serves as Chabad’s National laison to Jewish Federations of North America as well as being involved in Chabad national affairs as a member of the Internet Commission of Lubavitch World Headquarters, the Advisory Committee of the Jewish Learning Institute, the Coordinating Committee of the National Jewish Retreat and the International Conference of Shluchim.

“I began writing the book ten years ago with the intention of explaining what Chabad is about,” said Eliezrie. “I felt that the centrality of the role of Chabad in the renaissance of modern Jewish life was not properly understood.” As an insider he felt he needed to find the ability to step back and take a balanced perspective of Chabad.

“There was a great deal of self-reflection in the process of writing this book,” admitted Eliezrie. While originally he wanted to change the perception people have of Chabad, he found perhaps the real story was how and why Chabad has been so successful.

This, “the largest growth in the Jewish community,” is something many in that community want to understand.

After over 200 interviews, Eliezrie provides an inside view of Chabad’s growth by weaving together personal stories with history and philosophical insight. He includes a number of interviews with shluchim and Chabad leaders from across the globe who share their challenging experiences and heart-warming successes.

Eliezrie also addresses the struggle with modernity. While other Chasidic sects chose to insulate from the modern world, Chabad Jlife

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Thousands attend the opening of the Chabad Synagogue in Novosibirsk (the capital of Siberia) in the summer of 2013.

chose a different path. In what he calls, “principled engagement,” three precepts of the Rebbe are closely adhered to: love of G-d, love of Torah and love of the fellow Jew—at whatever level of observance he or she might be. Chabad chose a new approach to how Jews should relate to each other. That meant interacting with the modern world while maintaining the core principles of orthodox halachic Judaism. “Much more challenging,” said Eliezrie. But much more rewarding; it enables Chabad to reach out to all Jews, affiliated or not, in the larger community.

“We have reached lots of people in an incremental way,” said Eliezrie. “While very few Jews become Chasidic, they may move toward higher observance. We encourage Jews to strengthen their Jewishness and we are there to motivate that development.”

Perhaps very significant is how the shluchim work. Once a young rabbi and his wife arrive in their town or city—usually a small concentrated area—they work to determine what the Jewish community really needs. Is it a shul, a school, a senior or college center? Then they create it! It is highly focused on the individual needs of that particular community.

One finds Chabad houses across the globe, in friendly and not so friendly communities.

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ment in Russia. “With the fall of the Soviet Union,” Eliezrie writes, “Judaism would emerge from the shadows. Chabad would take the lead in building from the bottom up.” In fact, in 2013 thousands attended the opening of the Chabad Synagogue in Novisibisk, the capital of Siberia.

When the Pew study of American Jews was released Eliezrie was one of several Chabad rabbis who claimed that the lack of questions about Chabad in this study was a grave mistake. “The study,” he wrote, “ignores the fastest growing segment of the Jewish community, Chabad.”

Eliezrie believes that “American, and for that matter, world Jewry is headed in two opposite directions. Sadly, on one side there are serious effects of assimilation, yet on the other side the Jewish community is becoming more connected to tradition.” He believes that Chabad is the primary locomotive of that shift.

“Many in all segments of the community are deeply impressed by the success of Chabad,” said Eliezrie. “I am hoping that Jews of all backgrounds and affiliations can learn from the Chabad story.” A Florence L. Dann, a fourth year rabbinical student at the Academy for Jewish Religion in LA has been a contributing writer to Jlife since 2004.

BOOK LAUNCH THE SECRET OF CHABAD

by Rabbi David Eliezrie Thursday, October 15, 2015 7:00 p.m Jewish Community Center Rabbi Eliezrie will discuss his book and share highlights of the ten-year journey from inception to publication.

The book will also be available for purchase.

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TRACKING OUR ANCESTORS JewishGen Cemetery Projects Finds Families’ Missing Links

BY FLORENCE L. DANN

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F E AT U R E S

DODGING SPRINKLER SYSTEMS and cleaning dirt, leaves records to the present. It is a compilation of two linked databases: a and mud from grave markers, is all a part of what the intrepid database of burial records, and a database of information about each members of the Jewish Cemetery Project of Orange County face as particular cemetery. JOWBR’s aim is to catalog extant data about they attempt to take pictures of Jewish graves.

Jewish cemeteries and burial records worldwide. Photographs of The sacred grounds upon which our family members and ances- the gravestones are also included in this database. tors are buried hold a plethora of facts often relevant to those who Jewish Gen of Orange County became involved with this project seek information about those who fill their family tree. In particular, after several members explored the JewishGen. Jewish gravestones, or matzevot, can provide valuorg database on their own. Shmuel Fisher, a past able information like the name of the deceased, the president of OCJGS, took it on because he felt it dates of birth and death, their Hebrew name, and had to be done and he wanted to do this. “It is surthe Hebrew name of the father (and occasionally prising that so few people know what is required of the mother.) Knowing these facts can also help The sacred a Jewish grave: parents’ names, dates of birth and researchers (or just the curious) discern whether death, in Hebrew as well as English,” said Fisher. grounds someone is actually the family member or ances“We’ve become too Americanized.” In a few places upon which tor they were seeking. While burial data is just one there were names of children and grandchildren, factor that can contribute to successful genealogiour family but the original surnames were missing; if a womcal research, it is nevertheless an important one. members and an’s maiden name is not mentioned she is lost.

JewishGen, a non-profit organization affiliated ancestors are Once pictures of the graves have been taken they with the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living buried hold are uploaded with all the captured information Memorial to the Holocaust, was founded in 1987 a plethora of as a bulletin board with only 150 users who were from the stones. “Sometimes there were Yiddish interested in Jewish genealogy. Primarily driven information. names I had never heard of before,” said Fisher. by volunteers, today there are over 700 active “And there were also errors in the Hebrew; in one volunteers throughout the world who actively concase the Hebrew was written left to right.” In other tribute to their ever growing collection of databases, resources and cases, grass obscured the writing. search tools. JewishGen hosts more than 20 million records, and When Sandy Bursten of the OCJGS learned of the project several provides a myriad of resources and search tools designed to assist years ago she did a search on it for the state of New Jersey. Only those researching their Jewish ancestry. two names appeared, but to her amazement they happened to be The JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry (JOWBR) is her grandparents whose graves she had never visited. a database of names and other identifying information from Jewish Continued on page 41 cemeteries and burial records worldwide, from the earliest available

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| OCTOBER 2015 39

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F E AT U R E S

PHOTOS BY SHMUEL FISHER

Continued from page 39

Karen Lehrich, Shmuel Fisher, Rhoda Becker, and Adrienne Escoe.

Remembering and honoring our lineage.

A team including Karen Lehrich, Flo Zysman, Adrienne Escoe, Rhoda Becker, Sarit Shalgi, Lyn Long and Shmuel Fisher created spreadsheets that needed to be completed according to JOWBR’s specifications. As they finished each section in the cemetery, they sent the information to JOWBR where it is published. “In entering the data,” said Fisher, “one notices families and children who died much before their time, that some were military veterans, and even indications that the person was a holocaust survivor. Most of the stones had a personal feeling. Some were very moving. It became very emotional.”

The Orange County Jewish Genealogy Society which has served as a resource since 1983, stumbled for a few years then re-emerged in 2011 expanding services to the members of the community. The

Society meets on the fourth Sunday of most months at Temple Bat Yahm in Newport Beach, from 1:30p.m. – 3:30p.m..

Each OCJGS meeting features a speaker covering relevant topics about tracing one’s Jewish ancestors. They also offer hands-on beginner workshops several times each year. Meetings and workshops are designed to help beginners get started in creating a family tree and help experienced genealogists overcome stumbling blocks.

The Cemetery Project allows descendants to discover the graves of long-lost ancestors they never knew and help them connect with their heritage. A Florence L. Dann, a fourth year rabbinical student at the Academy for Jewish Religion in LA has been a contributing writer to Jlife since 2004.

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949-502-4400 www.ocdivorce.net

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F E AT U R E S

COMRADES & CONVERSATION ON THE COURT A win-win for everyone.

BY TANYA SCHWIED

Right: The entire group celebrates Gordon Fishman’s birthday.

Below: Gordon Fishman, a grateful and long- time member of the group.

ALL PHOTOS BY CHARLES WEINBERG

RECENTLY, I HAD the honor and privilege of speaking with a few great guys who have kept up with a wonderful tradition all their own. For the past five or six years, a dozen community seniors meet every week on Friday at 10:30 a.m., most attend University Synagogue. These friends and comrades converge on local tennis courts for an hour and a half. Following the games they gather at a local restaurant for lunch and discuss the news of the day. This has been a very special tradition that these men look forward to every week.

Chuck Weinberg, Jlife’s resident photographer extraordinaire (as you will see from the photos), had this to say: “Basically, I think tennis and the friendships made have

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kept the group healthy.” In short, it is a great way to stay healthy, stay active, keep up longtime friendships and catch up on your week. It seems like a win-win.

Gordon Fishman, a prominent member of the Jewish community, told me that a lot of men their age meet for golf, but that usually takes all day. This way they play a round of up to four games in the morning and still get to catch up over lunch, usually at Strawberry Farms. “We were there so often people started to notice. As more and more members joined us we went from one table to two tables!” The owner eventually decided that they needed a room of their own—with a large, round table—where the group could converse and hang out

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Left: Elliot Vogelfanger shows us what good form is all about.

ALL PHOTOS BY CHARLES WEINBERG

Below: David Stoll, pictured here, showing his famous backhand.

over good food and conversation. They were having so much fun, people started to hear about it and wanted to join them for lunch: even if they don’t play tennis. They were more than happy to oblige. It’s a real good group of guys with a “one-for-all and all-for-one mentality,” said Fishman.

Many years ago, David Stoll, another leader in the community, recalled that Gordon started the tradition of taking the group out for lunch on a birthday.

Gordon’s wife Hannareta baked a cake and that started the movement… they always host a birthday and celebrate it with one another. Stoll said, “It’s an all-comers game and we play in Irvine. We all look forward to being together and going out to lunch

after tennis.”

Every week, each group member sends an email telling the group whether they are playing or not—that way everyone knows that they will always have a partner and always get to play four games with lunch after! This also serves as a way of checking in on each other. If anyone isn’t feeling well or not particularly up for tennis, they have a support system in place. What an incredible and inspiring group! A Tanya Schwied graduated from New York University, studied abroad in Israel, and currently works for the CEO and President of Jewish Federation & Family Services.

“It’s a real good group of guys with a ‘one for all and all for one’ mentality,” said Gordon Fishman.

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F E AT U R E S

Tikvah staff, Cantor Fran Chalin and Rabbi Joe Mendelsohn.

TIKVAH HOSPICE

Blending Jewish Tradition and Values into Care

BY FRAN CHALIN

“WE COULDN’T HAVE taken care of my dad at home without hospice.”

“You made it possible for our family to stop being our mom’s medical team and just go back to being her kids.”

These are sentiments hospice care providers frequently hear from the family members of hospice patients.

Choosing hospice care can be a tough decision, but once the decision is made, families quickly learn that hospice care allows them to focus on quality of life along with their loved ones in end-of-life situations.

The reason is that hospice is not a place; it is a type of care that provides comfort and support to patients and families when an illness can no longer be cured. This is a 44 OCTOBER 2015 |

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Medicare benefit and is also covered by most private insurance providers. Each patient and their family receive services from an interdisciplinary team, consisting of physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, home health aides and volunteers. The entire team provides care in the patient’s home.

As the desire for hospice services grows in the general community, many in the Jewish community have been reluctant to consider this type of end-of-life care because they are concerned their religious practices, traditions, and cultural values will not be understood. In response to this concern, VITAS Healthcare, the nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care, developed “Tikvah” Hospice. “Vitas,” Latin for “life,” chose the

name Tikvah, which means “hope.” Hospice care offers hope; hope to die in peace, surrounded by loved ones, in the place where they call home.

Tikvah staff, Cantor Fran Chalin and Rabbi Joe Mendelsohn, both trained chaplains, offer care consistent with the varied beliefs and cultural values within Jewish tradition. They visit with patients and families, facilitate bereavement groups and bring Yiddish and Jewish music to patients.

Mendelsohn and Chalin educate VITAS staff—Jewish and non-Jewish alike—in: • Beliefs, practice and culture within Jewish tradition • Ethics and philosophy regarding life, the end of life and death • Concerns regarding artificial nutrition and hydration • Religious rituals at the time of death and during the mourning period “Irena,” a Holocaust survivor in Tikvah’s care, would not let herself sleep. “I’m afraid I’m going to wake up dead,” she said. Her Tikvah hospice team both Jewish and nonJewish, received education and training that helped them respond to unique emotional and medical concerns within the survivor community. Chalin sat with Irena and together they sang Yiddish lullabies. Irena’s children said they watched their mother relax with the melodies. “Our mom never talked about life in the camps even though we asked throughout her life,” Irena said.

“She told us she spoke with Cantor Fran, and if we really needed to know, we could ask her. It’s funny, just knowing that she was finally able to talk about it is enough. VITAS made it possible for her to be with us, and to finally be at peace.”

For more information about Tikvah Hospice or VITAS Healthcare, visit www.VITAS.com or call (714) 921-2273. A

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Jlife

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out&about MASON JENNINGS

PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS

Indie folk artist Mason Jennings will play the Coach House Concert Hall on Oct. 24. Jennings has been associated with Glacial Pace Records, a subsidiary of Sony’s Epic Records headed

by Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock. Brock is said to have convinced Jennings to sign after the Mason Jennings Band had opened for several Modest Mouse shows in 2004. Jennings later signed with Jack Johnson’s record label, Brushfire Records after they met at Gustavus Adolphus College’s Earth Jam in 2001. Both enjoyed the other’s musical style and toured together shortly afterward.

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Cat Power

GETTING MY ACT TOGETHER

GRANDMASTER FLASH

This World Premiere hybrid based on Gretchen Cryer’s and Nancy Ford’s 1978 Off-Broadway musical will be playing at the Laguna Playhouse Oct. 7 – Nov. 1.

Act One, the original musical, introduces Heather, a 39-yearold divorced songwriter attempting a comeback by ditching the romantic songs of her past for a more personal collection.

Don’t miss one of Hip-Hop’s founding fathers playing at the Wayfarer in Costa Mesa Oct. 10. In the early 70’s, Joseph Saddler, aka Grandmaster Flash, was living in the South Bronx and studying electrical engineering. His knowledge of audio equipment led him to an idea that would revolutionize the way he Played music: the turntable became his instrument.

THE ODDBALL COMEDY & CURIOSITY FESTIVAL Funny or Die has announced the 2015 lineup for its annual Oddball Comedy & Curiosity Festival with a stop on Oct. 11 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine. Aziz Ansari and Amy Schumer will return as top-billed acts this year alongside 20 other topnotch comics.

THE ORQUESTA BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB One night only in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall on Oct. 11 with one performance at 7 p.m.

The group’s phenomenon began as an impromptu recording session by Cuba’s most venerated singers and musicians. Now traveling on their Adios Tour, these legendary artists return one last time to the Center as part of the Jazz Weekend.

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE | October 2015

Counting Crows American 90s rock band hailing from Berkeley, CA, Counting Crows, will be playing Oct. 2 at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine. This show finds Counting Crows following up their critically-acclaimed seventh album, Somewhere Under Wonderland, as part of the U.S. leg of their 2015 worldwide tour after the band returned from soldout shows throughout Europe, Australia and Canada.

This multi-platinum recording group is welcomed along with the tour’s special guest artists like; Citizen Cope, known for his trademark mix of soul, folk and R&B during his commanding live shows, and Outlaw Road Show favorite Hollis Brown. Formed in 1991, the band consists of Jewish frontman Adam Duritz (lead vocals, piano), David Bryson (guitar), Charlie Gillingham (accordion, keyboards), Dan Vickrey (lead guitar), David Immerglück (guitar, banjo, mandolin), Jim Bogios (drums) and Millard Powers (bass).

Counting Crows gained popularity following the release of

its debut album, August and Everything After (1993), which featured the hit single “Mr. Jones.”

They have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide and received a 2004 Academy Award nomination for their song “Accidentally in Love,” which was included in the film Shrek 2. The band has stated their influences include Van Morrison, R.E.M., Mike + The Mechanics, Nirvana, Bob Dylan and The Band.

Duritz is a founding member and principal composer of the group’s catalogue of songs. He has branched out as the owner of at least two record labels, acting as his own artists and repertoire (A&R) man. His

work scoring music for film has been recognized by the music industry, notably with an award for co-writing the song “Accidentally in Love.”

Singer Duritz and guitarist Bryson came up with the group’s name when they first began playing San Francisco coffeehouses together, performing under the name Counting Crows.

The name was taken from One for Sorrow, a British divination nursery rhyme about the superstitious counting of magpies, a member of the crow family. Duritz heard the rhyme in the film Signs of Life, which starred his close friend, actress Mary-Louise Parker. Developing a following in the Bay Area

and deciding to expand the band, Duritz and Bryson kept the name as they added members.

The band actively encourages the recording of its concerts and the distribution of the resulting bootleg recordings. The band hosts a trading network on its website to enable fans to swap concert recordings. Sale of fan recordings for profit is prohibited; fans must either trade their own recordings for others or pay for blank media, postage and packaging.

An unofficial torrent site, named Crowstown, offers a vast quantity of video and live audience recordings for free.

Counting Crows

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A&E

Faye Kellerman

“where better to do a book tour?” In her new book, “The Theory of Death,” Rina Lazarus and her husband, Detective Peter Decker, have relocated from L.A. to a quiet little town in upstate New York. But when murder and mayhem blow into town, Decker and a more fully involved Rina become the town’s best hope for resolution.

Like his fictional protagonist, Alex Delaware, Jonathan Kellerman received a Ph.D. in psychology at the age of 24, with a specialty in the treatment of chilWOMEN’S dren. In 1985, Jonathan’s first CONNECTION novel, “When the Bough presents Breaks,” was published An Evening with to enormous critical and the Kellermans: commercial success and A Writing Dynasty became a New York Times bestseller. Since then he has Sunday, November 8 at 7:00 p.m. published over three dozen University Synagogue, best-selling crime novels.

Irvine A couple of years ago, Jonathan and his son Jesse coauthored “The Golem of Hollywood” which they are now following up with “The Golem of Paris,” a fast-paced sequel. “How and why we co-authored these books,” said Jonathan, “and where the inspiration came from, is a great tale and we look forward to sharing at this event.”

“The Kellermans, like the characters they create,” says Pronin, who will moderate the Nov. 8 event. “They are warm and unpretentious people with a sense of humor about themselves and the world, and a deep devotion to Jewish family values. Their fans are in for a wonderful evening of delightful, hamish entertainment.” do a program at the synagogue.”

“We are thrilled to sponsor this unique Most readers were introduced to Faye event for book lovers,” said Clark. “We invite Kellerman with her first novel, “The Ritual everyone to meet and greet this dynamic famBath,” in 1986. The first Peter Decker and ily. Get your books signed, take some photos Rina Lazarus mystery, centers on a police and schmooze with the Kellermans at a lovely detective raised as a Southern Baptist who dessert reception.” returns to his Jewish roots after falling in love Each ticket includes the dessert reception with Rina Lazarus, an Orthodox Jew, while and a signed copy of one of the Kellerman’s investigating a rape that took place near a just-released books. Reservations can be made yeshiva. Today, there are more than 20 million online at www.universitysynagogue.org. A copies in print internationally.

“We deal with Jewish themes in our writing, Florence L. Dann, a fourth year rabbinical stuand Orange County has such an active, thriv- dent at the Academy for Jewish Religion in LA ing Jewish community,” said Faye Kellerman, has been a contributing writer to Jlife since 2004.

THRILLER WRITERS COME TO THE OC The Kellermans make mystery their business.

BY FLORENCE L. DANN

JUST ABOUT ANYONE who is a mystery buff, knows the name Kellerman. Faye and Jonathan Kellerman have been best-selling mystery writers for nearly three decades, and their son Jesse joined the “family business” in 2006 when he published his first novel. All three Kellermans will be guests at University Synagogue, Sunday November 8.

“Faye and Jonathan were colleagues of our synagogue member Barbara Pronin,” said Sherry Clark of the Women’s Connection who is sponsoring the event. “Since the Kellermans are also very active in the Jewish community, they were happy to respond when Barbara invited them to 48 OCTOBER 2015 |

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PHOTO BY STACI VALENTINE

A&E

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European Plum Meringue Torte

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A&E

PHOTO BY STACI VALENTINE

I was cooking Jewish anyway without even realizing it.

Meat-and Rice-Stuffed Summer Squash

FALL’S BOUNTY Spice up your hearts and homes.

BY JUDY BART KANCIGOR

It was such a natural transition. Food writer and cooking teacher Amelia Saltsman has long been an ardent champion of local family farms and farmers’ markets—her best-selling cookbook “The Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook” (Blenheim Press, $22.95) is as much an homage to the farmers, their histories, and their commitment to excellence as it is a collection of fuss-less, artful recipes—and now she brings her expertise and abiding respect for the food they grow to her newest cookbook, “The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen” (Sterling Epicure, $29.95).

“When I’m cooking, I really want to intensify the flavors that these farmers have worked so hard to produce,” she told me. “It’s a very mindful approach. I respect what the farmers have done and let

the ingredients talk to me. There’s a very spiritual side to it that I didn’t consciously think about until doing this book.

“I may not be a very religious, observant Jew, but my cooking is filtered through my heritage. The ancient Hebrews were among the world’s early sustainable farmers. Our ancient observances are derived from agriculture, celebrating the bountiful season’s crops. What are we about if not about that? I was cooking Jewish anyway without even realizing it.

We all cook and choose ingredients based on our history in some way. I clearly cook inspired by my roots.”

The daughter of a Romanian mother and Iraqi father who met in Israel and immigrated to Los Angeles where she was born, Saltsman draws on her rather eclectic

heritage, offering 150 seasonal, satisfying recipes from her Iraqi grandmother’s kitchri (slow-cooked red lentils and rice with garlic puree) to an updated take on her Romanian family’s borscht (this version with buttermilk and fresh ginger).

She takes a fresh approach to traditional recipes while staying true to the ideas behind them. “Who didn’t grow up with stuffed vegetables, whether you’re Ashkenazi or Sephardic, whether it was stuffed eggplant or stuffed cabbage?” she observed. “Stuffed squash is traditionally stewed for a long period of time and very saucy. The way I cook, I roast the squash to caramelize the flavors and preserve its integrity and color.

I don’t want to mask or drown it or slap something on it to update it. I want it to resonate in a 21st century way.”

And because she is a veritable walking encyclopedia of all things grown, Saltsman’s Jewish cookbook is filled with interesting tidbits and factoids that deepen your understanding of the ingredients and our traditions. Did you know that the etrog (citron) was being used as a symbol of Sukkot by the time of the Maccabees and that after the fall of the Roman Empire it was primarily grown by Jews?

Inspired by the Jewish calendar, Saltsman organizes the recipes into six micro-seasons.

“Two-month increments make it so much easier to understand when things are at their peak,” she explained. “The holidays fit into those times. Traditional holiday foods, even from the bible, are reflected in what you are likely to see in the market at that time.”

The September and October chapter celebrates the autumn harvest and the transition from summer to fall. For the last days of Sukkot (the holiday ends October 4) we feast traditionally on stuffed foods, symbolizing abundance. “Choose shiny, firm, small-to-medium squash for this dish,” she advises.

You won’t find artificial ingredients in “The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen. “My food philosophy, plain and simple,” Saltsman said, “is use well-raised, whole, real foods.”

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A&E

Traditional holiday foods are reflected in what you are likely to see in the market at that time.

Meat-and Rice-Stuffed Summer Squash 8 servings Small eggplants are also delicious prepared this way.

8-12 medium-size round summer squash (6-8 ounces each) Extra-virgin olive oil Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 pound ground beef or lamb 1 small onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 pound meaty sauce tomatoes, such as Roma, peeled and chopped 2 cups cooked rice

tomatoes; cook, stirring often, until squash is tender and vegetable juices have thickened, 5-10 minutes. Return meat to pan, add rice, basil and ras el hanout. Mix well. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

4 Oil heavy, shallow baking pan. Scatter

remaining chopped tomato over bottom of pan. Fill each squash, mounding to extend above case.

Place filled squashes, cut side up and close together in pan; top with caps.

Bake until very tender, exposed filling browned in places, and tomatoes on bottom of pan have melted into a small amount of thick sauce, 25-30 minutes.

Serve warm.

European Plum Meringue Torte

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian basil or Italian parsley leaves

About 12 servings

2 teaspoons ras el hanout (North African spice mixture)

Use late summer firm Italian plums.

Substitute pears or apples later in the year.

1 Preheat oven to 425°F. 2 Cut stem end off each squash and

reserve. Using paring knife and small pointed spoon, scoop out flesh from each squash, leaving shell 1/4-inch thick. Finely chop scooped-out flesh and reserve. Brush squash cases and caps, inside and out, with olive oil and season with salt. Place cut side down on sheet pan without crowding Roast until just tender and cut edges are browned, 15-18 minutes. Turn squash cut-side up to cool. Reduce temperature to 375°F.

3 Place large skillet over medium-high

heat. Brown meat with salt and pepper, 5-7 minutes. Transfer meat to bowl. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan and return to medium heat. Add onion and a little salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute.

Stir in chopped squash and half the

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FILLING: 1 1/2 pounds (10-25 ripe European-type plums, pitted and chopped (3-4 cups) 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

MERINGUE: Reserved egg whites 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 Filling: In wide pot or skillet cook plums,

sugar, butter and lemon juice over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and adjusting heat to prevent burning, until glossy, thick and reduced in half, 10-15 minutes. Scrape onto plate or sheet pan, spreading to cool rapidly.

2 For cake instructions go to our website: ocjewishlife.com.

3 Meringue: With whisk attachment beat

egg whites on low speed until foamy.

On high speed, gradually add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

4 Assembly: Spread plum filling over top

of cake in pan. Spoon meringue in large dollops over filling, spread and swirl to cover. Sprinkle almonds evenly over meringue. Bake until meringue is golden and almonds are lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

5 Cool completely on wire rack. Run thin-

bladed knife or spatula around edge of pan to loosen sides; unlatch and remove pan ring. Slide onto serving platter. Cut into wedges to serve.

CAKE: 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan 1/3 cup sugar 3 eggs, separated 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

Source: “The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen” by Amelia Saltsman For an extended version of this article, please visit www.ocjewishlife.com.

Jlife food Editor Judy Bart Kancigor is the author of “Cooking Jewish” (Workman) and “The Perfect Passover Cookbook” (an e-book short from Workman), a columnist and feature writer for the Orange County Register and other publications and can be found on the web at www.cookingjewish.com.

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| OCTOBER 2015 53

News&Jews OC JEWISH SCENE | OCTOBER 2015

Domestic Violence Presentation with Tanya Simpson Domestic Violence: Where It Starts & How It Can End, An intimate evening with Tanya Brown, sister of Nicole Brown Simpson is presented by Jewish Federation & Family Services on October 14 from 5-9:00 p.m. in the Myers Theatre.

In lieu of entry fee, please bring a canned food item, old cell phone or gently worn professional clothing to benefit organizations helping domestic violence survivors. For more information, contact info@jffs.org.

Beverly Jacobs

Democracy and Human Rights On Monday, October 12, at 7 p.m., the Hon. Aharon Barak, the former President of the Supreme Court of the State of Israel, will give a community lecture entitled, “The Nature and Characteristics of Israel as a Jewish and Democratic State.” President Barak’s talk is sponsored by the Rose Project of JFFS, Hillel Foundation of Orange County, UC Irvine School of Law and UC Irvine Department of Political Science. It is free and open to the community with advanced registration. Seating is very limited. This is the first part of a threepart series on Democracy and Human Rights in Israel presented by the Israeli Supreme Court. Contact Lisa Armony at lisa@jffs.org for more information; or go to www.JewishOC.org/Rose.

Carol Cirillo Stanley

Collaborative Exhibition Recently, Ceramist Beverly Jacobs and photographer Carol Cirillo Stanley held a reception at the Merage Jewish Community Center’s Slutzky Art Gallery to kick off artwork on display from September 6 to September 20. The chimerical art exhibition invited the viewer to ponder the deep historic and rich symbolism of the pomegranate [Hebrew: Rimon], whose mystery and diversity were explored in the unique mixed media show.

Heritage Pointe Healthy Living Seminar Series Heritage Pointe introduces an Informative Seminar Series addressing a variety of topics related to staying healthy while aging. The next event is “Keeping Your Brain Healthy” presented by Dr. Tonia Vojtkofsky, Psy.D and President and CEO of Cognitive Care Solutions on Wednesday, October 7 at 2:00 p.m. Learn how at any age we can learn various strategies that help keep the brain stronger for longer. For more information please call (949) 364-9684.

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News&Jews 25th Anniversary Celebration

New “Pets at Rest” Service

Heritage Pointe is excited to host the Grand Finale of our year-long 25th Anniversary Celebration with a performance by Roy Firestone on Sunday evening, November 15 at the Irvine Marriott Hotel. Roy is a dynamic performer, monologist, humorist, musician and impressionist. Jewish dietary laws will be observed. Funds raised at this unique event support The Heritage Fund and are used to care for those seniors in need of financial assistance while in residence at Heritage Pointe. Contact Pamela Davis, Director of Special Events, at (949) 364-0010 for sponsor opportunities and admission information.

Rabbi Sally Olins is pleased to announce the launch of a new business venture called Pets At Rest, offering grief counseling and memorial services to those who have lost an animal companion. The loss of a devoted pet can be a painful experience, and the personalized grief counseling and non-denominational memorial services offered by Pets At Rest are designed to help pet owners go through a healing process and say goodbye to their cherished animal friends. For more information please call (818) 388-8867 or e-mail rsops@me.com.

Roy Firestone

University Synagogue’s OC Jewish Film Fest A record 290 audience members packed Regal’s Edwards theater last month as Orange County’s largest Jewish-themed film festival kicked off its 26th season with Sony Pictures Classics’ Labyrinth of Lies. The festival continues through next April with 19 international feature, documentary and special presentations.

OCJFF welcomes six new co-sponsors as the festival grows in popularity, breadth and diversity. Features shown in comfort at the Regal Westpark 8 Cinemas in Irvine; documentary screenings at University Synagogue. For film synopses and to order tickets online visit ocjff.org, or contact us during business hours at Gary Gould (949) 553-3535.

Maccabi Athletes March into Former Nazi Stadium This summer Team USA sent 168 athletes to the European Maccabi Games in Berlin. The team included Catie Chase of Irvine, the graddaughter of two Holocaust survivors. Said Chase, “The stadium was once the center of Nazi atrocities, and I–and a lot of others–sent a message against antiSemitism, changing the history of that place. That I got to do it in honor of my grandparents is unprecedented.”

CATIE SCORES! PHOTO BY MARK SUSSON

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LIFESTYLE

NextGen

Matthew Pincus, Andrea Pincus, Stephanie Fluger, Rachel Schiff and Brett Poirier Hilary Vernon, Zach Melmet and Nicolette Kinsbursky

Heather Rosenthal, Stephanie Fluger, Rebecca Miller Schilleci, Melissa Miller, Katerina Hencova and Lindsay Orr Lisa and Andrew Grier

Join us for NextGen’s The OC Event Sunday, November 15

Jocelyn Lieppman, Micha Newman, Cambria Cavanagh and Gal Spivak

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On August 22, NextGen hosted 80 young adults for the annual campaign event, 3D – Donors. Drinks. Dinner.

Taking place at the beautiful Newport Beach home of Blossom Siegel, NextGen enjoyed a variety of delicious wines and a catered organic gourmet dinner from The Health Emporium. NextGen welcomed guest Keynote Speaker Gidi Grinstein of The Reut Institute in Tel Aviv, and honored NextGen Chair Lisa Grier with the inaugural Blossom Siegel NextGen Leadership award.

JewGlue

Over 140 young adults from across Southern California enjoyed dancing, drinks, and music while sailing away in the Newport Harbor for the second annual “Jews Cruise!” JewGlue is a program of NextGen, the young adult department of Jewish Federation & Family Services (JFFS). For more information about NextGen and to learn about upcoming events, contact us at NextGen@jffs. org, or visit www.JewishOC. org/NextGen.

LIFESTYLE

Alan Dershowitz will entertain the crowd at the OC Jewish Arts Festival, November 10-23.

OC JEWISH ARTS FESTIVAL 2015 Celebrating Jewish Culture Through Music, Books and Film

BY JLIFE

FEATURING 12 SCINTILLATING events in just 15 days, the OC Jewish Arts Festival 2015 promises to be the biggest yet.

Thousands are expected to attend, as the Festival is considered the largest Jewish event in Orange County and a cornerstone of the diverse community. “We are creating a spectacular presence in Orange County celebrating the many facets of Jewish culture through music, film, books and dance,” said Dan Bernstein, Merage JCC President and CEO. “The number and quality of events comprising this year’s Festival are a strong testament to Jewish arts, and to our community’s support of the arts.”

The Festival launches with a much heralded pre-event: famed lawyer, jurist and author, Alan Dershowitz, presents his hot-off-the60 OCTOBER 2015 |

Jlife

presses book (out October 6) Abraham: The World’s First (But Certainly Not Last) Jewish Lawyer. Dershowitz is a New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books. He is a Professor of Law, Emeritus, at Harvard Law School, and has practiced law for more than fifty years.

In this amusing survey of Jewish lawyers throughout history, Dershowitz profiles Jewish lawyers both well-known and unheralded, admired and excoriated, victorious and defeated. Louis Brandeis, Theodor Herzl, Judah Benjamin, Max Hirschberg, Rene Cassin, Bruno Kreisky, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan are a few of the “idolsmashers, advocates, collaborators, rescuers, and deal-makers” whose advocacy helped to change history.

Dershowitz’ will entertain a sell-out crowd.

Ambassador Dennis Ross promises to be a Festival showstopper as well.

Ross, a scholar and diplomat, has served under presidents George H. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Named Special Middle East Envoy by President Bill Clinton, he helped Israelis and Palestinians reach the 1995 Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, facilitated the IsraelJordan peace treaty and helped negotiate talks between Israel and Syria.

Known for his provocative dialogues, Ross will discuss his timely new book Doomed to Succeed: The U.S.-Israel Relationship from Truman to Obama.

It wouldn’t be a festival without a measure of wit. Christopher Noxon brings Plus One, A novel to the festival. Noxon is an author and journalist, as well as husband to Jenji Kohan, creator of the television series Weeds and Orange is the New Black. Over lunch Noxon will share his funny story about an interfaith family, set in contemporary Los Angeles.

When wife Figgy’s fourteenth television pilot becomes a huge, Emmy-winning hit, husband Alex Sherman-Zicklin is sucked into a mad show business vortex and quits his job to become the family’s “domestic first responder.” It is the story of a caretaking support goy, his breadwinning Jewish wife, and the fastchanging roles of parents and partners.

On a more serious note, Dan Ephron will discuss Killing a King: The Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the Remaking of Israel.

Ephron served as Jerusalem bureau chief of Newsweek and covered both the rally where Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated and the subsequent murder trial. His book is based upon documents and interviews with all of the key players including members of the assassin’s family. The murder of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by Yigal Amir remains the single most consequential event in Israel’s recent history.

For the complete schedule visit the 2015 OC Jewish Arts Festival, www.JCCOC.org. A

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Many Jewish films use nostalgia to help viewers connect with their “Jewish-ness.”

REELING IN THE MILLENNIALS Jewish Nostalgia in 21st Century Film.

BY DVORAH LEWIS

AS A MEMBER of the millennial generation, limited participation of women in Torah study, life in the Old Country or even growing up in a predominately Jewish neighborhood— are a few of many aspects to the Jewish experience that are foreign to me. There’s a reason why my connection to my Jewish identity is strengthened through films like Yentl, An American Tail, and Biloxi Blues. Okay, it may be difficult to relate to a mouse, but the film still creates that yearning to connect with the past.

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Younger generations are increasingly becoming removed from these experiences that have helped shape Jewish identity. For some, their only connection to Jewish culture is through films depicting Jewish life. The experience of yearning for the past and the sense of familiarity while watching films is referred to as nostalgia. Many Jewish films employ this technique, especially before the turn of the century.

But, what about the 21st century? Sure, there have been many films, especially in

the comedy genre, that sprinkle Yiddish here and there, but that’s not enough to evoke nostalgia. One film that was not an instant hit, but became a cult classic was Wet Hot American Summer (2001). It was not explicit in its Jewish nature and addresses an audience whose identity is more fluid. This movie is more than a film about summer sleep-away camps—it’s about an intrinsic part of the Jewish experience. I never went to a Jewish summer camp, and yet I was still able to feel connected to the characters and feel a sense of familiarity. There are other Jewish experiences that are similar to summer camp, such as religious school or birthright, that still successfully creates nostalgia. Jewishness is not a focus in the film, but it’s definitely in the background enriching the viewing experience.

The new series on Netflix, released at the end of July, chronicles the first day of camp and includes even more Jewish connections, from shofars to shlichim (a camp resident from Israel). This film, and series, brings a different form of nostalgia, one that reflects the current state of Jewish identity and its fluidity.

Another film of this century that evokes nostalgia in a different way is Everything is Illuminated (2005) adapted from a book by Jonathan Safran Foer about a Jewish man who travels to Ukraine to find the woman who saved his grandfather from Nazis. Similar to other films of this century, look to A Serious Man for another example, this film addresses the preoccupation with putting together the fragments of the past to understand the present. There is also an anxiety hovering like a dark cloud: a fear that Jewish culture will continue to abate, coming closer and closer to obsolescence. Jewish nostalgia within films is then essential for the transmission of culture from the older to the younger generation. A Dvorah Lewis is a contributing writer.

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Jlife

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LIFESTYLE

Bullets and Bagel’s Gabriel Steinmann & actor Joe Mantegna

A SHOOTING SCHMIRACLE! OC Gun Enthusiasts Mix Bullets with Bagels

BY ADAM CHESTER

MOST PEOPLE DON’T know the history of bagels. Beginning as a simple piece of bread, it wasn’t until Moses shot a 9mm bullet through the center of the doughy-delicacy, piercing an aesthetically pleasing hole, that the first “holy” breakfast food for the Hebrew people was created. Now a staple in every Jewish kitchen, we often forget to appreciate the history of what has become synonymous with Jewish soul food.

Okay, maybe Moses didn’t own a handgun, and tracing the origins of bagels can be discussed later. However, Jews with guns is a topic which interests many people in Orange County. Recently, roughly 125 individuals, mainly but not exclusively Jewish, came together for the “Bullets & Bagels” event on August 23 at Raahauges Outdoor Range 64 OCTOBER 2015 |

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in Corona to share their passion for firearms.

Bullets & Bagels, founded in 2013 by prominent mohel, physician, and gun-enthusiast Dr. Fred Kogen, is a non-profit offering a comfortable, supervised venue for networking, firearm education and safety, and of course, noshing. The organization, rooted in a fervor to exercise our Second Amendment rights, provides enjoyment for not only firearm aficionados, and also “gun virgins.”

At the August event, members including Rabbis, NYPD officers, college students, doctors, and lawyers had the opportunity to test Israeli-made weaponry like the combat-proven Tavor, Jericho 941FS and Galil Rifle, all courtesy of Israeli Weapons Industry, US (IWI).

When participants weren’t testing out the IWI products and meeting vendors, they were

schmoozing, discussing politics, Israel, and guns near the buffet of endless-eats. Starting with a breakfast medley of custom Got Kosher and Katella Deli bagels, juices, and freshfruits, the culinary experience progressed to lunch platters, which included mile-high sandwich options, Mangiamo’s Gelato, and a plethora of ice-cold drinks. And cool drinks were just what was needed to satiate the shooters who were putting bullets through bullseyes in temperatures reaching the mid-90’s.

Though an event with guns may sound intimidating, rest-assured the environment was friendly, fun, not overwhelmingly political and extremely safe. The plentitude of volunteer NRA instructors helped provide the novice participants with a sense of comfort in firing a weapon, a skill oft unappreciated until acquired, yet on the minds of many Jews in today’s society.

“Come a little closer, Mike, I’m not going to circumcise you,” joked Kogen, as he introduced Michael Kassnar of IWI. “Anytime we get to show the world that not all Jews are antigun, that’s a good thing,” said Kassnar, before welcoming Hollywood actor Joe Mantegna from “Criminal Minds” and “The Godfather Part III,” who led an entertaining auction of three state-of-the-art Tavor rifles, with proceeds earmarked for the FIDF. It may’ve been a “Schmiracle” to get over 100 Jews in the middle of Corona, but after another successful event, Kogen has hopes of accruing 250 members by year’s end, and expanding beyond California. Jlife encourages readers to step outside their comfort zone and aim their sites on Bullets & Bagels, it’s worth a shot! If you’d like to “Ready, Aim, Shmear!” visit www.bullets-bagels.com. A Adam Chester studied Psychology at UCSD and is the NextGen Outreach & Engagement Coordinator at JFFS.

CONCIERGE PODIATRY NEWPORT BEACH: Proudly announces the acquisition of the newest laser technology for treating nail fungus.

With summer approaching, bring back the toes you remember.

Concierge Podiatry’s Dr. Ivar Roth

Fungus lives under the nail surface, which makes getting rid of it very difficult.

Earlier medical lasers require manual operation to destroy fungus. These often miss areas of infection and can burn sensitive skin.

Mention this ad for a free tube of Foot Rejuvenation Gel with your first visit.

A $50.00 value.

Concierge Podiatry is the first medical practice to offer the Noveon NaiLaser in Southern California.

For a personal consultation contact Concierge Podiatry

949-650-1147 For more information visit noveonlaser.com

The FDA-approved Noveon Nail Laser TM uses patented photobiology and computer controlled operation to quickly and completely destroy fungus. The Nail Laser is fully automatic, able to treat multiple toes simultaneously, bathing each toenail with a computer controlled mix of light wavelengths specifically selected to destroy fungus while controlling heat.

Fungus nail care is now available for the low price of $399 for the first visit, $299 for follow-up visits and $150 for follow up visits without laser.

LIFESTYLE

WEDNESDAYS SEPT. 30 – NOV. 18 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

SENIORS

CALENDAR OCTOBER 2015

MONDAYS 10:00 AM

7:00 PM

Drop-in Mah Jongg Merage JCC

News & Views Merage JCC

TUESDAYS 10:30 AM

10:00 – 11:00 AM What’s Up Bob & Ruth Wilkoff Ezra AAFC

The View for Women of All Ages Merage JCC

10:00 AM

Tai Chi/ Jack Finkelstein Ezra AAFC

10:30 AM

Stretching/ Jerry Steinberg Ezra AAFC

WEDNESDAYS & FRIDAYS 8:45 AM & 10:00 AM Gentle Yoga Merage JCC

THURSDAYS 9:30 AM

Keeping Fit/ Mel Grossman Ezra AAFC

11:00 AM

Various Lecture Topics Ezra AAFC

10:30 AM

Various Lecture Topics Ezra AAFC

11:30 AM

Drop-in Bridge Merage JCC

FRIDAYS 10:00 AM

Men’s Club at the JCC Merage JCC

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SUNDAY, OCT. 18 12:30 AM & 1:30 PM

Learn to Play Mah-Jongg (8 classes) Merage JCC

Senior Comedy Afternoon Lunch and Show Double Tree Hotel, Torrance (714) 914-2565 seniorcomedyafternoons.com

WEDNESDAYS OCT. 7, 21 & NOV. 4, 18 (4 CLASSES) 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

TUESDAY, OCT. 20 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Learn to Trace Your Jewish Ancestry & Search Your Family Tree Merage JCC

Books & Bagels in the Sukkah “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah Merage JCC

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7 10:30 – 11:30 AM

SUNDAY, OCT. 25 1:30 PM

Understanding the Dementia Disease Process Prof. Pamela Berkson Merage JCC

OCJGS: What is JOWBR, JewishGen’s Online Worldwide Burial Registry and How is OCJGS Participating?

Temple Bat Yahm

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7 & 21 11:00 AM

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28 10:30 – 11:30 AM

“Writing for Reminiscences” Marilyn Silverstein Temple Beth Tikvah

MONDAYS, OCT. 9 – 30 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Refresher Mah Jongg- 4 classes Merage JCC

SUNDAY, OCT. 11 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM Poker League Merage JCC

MONDAYS, OCT. 12 – NOV. 30 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Learn to Play Mah Jongg- 8 classes Merage JCC

TUESDAYS, OCT. 13 – NOV. 17 9:45 – 11:45 AM Intermediate Bridge6 classes Merage JCC

WEDNESDAYS, OCT. 14, 21, 28 & NOV. 4 (4 CLASSES) 11:30 AM– 1:00 PM iPhone Tips & Secrets Beyond Essentials Merage JCC

Women’s Connection Lecture Series The Myth of Aging Presented by Nadine Durbach, MSW Merage JCC

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28 7:00 – 8:30 PM

Our Jewish Lecture Series How Jewish Are Italian Jews?

Prof. Shira Klein Merage JCC The Merage Jewish Community Center is located at 1 Federation Way Suite 200, Irvine, (949) 435-3400 x 303.

For reservations please contact Geri Dorman, Prime Time Adult Director at: gerid@jccoc.org.

The Ezra Center is located at Temple Beth Emet on Monday & Thursday (1770 W. Cerritos, Anaheim), (714) 776-1103 and Temple Beth Tikvah on Wednesday (1600 N. Acacia), (714) 871-3535.

Temple Bat Yahm is located at 1011 Camelback St., Newport Beach. For reservations please contact Michelle Sandler at: (949) 423-3746

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Jlife

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LIFESTYLE

ORANGE COUNTY’S JEWISH HISTORY The House of Hippolyte

BY DALIA TAFT

BLOGOSPHERE Jlife wants to acknowledge some of the interesting blogs related to the Jewish community. Enjoy!

TOP: Hippolyte Cahen Envelope (cropped), 1870s RIGHT: Hippolyte Cahen, Anaheim, 1880s

TRACING THE TRIBE A blog about Jewish genealogy - All the developments, tools and resources you’ll need to peer more closely into your family tree. tracingthetribe.blogspot.com

AMERICAN JEWISH WORLD SERVICE Hippolyte (pronounced “Hippo-leet”) Cahen was born in Oran, Algeria in 1847 and emigrated to the U.S. as a young man. He lived for a short time in San Francisco before moving to Anaheim, and ten years later, in 1878, he became a naturalized citizen. Cahen quickly rose to a position of prominence; he owned a successful general store, started the First National Bank of Anaheim (Anaheim’s second), served on the Anaheim Water Board and was a Town Trustee from 188687. Married in 1880 to Anna Adelaide Meyerholz, Cahen had a beautiful Victorian house built for their growing family two years later. Completely restored to its original condition in the 1980s, the home is now part of the Anaheim Colony Historic District and is host to many local events and historical tours.

Dalia Taft, archivist of the Orange County Jewish Historical Society - a program of Jewish Federation & Family Services - highlights images from the archives every month. For more information, please visit www.jewishorangecounty.org. You can also contact Dalia at history@jffs.org or at (949) 435-3484, ext. 167.

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What Does “Jewish Philanthropy” Mean for the Next Generation of Jewish Leaders? ajws.org/blog/jewishphilanthropy-next-generation

BLOOD AND FROGS: JEWISH GENEALOGY AND MORE This web site is a place to learn about researching your family roots, particularly Jewish family roots. bloodandfrogs.com/welcome

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with Social Justice Maverick Rabbi Sharon Brous

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Writing Your Bar/Bat Mitzvah Dvar Torah via Dvar Torah Speed Dating TVT invites bar/bat mitzvah bound 6th and 7th graders to meet with up to 12 different Rabbis.

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Explore the pressing social issues of the day with one of America’s most eloquent Rabbis.

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| OCTOBER 2015 69

Advertising Index

67 Allan Silverman 31 Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine 69 Blue Mountain Realty 45 Bradley S. Erodsi Esq 37 Bubbe and Zayde’s Place 41 Burch, Coulston & Shepard, LLP 31 Callahan & Blaine 40 Challah Bake 14 Chapman University 15 Chapman University 13 Congregation Beth Jacob 17 Congregation B’nai Israel 6 Congregation B’nai Tzedek

70 OCTOBER 2015 |

72 Crews4Kids 21 Door Dash 69 Dr. Blake 40 Dr. Hilary Buff 65 Dr. Ivar Roth 25 Feig Law Firm 10 Four Seasons Resort 67 Freedom Village 49 Friends of Yad Sarah 31 Gourmet Detective 67 Harbor Lawn 9 Heritage Pointe 13 Heritage Pointe 67 Jason Novak Realtor 22 Jewish Community Center

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23 Jewish Community Center 61 Jewish Community Center 11 Jewish Community Center 3 Jewish Community Foundation 5 Jewish Community Foundation 7 Jewish Community Foundation 19 Jewish Federation and Family Services 54 Jewish Federation and Family Services 55 Jewish Federation and Family Services 59 Jewish Federation and Family Services 53 Jewish National Fund

49 Klein Financial 49 Labyrinth of Lies 53 Laguna Playhouse 4 La Jolla Playhouse 45 Odyssey Theater 25 Outcome Genii 6 Pharmacology Research Inst.

39 Mortensen & Reinheimer PC 63 Naples Vacuum Elevators 6 Nixon Library 21 Renaissance Club Sports 25 Segerstrom Center of the Arts 27 SF JCF (Diller Teen)

45 Sherri Primes 25 Soul Mates Unlimited 63 South Coast Repatory Theater 6 Stoddard Group 69 Tarbut V’Torah 33 24 Carrots 10 Temple Bat Yahm 12 Temple Beth El 11 Temple Beth Tikvah 25 Torah with Liora 2 Tustin Ranch 40 University Synagogue 10 VITAS 26 Walnut Village (Front Porch) 71 Zounds Audio

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ORANGE COUNTY’S JEWISH YOUTH & PARENTS

Generations of Love Create Your Own Golden Memories

How to Grow a Mensch Passing Down Generations of Good The Maccabi Games Merage JCC Teens Step Up Their Game OCTOBER 2015

2

3

a peek inside october 2015

08

10

THE MACCABI GAMES

KEEPING PROMISES

Merage JCC teens step up their game.

Building futures based on trust.

also inside!

Editor’s Note 06 Super Shabbos 07 Kosher Dog 15

For October Calendar Events please visit: www.ocjewishlife.com

12

14

HOW TO GROW A MENSCH

PRAISE-WORTHY PRAISE

Passing down generations of good.

Give them compliments that count.

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Aviva has been teaching clay classes in the IUSD for almost ten years!

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EDITOR’S NOTE

kiddish

PUBLISHER ORANGE COUNTY JEWISH LIFE EDITOR IN CHIEF TRACEY ARMSTRONG GORSKY, MBA CREATIVE DIRECTOR RACHEL BELLINSKY COPYEDITOR JOSH NAMM CONTRIBUTING WRITERS TAMMY KECES,, M.A., AUDRA MARTIN, LISA MONETTE, SUE PENN, M. ED., HANNAH SCHOENBAUM ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES

W

e know that summer has officially left the building, but the OC makes it hard to see the difference in the air. There is really only

DIANE BENAROYA (SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE) MARTIN STEIN (SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE)

a hint of a seasonal change. And unless

you’re a parent—with a family full of schedule changes—it’s easy to overlook the fall season sneaking in the back door. It is here though and you can definitely feel it. If not visually then definitely emotionally. We’re settling in a little sooner

EDITORIAL (949) 230-0581

TARMSTRONG24@GMAIL.COM ADVERTISING

in the evenings… we’re hugging our loved ones a little tighter.

(949) 812-1891

Hopefully, we’re all still riding the tide of good vibes that the

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High Holidays brought into our hearts. We here at Kiddish hope this time of year has brought and will continue to bring your families even closer. While this time can usher in plenty

ART

ART@OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

of self-reflection, we also encourage you to take this time

ORANGE COUNTY JEWISH LIFE AND

to think about your parents and grandparents as well. They

KIDDISH IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY

are a gift of love, knowledge and experience that is just a phone call away. For some of you—if you all share a home—

ORANGE COUNTY JEWISH LIFE, LLC 1 FEDERATION WAY, IRVINE, CA 92603

your grandparents are even closer. Take advantage of this opportunity to give each other the gift of quality time. Ask them about their life. Sharing their memories and wisdom is not only great for you and your children, it is also a wonderful thing for them as well. It is an important part of handing down their legacies and ensuring that we remember and honor our past. After all, there is MUCH to be proud of.

— Tracey Armstrong Gorsky, Editor in Chief

Editor Tracey Armstrong Gorsky is the managing editor for Jlife and former editor and writer for Making Waves, Pet Product News, Veterinary Practice News and Surfing Magazine. She brings over ten years of writing and editing experience to Kiddish magazine and holds a Masters in Business Administration.

OCJL is published monthly by Orange County Jewish Life, LLC. Subscription rate is $24 for one year (12 issues).

Send subscription requests to OCJL, 5665 Oberlin Dr., Ste. 204, San Diego, CA 92121. Orange County Jewish Life is a free and open forum for the expression of opinions. The opinions expressed herein are solely the opinion of the author and in no way reflect the opinions of the publishers, staff or advertisers. Orange County Jewish Life is not responsible for the accuracy of any and all information within advertisements.

Orange County Jewish Life reserves the right to edit all submitted materials, including press releases, letters, articles and calendar listings for brevity and clarity. OCJL is not legally responsible for the accuracy of calendar or directory listings, nor is it responsible for possible postponements, cancellations or changes in venue. Manuscripts, letters, documents and photographs sent to OCJL become the physical property of the publication, which is not responsible for the return of such material. Orange County Jewish Life is a member of the American Jewish Press Association and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

All contents © 2014 Orange County Jewish Life.

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5

4

3 2

DOWN 3. Below (33:13) 4. Thousand (33:17) 5. Observe (33:9) 7. Bless (33:11)

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1

Check your answers at: www.thefamousabba.com/SIMCHAT

• The partnership between Zevulun and Yissachar. (33:18) • Moshe leaving the Jewish people. (34:1)

Act out these scenes with friends and family:

PARSHA SKIT ideas

Just as we start reading Bereishis after we finish Devarim, always try to review things that you have learned to keep the knowledge fresh.

holiday LESSON

ACROSS 1. Covenant (33:9) 2. Shoulder (33:12) 4. Man (33:1) 6. Altar (33:10)

7

Complete the crossword by translating each English word into Hebrew. Use the parsha reference for help.

CROSSWORD

One of my brothers was sold into slavery. I had 11 older brothers. I was the only child in my family born in Israel. The Holy Temple was built in my territory.

whO AM I?

Share something that happened to you this week that made you think about Torah.

WEEK IN REVIEW

H I N K

F R I E

K A T O

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© 2015 The Famous Abba

Brought to you by:

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www.thefamousabba.com

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P

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WORD FIND

Find the bold italic words on this sheet.

The unused letters spell a secret message!

Moshe gives blessings to each tribe of the Jewish people before his death.

Moshe said that HaShem was “king over Yeshurun” or as Rashi explains, “the yoke of His rulership is constantly over them.”

After the individual blessings, Moshe says that HaShem is there to assist the Jewish people – He defeated the enemy and Israel dwelt securely! Moshe ascends Mnt. Navo and HaShem showed him the entire land and all that would happen there in the future.

HaShem reaffirms His covenant to give the land to the offspring of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaacov. Moshe died and is eulogized

by HaShem as a “servent of HaShem” and He buried Moshe in an unkown place.

The children of Israel wept for Moshe for 30 days and Yehoshua took over Moshe’s role as leader of the Jewish people.

P

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RTTAS

TSCCIIRU

KOHEN

PROPHET

MNT. NAVO

HUMBLE

‫לג‬ +‫ז‬

‫ה‬ x‫ב‬

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weekly chinuch podcast - almost 100 posted!

CHINUCH + Parsha < 5 minutes www.thefamousabba.com/podcasts

400 300 200 100 90

‫א ב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט י כ ל מ נ ס ע פ צ ק ר ש ת‬

‫צ‬ -‫מ‬

The first Jewish king was from my tribe.

gematria

• Your friend did not get called up to the Torah on Simchat Torah.

• The lights in the shul went off while everyone was dancing on Simchat Torah.

Can you judge these situations favorably?

you be the judge

FACE TO FACE

120

Which one is different? (Hint: Moshe)

spot the difference

• The human eyelid is the thinnest skin on the body and keeps the eyes from drying out while asleep.

• Human skin is the largest organ of the body, with a total area of about 20 square feet.

Wonders of hashem

(Hint: Simchat Torah)

SHFIIN

ICERJOE

(scramble)

ADENC

NGSI

WORD CMRLESAB

SUPER simchaT torah SHEET 23 TISHREI 5776 SIMCHAT TORAH

8

OCTOBER 2015

kiddish

The Maccabi Games Merage JCC teens step up their game.

T

eam OC sent a team of 81 teens

opportunity to connect so many teens to

(ages 13-17) and 14 coaches

the Jewish community and Israel is epic!

to the 2015 JCC Maccabi Games and ArtsFest in Fort

that will last a lifetime,” says Sam Cohen,

both competition and in spirit. Winning

Program Director of the Merage JCC.

(and loud!) team at the Games.

They joined over 1,500 participants from across the globe in a weeklong event of games, arts, service and fun. “The

Dustin Cooper Right: Ashley Wagschal, Allie Bassman, Rachel Aronoff, Shani Gabi and Allison Hurwitz

with new friends and Jewish memories

Lauderdale. Team OC was successful in

accolades for being the most animated

Above:

“The teens come home brimming

Competing in baseball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, dance, swimming and tennis, our athletes brought home 14 medals.

Four teen artists joined Team OC

kiddish

9

OCTOBER 2015

Left: Abby Stein, Daisy Gollis, Alexis Abelove, Jillian Yudin (coach), Maya Rosen and Samantha Wasserman.

Below: Jack Stone

participating in Maccabi fun. Sophie Sable,

“The Maccabi Games have made me realize

14, showed off her talents as the only

that there is a place for me in the world. It

female in the event’s rock band, “Sophie

is an unforgettable experience. “

and the Baguettes”.

In addition to competitive medals, Team OC was awarded more midot medals than any other team. The gold midot medals are awarded to teens who exemplify Jewish values throughout the course of their week together.

“I love the overall experience of

Over the years, participants have spoken of making new friends and memories to last a lifetime, motivating some to return to the Games year after year, many eventually volunteering as coaches and chaperones. As a former athlete and now coach at the Maccabi Games, I know

the Games; the emotional and spiritual

firsthand the feeling of pride representing

connection to Israel and the Jewish teens

our community at the Games,” said Jillian

around you is indescribable,” said Alexis

Yudin, Girls Soccer coach, involved in the

Abelove, four-time Maccabi Games veteran.

Games for more than 10 years. ✿

IT’S AN AMAZING, LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE FOR JEWISH YOUTH FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO COME TOGETHER.

10

OCTOBER 2015

kiddish

Keeping Promises Building futures based on trust.

BY SUE PENN

We learn to trust each other by keeping promises.

colleagues and loved ones, we build a future based on trust and promise.

When we cut the branches early to display the fruit before it ripens, break our promises, breach the trust of those we love, those who look to us for guidance and support, we destroy the hope of a future trusting relationship.

Nurturing our children, supporting them through the tough

W

times, celebrating with them and

hen we promise

start of distrust. This distrust can

keeping those promises, models

to behave in a

grow by the behavior surrounding

true love and trust. Trust, which

certain way, to

the broken promise, by continued

builds strong, spiritual and loving

keep a confidence,

breaking of promises or through lack

relationships lasting far into the

to support or assist someone with

of support. Once distrust has set in, it

future.

a project, or to care for them as

is very difficult to turn it around.

part of a family or community, the

Sarah, our matriarch, is recognized

Shana Tovah!

This article is dedicated to the

expectation is that the promise will

as someone whose spiritual tree bore

incredible recovery of Heather

be kept. We learn to trust one another

fruit long after her physical body had

Whitney and her loving family.

by keeping promises, by holding true

left the earth. Her nurture and love

to our relationships and by standing

of her fellow beings left a legacy we

alongside one another in good and

strive to emulate. When we water

bad times. The breaking of a promise,

and feed our fruit, hold true to our

no matter how small, can lead to the

promises, take care of our friends,

Sue Penn is the mother of three, Director of Congregational Learning at University Synagogue, president of Jewish Reconstructionist Educators of North America and a member of the Jewish Educators Assembly.

ADHD and Neurofeedback

by Dr. Stephen A. Ferrari

ADHD (ADD) is an abbreviation for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. There is some confusion with the initials and names used for this disorder. ADHD actually means Attention Deficit, with or without Hyperactivity, Disorder. There are actually three sub-types of this disorder; Primarily Inattentive, Hyperactive-Impulsive (either or both), and the Combined Type (all three sets of symptoms).

There are four recognized forms of treatment that parents try for ADHD, counseling, tutoring, medication and neurofeedback (EEG-Biofeedback). Of the four options, neurofeedback is the only method that corrects the underlying cause of the disorder in a one-time treatment, rather than merely managing the symptoms or teaching the child how best to live with it (counselingtherapy); filling in the gaps in learning caused by the disorder without actually correcting the ongoing disorder (tutoring); or merely suppressing the symptoms Dr. Stephen A. Ferrari through a lifelong, often sideeffect laden administration of pharmaceuticals (medication). Neurofeedback is an effective; drug and side effect-free, painless procedure in which the individual learns to retrain the attention and/ or impulse control mechanisms of the brain, alleviating the condition. Once training is completed, no further treatment is necessary.

In conclusion, neurological testing of the underlying chemical (brain) imbalance is the only objective method to determine if the symptoms are actually caused by ADHD (this is the type of testing done in neurofeedback).

Furthermore, neurofeedback is the best option for treating the disorder, as it actually corrects the problem in a onetime treatment, rather than trying to feel comfortable with a correctable problem, constantly playing catch-up, trying to fill in gaps that continue to occur, or life-long medication with the possibility of significant side-effects.

Neurofeedback also successfully treats hi-functioning autism, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders.

To learn more about treating these disorders, Neurofeedback, or to see a demonstration of the technique, visit our website at OC.Biofeedback.com or call Dr. Ferrari at 714-990-6536.

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OCTOBER 2015

kiddish

How to Grow A Mensch Passing down generations of good.

BY TAMMY KECES, M.A.

Education begins

Torah and secular education along with

within the home.

personal growth, self-discovery and insight into human relationships; values that our parents, grandparents and great grandparents modeled for generations.

Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch described Jewish education in terms of derech

eretz, translated as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the way of the land,â&#x20AC;? essentially as a holistic education in which being Jewish, studying Torah and learning secular studies becomes an interwoven network of connections. The question is what kind of education leads to this value system defined by derech eretz?

Education begins within the home, and then extends beyond to our Jewish

GRANDPARENTS EFFORTLESSLY INSTILL PRIDE IN OUR JEWISH IDENTITY.

H

institutions including our schools,

ow do we grow a mensch?

synagogues and community centers. It is

Inspire a generation of

no secret that often our greatest teachers

mensches? The Torah

are our grandparents, who join us in

responds unequivocally:

creating our most precious moments and

through education. We pass Jewish

joyful memories. Our grandparents also

teachings from generation to generation

give us the opportunity to reflect upon

to perpetuate a legacy of derech eretz,

the previous generations of Jews with awe

the value system that is imbued with

and appreciation, opening our eyes to the

kiddish

13

OCTOBER 2015

Pass along all the great traits that make you proud.

reality that their personal experiences

the 1800’s determined that it was vitally

to the Torah in their everyday lives.

have ushered Jewish traditions into our

important that our children complement

Making these connections to our personal

present lives, homes and hearts.

their Torah education with a rich array of

experiences is actually quite simple when

secular studies. In fact, secular education

we open up our awareness to the reality

heritage in the most experiential of ways

was considered essential to fully

that all of these teachings are a part of us,

and by feeding us their warm kneidle

appreciate the Jewish experience. Our

waiting to be discovered. An authentic

soup, passing down generations of recipes

grandparents come from this generation

“derech eretz” Jewish education explicitly

so they may be eternally preserved.

of well educated Jews who recognized the

focuses on teaching children how to

They stand proudly, often weeping, as

critical value of developing a generation

be mensches, but also encompasses all

they listen to our children reading the

of literate Jewish students who could

Torah for the first time in the synagogue.

weave scholarly Torah study together

Grandparents effortlessly instill pride

with secular education. Beyond that, a

in our Jewish identity, as they light

secular education provided skills for Jews

the Shabbat candles or say Kiddush,

to contribute to mainstream society while

basking in the gifts of Jewish continuity.

maintaining a commitment to Jewish life

Grandparents open our consciousness to

while building thriving communities.

Our grandparents link us to our

the realization that Jewish traditions have,

The creation of a modern day Jewish

aspects of Jewish education including teaching positive discipline, developing prosocial behavior, physical education, Torah study, Hebrew language learning, vocational skills, developing cultural proficiency and all the complementary studies of Torah learning including science, math, history, art, music, literature and technology. As we plant Jewish roots,

and will continue to flourish meaningfully

community in which Torah and secular

if we actively provide opportunities for

education is artfully interwoven is, in fact,

our children to connect with their past,

a manifestation of our deepest respect

thereby inspiring their future.

and appreciation for our grandparents

“Include the soul in the educational

and the gifts they have bestowed upon us.

process...this is how a mensch is built.” ✿

Jewish education is at the heart of Jewish continuity and “mensch making.”

Irvine Hebrew Day School is an example

There was a pivotal point in Jewish history

of an integrated Jewish education in

when Jewish day school educators in

which children connect with and relate

cultivate our heritage and grow future leaders we must never forget the essential principle posited by Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe,

Tammy Keces M.A. is the principal of Irvine Hebrew Day School and a lead Certified Positive Discipline Trainer.

14

OCTOBER 2015

kiddish

Praise-worthy Praise Give them compliments that count.

BY LISA MONETTE

The best kind of praise is the kind that empowers your kids.

your beautiful blond curls,” really does not do a lot for a child, “Your helping dust the family room helped mommy save time today and I appreciated our doing it together,” empowers confidence.

The best kind of praise acknowledges your child’s efforts to push themselves

“Y

ou are so smart!” my

and work to achieve a goal. Praise your Dr. Gene Beresin, the executive

child for trying new things, like learning

friend said to her

director of Massachusetts General

to ride a bike or tying shoelaces, and

11-year old the other

Hospital’s Clay Center for Young Healthy

for not being afraid to make mistakes.

day. I didn’t blink an

Minds, suggests that parents who build

Of course not all kids will be fantastic

eye. We’ve all said it. It was the boy’s

a bond of trust with their children by

athletes or students, but children who

response that surprised me. With a look

giving honest feedback, mixed with

learn to work hard and persevere have an

that screamed “duh!” he told her, “That’s

encouragement and support, help build a

important talent as well.

like me saying ‘wow, congratulations,

child’s self-esteem.

you’re tall.’”

Praise-worthy praise should be

I am sure my own children have learned to take some of my exuberance

Children learn to see through

specific. Instead of saying, “You’re such a

with a pinch of salt. Nonetheless, that

parental over exuberance, discounting

good soccer player,” say, “You are a good

smile on their faces when they share an

compliments as a matter of course.

teammate and kicker. That was a great

achievement makes it all worth it! ✿

If praise is genuine and focused on the effort—the process, not the product— it will be more accepted by your child.

pass directly to the other player.”

Also praise kids for traits they can control and strengthen. While “Look at

Lisa Monette is the Director of the Sheila and Eric Samson Family Early Childhood Center at the Merage JCC. Contact Lisa at lisam@jccoc.org.

kiddish

15

OCTOBER 2015

kosher dog MEET OCTOBER’S WINNER, OUR TOP DAWG!

T

his is Stanley Silverman, he is our 3-year-old rescue lab.

This is a picture of him having his Bark Mitzvah at a park in Orange County. He loves to swim and run thru the waves at Newport Beach. He is happy and in charge of saying “Hello” to everyone he meets, people and fur friends alike. He currently stars in a reading program called Tutors With Tails where he has local 3rd grade students read to him weekly. He also attends Sunday Circle for Friendship Circle of Orange County where he loves to hang out with all the kids. He is a true joy in our lives.

— Sam and Audrey Silverman

Be our next winner!

Our pets are definitely part of our families, and here at Kiddish magazine we want to know what your four-legged friends are up to. Please send a picture of your pooch to editorjlife@gmail.com and tell us what they love to do in our wonderful Orange County neighborhood (a picture at the location is even better). Pictures of kitties are welcome too! We’ll pick a winner each month and put their picture in the magazine.

Startling evidence of what was a vibrant, thriving Jewish community in Iraq came to light in May 2003 when a U.S. Army team discovered over 2,700 books and tens of thousands of documents in the flooded basement of Saddam Hussein’s intelligence headquarters.

Exhibit Open through November 15, 2015 PLEASE JOIN US FOR FREE PUBLIC LECTURES Wednesday, October 7, 2015 at 5:30-8:00 pm Please join us for “History and Identity: The Iraqi-American Jewish Experience” with Maurice Shohet, President World Organization of Jews from Iraq. Program includes a screening of the documentary “Forgotten Refugees” from the Executive Producer, Ralph Avi Goldwasser.

Sunday, October 18, 2015 at 5:00-7:00 pm ”Origins of a Contemporary Crisis: Secret Middle Eastern Diplomacy During and After World War I” with Dr. James L. Gelvin, Professor of Middle Eastern History at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

RSVP: www.nixonlibrary.gov