Orange County Jewish Life & Kiddish Supplemental January 2014 by San Dieguito Printers

JANUARY 2014 | TEVET-SHEVAT 5774

Relational Judaism

THE SPIRITUALITY OF WELCOMING

Simchas IRVING GELMAN’S 90TH BIRTHDAY

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JANUARY 2014 | TEVET-SHEVAT 5774

CONTENTS 14

Choice Words from the Editor

Letters/Who Knew?

The Scoop: Pipeline, Engagement Study

Celebrating Orange County’s Jewish History

44 Women’s Theatre:

A Voice for All Women

Panorama

Ethics and Spirituality: A Jewish Perspective of The Beatles

SIMCHAS VIEWPOINT

50 Babkas by Elana

Israel Scene: Take Back the Night

Modern Jewish Wedding

On the Lighter Side: Smile

Golden Dreidle

Rabbinic Reflections: The Most Important Relationship

Parashah of the Month/Torah: Nature or Nurture

FEATURES 40 Community Scholar Program: In One Hour and More

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

A&E 56

Cooking Jewish with Judy

PROFILES 60

Here for a Reason: Irving Gelman’s 90th Birthday

Engaging the Disengaged: Rabbi Sharon Brous

40 66

Obituary: Ruth Treeson

Society Roundup: Grier Wedding, Patron Party

LIFESTYLE 72

Fresh Orange Jews

Gen Y World

Desert Destination

Seniors Calendar

34 On the Cover

Relational Judaism is Dr. Ron Wolfson’s new paradigm of engaging people. (Cover photo by Trinette Reed)

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Our family is growing.

BOOKS New Books for the New Year

COMMUNITY SCHOLAR PROGRAM Complete Schedule

NEWS Up-to-the-Minute, from Around the World

IN THE NEWS: Jerusalem has major snowfall, causing power outages and other problems.

NTS

UTH & PARE

R JEWISH YO

E FO A MAGAZIN NNING PARTY PLA Bar r Tips for You zvah and Bat Mit n Celebratio GAME TIME Anagrams for Fun & Learning

Family Time most of it on Making the Every Day d Shabbat an

JANUARY 2014

Look inside to find the charter issue of Kiddish, Orange County Jewish Life’s new insert publication for our younger audience and their parents. Happy reading, from our family to yours! For more information, give us a call at 949-734-5574.

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JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

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PUBLISHER | DR. MARK S. MOSS CO-PUBLISHER | MARK EDELSTEIN EDITOR IN CHIEF | ILENE SCHNEIDER ART DIRECTOR | RACHEL BELLINSKY CONTRIBUTING EDITOR | HARRIETTE ELLIS FOOD EDITOR | JUDY BART KANCIGOR EDITORIAL INTERN HANNAH SCHOENBAUM CONTRIBUTING WRITERS BARBARA BOARNET, MARTIN BROWER, FLORENCE DANN, RABBI DAVID ELIEZRIE, JUDY FLORMAN, LISA GRAJEWSKI, CARINE NADEL, PAMELA PRICE, NAOMI RAGEN, MAYRAV SAAR, RACHEL SCHIFF, ANDREA SIMANTOV, REINA SLUTSKE, TEDDY WEINBERGER CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS/ARTISTS RACHEL BELLINSKY, ALLEN BEREZOVSKY BILL CASPER, PEPE FAINBERG, JANET LAWRENCE, CHARLES WEINBERG ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES DIANE BENAROYA (SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE), ALAN MOSS, MARTIN STEIN, SETH SCHILLER

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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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CHOICE WORDS

From the Editor

BEYOND THE MERE NEWS

How do we answer the big questions of 2014?

THE YEAR 2014 begins with more questions than answers for the Jewish people. What will happen with the peace process in the Middle East? What real impact will the various studies and surveys that have come out recently have on the American Jewish scene? How will the relationship between American and Israeli Jews evolve and change? What can we learn from each other? What is the future of Judaism? Throughout Jewish history, there have been challenges from the outside and debates from the inside. Analysis and wrestling with critical questions are hallmarks of Judaism, and our ability to do so makes us stronger. The same DNA that has produced more Nobel Laureates for the size of our population than for any other group causes us to lie awake at night wondering how to maintain our people in future generations while making life better for everyone. As Orange County Jewish Life enters its tenth year, we look forward to seeking answers to the big questions of the day and covering the big picture of Jewish life, whether locally or global14

ly. Our community is unique, but it shares many of the same concerns as Jewish communities elsewhere. We can learn a great deal from those other communities and from the key thinkers of our generation. In our early days we focused on covering the Jewish news and spotlighting the people and institutions making that news in Orange County. We have witnessed the growth of the Jewish community, the establishment of new congregations and new buildings, the arrival of new leaders and the creation and rejuvenation of institutions. It has been our pleasure to report on a vital and dynamic Jewish community and, hopefully, to help in bringing the community together by doing so. We have watched how, even in the face of an economic downturn, Jewish institutions found creative ways to keep going or join forces, and above all, to help people in need. Additionally, we have sought to connect Orange County with Israel and Orange County Jew with Orange County Jew. We have had many wonderful partners in doing so, and we look

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

forward to continuing those relationships. Now we focus on the bigger picture as well, from the perspective of newsmakers, intellectuals and the doers who make the rubber meet the road, whether in Irvine, Israel or anywhere in the world. We hope to go beyond carrying the news. We want to analyze as well as report. We seek to inspire as well as to inform. This month we will learn about Relational Judaism, Ron Wolfsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seminal book about reshaping the Jewish community by learning how to build relationships, and see how one local congregation is using it. We will also get the lowdown on planning simchas, find out about a simcha honoring Irving Gelman on his 90th birthday and hear about the educational opportunities afforded by the Community Scholar Program and Dinner with a Scholar. January also marks the launch of Kiddish, our new insert publication for youth and parents. If you want to know something about the Jewish world, read about it in Orange County Jewish Life. If you want to know something about youth, just step inside. A

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LETTERS

WE’VE GOT MAIL! and we want more... LEGACY CONCEPT Wendy Chase Arenson, J.D., CSPG, Director of Legacy Planning Jewish Community Foundation of Orange County

HISTORICAL REVISION Thank you for your mention that Sol and I started the JCC in Laguna (the first JCC in Orange County) on page 35 of the December Orange County Jewish Life. I just need you to know that we opened in 1977, NOT 1997. After that it seems that South Coast Jews came out of the closet. I also like to believe that it motivated the establishment of Temple Beth El in Aliso Viejo, as we Jews looked for a closer place to pray, besides driving to Newport Beach. I just wanted to help keep the record straight.

PHOTO BY ZACH DALIN

I just wanted to thank you for the great article about Create a Jewish Legacy and our Endowment Book of Life event. Your work to bring information about the important concept of legacy to our community is invaluable.

Polly Sloan

ERRATA

Gal Gadot

Photo credits were missing on several stories in the December 2013 issue. The photos on pages 37 and 38 of the “Leaving a Legacy” story were by Charles Weinberg. Photos on pages 40, 42 and 43 of the “Czech Mission” story were by Charles Harris. Photos on pages 60 and 61 of the “Faces of the Community”/”Chai Year for Ezra” story were by Charles Weinberg. Orange County Jewish Life regrets the errors.

SEND US YOUR THOUGHTS!

Orange County Jewish Life welcomes your letters. Email your feedback to ileneschneider@aol.com, accompanied by your full name, street address, and daytime phone number. OCJL will publish letters anonymously if requested.

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

Who Knew?

Israeli model and actress Gal Gadot has been cast as Wonder Woman in the upcoming Warner Bros. sequel to Man of Steel. The former Miss Israel, who turned 28 in April, has had roles in the past three Fast and Furious movies as well as a guest spot on Entourage. Director Zack Snyder said in a statement, “Not only is Gal an amazing actress, but she also has that magical quality that makes her perfect for the role. We look forward to audiences discovering Gal in the first feature film incarnation of this beloved character.”

NEWS

The Scoop Historic Pipeline Agreement On December 9 in Washington, D.C., Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority signed an agreement on laying a water pipeline to link the Red Sea with the Dead Sea. The pipeline, which will take three years to complete, will help slow the drying up of the Dead Sea with the inflow of water from the Red Sea. It will also provide the region with millions of cubic meters of drinking water. Regional Cooperation, and National Infrastructures, Energy and Water Minister Silvan Shalom signed for Israel. Water and Irrigation Minister Hazem Al Nasser signed for Jordan. Water Authority Minister Dr. Shaddad Attili signed for the Palestinian Authority. The pipeline will be 180 kilometers long and will pass through Jordanian territory, channeling 100 million cubic meters of water per annum northward from the Red Sea. The estimated cost for the project is approximately $300 to $400 million, as communicated by the Israel Ministry of Regional Cooperation. While the World Bank will support the project with a cash injection, millions of dollars will be raised from donor countries and philanthropic sources. Approximately 80 million cubic meters will be desalinated at a facility to be built in Aqaba, Jordan, on the Red Sea. This will produce about 100 million cubic meters of drinking water. The Arava region and Eilat 18

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

will receive 30 to 50 million cubic meters of water, while Jordan will receive 30 million cubic meters of water for use in its southern regions. In addition, Israel will sell Jordan another 50 million cubic meters of water from the Kinneret for use in the north. The project will cover Jordan’s need for drinking water for about a decade. About 30 million cubic meters of water from the Kinneret will be pumped for the Palestinian Authority in Judea and Samaria. “This is a historic agreement that realizes a dream of many years and the dream of Herzl. The agreement is of the highest diplomatic, economic, environmental and strategic importance,” said the Minister of Regional Cooperation and Infrastructure, Silvan Shalom. “I am pleased that an investment of years has reached its hoped-for conclusion and will benefit Israel and the residents of the region as a whole,” he added. Jordanian Water Minister Hazem Nasser spoke about the humanitarian aspects of the project: “This is an agreement with a

humanitarian aspect, designed to aid those who need water. There is an ecological aspect as well, since we are trying to save the Dead Sea.” The head of the Palestinian Water Authority, Shaddad Attili, stressed that in spite of the conflict, “the agreement is unrelated to the Oslo Accords. The beauty is that this is a regional deal, and it is important to everyone to save the Dead Sea. Despite political issues and the conflict, we proved that we can all work together.” Environmentalists are not happy with the decision, with many highly concerned about the environmental consequences. Some are warning that mixing Red Sea and Dead Sea waters could upset the unique chemistry of the Dead Sea and the ecosystem, while discoloring the Dead Sea’s famous blue waters. Other concerns highlight damage to coral reefs in the Red Sea as well as contamination to the underground water of Israel’s Arava desert. — Anav Silverman, Tazpit News Agency

NEWS

Study Results Show High Israel and Community Engagement At a time that the Jewish community is looking to invest in the next great new Jewish idea, a new study shows how a “new” idea from 80 years ago that created Zionist youth movements has produced lifelong community involvement by its participants. Habonim Dror North America, an autonomous Labor Zionist youth movement in the US and Canada, was founded in 1935. Today it annually serves more than 2,000 Jewish youth ages 8 to 24 through seven summer camps, Israel programs and year-round programming in major cities across North America. Building Progressive Zionist Activists: Exploring the Impact of Habonim Dror, authored by Prof. Steven M. Cohen and Steven Fink, describes this impact, drawing upon a survey of nearly 2,000 alumni of Habonim Dror camps and programs, ages 20 to 83. Dr. Cohen sums up the study findings: “The Habonim Dror experience often seems to exert a powerful impact upon identification with Israel long after the alumni have completed their active involvement in the movement. Significant involvement with Habonim Dror is also associated with developing progressive political values in both the American and Israeli context, and with lifelong bonds with the Habonim Dror friends of one’s youth.” In California, Habonim Dror lives on at Camp Gilboa. In the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s 2012-2013 survey, 92 percent of parents said that at Camp Gilboa their children experience a sense of belonging. Similarly, 93 percent of alumni in the study said that they remain connected to their Habonim Dror friends. According to the study, 70 percent of Habonim Dror alumni lived in Israel for at least 5 months. Alumni also contribute both their time and money to the Jewish community at high levels: • 56 percent actively volunteer for a chari-

table organization, a majority of which are Jewish organizations, with19 percent currently holding leadership positions in multiple Jewish or Israel-related organizations. • 61 percent donate to Jewish organizations, including their local Jewish Federations. • 70 percent belong or contribute to at least one progressive organization that focuses on economic and social justice, human rights, peace and the environment. The full study is available at http://study. hdcamp.org. According to Jerry Silverman, president/CEO of Jewish Federations of North America, “When I was CEO of the Foundation for Jewish Camp, the organization conducted a survey of Jewish federation executives across North America. The FJC discovered that more sitting federation executives came from Habonim Dror than from any other camp Movement. It was a strong statement to the leadership building nature of the Habonim Dror camp model.” Hasia Diner, professor of American Jewish History at New York University, added, “Habonim taught us to think critically and even as youngsters our madrichim (counselors) pushed us to participate in adult-level debates. It is not surprising that so many of us became academics, writers and individuals involved professionally in analyzing how the world works. Even among my fellow American Jewish historians, an inordinate number come from

HABONIM DROR NORTH AMERICA ANNUALLY SERVES MORE THAN 2,000 JEWISH YOUTH.

the ranks of Habonim graduates, shaped as we were by intense Movement discussions which had no parallels in our ordinary school lives.” Added Nigel Savage, Hazon founder and executive director, “This is an incredibly significant study, because of the length of the time period that is being covered. The impact of immersive experiential education is persistent – it has an impact in many cases years and decades after the experience itself. And I see this literally on a daily basis – there are a slew of Habonim alumni playing a key role in Hazon at both the staff and lay level.” In the words of Jeremy J. Fingerman, CEO, Foundation for Jewish Camp, “Habonim Dror is continually working to remain a strong, relevant force in the lives of young people and, as this study confirms, clearly these efforts are paying off. The Habonim Dror camping system – seven overnight camps across North America – shows vitality, growth and impact. We are proud to partner with them in creating summers that have a powerful effect long after a camper’s last summer.”

OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | JANUARY 2014

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

Israel Scene | BY ANDREA SIMANTOV

Take Back the Night This is our country.

“FEAR” IS HEAVY, WEIGHS A TON AND “ANGER” WEIGHS EVEN MORE. 22

THE LAWYER LOOKED at us across the fauxwood tabletop and asked, “Are you sure this is a good investment?” I was stunned, or, more accurately, I was hurt and angry. He may have been my attorney, but he’d been a friend first, and I thought he understood what a major decision and accomplishment this was for us, buying an apartment. “What do you mean?” I asked, somewhat incredulously. “We looked at seventeen places in affordable corners of the city, and this is the winner. It wasn’t a callous decision! We’ve done the homework. . . ”

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

He was merely asking, he said, because of our proximity to several Arab villages in the south of Jerusalem. Property values might be compromised if political conflict erupts or crime increases. My husband and I took a moment and restated our thinking: “‘Fear’ has no place in our narrative; this is a mixed city. We do not want to live in a ‘safe’ ghetto that is void of spirit, grit and the presence of the ‘common man.’ And on a more practical level, scads of young couples with babies are relocating to this neck of the woods, and if youngsters are investing

VIEWPOINT

in a neighborhood in which to raise their children, we want to be part of the action.” In the end, we got the mortgage, signed the contract and, both wary and happy, moved in. It felt unusual after all these years to share a power-walk route with Arab women or observe regular car traffic on Saturday in the Sabbath-sensitive city of Jerusalem. And when I once ran out of milk before guests were to arrive, my husband and I drove down the road to the Arab grocery that we’d never thought to frequent. The interactions between our two people in this wee section of the city are clearly cool, but they are not hostile. People go about their business, but no one can call us “integrated,” even if we are next door neighbors. And so I ignored the talk that said it would happen sooner or later. After all, if I were to think about all the terrible things that can happen when one lets her guard down, I’d never leave the house. Or send my son back to his army base. Or buy cheese with more than 0.5% fat. So when a group of teenage boys from Tsur Bahar threw a large rock at a passing car – down at the end of my street – and dented the skull of two-year old Avigail Ben Zion, a frenzied hew and cry erupted from this ordinarily quiet, near-corny neighborhood where bake sales and folk-dancing evenings are the carte-du-jour. Our community Facebook page was immediately peppered with calls for volunteer sentries and greater police visibility. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat was excoriated both in print and the electronic media as having little time or interest in Jerusalem’s perimeter neighborhoods, and the Sabbath table buzzed with uncertainty as folks considered a possible drop in the price of real estate. (In between reciting the appropriate blessings over wine and bread, of course. . . .) Not satisfied with merely hurling rocks to terrify their Jewish neighbors, after the identified assailants were taken into custody, a spate of additional acts of aggression were unleashed, as though to say, “You think arresting us is a deterrent? Think again!” Suddenly, the funny observations of being a Jewish minority in a supposedly Jewish neighborhood weren’t all that humorous. I’d never before blinked while supermarket shopping or waiting for a flu shot, even though I was frequently the only member of the tribe in sight; But now the other faces in the waiting room or check-out line looked suspicious. And this made me angry. “Fear” is heavy, weighs a ton and “anger” weighs even more. It was becoming harder and harder to believe that “we” and “they” wanted the same things from our lives: I hate hating. But still, when my husband came home last night he commented that more and more guys in synagogue were wearing their licensed guns; he was thinking of taking his out of the safe and making it ready, just as a precaution. “Say what?” I asked, “You’re going to carry a gun again?” When we’d begun dating and he was still living in Bet El, there

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VIEWPOINT

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‫דוברי עברית‬

AND ARE WE AGAIN BEING ADMONISHED TO BE GOOD-GOODER-GOODEST JEWS AND STOP AGITATING OUR ENEMIES?

was a comfort knowing that middle-of-the-night drives came with an added measure of protection in an area that had suffered greatly during the Second Intifada. In fact, I was not-so-secretly excited to be in the presence of a trained marksman who would/ could rescue my inner-damsel; a New-Age Sensitive Guy who could protect the homestead and, at the same time, grow weepy while listening to a CD of Andrea Bocelli’s greatest hits. It might be mentioned that American Secretary of State John Kerry does not live in my neighborhood, and that is why I will ignore him when he affectedly warns me, my husband, children and neighbors that we must further kowtow in order to avoid a Third Intifada. It behooves me not to question whether or not Arabs are grossly offended by this warning! And are we again being admonished to be good-gooder-goodest Jews and stop agitating our enemies? That we have not earned the right to say, “Enough. Enough prisoner releases. Enough land-for-nothing. Enough free education and tax-deferment and medical services while we cower within bullet-proof buses and upgrade our gasmasks”? Not only is “fear” heavy. It is exhausting and there are too many things to accomplish during the day, week, month and life I live for me to waste time being frightened. Groups of thugs prowl the local Promenade, frightening women and couples and engaging in petty crime and frightening people to stay away. Not me. No way. No how. I will NOT bypass the scene of the aforementioned rock-throwing incident; on my watch, thugs will not be rewarded with empty roads or streets. Defiantly, I will walk the dog at all normal hours of the evening and refuse to hide behind a closed door in a neighborhood that I call mine. It will take more that a nationalistic hoodlum to bully me into driving inconvenient alternative routes in the hope I’ll stop behaving as though this neighborhood, city and country are mine.

New York-born Andrea Simantov is a mother of six who moved to Jerusalem in 1995. She frequently lectures on

www.caltaxadviser.com

the complexity and magic of life in Jerusalem and can be contacted at elkadee@netvision.net.il.

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

On the Lighter Side | BY MAYRAV SAAR

VIEWPOINT

Smile

Daughter teaches a lesson in tzedakah.

TZEDAKAH DOESN’T MEAN CHARITY. IT MEANS JUSTICE. 26

DURING THE HOLIDAY season, we are reminded again and again to teach charity and goodwill to our children. We are encouraged to take our kids shopping for toys to donate to holiday toy drives. We are e-mailed about great opportunities for kids to help out in soup kitchens. We are told to take our children to hospitals to sing to sick and lonely patients. Children are the future, and it is made abundantly clear that we parents must impart in them the concepts of tzedakah and tikkun olam throughout the holiday season. Thank G-d that season is over. Children don’t need to learn about tzedakah. They don’t need to be taught about tikkun olam. They don’t need lessons on justice or fairness or goodwill. Children are lessons about justice and fairness and goodwill. Little walking (or crawling) embodiments of all that is good and right. During the height of the Christmas shopping season this year, I schlepped baby Sivan in my arms as I attempted to make my way through a busy mall. When I stopped to peer in a store window, I noticed Sivan’s reflection. She was smiling – a beautiful, toothless baby smile – at someone just out of my line of sight. When I turned to look, I saw that she was smiling at a homeless man. I hadn’t noticed him. Didn’t notice that he and I were sharing the same small space on this planet together. But Sivan noticed, and she smiled. And the man – having been ignored and marginalized and made invisible by throngs of adults for who knows how long – smiled back. I give to charity. Most of us give to charity. Some of us give millions of dollars. How many of us give a smile? Tzedakah doesn’t mean charity. It means justice. It’s one of those cool linguistic Hebrew gems that help burnish my love for Judaism. Justice isn’t giving a beggar a dollar and hoping he doesn’t shoot it up

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

his arm. Justice is improving our education system, our mental health system, our health care and safety nets to make sure that that beggar never has to beg. And justice is also remembering not to call people “beggars.” That guy is a man. Maybe he was once a man who wore a suit and smelled of cologne and loved science fiction films, like Sivan’s dad. Maybe he was a well-read man who could recite poetry or sing beautifully or was obsessed with history and loved sweets, like any of Sivan’s grandfathers. Whatever his past, he is still a man. A man who has a kind enough face to elicit a smile from a baby – because all a baby sees when she looks over is a man. Seeing Sivan and the man exchange smiles, two incongruous thoughts crossed my mind at the same time. The first, because I am an adult with a daughter and a heart hardening with age, was “Run.” The second, because I am a parent, and I am trying to raise children to keep their hearts from hardening with age was “Smile.” I smiled. I am usually so very busy teaching my kids to be good and loving that I wouldn’t have ever noticed the man. But here I was smiling at him because there Sivan was smiling at him. And he smiled back. Teach our kids tzedakah? We’d all be better off if they taught us.

After a 10-year career as a newspaper reporter for the Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register, Mayrav Saar left to try her hand at child rearing and freelance writing.

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Rabbinic Reflections | BY RABBI DAVID ELIEZRIE

VIEWPOINT

The Most Important Relationship Relational Judaism has an important message.

THE REASON WE HAVE FAMILIES IS BECAUSE G-D COMMANDED US TO BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY. 28

THIRTY OF US sat around the table. A group of community leaders and rabbis had been called together by Jewish Federation & Family Services to ask the question, “What’s most important about being Jewish?” As each person stood up, the answers took a pattern. Two words were interchanged. “It’s about family and community, community and family.” I sent a text to Rabbi Yitzchak Newman, dean of the Hebrew Academy. “Oy vey” was the whole message. As our turn came we stood up and said, “It’s about G-d, Torah and Mitzvot.” Our answers took a totally different theme. My esteemed friend Professor Ron Wolfson argues in his new book, Relational Judaism, that the key to building Jewish life is creating deep personal relationships in the Chabad style. About reaching out and truly caring about another, about building caring communities of welcoming. These are lofty and admirable goals. Still, we have to ask what ideas are driving the Chabad approach. At the core of Chabad is that the central pillar of Judaism is that on Mount Sinai G-d gave the world a set of instructions, of commandments, a guidebook for life. Our responsibility is to aspire to live up those ideals. They are immutable, Divinely given and not subject to change. The reason we have families is because G-d commanded us to be fruitful and multiply. The reason we have compassion for one another is because G-d commanded us to care for one another. The reason we observe Shabbat or kashrut is because G-d commanded us to do so. We ask ourselves a question every day and every moment. Are my actions living up to the teachings of the Torah? Are my moral values based on “what I feel” or grounded on the teachings in the Torah that reach back to that historic moment on Mount Sinai when G-d revealed His plan for the world. It was this disparity that prompted my anguished text, “Oy vey.” It seemed that for those around the table, it was about feeling the bond of community and family.

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

While that sentiment is important, in my mind, something much deeper animates Jewish life. It’s about living up to the teachings of Torah, that every moment of life is an opportunity to bring sanctity into the world. This tells us it’s a mitzvah to have a family. A mitzvah for the younger generation to honor the older. A mitzvah to support a community, a mitzvah to celebrate Passover, sit in a Sukkah or fast on Yom Kippur. The very core of Judaism is a continuous cognizance that we are seeking to live up to the Divine teachings of the Torah that give us a path in life. Let’s be honest: it’s not easy. It’s a thousand decisions a day; it’s asking yourself constantly: “Do I measure up?” It’s a vastly different approach than modern Western culture that says, “Do as you please as long as you respect the rights of others.” To be driven by an inner compass of the Divine imperatives of the Torah causes us to focus on not just about what we feel, but what is expected from us in our Divine mission in life. In Judaism there is no culture of rights, just one of responsibilities. The Torah teaches us that the ultimate responsibility is to G-d. That comes about when we attempt – and we all fail at times – to live up to the Divine plan He gave the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. As Professor Wolfson says, it’s about relationships. The most vital is the relationship with G-d, that teaches us how to have a relationship with our fellow human beings.

Rabbi David Eliezrie is a rabbi at Congregation Beth Meir HaCohen/ Chabad. His email is rabbi@ocjewish.com.

OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | JANUARY 2014

Parashah of the Month | BY A. SIMANTOV

Nature or Nurture Teach your children well.

TRANSMITTING JEWISH VALUES THROUGH LEARNING AND PRACTICE HAS SEVERAL TORAH SOURCES. 30

“JEWS” AND “HIGHER education” are synonymous, and it is not a mystery that the “People of the Book” have amassed a grossly disproportionate number of Nobel prizes and other esteemed honors in a variety of artistic and intellectual fields. Education is central to Jewish life, and the study of Torah is a cardinal principle of the faith. Knowledge and study are not only a means to religious and ethical behavior but are, in themselves, a mode of worship. Jewish liturgy reflects the fact that worship finds expression in intellectual, aesthetic and emotional planes in combining prayer with study. Transmitting Jewish values through learning and practice has several Torah sources. For example, before the plague of the locusts, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart for two reasons: “In order that I may display my signs among them [the Egyptians]” and “That you [the Jewish people] may recount in the hearing of your sons and of your sons’ sons how I made a mockery of the Egyptians.” While the second reason may seem superfluous, it is entirely appropriate. Memory is an important dimension of Jewish continuity. The only way each new generation can remember its past is by hearing and learning about it. The Or HaHayyim notes that God added “that you may recount” to engrave these miracles permanently in the memories of B’nei Yisroel in order to strengthen their belief in God. “Recount” suggests “longevity” and indicates that by continually reinforcing events of Jewish history in the minds and hearts of our children, greater impact will be achieved. Parental study and knowledge are requisite to parental teaching. It is for this reason that at the end of the statement urging parents to tell their children about God’s miracles in Egypt, the Torah clearly states “So that you [parents] shall know that “I am the Lord.” One would think that parents would instruct

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

their children so that they (the children) should know God’s greatness. But parents must learn first before they impart knowledge to their offspring. The importance of transmitting Jewish values to the young is reinforced by Moshe’s demand, “With our young and our elders we shall go.” Why did Moshe mention the young before the old? The young needed to go more urgently to participate in the Israelite experience, away from the fleshpots of Egypt, because with the young, the threat of assimilation is greater. The old were more secure in their beliefs and tradition and, thus, their rescue was less urgent. Experiencing Jewish life is one of the best ways to teach Judaism and the best antidote to deculturation. Practical experience provides a greater educational impact that cognitive learning alone. Moshe instructs B’nei Yisroel, “And you shall tell your child . . . .” From this statement we learn the basic function of Jewish education. We lead our

JANUARY 2014 TEVET-SHEVAT 5774 Candle Lighting Times and Torah Portions Friday, January 3 Light candles at 4:37 p.m.

Friday, January 17 Light candles at 4:49 p.m.

Saturday, January 4 Torah Portion: Bo (Exodus 10:1-13:16)

Saturday, January 18 Torah Portion: Yitro (Exodus 18:1-20:23)

Friday, January 10 Light candles at 4:43 p.m.

Friday, January 24 Light candles at 4:56 p.m.

Saturday, January 11 Torah Portion: Beshalah (Exodus 13:17-17:16)

Saturday, January 25 Torah Portion: Mishpatim (Exodus 21:1-24:18)

VIEWPOINT

children to faithful observance of God’s Law by personal example and by explaining the way we observe mitzvot without waiting for them to ask. In the Passover Haggadah, when the child will ask the father, “Mah zot (what are those)?” and points to the symbolic foods, the Sages urge parents to take the instructional initiative when it comes to Jewish study! The question is asked by “the simple son” and suggests that parents and teachers must be attentive to the questions and needs of all children, even the

misbehaving child, the simple child and the child with special needs, who may not be able to even form the question(s). The Torah offers a wonderful blueprint for chinuc’ (Jewish education) and illustrates that Jewish continuity depends largely on effective Jewish education. And in order to be effective, Jewish education must involve parents who both learn and take the initiative to teach, and utilize appropriate experiential learning, adapted to the needs of all types of children. A OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | JANUARY 2014

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | JANUARY 2014

COVER STORY

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

COVER STORY

Relational Judaism THE SPIRITUALITY OF WELCOMING REQUIRES A NEW PARADIGM BY ILENE SCHNEIDER

“A

ll anybody wants to do is talk about the Pew Study, but I don’t think Judaism is going away soon,” said Dr. Ron Wolfson, author of Relational Judaism: Using the Power of Relationships to Transform the Jewish Community (Jewish Lights Publishing). “Institutional lives are in some danger, because people are voting with their feet.” Dr. Wolfson, who is Fingerhut Professor of Education at the

American Jewish University in Los Angeles and president of Next Dor (Synagogue 3000), believes that Jewish institutions have to rethink their emphasis on buildings and programs and focus on relationships. Those who responded to the Pew Study that they are “just Jewish” need a compelling reason to affiliate with a Jewish organization, he said at a lecture sponsored by the Community Scholar Program (CSP).

OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | JANUARY 2014

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COVER STORY

“When people say they are proud to be Jewish, there is an opportunity, rather than a challenge,” according to Dr. Wolfson. “We have to be honest and change the way we engage people. We have to change the paradigm.” He related that people can go online to watch services, learn Jewish things and even get everything they need for a shiva minyan. “Something is wrong,” he said. “People are getting married later and making their personal connections elsewhere.” Dr. Wolfson added that people join synagogues, get active and then leave after their children’s B’nai Mitzvah if they view their membership as a transactional relationship. “You can’t sustain the Jewish community that way or on a programmatic basis,” he said. “Something is missing – the enduring understanding that we’re a covenantal people and need covenantal relationships.” Dr. Wolfson emphasized the “spirituality of welcoming,” saying that “it’s great to have greeters in congregations, but we have to do more.” He also added that demographic forms that people fill out when they join a congregation are no way to hear people’s stories. Once people fill out the forms, they are usually forgotten, and the things people would like to do are forgotten. Instead, Dr. Wolfson believes in having congregants build real relationships by hearing each other’s stories through personal encounters. He thinks Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church is the best at doing this in the Christian community and that Chabad is the best at doing it in the Jewish community. “Chabad raises over $1 billion a year from non-Orthodox people grateful for relationships,” he said. In Orange County at least one congregation is working with Dr. Wolfson to learn how “relational Judaism” can make a difference. Scott Seigel (who owns the Orange County and Palm Desert franchise of California Closets, along with his wife, Leslie) was asked to consider being president of Temple Bat Yahm. While he was not as yet on the board and encouraged the members of the nominating committee to consider other candidates, he said that they “felt that I embody the best qualities in a possible new leader of the temple.” Seigel, said, “How could I say no? I thought of my dad and how generous he was with the community and how similar we are in our style. He was president of University Synagogue (Los Angeles, Sunset Blvd., in 1964). I thought of the relationship he always had with rabbis. My memories were of a lot of laughing and warm feelings. I constantly try to coalesce and inspire my team at California Closets, and I inject a sense of humor into the process. Hopefully, they are laughing with me. I figured I could put that kind of inspira-

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE COMMUNITY SCHOLAR PROGRAM

Dr. Ron Wolfson, who teaches at American Jewish University, is the author of Relational Judaism.

tion to work in the temple. The congregation affirmed my nomination and I began serving on the board. I will become president next summer.” Seigel reached out to Dr. Wolfson on effective relationships. They have met a couple of times, including a private meeting and tour of Saddleback Church with Pastor Rick Warren. Seigel created a Power Point presentation that Dr. Wolfson described as “fantastic.” He was “floored” by Seigel’s skill “in putting the message of Relational Judaism in such a compelling and entertaining format,” adding, “The best thing of all is your willingness to challenge the status quo...and I love, love, love the quote about strategic planning. I hear that term and shut down. I actually turn down synagogues that want to engage me for a ‘strategic planning project.’ So much wasted time and energy and nothing happens to change anything. I once met a rabbi who felt the same way...he said ‘I’m the Nike rabbi...just do it!’” As Dr. Wolfson puts it, the purpose of Judaism and the purpose of relationships is “to love the other and the Other, the thou and the Thou.” By finding belonging in a community of people who will “be there for you,” a person will find a lasting relationship with a Jewish institution. OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | JANUARY 2014

COVER STORY

DINNER WITH A SCHOLAR answers affect social and religious debates? Join Dr. Richard Lippa to delve into a host of scientific, social, political, and religious questions surrounding sexual orientation.

Shira Klein: When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do: How the Jews Became Italian, 1870-1938 Italian Jewry is well known for its celebrities, from sculptor Amedeo Modigliani to authorsurvivor Primo Levi. But far less is known about the history of “ordinary” Italian Jews. Shira Klein, assistant professor at Chapman University, explores the culture and daily life of Italian Jews from the time they became full citizens up until their persecution under Fascism.

Shelly Goldstein: Funny Girls – Famous Jewish Women in Music & Comedy Dr. Wolfson will be one of the speakers at Dinner with a Scholar, the Bureau of Jewish Education’s signature winter fundraising event in which more than 250 people gather together for two spectacular evenings of Jewish learning and gourmet meals in support of the community’s Jewish teens and youth. Dinner with a Scholar offers renowned speakers hosted in elegant homes. BJE invites people to attend this fun, social way to make a difference in the Jewish community by calling (949) 435-3450. Here is the lineup of speakers:

JANUARY 25 Ron Wolfson: It’s All About Relationships – The Reshaping of the American Jewish Community (See above)

Matthias Lehmann: Surviving in Secret – Uncovering the Marrano Jews of Spain What happened to the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish converts known asConversos or Marranos? Learn from Matthias Lehmann, the Teller Family Chair in Jewish History at the University of California, Irvine. 38

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

Richard Hasen: Race, Party, and Politics: The New Turn in the Voting Wars Last summer, the Supreme Court held a key provision of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional. How should we understand these fights over voting rules? Hear a non-partisan analysis of these questions and their impact on modern America from Professor Richard L. Hasen, Chancellor’s Professor of Law and Political Science at the University of California, Irvine.

Monica Piper – Farmisht, Farklempt, & Farblungit! Laugh all evening with Monica Piper as she explores her Jewish roots and present life in this hilarious and heartwarming blend of stand up and storytelling. Monica is an Emmy Award-winning comedy writer, stand up comic, and artist-in-residence with the Jewish Women’s Theatre.

FEBRUARY 22 Dr. Richard Lippa: The Science of Sexuality Is sexual orientation “chosen,” environmentally caused or biologically based? How do these

Enjoy the talented and brilliant Jewish women who helped revolutionize the worlds of Broadway, TV, film and pop music in the 20th Century. Shelly Goldstein is a founding member of the musical comedy group SHEBREWS. She is currently writing for the new musical LOBSTER BOY.

Cantor Natalie Young - Cantor Natalie Young: Behind the Music Join us for a front row seat to see emerging Jewish musical star and new local Orange County cantor, Natalie Young. In this intimate musical setting, Natalie will play moving and spiritual original scores, and share insight into the Jewish sources and people that have shaped her music. She serves as cantor for Temple Beth El in Aliso Viejo.

Erwin Chemerinsky – The Supreme Court It is an amazing time in the United States Supreme Court with many decisions affecting each of us. Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of UCI School of Law, discusses major recent decisions of the Court – including health care, gay rights and separation of church and state. A

Chabad Irvine

OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | JANUARY 2014

F E AT U R E S

PHOTO BY ALEX WELTLINGER

David Solomon, along with his wife, Marjorie, and his daughter, Tiferet, will be in Orange County for the Community Scholar Programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bar Mitzvah year.

PHOTOS BY ALEX WELTLINGER

In One Hour and More David Solomon, the 13th month-long scholar in the Community Scholar Program, inspires people with a love and passion for Jewish learning. BY ILENE SCHNEIDER

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

A MAGAZINE FOR JEWISH YOUTH & PARENTS PARTY PLANNING Tips for Your Bar and Bat Mitzvah Celebration GAME TIME Anagrams for Fun & Learning

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EDITOR’S NOTE

kiddish

s we write this article, the final lights of Chanukah have been extinquished, and the chanukias have been placed back on the mantels. Now as

December ends, most of us are preparing to end 2013 and are looking ahead to 2014.

Part of 2014 is the inauguration of Orange County’s Kiddish Magazine. The

magazine is designed for Jewish youth and their families, and will provide stories of interest, activities, recipes and professional columns. We are excited to be part of this new magazine. Both of us have been involved in other publications (including OC

Jewish Life) and will bring our unique and individual perspectives to you each issue. Additionally, we have pulled professionals, writers and talented kids from the Jewish community to provide something for everyone. January brings a time of reflection and new beginnigs. As we tackle our "To-Do" Lists"– we thought it would be appropriate to focus on our families – our traditional and spiritual families as well. Families are our life blood of our home and the Jewish communities at large. And, despite the best of intentions, our family time is often the first thing that gets neglected when faced with more and more obligations in life. In this issue, we will explore great ways to reclaim this precious time and make unforgettable momentsof your own. Therein, even after this first issue, we will continue to keep our fingers on the pulse of the Orange County Jewish Community and its impact on our families. We hope you enjoy this first issue. We want your feedback and look forward to hearing from the community regarding Kiddish Magazine! — Lisa & Tracey

Co-Editor, Dr. Lisa Grajewski is a Contributing Writer for Orange County Jewish Life. She recently graduated with a Doctorate in Clinical Forensic Psychology and is working toward licensure with a private practice in Tustin.

Co-Editor Tracey Armstrong Gorsky is a Contributing Editor for Orange County Jewish Life and former editor and writer for Making Waves, Pet Product News, Veterinary Practice News and Surfing Magazine. She brings ten years of writing and editing experience to Kiddish Magazine and holds a Masters in Business Administration.

ISRAEL KIDS

kiddish

Aviv Gadi from Los Angeles attends Mosenson High School in Hod Hasharon

A Foundation for Life Jewish high school students from the Diaspora find their feet in Israel BY DARRYL EGNAL & LISA GRAJEWSKI, PSY.D.

kiddish

ISRAEL KIDS

rielle Zahava Scherzer,

Arielle has been in private schools

daughter of Cathy Barden-

for most of her education. She expressed

stein and Jeff Scherzer lives

some interest in Naale, but asked her

in Tustin. The Scherzer fam-

mother (Bardenstein) to “find out more

ily found out about the Naale program

information.” Eventually it sounded ad-

through OC Jewish Life, while Arielle was

venturous and exciting enough to apply.

attending Hebrew High in Los Angeles.

She has been with the program since

Dr. Grajewski interviewed Bardenstein a

August 27, 2013.

day after returning from a trip to Israel to visit Arielle. Naale Elite Academy, a unique, exclusive, top-quality Israeli high school

A UNITED NATIONS EQUIVALENT

“THIS IS A NICE INCREASE IN NUMBERS SINCE LAST YEAR,” SAYS NAALE DIRECTOR, YESHAYAHU YECHIELI.

A small seed of an idea planted by

program for Diaspora Jews, enables stu-

former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak

dents to complete their last three years of

Shamir in 1992 has turned into one of

high school in Israel while learning to be

the most successful Jewish high school

independent, self-sufficient and resilient.

programs in Israel. Naale Elite Academy

The program is co-funded by the State of

is a microcosm of Israeli society, a real

Israel (the Israeli Ministry of Education)

mixture of young people from different

and the Jewish Agency for Israel and the

countries, cultures and outlooks. Origi-

students receive a full scholarship with

nally for youth from the Former Soviet

all expenses paid until they graduate.

Union (FSU), the high school now in-

New students from all over the world arrived in Israel to start the new year at the end of August CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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ISRAEL KIDS

kiddish

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

From West to East: Aviv Gadi (Los Angeles, California) with Sara Goel (Richmond, Virginia)

cludes young Jewish students from more than 50 countries around the world. This year’s intake included about 160

ers into various high schools around the country, ranging from co-educational to

youngsters from 26 countries on five con-

Religious Orthodox and Haredi. Since the

tinents. Once again, the numbers from

program launched, more than 16,000 se-

the US topped the list at 91, followed by

lect high school students from the United

France at 19 and Canada at 14.

States, Europe, the FSU, South America,

“This is a nice increase in numbers

“I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT HOW TO CONTROL MY EMOTIONS. I’VE CHANGED SO MUCH SINCE I ARRIVED.”

The program integrates these teenag-

Germany, Poland and South Africa,

since last year,” says Naale director, Ye-

among others, have graduated through

shayahu Yechieli. “Since Naale opened

the program.

its doors to the West about 12 years ago, we have welcomed students from 40 Western countries. This year, for the first time, we have a student from

AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP AND GROW Scherzer flew to New York with her

Japan. And countries like India, Serbia,

parents and went through testing, which

Kenya and China are also represented,

included a psychological interview, a

so we have a wide mix of students from

math test, and Hebrew Proficiency. Inter-

all over the world.”

viewers also observed candidates inter-

kiddish

ISRAEL KIDS

acting with each other and interviewed parents. “But what sealed the deal,” Says

spoke Hebrew.” says Bardenstein. The only thing Bardenstein would

anything?” asks Yechieli. “Yet this is what the government of Israel has done over

Bardenstein, was an exchange program

recommend: A “Buddy Program” for first

with Israeli students and students at

year students. “Maybe have the older

Hebrew High.

students speak with new parents as well –

all over the Jewish world went on to

to help with getting set up,” says Barden-

higher education in Israel, became Israeli

zer’s independence has blossomed. She

stein. Until then, Bardenstein has met

citizens and have helped to build up

has met students her age from around

with some of the new moms and started

the country in various fields. They have

the world, and together they are learning

a “support” type program.

brought their culture, background, experi-

Like a lot of Israeli children, Scher-

to navigate the public transportation

Bardenstein is proud of her daugh-

available in Israel. According to Barden-

ter, “In the three months she has been

stein, “There is no hand holding for the

involved in Naale she is more confident

students. This is Israel!” At 15, after the

and has responsibility and ownership

airlines lost her luggage, she was an

of her education. Even if she chooses to

experienced world traveler. Additionally,

come back to the United States she will

the education in Israel is different and

remain competitive. She has separated

there are more challenges, as Scherzer

herself from the rest of the kids going to

learns to navigate the language and take

school in America. [Naale] gives kids a

responsibility for her education. “She

place to shine!”

was sitting in class with other students

Yechieli is proud of the success of the

from around the world and it took them

program. “Have you ever heard of a State

a week to figure out the class they were in

that would pay tuition for 16,000 foreign-

was Psychology because the teacher only

ers without asking them to commit to

the past two decades.” Thousands of Naale graduates from

ence and education to the people and the State of Israel, leaving their mark on a country that welcomes Jews from every corner of the world. Please contact Naale’s West Coast representative, Roni Mimran, at 310497-9363 or email naale.wusa@gmail. com, for further information. Visit the Naale Elite Academy website at www. elite-academy.org ✿ Darryl Egnal is a contributing writer to Kiddish Magazine and Lisa Grajewski, Psy. D is the Co-editor in Chief of Kiddish Magazine.

(From Left to right): Cathy Bardenstein and Arielle Scherzer

BAR/BAT MITZVAH

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Get this party started! Fun ways to create great moments and commemorate your child’s special day. BY TRACEY ARMSTRONG GORSKY

gets played and when. Just be sure that you have double checked the quality of the recordings and that you have someone on-hand that can act as an “emergency DJ.” Always have a back-up device because the unexpected always seems to occur when it matters most.

PHOTOS Hiring a photographer is an excellent way to commemorate the big event but there are other ways to add some fun to picture taking as well. One way is to hire a photo booth company. They can deliver an awesome photo booth to your party that gives your guests their own control over how and when they want to take

ar and Bat Mitz vahs are a very special occasion in your child’s

their pictures. do to make your child’s party a roaring success without breaking the bank?

life and finding the “right” way to commemorate them

can be a challenge. Your child spends so

MUSIC A DJ can not only provide an excel-

much time preparing for this special day

lent source of all the current hits, but also

you want to make sure you celebrate all

act as an MC at the event and keep the

their hard work. You’ve got the temple

party animated and the energy level up!

chosen, the venue for the party, the food,

You want to make sure that you work

the soft drinks, the decorations, etc. etc.

closely with that DJ though to make sure

Now what do you do about the entertain-

they are playing music that is age-appro-

ment? Some parents really take it to the

priate and also give your child an oppor-

extreme and hire big name musical acts

tunity to provide input on what kind of

for their children’s Bar/Bat Mitz vahs, but

music they would like to hear.

most of us aren’t in a position—or even

Another option is a good old fash-

agree with—ponying up $50,000 for a

ioned play list from your child’s iPod. This

one-hour private concert. So what do you

gives you the ultimate control over what

You can also ask your photographer to set up a custom backdrop with fun props for your guests. You can even turn it into a red carpet/VIP type event at your Bar or Bat Mitz vah. This is a great way to make picture taking more of an event than a “task.” Also, providing disposable cameras at each table is a great way to capture candid moments of the party and add an element of spontaneity that professional photography just can’t provide. Many party throwers find that the pictures their guests take end up being their favorites of the day. On this special day, why not make sure you can look back and remember all those special moments! ✿

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JANUARY 2014 CALENDAR

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Get out there and

DO STUFF Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a new year! From educational to recreational, Orange County has a ton of fun and fantastic activities that you and your family can do together.

HEBREW ACADEMY MOMMY AND ME SERIES Thursday, January 02, 2014 9:30 AM to 10:00 $10 per session (pay as you go) 14401 Willow Lane Huntington Beach, CA 92647-2254 (714) 898-0051

US SHABBAT SERVICES Friday, January 03, 2014 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM University Synagogue 3400 Michelson Drive Irvine, CA, 92612 (949) 553-3535 office@universitysynagogue.org www.universitysynagogue.org

CONGREGATION B'NAI ISRAEL TOT SHABBAT Saturday, January 04, 2014 11:45 AM to 12:30 PM 2111 Bryan Ave Tustin, CA 92782 (714) 730-9693 cb18@cb18.org www.cb18.org

NEXTGEN GOURMET CLUSTER/NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS DINNER Saturday, January 04, 2014 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM Address provided upon RSVP NextGen@JFFS.org

MEDICARE - QUESTIONS ABOUT MEDICARE & THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT Tuesday, January 07, 2014 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM Merage Jewish Community Center 1 Federation Way Irvine, CA, 92603 949-435-3400 gerid@jccoc.org jccoc.org

TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM TORAH TOTS Friday, January 10, 2014 9:15 AM to 10:15 AM 2625 N. Tustin Ave. Santa Ana, CA 92705 (714) 628-4640 www.tbsoc.com

TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM TOT SHABBAT Friday, January 10, 2014 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM Join Temple Beth Sholom the second Friday of every month for a Tot Shabbat service in the 2625 N. Tustin Ave Santa Ana, CA 92705 (714) 628-4640 www.tbsoc.com

UNIVERSITY SYNAGOGUE SHABBAT SERVICES Friday, January 10, 2014 8:00 PM to 09:30 PM University Synagogue 3400 Michelson Drive Irvine, CA, 92612 (949) 553-3535 office@universitysynagogue.org www.universitysynagogue.org

CONGREGATION B'NAI ISRAEL TOT SHABBAT Saturday, January 11, 2014 11:45 AM to 12:30 PM 2111 Bryan Ave Tustin, CA 92782 (714) 730-9693 cb18@cb18.org www.cb18.org

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JANUARY 2014 CALENDAR

JSTAGE JR- THE JCC'S YOUTH THEATER

UNIVERSITY SYNAGOGUE SHABBAT SERVICES

Saturday, January 11, 2014 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM Merage Jewish Community Center Yael Brudner Yaelb@jccoc.org www.jccoc.org

Friday, January 17, 2014 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM University Synagogue 3400 Michelson Drive Irvine, CA, 92612 (949) 553-3535 office@universitysynagogue.org www.universitysynagogue.org

Friday, January 24, 2014 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM University Synagogue 3400 Michelson Drive Irvine, CA, 92612 (949) 553-3535 office@universitysynagogue.org www.universitysynagogue.org

CONGREGATION B'NAI ISRAEL TOT SHABBAT

DINNER WITH A SCHOLAR

OC JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL, "AFTERMATH" Wednesday, January 15, 2014 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM Regal Westpark 8 3735 Alton Parkway Irvine, CA, 92612 (949) 553-3535 office@universitysynagogue.org www.universitysynagogue.org

Saturday, January 18, 2014 11:45 AM to 12:30 PM 2111 Bryan Ave., Tustin, CA 92782 (714) 730-9693 cb18@cb18.org www.cb18.org

CONGREGATION B'NAI TZEDEK TOT SHABBAT

OC JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL, "THE ZIGZAG KID"

Friday, January 17, 2014 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM 9669 Talbert Ave Fountain Valley, CA 92708 (714) 963-4611

Sunday, January 19, 2014 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM Regal Westpark 8 3735 Alton Parkway Irvine, CA, 92606 (949) 553-3535 office@universitysynagogue.org www.universitysynagogue.org

Saturday, January 25, 2014 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM The Bureau of Jewish Education's annual event. Details TBA Private homes Heather Zemmol (949) 435-3450 heather@bjeoc.org

JEWISH NOBEL PRIZE LAUREATES Sunday, January 26, 2014 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM Merage Jewish Community Center 1 Federation Way Irvine, CA 92603 Geri Dorman gerid@jccoc.org

AIPAC ORANGE COUNTY ANNUAL DINNER Sunday, January 26, 2014 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM AIPAC OC Annual Dinner ocdinner@aipac.org

OC JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 'HUNTING ELEPHANTS' Wednesday, January 29, 2014 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM Regal Westpark 8 Cinemas 3735 Alton Parkway Irvine, CA office@universitysynagogue.org

FAMILY NIGHT AT UNIVERSITY SYNAGOGUE Friday, January 31, 2014 5:45 PM to 8:00 PM University Synagogue 3400 Michelson Drive Irvine, CA 92612 (949) 553-3535 office@universitysynagogue.org www.universitysynagogue.org â&#x153;ż

FAMILY TIME

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Building a Jewish Home One guest at a time: teaching our children about putting others first makes the world a better place. BY SUSAN PENN, M. ED.

Our children learn about nurturing relationships by what they see around them.

THE TORAH TAKES AN EVEN GREATER STEP AND COMMANDS US TO FEED OUR ANIMALS BEFORE WE EAT OURSELVES.

kiddish

FAMILY TIME

Susan Penn is a mother of three, Education Director at University Synagogue, President of Jewish Reconstructionist Educators of North America, Member of Jewish Educators Assembly, and a Member of the Board of the Orange County Bureau of Jewish Education.

ewish tradition associates

our visitors and ensure their comfort

before we eat, we encourage them to

Shabbat and holidays with

before we eat ourselves. Our children

think about taking care of others before

food. We are fortunate as Jews

learn about taking care of and nurtur-

themselves. This tradition also dates

to be able to use this time on

ing relationships, even if it is around

back to the Torah. Isaac married Re-

a weekly basis to build family rela-

food. This is the mitzvah of Hakhna-

becca because she had offered to water

tionships, solidify friendships, and to

sat Orekhim (welcoming guests). This

Abraham’s camels when providing wa-

bond with new people in our lives. We

tradition has its roots in the stories

ter to his fellow travelers. Her thought-

invite friends, relatives, and sometimes

of Abraham welcoming guests into

fulness was noticed and embraced.

strangers to share our meals; we light

his tents. He would wash their feet,

our candles, make a bracha over chal-

provide a meal consisting of the finest

a time for sharing meals with special

lah and wine, and eat together. Sharing

foods he could access, and ensure the

people in out lives, our children will

food breaks down barriers, crossing all

guests were comfortable.

learn to associate Judaism with friends

social, ethnic, and cultural boundaries.

The Torah takes an even greater

If we use Shabbat and Holidays as

and family. If we use our mealtimes

It builds warm memories and enhanc-

step and commands us to feed our

as a reminder for our children to feed

es traditions. Most important of all, it

animals before we eat ourselves. There

their pets, they will learn to associate

teaches our children to cherish their

are many interpretations of this but as

taking care of others with food. We

Judaism.

we look at it through a contemporary

weave tradition, Torah and mitzvot

lens, it provides us the perfect means

into everyday rituals – feeding our pets

people into our homes to celebrate

to model caring and compassion, for

and inviting guests into our homes. This

Shabbat or one of the holidays, we

others, to our children. The only way

way, we build memories, community,

model welcoming and hosting guests

our pets can eat is if we feed them. By

identity and future. ✿

for our children. They watch us feed

teaching our children to feed our pets

By extension, when we invite

KIDS COOKING

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Edible Shabbat Candles Sometimes when a child battles food allergies, food can become the enemy. Here is a fun way to embrace food that is gluten, dairy and nut free! Enjoy this creative and nutritious snack while you teach your child that eating can be fun and tasty. BY HEIDI KAHN INGREDIENTS: 1 orange (or can of pineapple rings) 1 banana 2 red grapes (or strawberries or raspberries or cherries or cherry tomatoes) 1 red apple (if creating an edible match) PREPARATION: Peel and cut banana in half with a plastic knife Wash and slice orange into 4 circles Wash your red ‘flames’ of choice (grapes/ cherries/raspberries/strawberries) TO ASSEMBLE: Place 2 circles of orange on a plate (or 2 pineapple circles) Stack orange rings so that a smaller one goes on top of the larger bottom circle Place banana candles on top. Cut them shorter if the topple over. Top with ‘flame’ To create a ‘match’, use a thin stick of red apple. Eat and enjoy. An orange, a banana and grapes make up this creative treat

Heidi Kahn, is the Pre-School Director at University Synagogue Pre-School. She has had over 30 years in field of Jewish Early Childhood Education. She brings her creativity, a sense of fun, sensitivity to food allergies and an opportunity for parents and children to bond in the kitchen while creating her recipes. For more information about the recipes, or the Pre-School, please contact Heidi at hkahn@universitysynagogue.org

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FAMILY TIME

kiddish

How can I possibly take a break? Taking time to enjoy Sabbath with your family. BY RABBI NANCY RITA MYERS

e are busy, too busy.

the demands of work and activities. How-

There are too many

ever, perhaps we can still have a sense of

chores to do, too many

Shabbat even if only for a few hours.

errands, too many

What would it be like to actually put

work tasks, too many people to answer

on the calendar scheduled time to rest

to, and too little time. Our children’s

and have fun with our kids? It could be

activities seem unending, keeping track

a sit down dinner on Friday night where

of their homework and tests is exhaust-

no one has to rush out the door. We could

ing, and we just don’t have time to rest.

attend services at a nearby synagogue as

The constant running around though

a family. We could look at taking a few

takes its toll. We are tired, irritable, and

hours on Saturday for a bike ride, walk in

stressed out. We know that in this state

the park, to see a movie, play some games,

we aren’t taking care of ourselves and we

or make sandcastles at the beach. We are

certainly can’t be as good a parent as we

so lucky to live in Southern California

would like. We snap easily, yell more than

where we can enjoy being outdoors year

we should, eat on the run, and are less

round. Why shouldn’t we take advantage

patient with our children. We really need

of it? I am boldly suggesting that just

a break.

as we schedule our kid’s school, soccer

In the Torah, we are told to remem-

practice, and activities, maybe we can

ber and observe Shabbat. Our Sabbath as

schedule some down time as well. Why

Jews begins on Friday night and contin-

can’t we enter into our iphone or android

ues till sunset on Saturday. Traditionally,

something like 1:00-4:00 pm family

this is a time when people cease all kinds

outing? It doesn’t matter what it is as

of work, engage in prayer, celebrate, and

long as it is joyful and relaxing with our

enjoy food and family. For many of us

kids. And what could be more holy than

who are not traditional, though, taking off

resting and having joy on Shabbat?

a full 24 hours may be unrealistic given

Abraham Joshua Heschel, a famous

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FAMILY TIME

Taking time out with your family is a key part of optimal health.

I AM BOLDLY SUGGESTING THAT JUST AS WE SCHEDULE OUR KID’S SCHOOL, SOCCER PRACTICE, AND ACTIVITIES, MAYBE WE CAN SCHEDULE SOME DOWN TIME AS WELL.

a sense of the eternity of time.

20th century Jewish theologian, in his

We become enslaved by all the things we

book, The Sabbath, writes that “the mean-

must do that we forget to live. For Hes-

ing of the Sabbath is to celebrate time

chel, holiness and eternity are only expe-

break on Shabbat for ourselves, for our

rather than space. Six days a week we live

rienced in time. By setting aside time for

kids, and for our sanity. We need time to

under the tyranny of things of space; on

ourselves, our children, and for God, we

feel joy. We need time to enjoy the love

the Sabbath we try to become attuned

can catch a glimpse of something greater

of our family. We need time to appreciate

to holiness in time.” We all know the

than the moment. Time is where we can

the gift of life. So schedule that picnic in

pressure of fitting too many things into

sense the meaning of life. Time is when

the park, card game on the floor, walk in

a single day and into the week. Heschel

we can step back and appreciate the love

the mountain, or swim. Let’s take time to

reminds us to leave the world of things,

of our family. Time is when we can feel

recharge ourselves. Let’s take that break. ✿

push aside all those errands and chores,

a sense of wholeness and appreciate the

and stop running from activity to activity.

glory of our universe. Shabbat can give us

So perhaps we should schedule a

Rabbi Nancy Rita Myers is the rabbi of Temple Beth David in Westminster, CA.

KIDS KONNECTION

Geared toward teenagers, the Anne Frank exhibit offers a unique perspective of the events surrounding the Holocaust.

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KIDS KONNECTION

The Ultimate Exhibit

EXPERIENCE Anne Frank continues to inspire modern day Jewish families. BY BARBARA BOARNET

ver Thanksgiving break, we

the things they went through, was very

went to the Museum of Tol-

moving and made the Holocaust more

erance to see the new Anne

real to us. Another highlight of the ex-

Frank exhibit which opened

hibit was the replica of the Secret Annex,

in October.

Although we have taken our kids

which you actually walk through to get to the next section of the exhibit so you

to the Museum of Tolerance before

can see what it felt to be in a room where

and also the Holocaust museum in

you can’t go outside or even look out the

Washington DC, the Anne Frank exhibit

window. Another very interesting aspect

is unique and offers a different per-

was the actual pages of her diary.

spective of the events surrounding the

Although we had been to the Muse-

Holocaust. This new, permanent exhibit

um of Tolerance once before with each

is geared toward teenagers and our kids

of our children before their Bar and Bat

definitely related to the exhibit. It’s ex-

Mitzvahs, it is such a big place filled with

tremely well done and has more photos

so many things to see that you can’t really

and memorabilia than we expected. The

do everything in just one or even two

modern technology used made it very

visits. Instead of paying for the entrance

easy to walk through and listen to the

tickets, we chose to purchase a family

narratives. Everything is on a loop, and

membership so we can go as many times

each section starts every few minutes

as we would like in this upcoming year.

and it is spaced perfectly.

We had already done the main Holocaust

Telling Anne’s story from beginning

exhibits and also had listened to survi-

to end, the exhibit is interactive and

vor’s speak, so we chose to do different

keeps the viewer engaged as you go from

things this time. Although I highly rec-

section to section. One of the highlights

ommend the survivor talks - that alone

was the film clip by Anne’s cousin, her

is worth the drive to LA and is something

only remaining living relative. Listening to

that has a lasting impact, especially since

him talk about Anne and their family and

as these survivors get older and pass on,

the things they did and then, ultimately,

there will be no one to tell their first hand

KIDS KONNECTION

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Anne Frank's diary reminds us of her courage and continues to inspire generation after generation.

stories. On this visit, we wanted to focus

me of my own teenage and college years

on things we hadn’t done, so we spent a

and I was excited to point out to the kids

long amount of time in the Anne Frank

things like the Kosher Chinese/pizza

exhibit, looking at and listening to ev-

restaurant where I would go with my

erything, watching every film, etc. Then,

Jewish youth groups, the Aish Ha Torah

we still had some time before closing,

center, where I hung out a lot during law

so we went to the “Tolerance” portion of

school (hoping to meet a nice Jewish

the museum and really enjoyed the area

boy!) and Hansen’s Cakes, where I got my

where you watch little mini films about

Bat Mitzvah cake. I loved driving down

certain topics and then have an opportu-

the street and seeing all of the signs in

nity to give you own opinions via a survey

Hebrew and all of the Kosher restaurants.

pole and also to interactively ask ques-

I hadn’t been there in a long time and it

tions (virtually, at a computer terminal)

has definitely been built up.

about the people depicted in the films

No visit to “Jewish LA” would be com-

and why they made the choices they did.

plete without dinner at a real Jewish deli,

We especially enjoyed the clips about

so off to Cantors we went for dinner. De-

bullying (based on sexual preferences)

licious corned beef, soup with matza balls

and teenage drinking and driving.

that filled the whole bowl and, of course,

After a very meaningful and thorough time at the museum, we drove

black and white cookies, rounded out our fun family day in a very sweet way. ✿

around in the heart of the “Jewish district,” around the Pico/Robertson area. It brought back so many memoires for

Barbara Boarnet is a contributing writer to Kiddish and Orange County Jewish Life Magazine.

WE ESPECIALLY ENJOYED THE CLIPS ABOUT BULLYING (BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION) AND TEENAGE DRINKING AND DRIVING.

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1. DREIDEL A top-like toy used to play a traditional Chanukkah game.

4. CHALLAH (KHAH-LUH) A sweet, eggy, yellow bread, usually braided, which is served on Shabbat and holidays, confusingly named for the commandment to set aside a portion of the dough from any bread.

6. HEBREW The language of the Torah, in which all prayer should be recited 7. SABBATH A day of rest and spiritual enrichment.

CALL HAH MATH VAT BIZ

3. BAT MITZVAH (BAHT MITS-VUH) Lit. daughter of the commandment. A girl who has achieved the age of 12 and is consequently obligated to observe the commandments. Also, a ceremony marking the fact that a girl has achieved this age.

4 3

2. DAYS OF AWE Ten days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, a time for introspection and considering the sins of the previous year.

8. SCRIPTURES The Jewish Bible, also referred to as the Tanakh. More or less corresponds to what non-Jews call the "Old Testament."

9. SHALOM (SHAH-LOHM) Hebrew. Literally, peace. A way of saying "hello" or "goodbye." 10. TEMPLE The central place of worship in ancient Jerusalem, where sacrifices were offered, destroyed in 70 C.E. 2) The term commonly used for houses of worship within the Reform movement.

SODA YA FEW DEER LID

5. FLEISHIK (FLAHYSH-IK) Yiddish: meat. Used to describe kosher foods that contain meat and therefore cannot be eaten with dairy

2 1

LEPT ME SLAM OH

The words below are scrambled! Switch the letters around into words you know and write it into the box below. No peeking at the answers!

Anagrams! GAMES

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NOW IN ITS Bar Mitzvah year, the Community Scholar Program (CSP) is bringing yet another world-renowned scholar to venues all over Orange County from February 4 to March 2. David Solomon, an educator, scholar, translator and writer, is best known for his teaching in the area of Jewish studies. He has also made contributions in art and media. He holds degrees in anthropology, English literature and Jewish studies, as well as media broadcasting. He spent almost five years learning formally in yeshivot in both Israel and Australia, and studied Kabbalah. “In One Hour” is an educational initiative, with the teachings and writings of Solomon, an historian, Biblical scholar and kabbalist, at its nucleus. The project brings together Solomon’s innovative and dynamic educational talks – many of which serve as basic introductions to a range of areas in Jewish studies – with his more in-depth survey courses on Tanach and Jewish history, Jewish philosophy and Kabbalah. Here is a quick Q&A about Solomon and his work. See the full CSP schedule online and more information next month and in the mail.

What motivated the creation of “In One Hour”? In early 2005 Solomon devised his popular lecture, The Whole of Jewish History in One Hour. He took the program to Limmud UK at the end of 2005, and it was highly successful. He began to get invited elsewhere. By December 2006, he had launched a full and international educational initiative, known as the “In One Hour” series, with The Whole of Jewish History in One Hour continuing as the flagship presentation. The series comprises a catalogue of lectures, each of which provides basic introductions to a range of areas in Jewish studies, grounded in traditional Jewish sources and combined, in some cases, with original visual mapping techniques. In 2008 Solomon produced a book called The Whole of Jewish History in One Hour. Solomon believes that Jewish history and Hebrew are the two most essential areas of learning for the Jewish world today and decries educational approaches in which students remain dependent on teachers for access to Jewish ideas and

The project brings together Solomon’s innovative and dynamic educational talks.

texts. He aims to provide students with the necessary tools to be able to take responsibility for their own Jewish education by having the ability to read Jewish texts directly (Hebrew) and to understand these sources in context (Jewish history). In March 2012, Solomon moved to Sydney, Australia, in order to take up a commissioned scholarship in residence with Neshama Life to complete the firstever translation into English of the kabbalistic text Tikunei haZohar. Continued on page 42

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F E AT U R E S

Continued from page 41

How and where is it used? Solomon moved to Israel to make it his base. He began to give one-hour talks and created an audio library. He has lectured throughout the world on a range of topics, from modern and Biblical Hebrew to Kabbalah and Jewish history, as well as anthroplogy of religion and conceptual art. Not based in any one location or attached to a specific institution, Solomon’s teachings reach throughout the world in a number of ways, more specifically when he is booked by communities to teach or speak on an extensive range of topics or when his wife organizes talks or courses in different locations. Sometimes he tours eight or ten European cities in two weeks. CSP is his longest continuous booking. PHOTO BY ALEX WELTLINGER

What is the philosophy of the program?

David Solomon believes that Jewish History and Hebrew are the two most essential areas of learning for the majority of Jewish people in the world today. Solomon plays chess with his daughter, Tiferet.

According to his website, David Solomon’s aim is to inspire people with a love and passion for Jewish learning by providing them with the tools to pursue and take responsibility for their own Jewish education. The key to enrichment of life through Jewish education is a return to sources.

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F E AT U R E S

Solomon’s aim is to inspire people with a love and passion for Jewish learning.

Solomon believes that Jewish history and Hebrew are the two most essential areas of learning for the majority of Jewish people in the world today. Hebrew provides the tools for people to have access to their own rich heritage, and Jewish history provides the frame and context that makes any individual journey in learning meaningful. He believes that Jewish history is the ultimate vehicle by which to transmit meaning in today’s Jewish world. It provides a context and a framework by which every single Jew can understand his place in the world, his responsibility as a Jew and the incredible role and destiny of the Jewish people – past, present and future. In other words, the more we understand Jewish history, the more we realize that we are part of a continuum. This understanding provides an individual with a sense of belonging and purpose in the world. Most spiritual leaders, as well as psychologists and anthropologists, call this sensation: meaning. What

elevates this meaning even further is the realization, afforded by a study of Jewish history, that our continuum has a purpose.

Why is there so much emphasis on Hebrew? Hebrew, according to Solomon, is essential to all Jewish education. It is, he says, the gateway to Torah. Hebrew is the key to every Jewish person’s ability to take responsibility for his own Jewish education. His view is that there is no serious or authentic journey in Jewish spirituality without Hebrew, the language of God, of the Torah, of the Jewish people and of the Land of Israel. It is the concrete that binds all of the fundamental elements of our Jewish existence. Although many Jewish people today are not as familiar with Hebrew as they should be, he believes that it is vital for every Jewish person to engage with Hebrew at some level; for even a small knowledge of Hebrew can open new treasures of understanding and spiritual growth.

How have the results of using the program met expectations?

Results have been “extremely good, extremely positive,” according to Marjorie Solomon. “They bring energy to communities with the breadth of knowledge involved.”

What makes “In One Hour” unique? The talks condense a great deal of knowledge into a very short period of time. The idea is that people will be stimulated and motivated to learn. While Solomon is best known for his “In One Hour” series of talks, and particularly, for his flagship presentation, The Whole World of Jewish History in One Hour, he prefers to teach longer, more in-depth courses, which attract large, enthusiastic audiences from around the world. What Solomon does best is take a threedimensional slide of Jewish history and philosophy and get people excited enough to explore it further. According to his wife, Marjorie, who coordinates the marketing and organizational elements of the programs, “His emphasis is on empowering people to go on their own journey. His talks light a fire under people to read more. He opens doors and gets people to travel through them.” A

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A Voice for All Women

Jewish Women’s Theatre presents Eden According to Eve, Biblical stories through the eyes of our matriarchs.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JEWISH WOMEN’S THEATRE

BY HANNAH SCHOENBAUM

Judith Scarpone as Laura Logan in Rabbi Lynne Appel’s I Am the Story.

PEOPLE OF DIVERGENT races, religions or genders may see the world differently from each other. Everyone has his own opinions and perspectives about daily occurrences, as well as Biblical stories from many centuries ago. When these opinions are expressed freely, they can potentially create controversy, but that is the beauty of theater; out on that stage, all people are free to express themselves. The audience gets 44

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

the opportunity to walk in someone else’s shoes, and see the world through the eyes of another. In this case, it is through the eyes of some of the most well-respected Jewish matriarchs in history. On February 23, at 4 p.m. in Laguna Woods, Jewish Women’s Theatre will present its production of Eden According to Eve in front of its very first Orange County audience. This hysterically funny theatrical

production gives the audience a glimpse into the life of the modern day Jewish woman, along with the lives of past Jewish matriarchs. In the show, the past merges with the present as matriarchs and patriarchs assume a place in modern society and live out their same stories in this day and age. Jewish Women’s Theatre is a program whose goal is to give a voice to all denominations of Jewish women and preserve their stories for future generations. In the spring of 2007, Ronda Spinak, Ellen Sandler and Deena Novak co-founded this program out of Los Angeles, as a nonprofitable way to share the stories of Jewish women in a salon theater form. After five seasons, Jewish Women’s Theatre has spread nationwide. On November 23, the group performed Saffron and Rosewater: Songs and Stories from Perisan Jewish Women for a full house in New York at the 92nd Street Y. “In Eden According to Eve, Jewish women are asked to look at Bible stories from a feminine perspective and set them in today’s world,” said Jewish Women’s Theatre cofounder and artistic director, Ronda Spinak. “For instance, Abraham and Sarah have a forty-year-old son who is still living at home, and they discover the difficulties of working with others.” The actors demonstrate how the matriarchs and patriarchs face some of the same experiences Jewish women face today, and relate their experience back to the oldest of Biblical stories. “The notion of this piece is to reflect the wonderful dimensions and variety in Jewish women that exist today, while creating a

F E AT U R E S

Sarah Hershberg sings about Rebecca at the well and how life has gone by in a song of her own composition.

new, more prominent image for modern ented ladies. The other writers of Eden According to Eve Jewish women,” said Spinak. In total, there are five seasoned actors per- include Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist, forming in this production, all of whom are writer, and rabbi, Lynne Appel, author of The members of the original cast from two years Day of Small Beginnings, Lisa Rosenbaum, back. The cast includes actor and former and screenwriter, Arlene Sarner. Each writer comedic writer, Robert Trebor, Broadway showed her own theatrical depiction of life actress, Judith Scarpone, actress, Lisa Robins, through the eyes of the Jewish matriarchs. They tackled prominent Emmy Award-winning issues of the day, such as comedy writer, stand up rape, divorce, suicide and comedian, motivational The audience custody and related them speaker, and performer, gets the back to the Bible stories, Monica Piper, and multicreating a sort of Modern genre television writer opportunity Midrash. and performer, Shelly to walk in “About a year ago, we Goldstein. The actors will performed Eden According be accompanied by singer, someone else’s to Eve in front of 60 to Sarah Hershberg, who will 70 inmates at the wombe performing two origshoes, and en’s prison in Corona on inal pieces. Both Piper see the world Shabbat. It was a rare and Goldstein wrote their experience to perform in own pieces to perform in through the front of these people who the show. The audience eyes of another. had actually been raped, should expect plenty of suffered divorce, had suihumor from these two tal-

cides in their families, committed crimes and even killed people. It was a very magical afternoon for us because in many ways these were their stories too.” Producer Ronda Spinak is very proud of this particular show and is excited to be returning to Orange County, where she grew up. Spinak lived in Huntington Beach, attended Edison High School and was a member of Congregation Shir Ha-Ma’alot. As a child, Spinak enjoyed attending theater productions at South Coast Repertory. “That’s where I first fell in love with theater,” she said. Cast member Lisa Rosenbaum, also has parents who live in Laguna Woods, where the performance will take place. Eden According to Eve has been described as a universal production. Men, women, Jews and non-Jews alike have enjoyed this wonderful show. No matter what race, religion or gender, Eden According to Eve can be an enlightening experience for everyone, allowing people to see life from a different perspective. A OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | JANUARY 2014

panorama OC JEWISH SCENE | JANUARY 2014

Honored at Installation

Speaking at the J

Michele Shugarman, left, who served as the chair of the Long Beach-Orange County Area Regional Council (ARC) of Hadassah, received the 2013 Hadassah national leadership award at the Hadassah Southern California installation of officers. Sandy Einberg, Hadassah National Board member, is with Michele, who was honored for fulfilling the mission and ideals of Hadassah and the words of its founder, Henrietta Szold.

Jews -- 2 percent of the U.S. population – are 20 percent of all Nobel Prize Laureates. On January 26, at 4 p.m., at the Merage JCC, rabbi/historian Dr. David Dalin will discuss the these laureates -- Rosalyn Yalow, the first American woman to win the Prize in medicine, Paul Samuelson and Milton Friedman, Prize recipients in economics, Saul Bellow, the first American Jew to receive the Nobel Prize in literature, Henry Kissinger and Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, and Albert A. Michelson, the recipient of the Nobel Prize in physics in 1907.

Speaking at CBI Rabbi Shawn Fields-Meyer will present a “dynamic, interactive and engaging session touching the mind, body and soul,” sponsored by Congregation B’nai Israel (CBI) Sisterhood. She is well-known for her work for the Ruach Nashim (Women’s Retreat) at Camp Ramah, is Scholar-in-Residence at Milken Community High School in Los Angeles and is the co-author of A Day Apart: Shabbat at Home. The event is scheduled for Sunday, January 26, at 10 a.m. at CBI.

Stacey Battat

Singing for Seniors Fourth grade students at Tarbut V’Torah (TVT) entertained residents of Bubbe & Zayde’s Place during the Jewish festival of Chanukah. They sang Chanukah songs and mingled with the senior citizens, asking about their lives and about their grandchildren. One of the residents of the Jewish home for seniors in Santa Ana is 100 years old. The residents were also treated to a delicious lunch before returning home. 46

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

F E AT U R E S

A Jewish Perspective of The Beatles

The Beatles’ message was “freeing ourselves so we could embark on a more spiritual path.” BY JOEL BENJAMIN

The Beatles left an enduring legacy.

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

F E AT U R E S

JUST AS JUDAISM is an ethical and spiritual lighthouse, so too were The Beatles. Most religions have their roots in spiritual awakening. The Beatles had a powerful appeal to a generation in calling forth a spiritual bonding. They sought out wonder, meaning and innocence in their lives and music. Similar to Judaism, the religious allure of The Beatles was a vital factor in allowing the group to endure. They were spiritual apostles that evangelized a kind of gospel that resonated with tens, if not hundreds of millions of people, across a broad spectrum of the planet. Their own personal search for a meaningful spirituality was a major part of their attraction. Joining the Beatle “religion” was nothing more than a matter of “belonging to the community” of people like yourself, who enjoyed their music and definitely agreed with the idea, tone, focus and message. They preached a fantastic gospel – and through music – not lectures and shiurim. Just as many secular Jews benefit from belonging to the Jewish community and don’t go all the way into it, a large global community became part of the “Beatle community” by listening to their songs and loving what they stood for and to follow their incredible lives. They inspired us and left us in awe of them, as does the most Orthodox Jew for Hashem. With no formal rituals, the gospel according to The Beatles is a story of spiritual and personal exploration. The central concern of their simple message was their unfolding philosophy which always pivoted on freedom of one type or another – political and spiritual. The human problem, in their eyes, was one of limitations and constraint. We can’t reach our full potential if we are inhibited. In the same way, the Jewish idea suggests that we need to free ourselves from the limitation and entrapment of our physical world – at least once a week on Shabbat – to free our soul and our bodies from the trappings of the physical world. This weekly time-honored Jewish practice of “freeing ourselves so we could embark on a more spiritual path” is exactly what The Beatles projected to the world.

Theological Parallels The Beatles were present in our world for exactly seven years from August 1962 when Ringo joined the group until August 1969 when they completed the recording of “Abbey Road.” Exactly seven years – to the very month. Seven is a key number in Judaism. God created the world in seven days. It also represents spiritual perfection and fullness or completion.

The “Sabbath” meant that at least one day out of seven would be reserved for “spiritual” matters – to enable a working person to have one day of the week devoted exclusively to the soul. The Sabbath year, also called the sabbatical year or sheviit, is the seventh year of the seven-year agricultural cycle mandated by the Torah for the Land of Israel. The Beatles recorded 12 studio albums. Twelve is a perfect number, also signifying perfection in anything to do with rules. There are twelve divisions of heaven called the Mazzaroth, which God uses for signs and seasons. Hence, the 12 symbols of the Zodiac. Another way The Beatles and the Jews are linked is that it is believed that the direction of their music changed on Thursday June 1, 1967, when the Sgt. Pepper’s album was released. Seventy-two hours later on Monday June 5, 1967, the Six Day war broke out. Just as Sgt. Pepper’s changed music and popular culture, so too did The Six Day War change Israel and Diaspora Jewry, as well as much of the global economic and geopolitical affairs. These two major events occurred in the span of just 72 hours, which is four times eighteen, eighteen being the number for life.

Community and Repairing the World The deeper meaning of The Beatle legacy is based on an authentic, basic Jewish concept of belonging to a community. The Beatles personified the concept of “unity,” which predates the coming together or joining a community. They personified the Hegelian idea that the whole is worth more than the separate parts – and society should become closer together. How Jewish is that? What’s more Jewish than community? With Jews, a similar type of “unity” is expressed as individuals become “unified” and a “perfect whole” when they join the Jewish community in events or spirit. Where would Jewish civilization be without the concept of community? That is exactly what was at the core of The Beatles’ message. The Beatles were a “unified community” of four. They were also the major focus/ component of a the “community of Beatle fans/ lovers” who came together in a community to celebrate their music and message. With The Beatles, all you have to do is listen to one of their songs and acknowledge their message – and you are a member of their community. All that a Jew has to do to “belong” to the community is to sing along in synagogue or break bread with other Jews. The various Jewish customs

The deeper meaning of The Beatle legacy is based on an authentic, basic Jewish concept of belonging to a community.

and liturgy provide the exact same function that songs do for members of the Beatles community: to unify the community. Although the function of community in the world of The Beatles may be more superficial and less demanding than a Jew’s responsibility towards the community, the concept is the same.

“Tikkun Olam” The phrase “Tikkun Olam” means that as man shares a partnership with God, humanity is instructed to take the steps towards improving the state of the world and helping others, which simultaneously brings more honor to God’s sovereignty. There is no doubt that The Beatles reached the masses with a message of love, peace and personal fulfillment and happiness. They were taking the first step in implementing “Tikkun Olam” – to elucidate the realization that there is a problem with the way man is acting in the world and that it must be corrected. The Beatles historical legacy certainly provided the backdrop for a “spiritual renewal” in the last half of the 20th century. Were they given seven years to help us to spiritually, free ourselves? A former Israeli business and economics journalist, Joel Benjamin is the author of two research studies on the musical and historical legacy of The Beatles (www. ArjonPublishing.com). To arrange for him to lecture in your community during his 2014 Lecture Tour, contact him at BeatleLectures@outlook.com or through his website, www.BeatleLectures.com.

OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | JANUARY 2014

SPOTLIGHT

Simchas

Babkas by Elana The Babka Queen opens her kitchen to everyone. BY ILENE SCHNEIDER

Samson decided it was time for her to open her kitchen up to everyone.

ELANA SAMSON, WHO has served as rental coordinator at the Merage Jewish Community Center for more than 10 years, related that she grew up “learning how to cook and bake from the women in my family.” She added that, “Every Shabbat and Jewish Holiday, my mother and grandmother would teach my sister and me the tricks of the trade. When I got married and had my own children, I carried on this wonderful tradition with my two girls.” Along the way, Samson came 50

across a recipe for a chocolate babka. “I wish I could say the first batch was perfection; however, as with most recipes, some tweaking was needed,” she said. “After a few more tries I was able to get the consistency just right: a crunchy exterior and a soft interior. I soon started making my babka for family and friends, and quickly acquired the name: The Babka Queen.” After more than 10 years of sharing her babkas with her community, Samson decided it was time for her to open her

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

kitchen up to everyone. She launched Babkas by Elana on Facebook a few days before Rosh Hashanah. and was up almost all night before Yom Kippur trying to fulfill all of the orders she had. The babkas come in chocolate, cinnamon raisin, cinnamon, chocolate halvah and chocolate walnut. All can be dairy or non-dairy. There is no whey or preservatives. While Samson has a kosher kitchen, she said that the babkas are not baked under rabbinical supervision.

In addition to fresh babkas, Samson will provide them frozen. “Just defrost them, bake them at 335 degrees for 30 minutes and you’re done,” she said. All of the babkas are $24.99 or two for $40. Samson added that they make nice hostess gifts. Samson, who has been involved with Chai Lifeline, Congregation Beth Jacob, Chabad of Irvine and Tarbut V’Torah in addition to working at the JCC, added, “I’m a working wife, mother of three and active community member. I know how hectic life can be. So allow me to provide something homey, delicious and decadent for you to enjoy with your family and friends.” In terms of growing the business, Samson said she “doesn’t know where it’s going to take me. For now I’m having fun.” What distinguishes her babkas from any other babkas? “It’s the love,” she concluded. A

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SPOTLIGHT

Simchas

Modern Jewish Wedding You can update time-honored Jewish traditions. BY MICHELE SCHWARTZ, CLCEP

Chuppah, which means covering in Hebrew, is the most recognizable symbol of a Jewish wedding. Designing a chuppah with your fiance is a special way to create something symbolic and beautiful together. Unlike many other Jewish ritual objects, there are no legal requirements for the chuppah. It can be, symbolic or fun, adorned or simple. It can represent who you are, or aspire to be, as a couple. You can make your chuppah just wide enough to hold the two of you and your officiant, or you can make it roomy and invite your entire wedding party to join you underneath the canopy. You can have a freestanding chuppah or invite honored family and friends to hold it over you.

THE “BREAKING OF the glass” is a familiar and favorite tradition in Jewish weddings. After the ceremony and before the reception begins, the groom stomps a shrouded glass with a satisfying crunch for the room to hear. Many beautiful traditions from our Jewish heritage give deeper meaning to our ceremonies and celebrations. Here are my favorite Jewish wedding traditions with a few ideas for modern couples.

Kabbalt Panim (Greeting Faces) - Every bride wants to be Queen for A Day. Did you know that the concept is a Jewish one? In ancient ceremonies, the bride sat upon a throne-like chair, and 52

friends and family of the bride came and greeted her. A modern update is a little pre-wedding celebration and beautification (manipedi? updo’s?) for the bride and her gals. Toast the bride with a little bubbly to make it special.

Hakafah - A little like “Ring Around the Rosy.” This tradition symbolizes the creation of a new sacred family circuit. The bride circles her groom seven times as she enters the chuppah. In modern weddings, the bride and groom circle one another, creating a sacred space around each another in front of the symbolism of their new home, the chuppah.

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

Yihud means seclusion. Traditionally, it was inappropriate for unmarried men and women to be alone together; so, as soon as the bride and groom exited the chuppah, they would go immediately into a room of seclusion, symbolizing their new status as a married couple. No photographers, videographers or mothers allowed! Look into one another’s eyes, take a deep breath and pause, reveling in the moment. Also consider enjoying some of the food and drinks you won’t have time to enjoy once you join your reception, which will already be in full swing when you walk through the doors. Create a Mezzuzah. After the glass is broken, don’t throw away those shards. Instead, have your trusted wedding planner collect

Designing a chuppah with your fiance is a special way to create something symbolic and beautiful together.

them and use them to create a Mezzuzah for your new home or bedroom door. There are a number of beautiful, modern Mezzuzahs that will compliment your style or décor. Finally, an important part of the wedding ceremony is the recitation of the Shevra Brachot (the seven blessings). In very traditional families the wedding reception is ended with the same recitation of the seven blessings before the departure of the bride and groom. Rather than chant the traditional seven blessings for a second time, have guests give their own verbal blessings to the wedding couple. The blessing I remember the most from this tradition at my wedding: “May you always be happier than you are right now!” Michele Schwartz is founder and editor of The Modern Jewish Wedding and event planner in Austin, Texas. She was a 2013 ESPRIT Award Finalist-Best Social Event. A

SPOTLIGHT

Simchas

Golden Dreidle Find all your Judaica in one place. BY ILENE SCHNEIDER

PHOTOS BY JANET LAWRENCE

Shahrokh and Julie have a knack for spotting trends and unusual items.

The Golden Dreidle has a large selection of gift items.

WHETHER ONE NEEDS a gift for a wedding, a Bar or Bat Mitzvah or any other occasion, shopping at the Golden Dreidle is always pleasant. Shahrokh and Julie Ghodsi have been the only owners of the Golden Dreidle, and they take pride in customer service and making sure that people find exactly what they want. Shakrokh, who had had a jewelry business, and Julie, whose background is in retailing, have a knack for spotting trends and unusual items. They

obviously love what they do. The Golden Dreidle has been selling Judaica and Ketubahs (artistic Jewish marriage contracts) since 1991. Its original store was in Costa Mesa, and it is currently located in Irvine. The company also has an online business. According to the website, “Our love of working with our community and helping people with their simchas over the years has given us experience and an understanding of how to be

creative, and to take care of customers’ needs. We work directly with our artists and have a great relationship with them, so we know how to deliver a personalized ketubah with circumstances. This has given us a reputation over the years for knowing how to accommodate

our couples. Please feel free to browse our 500+ Ketubah design choices.” For more information, visit the Golden Dreidle at 2626 Dupont Dr. #40, Irvine, CA 92612, call (866) 493-6700 or (949) 955-0900 or e-mail contact@ GoldenDreidle.com. A

OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | JANUARY 2014

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

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PHOTO BY JON EDWARDS

A&E

Lillian Bart’s Best Chicken Soup JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

MushroomFilled Kreplach

A&E

PHOTO BY CAREN ALPERT

You think your mother’s chicken soup is the best. Well, it’s not.

Soup’s On

Traditional and new-age recipes offer interesting twists on soup. BY JUDY BART KANCIGOR EVER WONDER WHY, when dinner is ready, whether the meal includes soup or not, the cook exclaims, “Soup’s on”? Soup – a course as metaphor. Nourishment and comfort in a bowl. Our language is replete with soup idioms. A facility to feed the hungry and poor is a soup kitchen. A revved up car is “souped up.” If it has it all, it’s “got everything from soup to nuts.” A real cinch is “easy as duck soup.” And when you’re in the thick of it, you’re “in the soup.” Soup is mysterious, deep and alluring – think witch’s brew and blinding fog – the giver of life from whence we come, the prehistoric primordial soup. And don’t even get

me started on the whole Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Say the word “soup” and instantly that tummy warmer from childhood comes to mind. The steaming bowl of tomato soup my mother fed me when I was sick. Holiday dinners with Aunt Irene’s matzo balls or Aunt Sally’s kreplach. My mother’s incredible chicken soup. And incredible it is. Shortly after my cookbook was published, I found this message on my answering machine from my friend Diane Weiss in New Jersey: “Judy? I just made your mother’s chicken soup, and my whole family is standing around the pot slurping with a straw!”

I know. I know. You think your mother’s chicken soup is the best. Well, it’s not. My mother’s is the best, and here’s why. You see, my mother adhered to the “if some is good, more is better” school of cooking. While this theory sometimes spells disaster, for chicken soup it is the method of choice. And this is one case where the method is as important as the ingredients. Here are my mother’s tips for perfect results: 1. Even if you’re not kosher, you must use kosher chickens. The jury is still out on why they taste so much better. Is it the method of killing? The freshness? The salting? The blessing? Who knows, but there really is a difference. (Note: Kosher chickens are salted, so watch that shaker!) 2. Pack it in! Oh, how my mother used to laugh when she saw chicken soup recipes from famous cookbook authors calling for a stalk of celery and two carrots. She used two pounds of carrots. In fact, she put the whole produce market in that soup, her deep golden brew, intensely flavorful, in short, an elixir of the gods. I hoard the leftovers to use instead of chicken stock (the real secret of my stuffing and gravy). Pack those vegetables into your pot, or conversely, use as little water as possible to produce the most intense flavor. Resist the temptation to get a little more soup by adding a little more water. 3. You must use fresh dill, and lots of it. 4. After cooking, reserve some carrots to be sliced into the soup later. Then squeeze the remaining vegetables well through a strainer for extra flavor. (Not like that. I mean really hard!) I serve it with my Shiitake Mushroom Matzo Balls (for the recipe, go to www. ocjewishlife.com.), but sometimes you gotta have kreplach. I found an interesting vegetarian kreplach filling in a new cookbook by Nick Zukin and Michael C. Zusman called The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home (Andrews McMeel). As hearty as your bubbe’s brisketfilled dumplings, these kreplach get their gusto from mushrooms, just one example of the updated makeover given to our favorite deli food in this homage to the artisan “second-wave Jewish delis” that are springing up all over the country.

OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | JANUARY 2014

A&E

Soup is mysterious, deep and alluring. Lillian Bart’s Best Chicken Soup Yield: About 3 quarts

While her exact ingredients would vary as the mood hit her, here is her recipe from a typical day. 2 chickens (3½ to 4 pounds each) with giblets (no liver), quartered 2 pounds carrots (yes, 2 pounds, not 2 carrots) 2 large onions, cut in half 5 large ribs celery with leaves, cut in half 2 large parsnips 1 small sweet potato (6 ounces), cut in half 1 turnip (6 ounces), cut in half 1 rutabaga (6 ounces), cut in half 1 small celery root, cut in half (optional) ½ large green bell pepper, stemmed and seeded ½ large yellow pepper, stemmed and seeded 2 large bunches dill, coarsely chopped (about 1½ cups) ½ bunch curly-leaf parsley (about ¼ cup) 3 cloves garlic Kosher (coarse) salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Chopped dill, for serving (optional) 1 Place chicken in 16-quart stockpot and add water to barely cover. Bring just to boiling point. Reduce heat to simmer and skim off foam on top. Add remaining ingredients (except the optional chopped dill) and only enough water to come within about two thirds of height of chicken and vegetables in pot. (Most recipes tell you to add water to cover. Do

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

not do this! You want elixir of the gods or weak tea? As soup cooks, vegetables will shrink and will be covered soon enough. Simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 1½ hours.

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, stem ends trimmed and sliced or coarsely chopped

2 Remove chicken and about half the carrots, and set aside.

1 tablespoon porcini mushroom powder (optional)

3 Strain soup through a fine-mesh strainer into another pot or container, pressing on the vegetables to extract all the flavor. Scrape the underside of the strainer with a rubber spatula and add pulp to soup. Discard fibrous vegetable membranes that remain in strainer. If you’re fussy about clarity (and we’re not), strain again through fine tea strainer, but there goes some of the flavor. (See NOTE.) Cover the soup and refrigerate overnight.

¾ teaspoon salt

4 When ready to serve, scoop congealed fat off surface and discard. Reheat, adding more dill if desired (and we do). Slice reserved carrots, add to soup, and serve. Take bows. NOTE: Wait! This just in! Last time I made the soup, I took all the itty-bitty vegetable particles from the second straining and put them in the blender with a little soup. This lighter mixture when mixed with the whole pot of soup isn’t really noticeable, but the flavor… oh, my! Source: Cooking Jewish (Workman) by Judy Bart Kancigor

¼ large yellow onion, coarsely chopped 1 clove garlic, peeled

½ teaspoon dried thyme ¼ teaspoon ground coriander ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 In bowl of food processor, process mushrooms, onion, garlic, porcini mushroom powder, if using, salt, thyme, coriander and pepper until mixture is evenly and very finely chopped. 2 Place medium skillet over mediumhigh heat and add oil. When pan is hot and oil begins to shimmer, add mushroom mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms release their liquid and liquid evaporates, leaving moist paste but no puddling in the pan, about 10 minutes. Use immediately; or cool, transfer to airtight container, and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Source: The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home by Michael C. Zusman and Nick Zukin

Mushroom Filling for Kreplach

Yield: 1 cup (enough for about 100 kreplach) This vegetarian-friendly filling is full of flavor and hearty enough to satisfy any appetite. If it’s available, porcini powder adds a distinctive deep earthiness to the mix. Find it at Italian or gourmet grocers or online. For the dough recipe, go to www.ocjewishlife.com.

OCJL Food Editor Judy Bart Kancigor is the author of Cooking Jewish (Workman) and The Perfect Passover Cookbook (an ebook 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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PROFILE

Here for a Reason

TVT founder Irving Gelman celebrates 90th birthday. BY ILENE SCHNEIDER

PHOTOS BY MIKE ROSENTHAL, F&M DESIGNS

Klal Yisroel (caring for the Jewish people). “I love children. When I see children, it brings life back into me. I saw no kids when the war ended, but I knew how important it was to find and educate them.” Moving to a displaced persons’ camp in Poland after the war, Gelman organized Betar, and he and his wife, Rochelle, organized a youth group. Eventually, they smuggled children into Palestine. In 1947, they came to the United States. Gelman had $5.60 in his pocket and the attitude that he would succeed and help others. “Since giving my first dollar, I never got poor,” he said. “People will never remember what you had but what you did with it.” Landing on the east coast, he ran a successful business and then became active in the Yavneh Academy in New Jersey. Acting as the Lee Iacocca, the person who stepped

Basil Luck and Irving Gelman.

DURING THE HOLOCAUST, Irving Gelman lived in constant fear that there would be no tomorrow. There was a time when he expected to be shot. A German officer told him to dig his own grave. At the last minute, the officer told him to run and simply fired shots into the air. Such neardeath experiences made Gelman’s faith and resolve to stay alive stronger. “In our part of the Ukraine, the value of a Jewish life was two pounds of butter,” he 60

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

said. Along with four members of his family and the young orphan who would become his wife, Gelman hid in holes underground for sixteen months – fourteen in one place and two in another – until the Soviet army liberated the area. He was one of eighteen people from his village to survive. He said, “I survived to be able to pay back. It’s my pleasure. It’s my life. It’s a good feeling to see the perpetuity of the Jewish people. My priority has always been

Along with four members of his family and a young orphan who would become his wife, Gelman hid in holes underground for sixteen months .

PROFILE

Irving Gelman, founder of Tarbut V’Torah, who will celebrate his 90th birthday.

in and made sweeping changes, he became known as “Mr. Yavneh” for the K-8 school, and its student population grew from 288 to 800. He was involved with the school for 27 years, serving as the president, perennial vice president and frequent development director, raising funds for the school. He funded the implementation of the first Holocaust curriculum which became the model for Holocaust education programs in the Jewish day schools. In 1973, while still at Yavneh, he was instrumental in securing the funds for the establishment of The Frisch School, in Paramus, New Jersey, one of the best Jewish high schools in the country. Knowing that grandchildren were com-

ing, Gelman and his wife relocated to California. Initially, he was unhappy in Orange County, describing it as “tohu v’vohu,” the words used to describe the chaos in the creation story in Genesis. There had been open anti-Semitism, and Jewish people were reluctant to relocate here. “But I don’t believe in quitting,” he said. He established a Chabad Day School, kindergarten through third grade. Then he found out that the Jewish Studies Institute in Anaheim was about to close. He took the school, relocated it to Costa Mesa, and Tarbut V’Torah Community Day School was born in 1991. Initially, there were only 37 students, but it quickly grew to 190

“even without windows or a soccer field,” he said. “It showed that people embraced the concept of a Jewish day school. I started to dream of a high school. The rest is history. It changed the landscape of Orange County.” Today Tarbut V’Torah (TVT) is a pluralistic Jewish day school with nearly 600 students. In addition to being highly rated academically, TVT strives to instill in students a strong sense of Jewish ethics and identity and how Judaism promotes a joyous and meaningful way of life. According to its website, students “learn the meaning and significance of prayers, symbols, rituals and festivals. Consequently, they graduate with a strengthened sense of Jewish identity, OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | JANUARY 2014

PROFILE

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Irving Gelman (front); Cindy Furst, Elana Simon and Reega Neutel, planners of Mr. Gelman’s 90th birthday party

a commitment to the Jewish community and a comprehensive knowledge of history and traditions.” “When I look on the playground and see students waving Israeli flags and singing, I say ‘Am Yisrael Chai,’” Gelman said, “Hitler couldn’t get rid of us. The Jewish people will survive, live and flourish. The kids know the history and heritage of the Jewish people.” In addition, Gelman said that it is “beautiful to hear what TVT kids are accomplishing, that they’re always together maintaining friendships.” Through the children, the parents are learning too, he believes. Everybody gets to know a little bit more, and the Jewish people keep going. TVT has served a good purpose, he said. As he is about to turn 90, Gelman reflected, “The ultimate gratification is to be alive, to have a good family, to be blessed with friends, to achieve a purpose in life. I must have done something right.”

Torah with Liora In Praise of Irving “Mr. Gelman is a giver, the greatest gratification that we have. He gives life and meaning to so many other people and makes such a meaningful difference. He and Rochelle started with the survival of the immediate family. Once it was secure, they focused on the survival of the Jewish people, always growing, building and doing. When I came to Irvine, I met Irving Gelman, this iconic figure, got a bit of a history lesson and saw history being made.”

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RABBI YISROEL CINER, RABBI, CONGREGATION BETH JACOB OF IRVINE “Beth Jacob is a conduit for Irving to show his love for the Jewish community, but his life goes beyond Beth Jacob and even Tarbut V’Torah. He put the Holocaust behind him, focused on the future and made a difference in everything he did. It wouldn’t be a birthday party for Irving if the whole community weren’t involved. This will be a day that will be a memory for him until he lives until 120.” BASIL LUCK, PRESIDENT, CONGREGATION BETH JACOB OF IRVINE “Irving Gelman is the kind of person who motivates everyone to do things. So many generations remember him, and everyone loves him.” CINDY FURST, CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE FOR IRVING GELMAN’S 90TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

“People will never remember what you had but what you did with it.” – Irving Gelman

Beth Jacob Congregation of Irvine invites the Orange County Jewish Community to celebrate “Papa” Gelman’s 90th birthday on Sunday, February 16, at 5 p.m. at the Merage Jewish Community Center. Raise a glass and say “L’Chaim” (To Life) to a man who has provided exceptional opportunities for Jewish education to families and continues to be a guiding light for so many Jewish journeys. For more information, contact Congregation Beth Jacob of Irvine at (949) 786-5230. A OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | JANUARY 2014

PROFILE

Engaging the Disengaged Rabbi Sharon Brous created IKAR as a positive, proactive response to trends in the Jewish community. BY FLORENCE DANN

MORE THAN 200 people attended the Community Scholar Program on Sunday, November 10, at Congregation B’nai Israel, to hear Rabbi Sharon Brous of IKAR in Los Angeles tell of her path to becoming a rabbi and her innovative approach as the founding member of one of the fastest growing congregations in the country. She quickly showed why her name seems to come up everywhere. While Brous had been raised Jewish, she found many congregations alienating and difficult to connect with, and at eighteen she rejected Judaism. But a Shabbat at her boy friend’s home rekindled her love for the beauty and warmth of her inherited tradition. So, during her years at Columbia University in New York, Brous began to search for a congregation that would resonate with her. It was only when she attended services at B’nai Jeshrun in Manhattan, a nonaffiliated Jewish synagogue community whose services are “joyful, musical, socially progressive and accessible, and weave together tradition with contemporary life,” that it all clicked. And while on a visit to Israel, she decided to pursue Judaism and ultimately become a rabbi. Brous received a master’s degree in human rights from Columbia University, was ordained in 2001 from the Jewish Theological Seminary and then served as a rabbinic fellow at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in NYC. After moving to Los Angeles, Brous met a number of articulate and talented Jews who were totally disconnected from Judaism. She began to realize that it wasn’t Judaism, but 64

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

perhaps “the container” in which Judaism was practiced. It was something she understood very well. Though Brous was drawn to those already invested in Jewish life, she was particularly interested in those who were deeply disaffected. She wanted to make Jewish learning, ritual and community compelling and meaningful even for those alienated by conventional religious expression. And so, in 2004 Brous, and a handful of young, entrepreneurial Jews set out to create IKAR. IKAR is a progressive, egalitarian Jewish community, “driven by a passionate belief in the relevance of the Jewish tradition and its power to infuse our lives with meaning and purpose. (Its) mission is to reclaim the essence (the ikar) of Judaism and to re-imagine what it

Though Brous was drawn to those already invested in Jewish life, she was particularly interested in those who were deeply disaffected.

means to be Jewish in the world today.” It is an innovative model for Jewish engagement. The goal is to reclaim the vitality and relevance of Jewish religious practice and “reimagine the contours of Jewish community.” IKAR has been recognized nationally for its success in engaging young and disaffected Jews, and is seen as a positive and proactive response to the declining trend in affiliation in the Jewish community. Since its founding, IKAR has grown from a handful of people to a community of more than 500 member households. Among her many recognitions and accomplishments as a rabbi, this year Brous was recognized as the most influential rabbi in the United States by Newsweek and The Daily Beast, and as one of the Forward’s 50 most influential American Jews. Also this year, she blessed the president and vice president at the Inaugural National Prayer Service. Brous serves on the board of Teruah-The Rabbinic Call to Human Rights and is a rabbinic advisor to American Jewish World Service and Bend the Arc. She received the Lives of Commitment Award from Auburn Theological Seminary, was a JWI Woman to Watch and was the inaugural recipient of the Inspired Leadership Award from the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles. “Many young people have an institutional allergy,” commented Brous. “It doesn’t matter how beautiful the sanctuary or how lovely the social hall. My loyalty is not to the architectural, but to the substance of Judaism without

PROFILE

the intuitional.” Brous asked the rhetorical question, “How do congregations message? When people come through the door, is there a large poster reminding folks about a campaign; a security door; a sign-up notice for religious school? What are the initial messages one receives? When one enters IKAR, one finds really good coffee that one can take into services.” According to Brous, “People are much more willing to participate on Shabbat morning when they have their cups of coffee. And perhaps one of the most affecting messages is a sign that reads ‘Discomfort is better than boredom.’” That lets you know that you are in for something very different. A.J. Heschel wrote, “The synagogue is the graveyard where Judaism is buried.” Brous and her prayer team make every effort to “change it up” and “break set.” “Prayer is a dialogue, about human beings connecting with human beings and ultimately with God,” said Brous. “And to do that people must be present in the moment and not be lulled into a state of mechanical prayer. If you give a Jew a chair, that Jew will sit down; if you take that chair way, that Jew will daven.” Brous believes that a focus on replication is the wrong focus; rather, there needs to be a focus on amplification and reverberation – a spiritual vitality in a spiritual environment. We tend to turn more inward than outward even though today we have more information about our world with all kinds of details and its catastrophes. Yet we tend to close ourselves off to manage our own lives. A big part of Judaism is being part of humanity and the Jewish people. “The sense of community is very important” said Brous, “as well as, creating a space where people feel a responsibility for each other.” IKAR holds Shabbat Services every Saturday morning at 9:15 a.m. and the first and third Friday night of every month at the Westside JCC. To those who explain their lack of commitment to Judaism by saying, “I love humanity. I’m a universalist! Judaism is too particular,” Brous says, “It’s easy to ‘love’ everyone but much harder to ‘love’ someone. And for Jews, Judaism is the best way to be a meaningful part of the world.” There is one more

Rabbi Sharon Brous offers an innovative model for Jewish engagement.

question she asks of those who might doubt Judaism’s relevance, “What’s wrong with saying ‘Thank you’ in the morning, and ‘I forgive you’ at night?” “To be Jewish today is to be animated by both gratitude and unrest, by humility and audacity,” said Brous. “It is to recognize the utter magnificence of the world, the miracle of human life and human connection, the

possibility of love and the abundance of life’s blessings. And it is, at the same time, to feel the exodus from Egypt – the journey from slavery to freedom, from degradation to dignity – in our guts. It is to refuse to accept a world saturated with injustice, oppression and human suffering, and to become agents of social change whose fiercest weapons are love, faith and holy chutzpah.” A OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | JANUARY 2014

OBITUARY

Remembering Ruth

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID TREESON

Holocaust survivor embraced joy.

Ruth Treeson

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

RUTH TREESON PASSED away early Saturday, November 23, 2013, with her husband of 64 years, Emil Treeson, at her side. Ruth was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1930. As a child, around the time of the Anschluss, her parents forged new papers and moved to Krakow to hide under new names from the Nazis. After her father and then her mother were taken by the Gestapo, they came for her and her little sister at a convent where they were enrolled under assumed Christian identities. Ruth’s sister was ripped from her arms, and Ruth was later sent to Auschwitz and then on to a series of labor camps. At the end of the war, she and the other prisoners were led on a march from the camps. The guards later abandoned the surviving prisoners at a farm. At that point Ruth, who had just turned 16, headed back to Krakow on foot to find what remained of her home. When she found that there was no one left in her immediate family, she was placed in a refugee camp. She decided after several months to resettle in the United States. Ruth was sponsored by Joe and Lillian Sherman and moved into their Detroit home as a teenager. There she met Emil Treeson, and they began dating after she moved to New York City. Though she spoke no English when she moved to the United States, she eventually earned her high school equivalency and got her bachelor’s degree at William Patterson College. After her three boys were born, she completed her master’s degree at Montclair

State College and taught literature, poetry and English until her retirement. Through all those years, she had a lasting love of poetry and wrote a great deal. Most recently, The Long Walk, her novelized memoir of her journey after the war to the United States was published. She began giving talks to groups and schools on the topic of hope, forgiveness and the power of imagination. Though her early life was difficult, her ability to embrace the new joys that she found and pass along that love of life was irreplaceable. She loved the vast beauty of North America and traveled extensively to the national parks with her husband and sons. Even in her later years, she delighted in finding new nature paths and bluff walks along the ocean in Orange County. Her gentle spirit, open heart and welcoming arms can never be replaced. In addition to her husband, Ruth is survived by her three sons: Glenn, David and Emanuel and three grandchildren, Joshua, Blaise and Zoe. A

She began giving talks to groups and schools on the topic of hope, forgiveness and the power of imagination.

I’ve already made a lot of

FRIENDS For Sasha Janet, a high school junior and 4.0 student, doing well in school is important – it’s just as important as the success she achieves as a competitive horseback rider and jumper, a sport for which she is nationally ranked. That’s why Sasha decided to transfer to Halstrom Academy this year. Sasha was introduced to Halstrom when she registered to take one class. She liked the experience so much she decided to transfer from her school in Irvine. In her first year as a full-time student learning one-to-one at Halstrom Academy, and she’s loving school more than ever. “At my old school, it didn’t feel like my teachers cared if I did well or not, and they didn’t seem to have any understanding or interest about my life outside of school. At Halstrom, I have relationships with all of my teachers. They really care that I’m learning, and they support me in everything I do.”

Sasha also benefits from the flexible class scheduling Halstrom offers. She attends school five days a week and takes her classes in the mornings. This leaves the rest of the day free with plenty of time to spend at Pacific Coast Show Jumpers where she trains and periodically volunteers, and to complete the three to five hours of weekly homework required for each class – without having to burn the midnight oil. In school, Sasha is particularly fond of science classes. “Right now I’m really enjoying my chemistry class and my teacher at Halstrom makes it even more enjoyable and interesting to study.” Sasha hasn’t decided where she wants to go to college, but she has her sights set on studying veterinary medicine and becoming a veterinarian for large animals. “I’ve already made a lot of friends at Halstrom,” says Sasha, “There are so many amazing and caring people here.”

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OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | JANUARY 2014

PROFILE

Society Roundup

Faces of the Community SIMCHAS ABOUND AT THE END OF 2013.

Greenberg-Grier Wedding

PHOTO BY PAT KRAUSE

Lisa Greenberg, daughter of Daniel and Robin Greenberg, married Andrew Grier, son of David and Joyce Antebi on November 17 at the Montage in Laguna Beach. Mrs. Grier graduated from Fresno State, where she ran cross country and track. She is a business development manager for Agility Logistics. She teaches 8th and 9th grade at Congregation B’Nai Tzedek and two classes at University Synagogue – 8th grade and Confirmation 9 to 12 grades. She is also the youth director at Congregation B’Nai Tzedek. Andrew Grier graduated from San Francisco State, where he played baseball. He is a sales executive for Sunopta.

Helen Varon and Helene Galen

JFS of the Desert Patron Party The Eleventh Annual Patrons Party for Jewish Family Services of the Desert was held at the residence of Donna McMillan at the Vintage in Indian Wells on December 9. This is a rare image of two London ladies now residing in the Rancho Mirage community. Helen Varon and Helene Galen were raised in the same Jewish neighborhood in London in the 1930s and 1940s, and they are now neighbors here. Both women are known for their philanthropic commitment to Jewish organizations in the desert. 68

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

Lisa and Andrew Grier

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FOR THE NEXT GENERATION Shalom Family, a program of NextGenOC of Jewish Federation & Family Services, hosts programs for new parents and families with young children that enable them to connect socially and engage with the Orange County Jewish community. Quarterly Shabbat dinners are just one way that Shalom Family brings people together for a delicious meal, family-friendly entertainment, schmoozing and play time. Mark your calendars for our next Shalom Family Shabbat dinner on Friday, January 31. To RSVP or for information about this and other Shalom Family programs, email stephanie@jffs.org. TOP LEFT: Julie and Matt Spooner with daughter, Samantha TOP RIGHT: Shayna and Yaron Shaham with daughters MIDDLE LEFT: Eli and Tania Weinkle with their daughter BOTTOM RIGHT: Michael and Jenna Gerstner with son

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JACKIE MENTER OF JEWISH FEDERATION & FAMILY SERVICES

LIFESTYLE

Orange Jews

PARTY TIME Two groups for the younger set had their usual festive parties around Chanukah this year. Moishe House had its annual Pink and Black party, and Gesher City offered Rock the Dreidel. The parties were a week apart and offered dancing, spirits, snacks and camaraderie. TOP LEFT: Bianca Rosenthal, Ari Fallen, Susanne Katz, Faina Shwartzberg, Moran Altarac and Sharon Shenhav TOP RIGHT: Eli Begler, Lily Begler, Anna Pearl and Aaron Pearl MIDDLE LEFT: Barrett Davis and Tyler Dean MIDDLE RIGHT: Casey Yudovin and Ryan Evans BOTTOM LEFT: Ron Benporat, Dan Mehditash (Newest Moishe House Resident), Parker Weinthal (rear) and Jennifer Saar (front)

OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | JANUARY 2014

LIFESTYLE

G e n Y Wo rl d

New Year’s: In the “Thick” of It NEW HABIT BRINGS FULFILLMENT. BY RACHEL SCHIFF

NOW, THIS MAY sound too risqué for a Jewish family magazine, but I have had something rock-hard between my legs almost everyday for three months now that has made me find my happy place. Yep, that is absolutely correct, a bicycle seat! I have been spinning at Full Psycle in Costa Mesa as much as I possibly can. Riding a bike indoors in the dark with loud music and an added component of competition has really made me change my mind about how I view myself, my ability and my habits. Yes, it’s the secular time for self-reflection. It’s New Year’s time, and those latkes are like your best friend; they have no intention of leaving your side. Sure, we all make new resolutions, and many of us have the same ones year after year, hoping that this year might actually be the one that we accomplish our goals. I have been the culprit of these unfulfilled promises and unhealthy behaviors. However, in 2013, The New York Times came out with an article entitled, “American Jews Lead the Happiest Lives.” One of the major factors in the Jewish American community’s happiness was health! It occurred to me that as young Jewish professionals, our routine is eat, work, eat, work, eat, sleep and repeat the next day. The most activity I was seeing was clicking away on JDate or walking from one philanthropy event to another. It is hard to shake off all the 74

Riding a bike indoors in the dark with loud music has really made me change my mind about how I view myself.

brisket and jelly-filled doughnuts from Chanukah without a little movement. It also dawned on me that I have had a gym pass for years and clearly haven’t utilized its potential. I hadn’t schvitzed in a long time. Other Jewish professionals have experienced the same highs that I have at Full Psycle. Some of these people have joined Cross Fit, and it has become the peanut butter to their jelly. Others owe their lack of Jewish tushie to personal trainers, the gym at the JCC and boot camps that have empowered the young Jewish professionals of OC. Wall Street Journal, NPR, and The New Yorker can be heard while running on the treadmill or walking your favorite pup. All of this movement can, and will, work if you find enjoyment in the activity. So easily we lose sight as to what our goals and achievements are,

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

but these goals ultimately are what make us happy. Why can’t we be happy on the path to greatness? It is possible to find our personal “happy” workout, something that makes us sweat and smile. So why is this concept something that has taken me 31 years to figure out? I think it is because my resolution is always viewed as a chore and not to indulge and enjoy something. I did not realize that there is a science behind success. (In the case of healthy living, it’s not the mathematical equation of removing all of those calories we collect at a Shabbat meal.) The missing part of the equation is to have fun and enjoy whatever we do! If you would like to join Rachel Schiff at Full Psycle in Costa Mesa, feel free to do so at www.fullpsycle. com. Your first class is free!

RACHEL SCHIFF is an English teacher who graduated from Cal State Fullerton. She was president of Hillel, a representative of the World Union of Jewish Students and a YLD intern. Currently, she is a master’s degree student in American Studies, with emphasis on Jews in America.

LIFESTYLE

Desert Destination

Art from the Heart KAINS COMBINE THEIR TALENT.

PHOTO BY PAT KRAUSE

BY PAMELA PRICE

Todd Olson, design director; Gene and Evelyn Kain, artists; with Lon Michel.

THE UPTOWN DESIGN District in Palm Springs is aglow with artists, galleries and clever cafes reverberating mid-century motifs fueled by the popularization of Modernism Week. For those who have lost track of that jet-propelled era, you can rediscover it on North Palm Canyon Drive. In the midst of this neighborhood is a growing number of Jewish artists. Evelyn Kain and Gene Kain’s “The Dark & Light of It” exhibit opened on December 6 at Lon Michels Art on North Palm Canyon. The artists, married for 43 years, combined their

works of art representing two distinct styles. Combine Gene Kain with a master of fine arts degree with Evelyn Cain’s Ph.D. in art history, and expect something extraordinary. It was Mr. Kain’s symbolic sculptures of his experiences during the Holocaust that turned heads and hearts. I knew at once there was a story behind Gene Kain’s sculptures and, sure enough, he spoke of his life’s journey in detail, beginning with a risky escape from the Crimea. Fortunate to reach America, he was stateless for several years. His survival was a miracle, and his sculptures tell the story. Born in Moscow in 1937 to Jewish parents, his story in America began in 1949. He told me he was thankful to find a job picking cotton at a New Orleans plantation before moving on and choosing art as a career. After marrying Evelyn, an artist, art historian and Fulbright scholar in her own right, together they found the “Light of It.” Their art began moving in new directions. That force is captured in the exhibit now on show. Together the Kains create art in several forms, from a round bronze pizza to an elongated sculpture reminiscent of the trauma Mr. Cain endured during World War II. Evelyn’s expertise with fabrics, color and interiors offsets the dark side. Contrasting Gene’s story with Evelyn’s light hand is a wake up call for those who are accustomed to processing an exhibit with a predictable ending. The collaboration of the Kains’ combined history reflects a true meeting of the minds. “We relocated to the Palm Springs from Ripon, Wisconsin, and already have been painting the San Jacinto Mountains every day,

The artists, married for 43 years, combined their works of art representing two distinct styles.

as the light changes.” Their current exhibit is open through January 2014. A Coachella Valley coincidence, in the art sense, just steps away from the Cains’ exhibit, is Haya Modern Art Gallery, owned by Haya Gil-Lubin. Born in Haifa, Haya is a former El Al Airlines flight attendant and IDF soldier. She is still flying high with her alluring pillows. They radiate mid-century style and color with splashes of lime green and groovy orange. There’s more eye candy in her gallery with dangling wall hangings and photographic images imposed on rice paper. And then there is a Jerry L. Hanson, another desert artist who created the stained glass windows for Temple Beth Chayim Chadashim in Los Angeles. Now based in the desert, Kain’s idiosyncratic creations defy description, such as a red chainmaille dress he recently modeled at the Archangel Gallery in the Uptown Design District. His solo show opens there on January 16, 2014. When it comes to art, Palm Springs has a surprise around every corner. A Pamela Price serves on the Cathedral City Public Arts Commission. OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | JANUARY 2014

LIFESTYLE

11 A.M. Chair Yoga for Seniors 11:30 A.M. iPhone Tips THURSDAY, JANUARY 2 10:30 A.M. Jewish National Fund Projects Ezra AACA

SENIORS

CALENDAR JANUARY 2014

MONDAYS 9 A.M. Yogalattes 10 A.M. News & Views 11:30 A.M. Drop-in Bridge 7 P.M. Drop-in Mah Jongg/Learn to Play Maj Jongg/ The Jewish Experience Merage JCC 9 & 10 A.M. Tai Chi 10:30 A.M. Stretching Ezra AACA TUESDAYS 10 A.M. Bridge Workshop 10:30 A.M. The View for Women of All Ages - Merage JCC

WEDNESDAYS 10:30 P.M. MahJongg Merage JCC WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS 8:45 A.M. Gentle Yoga Merage JCC THURSDAYS 10:30 A.M. Beyond the Canvas Merage JCC 9:30 A.M. Keeping Fit Ezra AACA FRIDAYS 10 A.M. Men’s Club at the J

JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

MONDAY, JANUARY 6 11 A.M. What’s Up 1:15 P.M. Yiddish Club Ezra AACA WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8 11 A.M. Writing for Reminiscences Ezra AACF THURSDAY, JANUARY 9 10:30 A.M. Twilight Zone Tragedy Ezra AACA MONDAY, JANUARY 13 11 A.M. Escape from the Nazis to the Philippines 1:15 P.M. Yiddish Club Ezra AACA TUESDAY, JANUARY 14 7 P.M. Men’s Wine Tasting Merage JCC THURSDAY, JANUARY 16 9:30 A.M. Up, Up and Oy Vey: Jews and Comic Book Superheroes Merage JCC 10:30 A.M. Living with Integrity Ezra AACA MONDAY, JANUARY 20 11 A.M. Events that Changed History 1 P.M. Yiddish Club Ezra AACA

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22 10:30 A.M. Womens Connection at the J Merage JCC 11 A.M. Writing for Reminiscences Ezra AACF THURSDAY, JANUARY 23 11 A.M. Restoration and Theocracy and Wisdom Literature Ezra AACA SUNDAY, JANUARY 26 1:30 P.M. Orange County Jewish Genealogical Society How to Navigate the IAJGS Annual Conference in Salt Lake City – 2014 And Avoid the Lake Temple Bat Yahm, 1011 Camelback Street, Newport Beach 4 P.M. Great Jewish Americans 101 Jewish Nobel Prize Laureates Merage JCC MONDAY, JANUARY 27 11 A.M. Happiness Hour Ezra AACA TUESDAY, JANUARY 28 10 A.M. Books & Bagels: Once We Were Brothers By Ron Balson Merage JCC WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29 10:30 A.M. Get Your Book Published! Merage JCC THURSDAY, JANUARY 30 10:30 a.m. Cancer Truth and Prevention Secrets Ezra AACA

OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | JANUARY 2014

LIFESTYLE

Is back-to-school tIme brIngIng anxIety rather than excItement?

CELEBRATING ORANGE COUNTY’S JEWISH HISTORY Stern & Goodman, Mammoth Department Store BY DALIA TAFT

I offer consultation, psycho-educational assessment and assistance with forming a plan to make this the best school year ever. Contact me today for a free consultation. Katy Tinsley, MA, Licensed Educational Psychologist #3389 (714) 270-9004 | ktinsley@SageLEP.com | SageLEP.com

Stern & Goodman Invoice, October 3, 1908

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THE 1908 INVOICE shown here is for the Stern & Goodman store of Fullerton, which was opened in 1898 by German Jewish immigrants (and cousins) Jacob Stern and Joseph Goodman. The original store grew to almost an entire city block, as can be seen in the etching on the invoice, and the company was so successful that it opened five other branches, thus becoming California’s first chain store. To thank its many customers, the store would hold a barn dance every spring to which everyone in Orange County was invited. The invitation was worded “Remember – everything is free of charge – without money and without price.” The annual event, held in a big building near the train station, was attended by hundreds.

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JANUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

Dalia Taft, archivist of the Orange County Jewish Historical Society - a Connect 2 People Initiative of Jewish Federation & Family Services - highlights images from the archives every month. For more information, please visit www.jewishorangecounty. org/historical. You can also contact Dalia at historical@jffs.org or at (949) 435-3484, ext. 167.