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

FEBRUARY 2014 | ADAR I 5774

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FEBRUARY 2014 | ADAR I 5774

CONTENTS

Choice Words from the Editor

EDUCATION

LIFESTYLE

Letters/Who Knew?

Fresh Orange Jews

Celebrating Orange County’s Jewish History

Gen Y World

42 All about ORT: Changing Lives

Seniors Calendar

Forward-Thinking Program: STEM at TVT

Desert Destination

Food for Thought: Jewish Learning Institute

VIEWPOINT 16

Israel Scene: Medical Chit Chat

On the Lighter Side: The Rashi of Pink Milk

20 Rabbinic Reflections: Ariel Sharon, a Jew with a Jewish Heart

Parashah of the Month/Torah: Step into My Tent

Outside the Box, Outside the Classroom: Empowering Youth Groups

A&E 52

Concert Highlights

54 Cooking Jewish with Judy

FEATURES

PROFILES

New Face of Hillel: Eric Fingerhut

Society Roundup: Galas and Other Happenings

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

In His Footsteps: Susannah Heschel

24 On the Cover

Emmy Award-winning journalist Campbell Brown is the speaker at the Women’s Voices luncheon sponsored by Women’s Philanthropy of Jewish Federation & Family Services.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES ONLY AT OCJEWISHLIFE.COM E-WORDS Analyzing Ariel Sharon’s Legacy

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

DAY SCHOOL UPDATE Traditional and Up-to-Date

BOOKS Gidi Grinstein’s Flexigidity

ISRAELI GUY Names: Jewish, Hebrew and English

COOKING JEWISH More Recipes

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Benefi t from Temple Bat Legal Tax Yahm Consultation On Two Continents

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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.

OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | FEBRUARY 2014

CHOICE WORDS

From the Editor

PYRRHIC VICTORY? It shouldn’t be this hard to beat back BDS.

JEWISH PEOPLE EVERYWHERE can take comfort in the fact that the American Studies Association (ASA) boycott of Israeli academia was met by harsh criticism, withdrawals from the organization and exposure of the fact that the vote included only a tiny fraction of the organization’s members. More than 100 universities, including UCI, have censured the boycott thus far. According to a memo from Jewish Federation & Family Services Orange County, “The ASA boycott bars the organization from entering into formal collaborations with Israeli academic institutions, or with scholars representing those institutions or the Israeli government, ‘until Israel ceases to violate human rights and international law.’…The resolution denounces ‘Israeli occupation of Palestine,’ not the West Bank, thereby blurring the definition of what it perceives to be Palestinian territory and calling into question Israeli rights within the Green Line. And it is premised on the accusation that Israel has legalized a system of racial discrimination that meets the criteria of apartheid under international law.” The memo goes on to say that the resolution “is an attempt to demonize Israel by distorting the Israeli-Palestinian national conflict over territory, and all of the security challenges it presents, into a racial struggle, and ascribing to democratic Israel 12

institutions of racial subjugation that do not exist…By perpetuating these slanders and instituting a boycott, the ASA has aligned itself philosophically and formally with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to eliminate Israel by undermining its legitimacy as a nation state.” Only 1,252 ASA members out of an estimated 4,000 actually voted on the boycott resolution, and only 827 were in favor of it. Meanwhile, numerous academics, elected officials and Jewish community organizations have condemned the boycott “as an assault on academic freedom and as blatant discrimination against Israelis,” according to JFFS. Interestingly, while boycott proponents were mobilizing support for their resolution, UCI Chancellor Michael Drake and faculty members from UCI’s School of Medicine and the Henry Samueli School of Engineering were in Israel for several academic collaborations, including the second UCI-Tel Aviv University workshop on the future of technological innovation. The International Medical Innovation Technology 2025 conference, held in November in Tel Aviv, and its predecessor, Communications 2025 held last year in Irvine, were co-sponsored by the Rose Project. Still, the ASA boycott was actually the second attempt at a boycott of Israeli universities

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

in 2013. The Association for Asian American Studies voted on a similar resolution last April. The Native American Studies Association voted to join the ASA boycott later in December. In January 2014 the Modern Language Association (MLA) voted on a resolution to condemn but not boycott Israel. MLA’s annual conference in Chicago also had a round-table discussion called “Academic Boycotts: A Conversation about Israel and Palestine,” about the merits of an academic boycott of Israel, featuring four speakers and a moderator who are all supporters of the BDS movement against Israel. One has to wonder why scholarly organizations would want to boycott Israel, especially under the guise of human rights violations. The charges are blatantly false, and many of Israel’s neighbors are guilty of heinous acts against their own citizens. Have these academics simply bought into the media hype about the plight of the Palestinians, or do they simply begrudge the Israelis a tiny strip of land in which they have succeeded so well, shared their innovations with the world and shared themselves whenever and wherever disaster strikes? Wasn’t the Holocaust enough proof that such attitudes have to be stopped now?

Ilene Schneider

More than 100 universities, including UCI, have censured the boycott thus far.

OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | FEBRUARY 2014

LETTERS

WE’VE GOT MAIL! and we want more... FINDING EDEN I’m enjoying reading your January issue of Orange County Jewish Life. In the article, “A Voice for All Women,” there is information about a performance of Eden According to Eve on February 24 in Laguna Woods. However, I cannot track down how to buy tickets and more about the location. Your help would be appreciated.

The performance is one afternoon only – February 23 at 4 p.m. – at Clubhouse 3 Auditorium, Moulton and Calle Aragon, Laguna Woods Village. Buy tickets by calling (949) 597-4288. The price is $12 for members of the the O.C. Congregation for Secular Humanism and the Jewish Culture Club, and $15 for non-members. Group pricing for 10 or more is available.

FINDING KRAUTHAMMER Hello from an avid reader of Orange County Jewish Life. We thought you would want to know that when Dr. Krauthammer is not printed each month with his intelligent and informed commentary, we are greatly disappointed. I know you have readers who do not appreciate his views or opinions on many subjects, but they seem to live in a vacuum and not the real world. So please print more Dr. Krauthammer, because some people really do appreciate his well thought out, intelligent, informed, knowledgeable points of view. Best Regards, Stu Kaiden

FINDING A SMILE My friends and I have laughed ourselves silly over Mayrav Saar’s wonderful articles. The last one, however - “Smile,” was beautiful. The recognition, the awareness – your daughter became your teacher which led to ultimately the beggar – the man, whoever he was – became both your teachers. Very zen. Very beautiful. Anne Richards

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.

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

PHOTO BY ZACH DALIN

Sincerely, Marjorie Rivera

Janet L. Yellen Leads Fed

Who Knew?

On January 6 the Senate confirmed Janet L. Yellen as the chair of the Federal Reserve, making her the first woman to lead the country’s central bank in its 100-year history. However, Yellen, 67, will be the third straight Jewish Fed chair. By the end of Yellen’s first term, Jews will have occupied the Fed’s top post for three straight decades – an unprecedented run of Jewish power and influence. The last time a Federal Reserve chair’s seat was occupied by a non-Jew was 1987, at which time President Ronald Reagan appointed Alan Greenspan to follow Paul Volcker. Then Ben Bernanke succeeded Greenspan in 2006, under President George W. Bush. Yellen won confirmation easily by a vote of 56 to 26. Still, that was the thinnest margin of Senate approval for a Fed chair in the central bank’s history.

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Israel Scene | BY ANDREA SIMANTOV

Medical Chit Chat The Israeli medical experience feels a little more relaxed.

THE TERM “BEDSIDE MANNER” IS AN OXYMORON IN HEBREW. 16

I’M NOT CERTAIN how conversations about health are conducted amongst non-Jews, but suffice it to say that I never met another tribe member whose doctor wasn’t “The Best.” “He graduated at the top of his class, you know. . . .” is muttered in a bored, nasal tone as though the speaker is mildly peeved at having to explain to lowborn me that, when it comes to health, one only wants “The Best.” Since no one in my immediate (or distant) family ever had the temerity to entertain dreams of a career in medicine, I’ve always been a sucker for lines like these. Still, I

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

occasionally wonder who, exactly, is getting a yearly check-up by the plebeian who failed Lobotomy Lab and finished with a 1.0 average at a combination Medical/Dance Academy in the Caribbean. After all, someone is going to the person who graduated at the bottom of the class and is still called “Doctor”. While much of my previous life in America feels far away and blurry, I remember “feeling” awestruck by people wearing white coats with stethoscopes tossed casually around their necks. When asked to describe my symptoms in the Old Country, I spoke

VIEWPOINT

Personalized Jewish Matchmaking

Hebrew by Yariv Hebrew from the Source

rapidly and to the point, so daunted by the preciousness of time, erudition and the terrifying “unknown.” Consequently, it was sometimes difficult to express a physical ailment or emotional trepidation because of the clamoring tick-tock of a fictitious grandfather clock beating in my head. Before we married two-and-a-half years ago, my husband and I tiptoed around discussing our medical histories; after all, chitchat about angioplasties or Plantar’s Warts can put a damper on a blossoming romance. Without going into extra detail, there is something to be said in favor of low-light tea candles when lovers are peppered with surgical scars. As the relationship grew more serious and marriage was discussed, we shared “the biggies,” which, thank God, were few. We promised to look after ourselves and one another and learned to ignore the nagging knee aches and hourly trips to the bathroom throughout the night. Today, however, his dressing table is littered with pillboxes that I never saw before the chuppah, and I’ve begun taking a nightly statin for elevated cholesterol. Let’s not even discuss the joint pain... In my opinion, the Israeli medical experience feels a little more relaxed. This isn’t to say that every doctor here isn’t “The Best” according to his or her mother, but the system itself is designed to knock a little humility into every intern as part of his training, lest s/he becomes delusional and actually believes s/he is better than the next slob. Feelings of “superiority” seem relative, and I’ve yet to meet a car mechanic or souk merchant who doesn’t feel eminently qualified to issue medical diagnoses or serve as acting prime minister when Bibi is overseas. Thus said, I had run out of excuses and scheduled some overdue-and-dreaded checkups in one day, namely the internist and the gynecologist. Hating a gynecological exam is a no-brainer, but the GP imbues me with a different kind of dread. This guy actually cares, and his office calls me every six months if I haven’t checked in. He will not refill certain prescriptions without an exam and insists on addressing issues of weight, blood pressure and cholesterol. He stays in touch with my breast surgeon and they compare notes! He doggedly goads me into either maintaining my health or, minimally, feeling agonizing guilt when I disregard it. In summary, he’s a pain in the proverbial derriere. “Get on the scale,” he said. In preparation for stepping onto the heinous device, I’ve cleverly thwarted him by skipping

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VIEWPOINT

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breakfast and eschewing an under-wire brassiere in favor of a lightweight sports model. My plan obviously worked, because he exclaimed, “You’ve lost a lot of weight since your last visit!” Feeling both smug and a little lightheaded, I crowed, “Fifteen pounds, right?” He replied, “Fifteen and a half. You’ve also lost two centimeters and are still too fat. Go to Weight Watchers.” Rudely grabbing my prescriptions, I stomped out, vowing for the umpteenth time to find another doctor, one who is morbidly obese, smokes like a chimney, thinks that exercise is for suckers and prescribes Ben & Jerry’s for calcium. Sitting across from the gynecologist, I begged him to make his diagnosis based on my face. He refused, and I was forced to do that whole paper sheet/stirrup thing. Waiting for him, I recalled a previous visit several years back when he had a few fingers in metal splints after a bicycle accident. Most of the memory of that exam has been blacked out, but I stay vigilant. This visit will also go down in history, however, as the time he wanted “to chat.” No joke: I’m lying on a bed of crinkly paper with the soles of my feet parallel to the ceiling, and he actually asked me to talk about the entrance requirements for a television program where I recently appeared. Call me priggish, but if I’m going to have a conversation, I’d prefer that someone talk directly into my eyes. Expressing this preference (“Can this wait until I’m upright?”), he guffawed and threw me a roll of paper towels. Talk about class... The term “bedside manner” is an oxymoron in Hebrew, and future immigrants should take this into the equation when researching Israeli mortgage rates and school districts. The medical care I’ve both received and witnessed has been superior, and I feel confident that my health is of the utmost importance to the medical practitioners who call Israel “home.” But I’d strongly suggest that if one needs his hand held or a pat on the back for maintaining his health, fuhgeddaboutit. Just drink eight glasses of water a day, get plenty of sleep, dress warm and call me in the morning!

New York-born Andrea Simantov is a mother of six who moved to Jerusalem in 1995. She frequently lectures on the complexity and magic of life in Jerusalem and can be contacted at elkadee@netvision.net.il.

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

On the Lighter Side | BY MAYRAV SAAR

VIEWPOINT

The Rashi of Pink Milk

“I said so” sometimes has to be good enough.

IT DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE. BUT THAT’S NEVER REALLY BEEN THE POINT OF RELIGIOUS LAWS.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” Zev tells me. “You’re not supposed to eat meat and milk, because you’re not supposed to boil a cow in its mother’s milk. But a turkey isn’t a cow. You can’t even milk a turkey!” My little Torah scholar was defending his toddler brother’s demand to drink “pink milk” with his turkey sandwich. And while I shot Zev a “you’re not helping” death stare for raising this point right as I had negotiated a juice box into Ozzy’s hands, I had to concede that he was right. It doesn’t make any sense. But that’s never really been the point of religious laws. True, we’ve discovered that circumcision leads to a lower risk of sexually transmitted diseases, but Abraham didn’t know that when he took to his tent with a Ginsu. Hand-washing before meals likely saved Europe’s Jews during the Plague, but that wasn’t the reason they did it. And pork carries a risk of trichinosis, but Moses probably didn’t know that. (He also probably hadn’t tasted bacon, I’m told, because if he had, he might have forgotten to jot that line down.) Aside from the big laws, like refraining from murdering or stealing, many of the rules we’re supposed to follow as Jews come under the “because I said so” category. And just as when a mom tells her son not to get into a philosophical argument about kashrut while the toddler is screaming for pink milk, “I said so” sometimes has to be good enough. No tattoos; fine. Light candles every Friday night; no problem. Don’t use your cell phone on Saturday – um, sure, that sounds like a Biblical proscription. Following an “I said so” law means you’re truly on the same team. Like walking around in a Shriner’s Fez, or being a follower of an “I said so” law shows you are not fooling around with your fealty to the cause, no matter how ridiculous it looks to the outside world. When the cries for pink milk subsided and Ozzy

left the table to wreak havoc on some other part of the house, I told Zev that we keep kosher not because the laws make perfect sense, but because they don’t. We are put on this planet with pigs and shrimp and octopi, and we’re given a choice to follow the laws and affirm our connection with Judaism or to crunch on some calamari – and suffer absolutely no consequences whatsoever. We choose to refrain from drinking milk with turkey, because that’s the way we’re expressing our Jewishness, I explain to Zev. Whenever we eat something with a mindfulness of the commandments, then the act of eating becomes something that connects us to our faith and to our respect and worship of G-d. By following kashrut, we elevate the food we eat to a higher purpose. Zev drank some chocolate milk and took another bite of his tuna sandwich while he listened. He was quiet for a minute while he considered what I had said. “It still doesn’t make any sense,” he said. No, it doesn’t, I conceded. But we’re still going to follow it. Because I said so.

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. OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | FEBRUARY 2014

Rabbinic Reflections | BY RABBI DAVID ELIEZRIE

VIEWPOINT

Ariel Sharon, a Jew with a Jewish Heart Prime minister had Chabad connection.

NEITHER OF US GAVE ANY GROUND. I REALIZED THAT I HAD TOUCHED A CHORD. 20

A THOUSAND PEOPLE had converged on the Hyatt in Irvine to hear Ariel Sharon. It was some 21 years ago. As the leader of the opposition, he was on a tour to raise money for Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. I had encountered Sharon some thirty years earlier as a yeshiva student and decided to remind him of that evening in my introduction. “Ariel Sharon is not just a great general,” I told the sellout crowd, “but also a great Jew. Years ago, in 1969, I was a yeshiva student in Kfar Chabad, the Chabad town just outside of Tel Aviv. Sharon had been in New York and visited with the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who had asked him to give his regards in Kfar Chabad. The town’s mayor, Rabbi Sholmo Maidinchek, met him at the airport and told him that before anything else, he must come to the community. A crowd gathered late at night in the main synagogue to welcome him.” I recalled what Sharon had said that night. “The Rebbe had asked me to put on tefillin every day. This morning I was in Paris visiting my uncle, and I performed the mitzvah of laying tefillin. My uncle was astonished, so I told him I would leave the tefillin as a gift so he too could perform the mitzvah on a daily basis.” Sharon’s story had deeply inspired us. We would travel weekly to Tel Aviv to ask Jews to put on tefillin, I thought to myself at the time. “Wow, if he can ask his uncle, I can certainly do the same in Tel Aviv.” After I finished the story, Sharon, who was sitting on the stage next to me, looked up at the podium. Gruffly, he told me in Hebrew, “It never happened.” I look back at him, my memory clear as day, and responded strongly, “It did occur.” The verbal confrontation continued for a few moments, the crowd of a thousand looking on as we sparred in Hebrew. Neither of us gave any ground. I realized that I had touched a chord. Truth be told, I had a deeper agenda. I doubted that Sharon was still performing the mitzvah. I wanted to

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

remind him of his promise to the Rebbe. His Chabad connection had started earlier and lasted throughout his life. In 1968 Sharon had his first meeting with the Rebbe in New York. The Rebbe asked, “What flight are you returning to Israel on? Sharon said, “from New York to London and then on to Israel.” “Change your flight,” the Rebbe told him, without giving a reason. After leaving London, the El Al Flight was hijacked by Palestinian terrorists and diverted to Algeria. Sharon’s son’s Bar Mitzvah was held in Kfar Chabad. Sharon introduced his young secular nephew from Haifa to Rabbi Maidinchek. He became religious and married Maidinchek’s daughter. The next day I met Sharon at a radio station in Los Angeles. He was slated as a guest on the top LA talk radio outlet. I stood on the sidewalk to welcome him as he exited the limo. Clearly, the story about the tefillin was still on his mind. He gave me a harsh look and erupted with a few terse sentences. “I spoke to Lily,” he said, referring to his wife, who was in Israel. “The story about the tefillin is true.” It seems that my true agenda had been accomplished. For an analysis of the legacy of Ariel Sharon, who passed away January 11, please visit www.ocjewishlife.com.

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

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Parashah of the Month | BY A. SIMANTOV

VIEWPOINT

Step into My Tent

Mishkan is tangible reminder of God’s presence.

THE CRUCIAL DIFFERENCE DISTINGUISHING THE MISHKAN FROM THE GOLDEN CALF IS THAT THE MISHKAN WAS SANCTIONED BY GOD. 22

GOD WANTED TO prove to the nations of the world that B’nei Yisrael was forgiven for the sin of the Golden Calf and chose to exhibit His uninterrupted love for them by “dwelling” specifically among them in the Mishkan (Tabernacle). The Ramban takes another view of the Mishkan. Since the Jewish people were given a certain level of kedushah (holiness) as a result of God’s revelation at Har Sinai, they now deserved to have God dwell among them. The purpose of the Mishkan was to recapture the essence of what the Jewish nation experienced at Sinai in terms of the strong presence of the Shechinah (Divine Presence) and allow them to keep it with them at all times throughout their travels. But Judaism maintains that Jews do not need a physical place in which to worship. Midrash Rabbah explains that God wanted to address man’s limited ability to understand abstract and purely spiritual matters. God is concerned that B’nei Yisrael, limited by five senses, should be able to relate to Him and, consequently, He likens His presence to that of a physical being. By confining His spirit primarily to the specific location of the Mishkan, God hoped to alleviate much of our difficulty in serving Him. The purpose of the rituals and sacrifices that were conducted in the Mishkan was not to satisfy God’s needs but, rather, to serve as a physical means for the Jewish people to worship God. Coming on the heels of the Golden Calf episode, the commandment to build the Mishkan was extremely important. When the Torah later describes the actual construction of the Mishkan, there is a constant repetition of the phrase “as God commanded” to stress that the crucial difference distinguishing the Mishkan from the Golden Calf is that the Mishkan was sanctioned by God. The second paragraph states, “. . . . have them take for Me an offering (terumah) from everyone whose heart impels him to give . . . .” The donation of these funds would allow for the construction of the Mishkan. The term “terumah” (donation) came to denote a gift not

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

to exceed 20 percent of one’s wealth. This way, rich nobles could not claim primary responsibility for having financed the Mishkan. Less wealthy individuals were urged to contribute as well and not be embarrassed by the small amount they could afford to donate. The whole concept of the building of the Mishkan – including the monetary collection – would ultimately result in an entity that unified the People of Israel, devoid of the tension and class conflicts that could develop between people of different levels of wealth.

From the Torah to Your Table There is a great chasm separating thought from action. While many people may have lofty thoughts and aspirations, relatively few succeed in realizing their goals. This is why the Torah stresses the noteworthy feat that took place when B’nai Yisrael built the Tabernacle. “Everyone whose heart stirred him up” to contribute to the Mishkan “brought an offering for God” and took the necessary action to bring his goal to fruition. Comment on this principle at your Sabbath table.

FEBRUARY 2014 ADAR I 5774 Candle Lighting Times and Torah Portions Saturday, February 1 Torah Portion: Terumah (Exodus 25:1-27:19)

Saturday, February 15 Torah Portion: Ki Tissa (Exodus 30:11-34:35)

Friday, February 7 Light candles at 5:10 p.m.

Friday, February 21 Light candles at 5:22 p.m.

Saturday, February 8 Torah Portion: Tetzaveh (Exodus 27:20-30:10)

Saturday, February 22 Torah Portion: Vayakhel (Exodus 35:1-38:20)

Friday, February 14 Light candles at 5:16 p.m.

Friday, February 28 Light candles at 5:28 p.m.

OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | FEBRUARY 2014

COVER STORY

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

COVER STORY

Powerful Women Women’s Voices luncheon displays many facets of Women’s Philanthropy. by Ilene Schneider

The Women’s Voices luncheon is big. It attracts more Jewish women in one room than any other event in Orange County – 672 of them last year, in fact. But don’t just take our word for it. The Orange County Business Journal cited the Women’s Voices lunch as the top luncheon of the year for its quality and reach.

OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | FEBRUARY 2014

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THE CAPSTONE EVENT of Women’s Philanthropy, the women’s fundraising and service arm of Jewish Federation & Family Services (JFFS), Women’s Voices draws women of all ages, persuasions and situations from all over Orange County to an annual luncheon with a top-tier speaker and a program that inspires people to give of themselves. As the organization’s website explains, “Inspired by the Jewish traditions of tzedakah and tikkun olam (social justice and repairing the world), Women’s Philanthropy is dedicated to strengthening the Jewish people here at home, in Israel and around the world.” This year’s luncheon will be no exception. Slated for Monday, March 17, at 10 a.m. at the Hilton Hotel, 3050 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, Women’s Voices will feature Emmy Award-winning journalist Campbell Brown as the keynote speaker and honor Barbara Shapiro as the Anne Entin Woman of the Year. “JFFS is a great organization to be a part of and involved in,” said Ann Miller, former president of Women’s Philanthropy and current co-chair (along with Susan Tuchler) of the Women’s Voices event. “It is the big picture in this community, enabling bridging and connections.” Of Women’s Philanthropy, Miller said, “There is a great need and good people out there, and we work as a team. The women are bright, articulate, compassionate, educated and community minded. If there is a need, we step up. We use our minds and give from our hearts.” Barbara Shapiro, the Anne Entin 2014 Woman of the Year, got increasingly involved with Women’s Philanthropy after moving from Anaheim Hills to Newport Coast and attending her first Women’s Voices luncheon. “I love what we are, what we do and what we stand for,” she said. Shapiro has been a leader Women’s on the Women’s Philanthropy Voices draws board since 2007. Harkening back to lessons taught by her women of grandmother, it has always been her personal mission to better all ages, the lives of those around her, persuasions and her involvement in Women’s Philanthropy has helped her and achieve her goals. “There’s situations always a need to give money, but when you’re out there interacting from all with people and seeing the over Orange impact of what you do, it’s even more rewarding,” she said. “The County. hands-on mitzvahs like helping children learn to read or feeding people at a soup kitchen are the most meaningful ones.” As a co-chair for Dor v’Dor, Shapiro brought together mothers and daughters in the community to participate in multiple volunteer events. In 2010 she chaired Mitzvah Mavens, executing and participating in numerous local community events. She was elected as co-vice president in 2011. Currently, she is in charge of Reading Partners, which sends volunteers into kindergarten through third grade classrooms in Orange County public schools

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Emmy Award-winning journalist Campbell Brown

that have been designated as socioeconomically and academically disadvantaged to assist in literacy and reading comprehension. In addition, Shapiro was chosen to be part of the first cohort of SkillSetNPO®, a leadership program sponsored by Jewish Federation & Family Services where strategies were discussed on the importance of building and sustaining a strong Jewish community. Her passion for the Jewish community extends beyond Women’s Philanthropy. She has been involved with Israel Expo, Women’s Health Forum, Heritage Pointe and Friendship Circle. Shapiro and her husband, Mitch, have been married since 1987. They have three daughters – Erica, Heather and Tiffany – and a dog, Oreo. The family belongs to Chabad of Newport Beach. “The Torah says that even the poorest person is supposed to give,” Shapiro said. “I’m fortunate to have the chance to volunteer to help people in the community. It’s a gift, and my family is very supportive.” Ann Miller was “fortunate enough to have met Barbara when she lived in Anaheim Hills.” She added, “Barbara is warm-hearted, compassionate, energetic, capable, enthusiastic and resourceful. She is a team player, community builder and partner. She cares, she gives back and she always raises her hand to say ‘yes.’” According to Miller, Shapiro is “a good connector in this community, very much a relationship builder, who always has a smile and a twinkle in her eyes.” This year’s Women’s Voices speaker also has a great smile, as

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PHOTO BY GLAMOUR SHOTS

COVER STORY

Women’s Voices

Anne Entin Award winner Barbara Shapiro

well as a great mind, a great sense of humor and lots of great stories to tell, said the event organizers. And, oh yes, she is Jewish. Emmy award-winning journalist Campbell Brown is a veteran broadcaster recognized for her coverage of Hurricane Katrina, the last three Presidential elections and the White House, as well as her many trips to Iraq during the height of the war. She has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast and Slate. From the podium, Brown shares her heartwarming and often hilarious story of finding love in Iraq, converting to Judaism and forever trying to win over her disapproving 28

Brown is a passionate advocate for school choice and education reform. She is the “The hands-on co-founder of the Parents’ Transparency mitzvahs like helping Project and serves on the boards of Success children learn to Academies, a New York City charter school read or feeding network, Turnaround and the Jewish people at a soup Community Project in Lower Manhattan. At CNN, her prime-time program, kitchen are the most Campbell Brown, was the only non-partisan meaningful ones.” cable news show to air at 8 p.m. Brown also – Barbara Shapiro spent 11 years at NBC News where she served as White House correspondent and primary substitute anchor for Brian Williams on NBC Nightly News. She also hosted the weekend edition of the Today Show. Brown covered every major news event for the network, reporting from Rome on the death of Pope John Paul II, from Gaza and the West Bank on violence in the Middle East, and, closer to home, on the 2000 election recount, the aftermath of 9/11 and the political and national security debates that followed. Brown met her husband, Dan Senor, in Baghdad shortly after the start of the Iraqi War. He was Monday, March 17 working as the Bush 10 a.m. administration’s chief Hilton Hotel spokesman in Baghdad, 3050 Bristol St. as well as senior advisor Costa Mesa, CA, 92626 to Presidential Envoy L. Paul Bremer, and she Contact: was serving as co-anchor Eileen Garbutt of NBC’s Today (949) 435-3484 m o t h e r - i n - l a w. Weekend Edition and women@jffs.org Her experiences primary correspondent jewishorangecounty.org/ in news and for NBC Nightly News. women journalism provide She lives in New York the backdrop, but City with her husband her focus is on her and two sons. If Senor’s attempts to raise name sounds familiar, it two children in a traditional Jewish family should. He is co-author of the book, Startwhile trying to “have it all” professionally. She also shares her struggle to understand up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic her mother-in-law and the bond the two Miracle (2009). This year’s Women’s Voices luncheon will be developed when Brown discovered the secrets of a childhood spent on the run from the big and full of powerful women. There’s a seat Nazis. Her inspirational story will make waiting for anyone who wants to roll up her lunch attendees laugh and cry. sleeves and make the world a better place. A

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | FEBRUARY 2014

F E AT U R E S

New Face of Hillel

Eric Fingerhut talks about Hillel’s role in 2014.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HILLEL

BY ILENE SCHNEIDER

The UCI Hillel board

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

F E AT U R E S

WHAT IS THE role of Hillel on campus today? How does it reach an increasingly diverse student population that is, according to the Pew study, less connected to Judaism but still proud to be Jewish? How can it be welcoming to everyone? How should it handle debates between Jewish groups and anti-Israel groups on campus? Does it need a new paradigm for changing times? These are some of the questions Eric Fingerhut, a former U.S. congressman and leader of Ohio’s system of public universities and colleges, who became the president and CEO of Hillel last summer, attempted to answer in a talk to Hillel leaders at the World Hillel Organization conference in the Simi Valley in December. While the talk itself was off the record, Fingerhut offered some insight into his mindset during a private conversation afterwards. Fingerhut, 54, comes to the international campus organization after serving most recently as a corporate vice president at Battelle, a Columbus-based independent research and development organization. The Cleveland native was an Ohio congressman in 1993-1994. As he explained, “I love Judaism in all its

forms and expressions. I had an extraordinary Jewish upbringing. Everything in my life has led to this position — my public service, my work on campuses and research centers across Ohio and my lifelong devotion to Israel and the Jewish people.” Hillel, which boasts a network of 550 branches at colleges, universities and communities in North America, Israel, the former Soviet Union, Europe and Latin America, “is a global organization that holds the future of Judaism in its hands,” Fingerhut said, adding, “In the U.S. alone there are 400,000 Jewish students on campus. About 85 percent of the Jewish college-age population is on campus, so Hillel is an excellent way to reach this demographic.” Fingerhut looks at the picture painted by the Pew study as an opportunity rather than a challenge. “It’s two sides of the same coin,” he said. “Jewish students are coming from increasingly diverse backgrounds with less deep connections to Jewish life, but they’re proud to be Jewish and curious about Judaism.” Additionally, according to Fingerhut, the “gulf between the U.S. and Israeli governments has created a space for people who

Fingerhut looks at the picture painted by the Pew study as an opportunity rather than a challenge.

want to support other positions than those traditionally espoused by groups that are chartered to simply be pro-Israeli government, making the debate on Israel more complex in recent years.” While most of the branches of Hillel operate independently, the central Hillel organization, based in Washington, plays a lead role in setting strategy for the movement. It established guidelines in 2010 for partnering with other groups on campus. Recently, those guidelines, which are designed to take a positive stand on Zionism under the Hillel umbrella, Continued on page 32

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F E AT U R E S

Continued from page 31

were tested. In December the Hillel at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania declared itself to be an “Open Hillel,” rejecting the guidelines established by Hillel International concerning discussions about Israel and the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. According to what turned out to be seven students who drafted the resolution, the guidelines present a “monolithic face pertaining to Zionism” and “stifle healthy debate around Israel.” Fingerhut responded with an open letter to the chapter leadership, saying, “Hillel International expects all campus organizations that use the Hillel name to adhere to these guidelines. Let me be very clear — ‘anti-Zionists’ will not be permitted to speak using the Hillel name or under the Hillel roof, under any circumstances.” He was clear on something else too. “Our job is to develop a love of Israel,” he said. “We partner with all pro-Israel organizations and enable individual campuses to decide when an organization is inappropriate. Just as all Hillels are not alike, not all other organizations are alike.” What’s the bottom line for Fingerhut? “We want Hillel to be a compelling place for a range of Jewish religious practice. We want to try to be excellent every day on every campus.”

Eric Fingerhut

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F E AT U R E S

Be a Mensch, Be the Match Students affiliated with Hillel at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), have found an important way to do a mitzvah and feel great about themselves. They say it’s as simple as brushing your teeth! The Hillel group has partnered with Be the Match, an organization that is operated by the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP) and manages the largest and most diverse marrow registry in the world to save lives of people diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma and sickle cell anemia through bone marrow transplant. Setting up a table on campus, the

two groups encourage people 18 to 44 to fill out paperwork and do a quick cheek swab procedure that puts them into the registry. “You can save a life by taking 5 minutes to do this,” said Yarden Eisenberg, a senior from Los Angeles. “So far, 18 people have registered, and somebody is doing it now.” Eisenberg explained that UCI Hillel engages in outreach with other Jewish clubs on campus. A fraternity brother from AEPi contacted him, and he got in touch with the Be the Match group on campus. The fraternity brother, who had cancer, met his donor when the two were united on a Rose Parade float. “When people register and get a cheek swab, their information is placed into a pool of potential bone marrow transplant donors,” explained Claudia Rodriguez, a first year UCI student from Corona and a Be the Match

representative on campus. “The national headquarters contacts them when they match someone in need. There are more than 10 million people in the registry, but 67 percent are Caucasian, so it’s hard for others to find a match.” Sharon Shaoulian, a second year UCI student from Newport Beach and a member of the Hillel board, said, “This is one of the best opportunities for community service that we have. When people see what the impact of it is, they’re willing to help out.” “Community service shows people a different side of their lives and a different side of themselves,” added Rachel Weiner, a second year student from Manhattan Beach and a participant in Hillel. “I feel really good about this,” concluded Bradley Erbesfield, assistant director of Hillel of Orange County. “Hillel isn’t just about Shabbat dinners. It’s about taking actions that could save lives.”

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F E AT U R E S

Society Roundup

Pillars of the Community Galas abound in February.

Rabbis David Young and Stephen Einstein

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

F E AT U R E S

Engaging Story Jacey Simon, daughter of Gene and Camille Simon of Northridge, has accepted the wedding proposal of Mathew “Mak” Kahn, son of Barry and Mimi Kahn of Santa Ana. Mak and Jacey were the first people Elana Simon introduced at the JYA launch party in February of 2013. JYA stands for the Jewish Community Center’s Young Adults and is a group of 21- to 35-year-olds out of the Merage JCC of Orange County. Jacey came down from Los Angeles for the event to support her sister, Elana, the director of JYA. Elana says that three other couples have also met at JYA events and have developed relationships, but this is JYA’s first engagement. The couple plans to marry this August. Elana explains that JYA is not a singles group; however, she is happy to help young Jewish singles meet their special someone through these events. She emphasizes that JYA includes young adults in the Jewish community ages 21 to 35 whether they are single, in a relationship, divorced or married, and with or without children. The group is intended to meet the varied needs of Jewish young adults: socially, athletically, culturally, spiritually, academically, personally and more. To send your well wishes to Jacey and Mak, please e-mail jaceyrsimon@gmail.com. For more information about JYA, which is celebrating its anniversary this month with a big party, please contact elanasimon@jccoc.org.

TBY Milestone Anniversary Gala Temple Bat Yahm will celebrate its 40th anniversary at the March 1 “Crusin’ through the Years” gala. A number of TBY members, representing different decades of (their) age, will be recognized for their volunteer contributions through the years. These dedicated volunteers of the Newport Beach congregation include Winnie and Shelly Ross, Martin and Tamar Brower, Helene and Mike Jacobs, Sorrell and Newt Wayne, Ronda Kushner, Ian and Tami Ingram and Susan and Daryl Miller. The 6:30 p.m. event, chaired by Temple

Jacey Simon and Mathew “Mak” Kahn

Bat Yahm members Denise Molnar and Ian Feigelman, will include the best aspects of a cruise without leaving dry land, according to organizers, who cited “the superb ambiance, fun high-roller casino, delicious gourmet buffet and premium interactive entertainment.” The cost is $118 per ticket, and opportunities to pay tribute to the honorees are available. For details, call Temple Bat Yahm at (949) 644-1999.

TBE Anniversary Gala

Temple Beth Emet will hold its 58th Anniversary Journal Champagne Brunch on Sunday, February 16, at 11 a.m. at the Marriott Anaheim Suites (Chapman Avenue and Harbor Boulevard in Garden Grove). Honorees are: Rabbi Joel Berman, Rabbi Mordecai Kieffer, Cantor Zev Brooks, Shirley Glowalla, Carren Pulverman and Grace Hasson. Brunch tickets are $50 per person. There

are opportunities to pay tribute to the honorees in the journal that the Anaheim congregation is producing. For details, call Temple Beth Emet at (714) 772-4720.

Shave for the Brave Congregation B’nai Tzedek’s rabbis, David N. Young and Stephen J. Einstein, are two participants in “36 Rabbis Shave for the Brave.” This project, coordinated nationally by the congregation’s former rabbi, Rebecca Einstein Schorr, brings attention to the fact that less than 4 percent of research funding for cancer goes to children’s cancer — the #1 killer of young people in our nation. In solidarity with children undergoing chemotherapy, the rabbis will shave their heads at the March convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. To offer support, visit www.stbaldricks.org/ teams/mypage/87922/2014. OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | FEBRUARY 2014

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Fashion for a Cause The Saddleback-Laguna Hills Group of Hadassah will hold a fashion show at the Mission Viejo Country Club on Monday, February 17, at 10 a.m. There will be a fashion show by Chico’s, Mission Viejo, as well as a luncheon and raffle prizes. The fundraiser supports Hadassah’s heart health program. For more information, call (949) 586-3226.

Chorus of Cantors Temple Beth Sholom Sisterhood presents “Beautiful Music with a Chorus of Cantors” as this year’s offering in the Maxine Horwitz Cultural Series. Performing are Cantors Gabi Arad, Shannon McGrady Bane, Jennifer Bern-Vogel, Paul Buch, Sue Deutsch, Linda Ecker, Michael Kanter, Juval Porat, David Reinwald, Billy Tiep and Marcia Tilchin with Barbara Siegel on the piano. The concert is slated for Sunday, February 9, with a reception at 3:15 p.m. and the performance at 4:15 p.m. at the temple in Santa Ana. Tickets are $9 for adults and $5 for children.

A MAGAZINE FOR JEWISH YOUTH & PARENTS

SAYING GOODBYE Dealing with the Loss of Your Pet GAME TIME Be a Word Search Whiz!

Smart Kids! Find an Educational Path that is “Just Right”

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ENROLL THE KIDS

THE POWER OF PLAY

FINDING THE "RIGHT" PATH

Find the right resources to help prepare our future leaders and keep their minds occupied and entertained.

How play time and recess are not just a time let loose; they are actually a great source for learning social skills.

An educational journey is as unique as the personailty it is designed to enhance, make sure you are using the right "map".

in this issue Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note 08 Calendar 22 Kids Cooking 20 Games 30

SAYING GOODBYE

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS

Losing a family pet is one of the most difficult events to face. Learn how to cope with this trying time together.

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PUBLISHER ORANGE COUNTY JEWISH LIFE C0-EDITORS IN CHIEF TRACEY ARMSTRONG GORSKY MBA, LISA GRAJEWSKI, PSY. D CREATIVE DIRECTOR RACHEL BELLINSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITERS RABBI NANCY RITA MYERS, SUE PENN M. ED., HEIDI KAHN, BARBARA BOARNET ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES DIANE BENAROYA (SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE), MARTIN STEIN EDITORIAL (949) 230-0581 TARMSTRONG24@GMAIL.COM ADVERTISING (949) 812-1891 SALES@OCJEWISHLIFE.COM ART ART@OCJEWISHLIFE.COM ORANGE COUNTY JEWISH LIFE AND KIDDISH IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY ORANGE COUNTY JEWISH LIFE, LLC 5665 OBERLIN DRIVE, SUITE 204 SAN DIEGO, CA 92121

EDITOR’S NOTE

kiddish

elcome, friends, to the second issue of Kiddish! We are so excited

to share this new venture with you and your families. As we settle into a new year and gear up for the month of February, we here at Kiddish have decided to take a look at the role of

education in our children's lives. I think we can all agree that education is one of the most important factors to consider in child development, but just “how” we educate our children can be difficult to navigate. These are uncharted waters for many of us, and the tides of popular opinion are constantly in flux. However, no matter what the current trends state, finding the best approach for your family is as unique as the wonderful kids you are raising. This month we will focus on that uniqueness. We will also touch on the difficult task of talking to your kids about the loss of a family pet, which is like losing a family member for most of us. We will take a journey into the world of “The Three Little Pigs” — this time with a fabulous Jewish twist. And, as always, have some fun with our games and fun family events page. From our home to yours… enjoy!

— Best, Lisa & Tracey

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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.

kiddish

ENROLL

Preparing Our Future Leaders

Calling All Campers!

The Hebrew Academy welcomes all.

Silver Gan Israel Day Camp sets its stake on 2014. SILVER GAN ISRAEL Day Camp first opened its doors in 1969, and for the last four decades, it has been a leader in day camps for the Jewish community. The camp strives to provide a fun and meaningful Jewish camp experience to children from diverse Jewish backgrounds and marvels at the opportunity to make kids smile. It is passionate about providing safe, quality programming and constantly monitors its progress through the American Camp Association accreditation. As parents themselves, the staff members understand the need to provide a nurturing environment where children learn the importance of sharing, caring and providing for others. One of the qualities that makes this camp unique is the

THE HEBREW ACADEMY strives to educate the total child. By creating an environment that encourages the child's intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and ethical growth, it aims to instill a sense of self-worth and a lifelong

caliber of counselors. The camp flies in well-qualified and experienced counselors from all around the country (and world). The counselors are known to build a connection with the campers that goes well beyond their time in camp.

commitment to learning and Judaism. Opening its doors in

Also, of interest are some of the things that make this

1969, the Hebrew Academyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission is to provide a highly

camp unique such as: human hamster balling, a hockey

challenging and dynamic educational curriculum in an

rink, two covered swimming pools, a hay maze, aerial arts,

extended family atmosphere.

moving rock walls, laser tag and more. Kosher hot lunches,

In 2014, it will be starting Specialized Learning

transportation and extended care are also available. In 2014,

Communities (SLC) for the middle school. This new,

Silver Gan Israel Day Camp is launching a 9-week program

rigorous and engaging program challenges all students,

with flexible enrollment options for campers ages 2-15.

particularly those who test highly on standardized tests. SLC is often referred to as a school within a school. The primary purpose of its program is to create more specialized learning environments focused on students' aptitudes and interests, so as to establish an even more rich and engaging learning experience. Also, the Preschool at the Hebrew Academy is proud to announce the Grand Opening of its very own library designed especially for children ages 2-6. The library will include outstanding literature geared towards toddlers and parents, as well as cozy built-in couches with pillows, a readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theater area and more! The academy will also be hosting tot Shabbats and story time for all to enjoy! For more information please visit:

www.hebrewacademypreschool.org

For more information please visit: www.campsgi.com

THE POWER OF PLAY

kiddish

Gross motor skills, such as running, jumping, climbing and catching are developed through play.

Go Fly A Kite! How play is a critical component of learning. BY NICOLE BEN-ARTZI

kiddish

THE POWER OF PLAY

o matter if your child is

Through blocks or even grabbing

two or twelve, as parents

their own feet, infants learn spatial

we’re constantly balancing

recognition, where their body ends and

fun with academics.

about cause and effect, self-awareness

While intuitively we know that play is important, opening children up to

and physical consequences. As children get older, they engage

critical learning opportunities seems

in more interactive physical and

just as important to every parent.

imaginary play, manipulating toys and

This is not to take a stand of

objects in new and different ways. As

academics versus play; clearly both are

an infant, a toy may have been seen

important. It is equally important to

as one thing, perhaps just a block.

recognize that play is not merely recess,

Later, children often see the same

a break from learning, but play is, in

toys as different representations in

fact, a critical component of learning.

the world. Toddlers may often utilize

It is not just our intuition that tells us

blocks as tools, buildings, rocket ships,

play is important; science has proven

instruments and more.

it as well. Children unequivocally, and

As children get older they interact,

undoubtedly, learn through play at

engage and socialize with others more

every age.

and more. With socialization children

Play starts with infants engaging in “parallel play” or individual play.

CHILDREN UNEQUIVOCALLY, AND UNDOUBTEDLY, LEARN THROUGH PLAY AT EVERY AGE.

build both verbal and nonverbal communication skills, learning how to

As children get older, they engage in more interactive physical and imaginary play, manipulating toys and objects in new ways. CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

THE POWER OF PLAY

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

Through play, kids learn to interpret gestures, such as when a friend puts her hand up, it means I should stop, but if she smiles it means I can keep going.

talk and express themselves through

to be part of that fun, that good feeling

play. Through play they learn to

that comes from laughter.

interpret gestures, like when a friend puts her hand up it means I should stop

jumping, climbing and catching are

but if she smiles it means I can keep

developed through play as muscles,

going. Through play children learn how

balance, coordination and proprioception

to apply this skill throughout their lives

strengthen. Furthermore, when

in different social situations.

children take turns climbing a tree

Play can teach a lesson in the fine

or playing with apparatus, they are

art of compromise and setting limits. As

practicing socialization skills such

difficult as it can be, children often learn

as communication and taking turns,

to let others in line go first, to share and

certainly an important skill at all ages.

even to be the strongest or fastest so play

WHEN CHILDREN TAKE TURNS CLIMBING A TREE OR PLAY APPARATUS, THEY ARE PRACTICING SOCIALIZATION SKILLS.

Gross motor skills, such as running,

Through a child’s natural playing,

can continue. Creating roles through play

her interests become observable. If

allows for personal rules to be developed,

your child has an affinity for everything

which stems from making observations

dinosaur, then you can use dinosaurs

from others through modeling

to encourage discovery, reading and

interactions or situations.

later writing and even math. Learning

Play also helps children develop

predominantly happens through intrinsic

social-emotional regulation, the ability

motivation at any age – but children

to recognize emotions in themselves; in

need the scaffolding from adults to

others allows them to learn natural or

supply them with the materials, time and

appropriate reactions. When a friend

tools necessary to further their learning,

is crying, children learn how to soothe,

growth and interests. ✿

to put an arm around friends, to offer a redirected activity. Likewise, children learn when a friend is laughing they want

Nicole Ben-Artzi is the Director of Early Childhood Education, Merage Jewish Community Center.

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EDUCATION

Finding the “Right” Path Educating Our Children That “Easy” Is Not Always the Best. BY SUSAN PENN, M. ED.

The challenge for all of us, adults and children alike, is to learn from our mistakes, to emerge as better people and to try to make amends.

ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT THINGS AS A PARENT IS WATCHING OUR CHILDREN MAKE MISTAKES WE’VE WARNED THEM AGAINST.

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EDUCATION

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

ur forefather Abraham was known “to be

Oh, the joys of parenthood! When Eve stood hungry in the

and don’t impact anyone else’s life and other times they’re bigger, changing

careful to teach his

Garden of Eden wondering whether

those around us forever. The challenge

children.” Thus began the

she should listen to the serpent and

for all of us, adults and children

tradition of Jews valuing education.

eat from the Tree of Knowledge, she

alike, is to learn from our mistakes, to

Education embraces all facets of

faced the very first recorded moral

emerge as better people and to try to

life – learning to read, write and

dilemma. The snake tempted her to

make amends.

do arithmetic; understanding and

take the more attractive route, the

integrating acceptable social skills

easier path and so she followed.

and behavior patterns; being able

We try to teach our children to

It is difficult for us not to judge one another, to criticize or to place ourselves on a moral pedestal. However, we need

to exhibit sensitivity and empathy;

think things through before they

to keep remembering that none of us

mastering traditions and family rites

act, not to always take the easy path,

is infallible, that we are all journeying

of passage; determining the value of

not to blindly follow the crowd and

towards becoming better people and

relationships, and above all, acquiring

to always stand firm in the face of

that it is not our place to pass judgment.

the knowledge to know that learning

injustice. However, we are not always

is a lifelong journey.

there when they are confronted with

of Eden, our ancestors sought to teach

the dilemma.

us about temptation. The easy or

What do we want our kids to learn? How do we want them to learn?

Our children are human, just as

By placing the snake in the Garden

more attractive path is not always the

One of the most difficult things as a

Eve was and just as we are. We all

correct one in the given circumstances,

parent is watching our children make

make mistakes as we journey through

and passing judgment is often just

mistakes we’ve warned them against.

life; sometimes they’re little mistakes

another easy path to follow. ✿

FAMILY TIME

Losing a family pet is very hard, but dealing with it as a family doesn't need to be.

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FAMILY TIME

Teaching Our Children to Say

GOODBYE Losing a pet can be like losing a beloved family member. Find the right way to say "farewell". BY LISA GRAJEWSKI, PSY.D.

ne of the most difficult decisions I have had to

children do the same? According to Adele Brodkin, Ph.D., a

make in my life was when

psychologist and consultant of families

to terminate the life of a

and children, “Mourning a pet prepares a

beloved family pet. I do not believe I

child to deal with future losses…” Children

have cried so hard or fought a decision

want to talk about things that happen;

so much in my life as when my partner

this includes a loss, the death of loved

and I had to take three of our beloved

ones and the death of a family pet. Loss

dogs in and have them euthanized. Even

also prompts ideas that others may die

as I write this I realize I use the sterile

as well. Allow the child to talk about his

words, “terminate” and “euthanize” to

or her concerns and ask questions. Being

alleviate the guilt I still carry with me for

honest with a child is the best route to

a decision that was in the best interest of

take when teaching them to say “good-

the dogs.

bye.” Therein as parents, educators,

How do we explain that decision to

mentors and providers of support we can

our families? How does one tell a child

teach children to talk about the pain of

that the beloved family pet is suffering

loss and confusion of feelings.

and the most humane and ethical thing

In teaching a child about loss the

we can do for that animal is to put

first thing to remember is one should

him or her down? It is a situation that

be allowed to feel whatever it is needed.

occurs more often than discussed and

Statements like, “Oh, it was just a

a topic often left unspoken. In fact,

hamster…” or “Don’t be a cry baby!” can

research done by Gage and Halcomb

confuse a child and teach him or her to

in 1991 indicates the loss of a family

repress emotions that are healthy and

pet happens more frequently and is

necessary to experience. In addition,

more stressful to parents than children

it is important for a child to see a

leaving home. And once that decision is

parent’s emotions. Allow the child to

made, how do we confront and accept

ask questions about the tears that mom

the subsequent grief and help our

and dad may shed; encourage family

FAMILY TIME

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Sometimes pets go on their own schedule, without our knowing.

members to talk about feelings and

may balk at my comparing a pet’s life to

memories that come up after losing a

a human life, but for many the family

beloved member of the family ; that is

pet was a family member. Embrace that.

what a pet is, after all.

Whether you gather the kids together

The death of a family pet deserves a

to make a ceremony, or write your pet

family ritual as well. However, sometimes

a letter, there are many ways to provide

it is not possible for us to be with the

closure. For parents, talking about the

pet at the time of death. Sometimes

process and decision to put the animal

they go on their own schedule, without

down with another adult is a healthy

our knowing, and sometimes it is just

way to get through the grief. For children,

too difficult to witness and we must

discuss with them what it was like to see

stand in the waiting room and wait.

the animal grow old and sick, in a simple

But regardless of how we attend, we

language the child can understand. Be

can provide them with the same love

honest about what has happened to the

and respect we would for our human

animal – do not avoid the truth! If your

friends. The act of allowing them to

child asks about dying, reassure them

leave this life with dignity is one such

people live a lot longer than animals.

way - remembering those the pet has left

One important thing to remember, says

behind is another. Some who read this

Brodkin: Let the parents take cues from

BEING HONEST WITH A CHILD IS THE BEST ROUTE TO TAKE WHEN TEACHING HIM TO SAY “GOOD-BYE”.

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FAMILY TIME

the child with regard to what needs to be

smelling of the herb. About a year ago, the

discussed. Additionally, comfort the child

bush got too big, so we opted to change it

who needs to grieve, but do not admonish

out for something less prolific – that bush

or question the child who shows little or

died about a week after Toto. I created my

no emotion.

ritual in memory of Toto – a bush that she

I decided to have my own ritual

loved, and reminds us of her. When I look

after losing my 13-year-old dog “Toto.”

outside I can see her on occasion, smelling

Shortly after we put Toto down, I bought

the bush and biting the branches… It is

a rosemary bush. For years we had a

a simple ritual, but it provides a memory

rosemary bush in the backyard, and

that we, in our grief, can hold onto to

more often than not Toto would come in

accompany us in this difficult process. ✿

LET THE PARENTS TAKE CUES FROM THE CHILD WITH REGARD TO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED.

There are many ways to provide closure when you lose your beloved pet.

PHOTO BY RACHEL BELLINSKY

WHAT CAN YOU DO WHEN THE FAMILY LOSES A PET? ADELE BRODKIN MAKES THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS: ♥

Do not avoid the truth about the death of a pet

♥

Invite children and family members to talk about memories through photos and stories

♥

Do not avoid your own feelings about the loss

♥

Allow children to see your emotions and talk about your feelings

♥

Do not be ashamed to seek outside help if the grief continues for an unusual length of time or if your child is experiencing changes in sleep patterns, nightmares, or a change in eating patterns

TWO RESOURCES FOR DEALING WITH THE LOSS OF A PET: ♥ ♥

www.animalhealthfoundation.org www.helpguide.org/mental/grieving_pets.htm

KIDS COOKING

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Totally the Best Guacamole This avacado delight is fun to make, and will add an extra dimension of nutrition to any meal – your kids will love it! BY HEIDI KAHN

Ingredients:

What to do:

1 ripe avocado ½ lemon ½ medium tomato 1 slice of red onion Pinch of salt Shake of black pepper

1 Cut the avocado in half

2 Scoop the avocado out into a bowl

3 Mash the avocado with a fork

4 Squeeze half a lemon into the mashed avocado

Cutting can be done with a plastic knife. Be sure to supervise little ones!

5 Chop the tomato into small pieces

Heidi Kahn, an awardwinning teacher with over 30 years of experience, is the Pre-School Director at University Synagogue. She has won the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation (JRF) Master Teacher award and has also received the Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education.

9 Mix it all together

6 Chop the red onion into small pieces

Add tomato and onion to the avocado

Add the salt and pepper

Delicious with, corn chips or pita

Serves 2. Have fun, and enjoy!

10 Adjust the seasonings to taste

FEBRUARY 2014 CALENDAR

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Get out there and

DO STUFF February is a month for love! Take your little valentines out for some educational fun.

TORAH STUDY Saturdays: 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 2/22 9:00 AM to 10:15 AM Temple Bat Yahm 1011 Camelback Street Newport Beach, CA (949) 697-7618 www.tby.org TEMPLE BETH EL OF SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY TOT SHABBAT PLAYSPACE Saturday, February 01 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM 2A Liberty Aliso Viejo, CA (949) 362-3999, ext. 102 Rabbi Rachel Kort, Director of Jewish Engagement rabbikort@tbesoc.org SHIR HA-MA'ALOT TORAH TIME FOR TOTS Sat., 2/1, Mon. 2/3, Wed. 2/5, Fri. 2/7, Sun. 2/9, Tues. 2/11, Thur. 2/13, Fri. 2/21, Sun. 2/23, Tues. 2/25 Thur. 2/27 10:45 AM to 12:30 PM 3652 Michelson Dr. Irvine, CA (949) 857-2226 shmschool.wufoo.com/forms/ torah-time-registrationages-13/ OC JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL Out In The Dark Sunday, February 02 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM The Attack Wednesday, February 05 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM

OC JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL Sunday, February 23 In The Shadow 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM Regal Westpark 8 Cinemas 3735 Alton Parkway Irvine, CA (949) 553-3535 www.universitysynagogue.org

JLI-TO BE A JEW IN THE FREE WORLD: JEWISH IDENTITY Tuesdays: 2/4, 2/11, 2/18, 2/25 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM Chabad Jewish Center 2240 University Drive, Newport Beach, CA (949) 721-9800 www.JewishNewport.com

COFFEE TALK WITH THE RABBI Sunday: 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23 9:00 AM to 10:15 AM Temple Bat Yahm 1011 Camelback Street Newport Beach, CA (949) 697-7618 www.tby.org

CONGREGATION B'NAI ISRAEL CDC ITSY BITSY YOGA AND ME Wednesdays: 2/5, 2/12, 2/19, 2/26 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM Congregation B'nai Israel Child Development Center 2111 Bryan Avenue Tustin, CA (714) 730-0860 cdc18@cbi18.org

JEWISH LEARNING EXPERIENCE Monday, February 03 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM Israel in the Six-Day War Merage JCC 1 Federation Way Irvine, CA (949) 435-3400 www.jccoc.org TARBUT V'TORAH PARENTING WORKSHOP SERIES Tuesday: 2/4 & 2/11 8:15 AM to 9:15 AM Tarbut v'Torah Lower School Village 1, Room 104 5200 Bonita Canyon Drive Irvine, CA amargolis@tarbut.com

WEDNESDAY WITH THE RABBI Wednesday, 2/5, 2/12 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Temple Bat Yahm 1011 Camelback Street Newport Beach, CA (949) 697-7618 www.tby.org HEBREW ACADEMY MOMMY AND ME SERIES Thursdays: 2/6, 2/13, 2/20, 2/27 9:30 AM to 10:00 AM 14401 Willow Lane Huntington Beach, CA (714) 863-0757 hebrewacademypreschool.org

TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM TORAH TOTS (SESSION 2) Friday, February 07 9:15 AM to 10:15 AM 2625 N. Tustin Ave. Santa Ana, CA (714) 628-4600 Temple Beth Tikvah Friday, 2/7 7:30 Family Services 1600 N Acacia Ave Fullerton, CA (714) 213-8073 www.templebethtikvah.com TEMPLE BETH EL OF SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY HERE COMES SHABBAT! Friday, 2/7, 2/21 5:25 PM to 5:45 PM 2A Liberty Aliso Viejo, CA (949) 362-3999, ext. 102 Rabbi Rachel Kort, Director of Jewish Engagement: rabbikort@tbesoc.org CONGREGATION B'NAI ISRAEL YOUNG FAMILY SERVICE AND DINNER Friday, February 07 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM 2111 Bryan Avenue Tustin, CA cbi18@cbi18.org

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FEBRUARY 2014 CALENDAR

TEMPLE BAT YAHM FAMILY SHABBAT Friday, February 07 6:00 PM to 6:45 PM Temple Bat Yahm 1011 Camelback Street Newport Beach, CA (949) 697-7618 www.tby.org TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM FAMILY SHABBAT SERVICE Friday, February 07 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM 2625 N. Tustin Ave. Santa Ana, CA (714) 628-4640 www.tbsoc.com SHIR HA-MA'ALOT FAMILY SHABBAT SERVICE Friday, February 07 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM 3652 Michelson Dr. Irvine, CA (949) 857-2226 shmschool.wufoo.com/forms/ torah-time-registrationages-13/ UNIVERSITY SYNAGOGUE SHABBAT SERVICES Friday, 2/7, 2/28 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM University Synagogue 3400 Michelson Drive Irvine, CA, 92612 (949) 553-3535 www.universitysynagogue.org TEMPLE BETH DAVID FAMILY SERVICE Fridays: 2/7, 2/14, 2/12, 2/28 7:00 PM 6100 Hefley Street Westminster, CA (714) 892-6623 www.templebethdavid.org CONGREGATION B'NAI ISRAEL JUNIOR CONGREGATION Saturday, February 08 10:30 AM to 11:45 AM Congregation B'nai Israel PJ Library Tot Shabbat 11:50 AM to 12:20 PM Congregation B'nai Israel Child Development Center 2111 Bryan Avenue Tustin, CA (714) 730-0860 cdc18@cbi18.org

TEMPLE ISAIAH OF NEWPORT TP “MWF” FAMILY DAY Wednesday, February 12 9:00 AM- 11:00 AM 2401 Irvine Ave, Newport Beach, CA (949) 548-6900 www.templeisaiahoc.com

FAMILY NIGHT SYNAGOGUE Friday, February 21 5:45 PM to 8:30 PM University Synagogue 3400 Michelson Drive Irvine, CA (949) 553-3535 www.universitysynagogue.org

TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM TORAH TOTS (SESSION 2) Friday, February 14 9:15 AM to 10:15 AM 2625 N. Tustin Ave. Santa Ana, CA (714) 628-4600

CONGREGATION B'NAI TZEDEK TOT SHABBAT Friday, February 21 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM 9669 Talbert Ave. Fountain Valley, CA 92708 (714) 730-0860 cdc18@cbi18.org

TEMPLE BETH EMET'S 58TH ANNIVERSARY BRUNCH Sunday, February 16 11:00 AM 1770 W. Cerritos Ave. Anaheim, CA (714) 772-4720 tbe-anaheim@roadrunner. com

TEMPLE BETH TIKVAH MUSICAL SHABBAT SERVICES Friday, February 21 7:30 PM 1600 N Acacia Ave Fullerton, CA (714) 213-8073 www.templebethtikvah.com

TEMPLE ISAIAH OF NEWPORT DINING WITH DAD SESSION 2 Thursday, February 20 5:30 PM- 7:30 PM 2401 Irvine Ave, Newport Beach, CA (949) 548-6900 www.templeisaiahoc.com

SHIR HA-MA'ALOT TOT SHABBAT SERVICE Friday, February 21 6:30 PM to 7:00 PM 3652 Michelson Dr. Irvine, CA (949) 857-2226 shmschool.wufoo.com/forms/ torah-time-registrationages-13/

SHIR HA-MA'ALOT TORAH TIME FOR TINY TOTS Friday, February 21 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM 3652 Michelson Dr. Irvine, CA (949) 857-2226 shmschool.wufoo.com/forms/ torah-time-registrationages-13/ TEMPLE BETH EMET Friday, February 21 6:15 PM Shabbat Dinner 8:00 PM Shabbat Eve Service Community Scholar Program with Prof. David Solomon 1770 W. Cerritos Ave. Anaheim, CA (714) 772-4720 tbe-anaheim@roadrunner. com

CONGREGATION B'NAI ISRAEL TOT SHABBAT Saturday, February 22 11:50 AM to 12:20 PM Congregation B'nai Israel Child Development Center 2111 Bryan Avenue Tustin, CA (714) 730-0860 cdc18@cbi18.org DINNER WITH A SCHOLAR Saturday, February 22 7:30 PM to 8:00 PM Bureau of Jewish Education 1 Federation Way, Suite 205 Irvine, CA heather@bjeoc.org

TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM KATAN LEARN AND PLAY Sunday, February 23 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM 2625 N. Tustin Ave. Santa Ana, CA (714) 628-4600 TEMPLE ISAIAH OF NEWPORT FAMILY SHABBAT SERVICE & DINNER Friday, February 28 5:30- 6:00 PM & 6:00 to 6:30 2401 Irvine Ave, Newport Beach, CA (949) 548-6900 www.templeisaiahoc.com MINI-MINYAN Friday, February 28 5:15 PM to 5:45 PM Temple Bat Yahm, 1011 Camelback Street Newport Beach, CA (949) 697-7618 www.tby.org YOUNG ISRAEL OF ORANGE COUNTY Fellows in Their Teens Tuesdays Noon to 1:00, Wednesdays 4:00 to 5:00 PM & 5:00 to 6:00 PM Ladies in Their Teens Tuesdays 4:00 to 5:15 and Thursdays 4:00 to 5:15 3415 Michelson Dr. Irvine, CA (949) 300-8899 www.yioc.org ✿

STORY TIME

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The hard-working pigs lived happily in a sturdy brick house in Ein Gedi.

Kosher for Purim A Three Little Pigs Story BY LAURA MILHANDER

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STORY TIME

nce there were three little

the melech of the Purim parade!” decided

pigs who lived together

the third pig.

in a sturdy brick house in Ein Gedi. The little pigs

worked hard during the week, and on the weekends they relaxed by soaking in

The three little pigs put aside their bags and collected their craft supplies to make crowns to wear to the carnival. The first little pig, whose name was

the mineral-rich muds of the hot springs

Rishon, made his crown out of bright

where they lived.

purple construction paper. This did not

One sunny morning, the pigs were

take him long, and then the little pig

returning from town, where they had

spent the rest of the afternoon playing in

been buying supplies for their spring

the mud.

garden. In town, they saw preparations

The second little pig, named Sheni,

being made for the Purim Carnival the

made his crown out of poster board and

next day.

gold foil. Cutting the poster board and

“Let’s go to the Purim Carnival

gluing the foil to it took a little more time,

tomorrow! It will be fun, and what a great

but when the crown was finished, there

break from work it will be!” offered the

was still time for a dip in the wet dirt

first pig.

with Rishon.

“We will need costumes, of course,” suggested the second pig. “Let’s make crowns. We can each be

THE FIRST LITTLE PIG, WHOSE NAME WAS RISHON, MADE HIS CROWN OUT OF BRIGHT PURPLE CONSTRUCTION PAPER.

Shlishi, the third little pig, made his crown from poster board, too, and then he strengthened it with papier mache. He

The pigs, who loved the muddy hot springs, made crowns for the Purim Carnival. CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

STORY TIME

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

The pigs didn't know it, but the sneaky wolf was watching them, and followed them down the hill.

mixed flour and water together to form

laughter could be heard up and down

a paste, dipped strips of newspaper into

the street. Everybody, young and old, was

the paste, and stuck them onto the poster

dressed in every imaginable costume and

board crown. While waiting for the crown

color. The little pigs had never seen such a

to dry, Shlishi put away the supplies

carnival. After first helping themselves to

from town. Afterward, he painted and

their favorite Purim treat, oznei haman,

decorated the crown. It took all afternoon

the three little pigs ran off in different

to complete his crown and clean up after

directions, agreeing to meet again in a

himself and the other pigs. Shlishi didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

little while.

take even a minute of time to play in the

ONCE HE ARRIVED AT THE PURIM CARNIVAL, THE BIG, BAD WOLF BECAME VERY HUNGRY.

mud before it was time to go to bed.

The three little pigs did not know it, but a big, bad wolf had been hiding

The next morning, Rishon, Sheni

in a cave near their sturdy brick house.

and Shlishi excitedly put on their crowns

When he saw the pigs with their crowns

and set out for town and for the Purim

and their curly pink tails running down

carnival. They squealed with delight

the hill towards town, he became very

when they arrived. The street was packed

interested. He sneaked down the hill,

with dozens of game booths, prize tables

following them.

and food stands. Music, cheering and

Once he arrived at the Purim

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STORY TIME

carnival, the big, bad wolf became very

the street. Before the wolf could reach it,

hungry. The delicious aromas of all the

the crown was trampled under the feet of

food there reminded him that he hadn’t

those passing by them.

had a good meal in a very long time. The

A moment later, the big, bad wolf

wolf quickly became aware that he was

spotted Sheni, the second little pig. Sheni

the only one without a costume. He

was decorating a Megillah cover at the

had to have a costume fast, or he’d be

craft table. The wolf bounded in front of

recognized for the big, bad wolf that he

Sheni and snarled:

was, and no one would sell him a thing to eat! Too late to make a costume, the wolf decided he would take one from someone else. That was when he saw Rishon, the first little pig. Rishon was admiring the baskets of mishloach manot collected for tzedakah. The big, bad wolf leaped in front of Rishon and growled: “Little pig, little pig, give me your crown!” “Not for all the oznei haman in town!” exclaimed the first pig. “Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your crown down!” … and that’s just what the wolf did!

“Little pig, little pig, give me your crown!” “Not for all the oznei haman in town!” hollered the second pig. “Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your crown down!” … and that’s just what the wolf

“Little pig, little pig, give me your crown!” “Not for all the oznei haman in town!” shouted the third pig. “Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your crown down!” … and that’s just what the wolf did. Twice. Three times. Again and again the wolf blew, but the sturdy crown stayed on Shlishi’s head. The wolf schemed for a moment; then, as the wolf was reaching forward to grab the crown with his paws, a child dressed as Mordechai, in a robe and kippah, stepped forward from the crowd. He offered the wolf a hat instead

did. Twice. Cardboard is stronger than

of a crown, a black, three-cornered

construction paper, but after the second

Haman hat, which the wolf eagerly

blow, the crown fell off Sheni’s head.

placed upon his head. The other children

Sheni tripped over himself and crushed

booed and shook their ra’ashanim, and

the crown beneath his own feet as he ran

the embarrassed wolf ran away from the

away from the wolf.

carnival and all the way back to the cave,

Immediately, the big, bad wolf noticed the third little pig among a crowd

The crown, made only of construction

of children making ra’ashanim. The wolf

paper, flew off Rishon’s head and onto

jumped in front of Shlishi and howled:

certainly dropping the hat somewhere along the way. ✿

In the end, the scheming wolf was no match for the pigs and their friend at the carnival.

STORY TIME

kiddish

A waterfall at the Ein Gedi nature reserve in Israel.

Laura Aron Milhander has a background in Jewish studies and both Jewish and secular education. She and her husband, Rabbi Kenneth Milhander, are the parents of four children and lives in Orange County.

Sheni (she-NI) second

ABOUT THIS STORY

Oznei Haman (oz-NEI ha-MAN)

Why is this story called

Hamantaschen, Purim cookies

“Kosher for Purim?”

Mishloach manot (mish-LO-ach mah-

The title is humorous, because the main

NOTE) giving gifts of food

characters of this story are pigs. Pigs are not often featured in Jewish stories or elsewhere, because they are not kosher.

Shlishi (shli-SHI) third Melech (MEH-lech) is king

Tzedakah (tze-da-KAH) righteous and dutiful giving to aid another Megillah (meh-gi-LAH) the scroll from

What are some of the special

which the story of Purim is read

words used in this story?

Ra’ashanim (ra-a-sha-NIM) noise-makers

These are Hebrew words. Hebrew is the everyday spoken language of Israel and is also used in prayer and study by the Jewish people around the world. Did you recognize any of the Hebrew words in this story? Purim (pur-IM) the festive holiday that retells the Biblical book of Esther Rishon (ri-SHONE) first

Kippah (ki-PAH) yarmulke, skullcap Where is Ein Gedi? Ein Gedi is a city in Israel near the Dead Sea. It is so old that it is mentioned in the Bible. Ein Gedi is well-known for its nature and animal preserves and for its mud, rich in minerals. People from all over Israel and all over the world come to “play in the mud” in Ein Gedi! ✿

As seen o MSNBC.con m

Take a walk around the neighborhood Tails from the Fishbowl is a collection of animal portraits taken by Rachel Bellinsky while walking her dog through their Southern California neighborhood. This 72-page book features colorful, charming images of a world where every pet has a room with a view. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Humane Society.

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GAMES

kiddish

Word Search Grab a pen and circle the Jewish words within the letters below!

ADAR EIN SOF ESTHER GEMATRIA HALAKHAH

ADAR The twelfth month of the Jewish year, occurring in February/March. EIN SOF (AYN SOHF) Lit. without end. In Jewish mysticism, the true essence of G-d, which is so transcendent that it cannot be described and cannot interact directly with the universe.

A W H

N W

W A

ESTHER One of the heroes of the story of Purim. Also, the book in the Bible that tells her story. See Purim; Torah. GEMATRIA (G'-MAH-TREE-UH) A field of Jewish mysticism finding hidden meanings in the numerical value of words.

HALAKHAH (HUH-LUHKH-KHUH) Lit. the path that one walks. Jewish law. The complete body of rules and practices that Jews are bound to follow, including biblical commandments, commandments instituted by the rabbis, and binding customs. ISHMAEL Firstborn son of Abraham by Sarah's Egyptian maidservant, Hagar. According to both Muslim and Jewish tradition, he is the ancestor of the Arabs.

JERUSALEM The holiest city in Judaism, King David's capital and the site of King Solomon's Temple and the Second Temple. Since ancient times, Jews have faced Jerusalem during prayer, and have prayed daily for a return to Israel and Jerusalem. JEWISH STAR The six-pointed star emblem commonly associated with Judaism, also known as the Magen David, the Shield of David or the Star of David.

ISHMAEL JERUSALEM JEWISH STAR KIDDUSH KIPPAH

KIDDUSH (KID-ISH) Lit. sanctification. A prayer recited over wine sanctifying Shabbat or a holiday. KIPPAH (KEE-PUH) The skullcap head covering worn by Jews during services, and by some Jews at all times, more commonly known as a yarmulke.

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Celebrating “Papa” Gelman Beth Jacob Congregation of Irvine invites the Orange County Jewish Community to celebrate Irving Gelman’s 90th birthday on Sunday, February 16, at 5 p.m. at the Merage Jewish Community Center. Gelman, a Holocaust survivor, has provided exceptional opportunities for Jewish education to families and continues to be a guiding light for many Jewish journeys. For more information, contact Congregation Beth Jacob of Irvine at (949) 786-5230.

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Principal Figure Jill Quigley will join Tarbut V’Torah as principal of the middle and upper schools for the 2014-15 school year. Quigley, who holds a master’s degree in Jewish Studies from Emory University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Arizona State University, was head of Jewish Studies, dean of students and then interim head of the upper school at San Diego Jewish Academy. A

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OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | FEBRUARY 2014

SPOTLIGHT

Education

Outside the Box, Outside the Classroom CBI, SHM youth programs excite and empower kids.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CONGREGATION B’NAI ISRAEL AND SHIR HA-MA’ALOT

BY BARBARA SHERMAN AND BECCA ZARRABI

CBI teens enjoyed a disco night. On the right page: SHM teens engaged in activities to help people around the world.

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

SPOTLIGHT

CBI

Experience through informal education can provide life changing and life shaping outcomes. In addition, keeping our youth engaged in constructive activities and behaviors while providing safe, supervised activities will keep them on the right path in life. Leadership opportunities empower young people to take on tasks and feel that they are contributing to the world and community. Doing this in a Jewish environment strengthens the chain of L’dor V’dor – from generation to generation. Congregation B’nai Israel’s youth department provides year-round pro-

grams for every age level and schedule. School year programs are broken into K-3: Machar, 4-6: Kadima and 7-12: USY. Kadima and USY also have the opportunity to participate in regional and national programs. The Far West Region of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism incorporates multiple states including Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Hawaii and Southern California. Regional programs include weekend Kinnusim, USA summer trips, Israel trips and European trips. CBI also offers a Little Shul program to the Orange County community. This “parent and me” participation program introduces children

to the “BIG” Shul through stories, songs, crafts, snacks and activities. Little Shul requires no enrollment to attend – just an RSVP and minimum payment. Camp Bnai Ruach is the youth department’s summer program. It includes five one-week sessions open to the community for those who have completed pre-school through 9th grade and has a camper, CIT, madrachim and counselor program. The camp visits local theme parks, beaches and museums and engages in crafts, sports, cooking and dancing. What these programs provide that cannot be measured, is a safe, supervised and nurturing place for youth to grow and develop friendships and habits for a lifetime. Hundreds of kids come through the programs drastically different from when they entered. The monthly Shabbat Club is designed to educate and inspire teens with real-life issues. Seudah Slishit allows them to discuss Torah with the rabbinic interns. Teens also slide on ice in tennis shoes with brooms as they enjoy a social night of broomball among friends. There is a magic that happens in these programs, something not easily explained, but deeply felt and never forgotten. One USYer once summed it up best by saying, “From the outside looking in, you can’t understand it; from the inside looking out, you can’t explain it.”

SHM In November, we like to give thanks and bring life to the Jewish value of nedivut, generosity. In 2013, more than 60 Shir Ha-Ma’alot (SHM) teens took this value to a new level. In just one weekend, they collected more than 20 bags of clothing, shoes, blankets, medications and toiletries to donate to survivors of the recent typhoon in the Philippines. In addition, they collected soccer uniforms, balls and equipment to be donated to needy children around the world.

Leadership opportunities empower young people.

About 50 teens were expected at Rabbi Leah Lewis’ home for Shabbat. She left a small red tub by the front door, so people could drop off what they wanted. Within the first twenty minutes, a walkway had to be created between all the bags and boxes that had been dropped off, thanks to the dedication and generosity of the teens and their families. The next night, SHMoFTY, the high school youth group, was holding its social action event for the year. Everyone was supposed to bring one soccer ball and a uniform to donate to Futbol 4 Dreams, an organization that collects soccer equipment for countries that cannot afford to provide new ones. Donations were being sent to India as well as an orphanage in Haiti. Twenty-six kids attended the event, and more than 150 uniforms, 60 balls and more than 15 boxes of equipment were donated. The car was overflowing! The teens spent some time learning about countries all around the world that value soccer as a symbol of friendship, peace and fun. They also worked together to decorate the balls and cones, so that those who receive them know that they were donated with love. Seeing these teens do such wonderful mitzvot is so inspiring, and they were all moved by the action they took. Thank you to everyone who was able to donate. Without your generosity, many of the less fortunate would have been without warmth, health and fun during the holiday season. For more information, contact Congregation B’nai Israel at (714) 730-9693 or cbi18@cbi18. org or Congregation Shir Ha-Ma’a lot at (949) 857-2226 or www.shmtemple.org. A OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | FEBRUARY 2014

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | FEBRUARY 2014

SPOTLIGHT

Education

All about ORT

Worldwide education programs change lives. BY CARINE NADEL

ORT schools help underprivileged people all over the world.

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

SPOTLIGHT

LINDA KIRSCHBAUM, THE national president of ORTAmerica, wants everyone to know that there are four words that will make a world of difference to underprivileged children literally around the world: Invest — now — in ORT. “Since 1880, an investment in ORT has been an investment in the core Jewish value of education. In Israel, the Former Soviet Union, Latin America, Western Europe, the United States and more, we have been providing students with the tools needed to lead productive lives. ORT’s global accomplishments have been nothing short of extraordinary, and I encourage everyone to visit our website at www.ORTAmerica. org to see the educational initiatives and the lives changed.” Natalie Mangini, area development advisor to Orange County chapters, helped in starting chapters here 30 years ago and has been involved in ORT since her sister-inlaw took her to a meeting in Massachusetts 54 years ago at age 20. “As a teacher, I obviously was very interested in becoming involved in helping the underprivileged all over the world in becoming independent by investing in their education,” Mangini explained. “When I moved to South Orange County and found there wasn’t a place to continue my volunteerism, I decided to help create them. Now we have chapters in Laguna Woods, a new generation in Laguna Woods, the Fullerton North Orange County chapter and one called SCORT-South County ORT.” ORTAmerica here hosts fund-raising events where a good portion of the proceeds go to the national office in New York. There the money is disbursed worldwide to ORT schools. Laurice Singer, co-president of the Fullerton North Orange County chapter, said, “There are holiday parties, book clubs, lunch bunches, speakers, field trips and various other activities. “We have so many fun ways to raise money for National! We have events for men, women and couples. There

ORT is the largest Jewish education group in the world.

is something for everyone! We encourage people to join us and get involved. We have openings for board members.” Sherri Lipmann, who is a trustee, on the board of directors of Los Angeles ORT College and major gifts chair for the Fullerton chapter, started out in ORT as a young mother in 1963 while looking for something meaningful to do with the Jewish community. “Within a few weeks, I was attending the national convention in Chicago and the experience literally changed my life,” she said. Lipmann was exposed to “remarkable national leaders and the global community of ORT’s school directors.” Their “passion and abilities” became a part of her existence and have, to this day, informed and motivated her passion for volunteering for ORT. “Through all of these years, I have visited ORT programs in Israel, France, England, Italy and the U.S,” she said. “I have so many memories.” “There was a student I met in ORTFrance who was saved from a life of crime or worse by ORT’s intervention,” she added. “He was in a workshop, learning to do beautiful wood inlay, when I met him; this was rather than continuing his previous life. As I was leaving the school, he intercepted me and gave me a beautiful box that he had been working on in the class.” As a member of the board of directors for Los Angeles ORT, Lipmann has visited ORT-U.S. facilities in an Atlanta

day school, in the Zarem-Golde technical program in Chicago and the New York Bramson ORT College, as well as frequent visits to the Los Angeles ORT College. For Lipmann, each showed the uniqueness of ORT and its impact on so many communities. As she explained, “The directors, teachers and students always impress me with their strength of purpose. They’ve inspired and given me educational perspectives that I never would have known in any other experience.” Mangini described her reasoning and passion for the organization as, “ORTAmerica started with a purpose to help children around the world to learn to take care of themselves through Jewish education, and they’ve been doing a great job since the very beginning. It’s been an honor to be part of the organization.” Singer loves to inform people that ORT is the largest Jewish education group in the world. “We are known as being front runners in the field of technology,” she said. How do the students feel about ORT? “Sabrina,” a 5th year scholarship student at the school in Argentina, explained her joy as, “I was looking for a school that had no discrimination and had a lot of diversity and social opportunity and also taught with a high level of technology. This school more than afforded me all of this in an amazing and unforgettable way.” To learn more about ORTAmerica or how to get involved, log onto: www. ORTAmerica.org. For information on local chapters, contact Natalie Mangini at (949) 354-0793. A

Carine Nadel’s career includes front-page features for the OC Register, food columns, recipes published in magazines and cookbooks and entries in several Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Read her personal blog at www.Carinewhatscooking.blogspot.com. OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | FEBRUARY 2014

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Join us on Facebook for news, updates, events and more. Come and say hello. We’d love to hear from you.

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SPOTLIGHT

Education

Forward-Thinking Program STEM gives TVT students the chance to be part of engineering teams that solve real-world problems.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TARBUT Vâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;TORAH

BY ILENE SCHNEIDER

A TVT student makes a discovery in a STEM class.

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

SPOTLIGHT

“WE NEVER GIVE people answers; our job is to give people problems,” said Dr. Adrian Krag, director of the West Coast STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program developed by the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE). The objective, he said, is to enable high school students to develop the kind of creativity and initiative needed for the jobs of tomorrow by learning on their own with teachers as facilitators. “The teacher can’t just stand in front of the classroom and lecture,” explained Ellie Cohanim, vice president for development at CIJE. “Instead the teacher stands in the back and lets students try, fail and eventually succeed. The student gets a sense of how the real world works.” In 2011, CIJE launched the STEM program, a two-year course in scientific and biomedical engineering for high school students, which is now taught in more than 27 schools in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and California – including Tarbut V’Torah (TVT) in Irvine. The curriculum prepares students for careers in engineering and advanced technology and has been designed from the outset to encourage analytical, systemic, critical and creative thinking skills in a discovery-focused, interactive, two-year curriculum. CIJE provides participating high schools with a full curriculum; 21 days of rigorous teacher training and on-going mentoring; and the equipping of the classrooms with laptops, apparatus and all necessary materials. The program is licensed from Israel SciTech and used widely throughout Israel. In the U.S. it provides something more than the typical high school curriculum of biology, chemistry, physics and math by giving students a blended program offering a chance to obtain the core skills they will need in the future, according to Cohanim. “Since CIJE was founded in 2001, it has been at the forefront of bringing Jewish schools into the 21st century, helping students to compete and contribute in the global marketplace,” said Dr. Krag, who explained that the organization also has

programs at a less sophisticated level for younger students. “We look forward to ensuring a new generation of innovators in our schools.” Dr. Krag, an accomplished electronics engineer who has worked with major companies and universities for nearly 30 years, training, hiring and mentoring other engineers, explained that “the difference between being a contributing, successful person or not is to solve problems that have never been solved.” Students work in teams using a laptop and an arduino, a small, easy-to-program circuit with a microprocessor. Using those tools and a budget of $100, the teams are expected to come up with a humanitarian project that actually works. One team is developing an impact sensor for bicycle helmets, measuring force to determine whether the rider has a concussion and then dialing “9-1-1” automatically if necessary. Another team is developing a black cane that will “listen” to tones and enable a visually impaired person to walk through a room or step off of a curb. “Teamwork is compromise, steering rather than driving, shifting what looks like a stupid idea into a direction that isn’t stupid,” Dr. Krag said. He visits eight south-

Students are excited about the CIJE STEM program.

The teams are expected to come up with a humanitarian project that actually works. ern California schools every week, walking around and asking or answering questions for students in the classrooms taught by Heidi Tyson and Annabella Kraut at TVT, whom Dr. Krag described as the best instructors in the southern California territory he covers. Neither teacher has computer programming experience, but both had the attitude that they and the students would figure things out together, he said. “Different students respond to this program in different ways,” Dr. Krag added, explaining that all of the California programs are in their first year. “The TVT kids were well prepared, and they love it. They took a test, had to program the arduino and do some other problems and were ready to rock by the start of school.” Cohanim added, “The kids are so positive. They start cheering when they get something to work. They also apply the skills they get from this program – analytical skills and the ability to work as a team – to their other classes.” Colleges are “loving the results” of the program, according to Cohanim. “If 10 to 15 percent more students go into the sciences each year as a result of participating in this program, we’ll consider it a success,” she concluded. For more information on CIJE, please visit www.thecije.org. For more information on TVT, please visit www.tarbut.com. A OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | FEBRUARY 2014

SPOTLIGHT

Education

Food for Thought Jewish Learning Institute explores Jewish identity in the modern era.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROHR JEWISH LEARNING INSTITUTE

BY EVE GUMPEL

Students in Tenafly, New Jersey, attend the experiential course, “SoulQuest: The Journey Through Life, Death, and Beyond,” which explores the limits of mortality and teaches an appreciation of life.

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

SPOTLIGHT

BRANDEIS HISTORIAN AND professor Jonathan Sarna set the wheels in motion when he suggested that the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) create a course about the Jewish experience in America. Eighteen months later, that idea has become the interactive course, “To Be a Jew in the Free World: Jewish Identity through the Lens of Modern History,” a more global look at Judaism’s confrontation with freedom in the modern age. This latest six-week offering from JLI, which is the education arm of Chabad Lubavitch, begins the week of February 5 in more than 350 locations and 25 countries. In Orange County, five Chabad locations will offer the course at various days and times. Sarna, the Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University, explained how the course evolved. “I had suggested some time ago that as more and more American Jews are native-born, it was important for them to begin to think about the Jewish experience in America,” he said. But because people from many countries take JLI classes, it clearly

Jonathan Sarna, professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University and consultant for the JLI course, “To Be a Jew in the Free World”

wasn’t appropriate to focus on American Jews alone. Thus, the class transformed into an investigation of Judaism’s confrontation with freedom globally. It explores six historical episodes from around the world, ranging from Jews’ dealings with Napoleon Bonaparte to Menasseh ben Israel’s crusade to readmit the Jews who had been expelled from England centuries earlier. “Some courses are about information. This course is about life,” said Rabbi Aaron Herman, editor of “To Be a Jew in the Free World” and the principal at Tzohar Seminary. “We’re looking at six different episodes or vignettes that are good examples of questions people still wrestle with today. It’s the modern world that we’re discussing. It gives us the opportunity to examine our place in the world at this time.” Sarna agreed. “I hope this course is going to trigger important conversations among students, because I think these are issues Jews around the world are thinking about,” he said. “ These are day-to-day issues that people confront in their own lives.” JLI’s mission is to teach a Jewish tradition that is relevant to the here and now. In fact, many of the courses are accredited for continuing medical and legal education. The multimedia classes are designed to include not only lectures but also learning activities, active discussions and an emotional aspect that draws the student in on a personal level. “If we do not make Jewish scholarship and literacy relevant to young minds, we’re failing them,” asserts Rabbi Efraim Mintz, executive director of JLI. He points to the recent and controversial Pew research study, “A Portrait of Jews in America,” which indicates that Jews today are less engaged in Jewish life. Mintz views the Pew study as a positive challenge. “To me, the Pew study is an opportunity to … shake up the foundation of the Jewish community. It is an opportunity to reconnect to what we know works, to inspire minds and hearts – not to water down the Judaism that has kept the Jewish people alive.” The courses aren’t limited to an Orthodox perspective, he noted. “This is ancient Jewish wisdom from the Bible, the Midrash, the

JLI’s mission is to teach a Jewish tradition that is relevant to the here and now.

Talmud – age-old wisdom that is as relevant today as it ever was.” Marilyn Wasserman is an enthusiastic student. Although a Reform Jew, she finds the courses insightful and engaging. Persuaded by her husband, the first course she attended was “From Sinai to Cyberspace.” Says Wasserman, “I was absolutely fascinated at the first session by what was being taught and how it was being taught. “It’s wonderfully set up. You get a bound book with an introduction and additional readings at the end of each chapter.” The readings include insights from classical Jewish as well as secular sources. The courses also employ videos and other audiovisual elements. “There is always something on the screen,” Wasserman said. She compared JLI offerings favorably with courses the Osher Lifelong Living Institute offers at California State University, Fullerton. Rabbi David Eliezrie of North County Chabad Center in Yorba Linda is proud to be an instructor for JLI. “We’ve gotten a reputation for excellence in adult Jewish learning,” he says. “We have textbooks, PowerPoints and teacher training. We’ve taken Jewish adult education to a whole different level.” A Eve Gumpel is an Orange County freelance writer and editor. Find her at www.evegumpel.com. OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | FEBRUARY 2014

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concert highlights PAUL SIMON AND STING Sting & Paul Simon, two of music’s most enduring artists, will perform their “On Stage Together” tour at the Honda Center on Sunday, February 16. As friends for many years, their collaboration on a tour is a natural fit. Both of these artists have explored world rhythms and pushed the boundaries of popular music, and through their music, continue to speak to generations of fans.

RISING MUSICAL STAR MOVIE MAESTRO JOINS PACIFIC SYMPHONY As the man responsible for the most recognizable film music in history, John Williams is a Hollywood legend. His scores — including Star Wars, Jaws, Superman, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, E.T., the Extra Terrestrial and more — have provided iconic soundtracks for multiple generations. He conducts Pacific Symphony for the first time in a decade during this special one-night-only benefit concert on Thursday, February 6.

A PREMIERE BY STRINGS The adventurous St. Lawrence String Quartet marks its third Segerstrom Center appearance on Wednesday, February 19. This performance includes a world premiere of composer James Matheson’s new string quartet. The evening’s program also includes Haydn’s String Quartet in E Flat Major as well as his “Emperor” quartet and Korngold’s String Quartet No. 3. The Quartet members are Geoff Nuttall and newly appointed Mark Fewer, violin; Lesley Robertson, viola and Christopher Costanza, cello.

Local musician Mikey Pauker is the only Jewish artist performing at the OC Music Awards showcase at the Boathouse on Tuesday, February 11. Pauker just had an amazing few weeks performing at the Limmud Closing Gala in the UK and premiering his new music video “Top Of The World” on Zimbio! With a spiritual and inspiring persona, it’s no wonder that Pauker was featured by TIME as one of 2013’s “10 Stars of the New Jewish Music.”

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FEBRUARY 13, 2014 DEMI LOVATO

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Thursday, February 13 - 15 Matthew Morrison

Friday, February 7 Action Bronson

Thursday, February 20 - 25 La Traviata

Saturday, February 8 Immortal Technique

Sunday, February 23 The Brilliance of Bach

Tuesday, February 11 Secret Chiefs 3

Monday, February 7 Los Lonely Boys

Friday, February 14 Love Affair

Thursday, February 13 Sage Francis

Wednesday, February 9 Patrizio Buanne

Sunday, February 16 Sting & Paul Simon

Friday, February 14 St. Lucia

Thursday, February 20 Miley Cyrus

Saturday, February 15 The M Machine

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Sunday, February 16 Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds

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FEBRUARY 22, 2014 CHUCK MORRIS PROJECT

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Sunday, February 2 Shostakovich’s Sym. No. 10

Saturday, Feb 1, 2014 Curren$y

Thursday, February 6 Maestro of the Movies

Wednesday, February 5 Morgan Hertitage

Sunday, February 9 The Three Musketeers

PHOTO BY QUENTIN BACON

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Really Not-So-Short Ribs FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

PHOTO BY QUENTIN BACON

Seared Snapper with Red Pepper Lemon Sauce and Rice Cakes

Bold Sephardic Flavors

Add variety and richness to your cooking with spices from the Middle East. BY JUDY BART KANCIGOR

Years ago when I interviewed Wolfgang Puck about his Seders at Spago, he told me, “If I were to become Jewish, I would become Sephardic because of the cooking.” As an Ashkenazi Jew, I can totally relate. What is it about those Mediterranean flavors that are so enticing? The exotic spices. The luscious fresh fruits and vegetables. Sure, my Russian grandmother used spices – garlic powder, paprika and pepper…lots of pepper (she was a Litvak!). And when I think of her cuisine, nothing green comes to mind. Beets, carrots, onions, radishes — those familiar veg-

etables of Eastern Europe graced her table in America as well. When I asked my mother if she could remember eating any vegetables when she was growing up, she said, “Sure. We had potatoes.” I still salivate over the hearty, rich Eastern European delicacies I grew up on – the brisket, borsht, kneidlach and blintzes – but the amazing variety and intense flavor of Middle Eastern cuisine beckons, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s healthful too. At the heart of this cooking are the spice blends and condiments that give these dishes their zing. How often did I pass up a recipe, because some of the ingredi-

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At the heart of this cooking are the spice blends and condiments that give these dishes their zing.

ents were unfamiliar? Baharat? Harissa? Hawaij? Never heard of them. S’chug? What is that? Preserved lemons? Sounds complicated. I was a culinary xenophobe. Then someone gave me some za’atar from Israel. I sprinkled it on an omelet and was hooked. Learn to prepare a few of these mixtures, and the whole world of Sephardic cooking opens up to you. (These days you may even find already prepared versions in specialty shops.) “Think of harissa as a modern-day gourmet hot sauce – or, if you prefer, as an update to Tabasco,” says Einat Admony, chef-owner of three New York restaurants and author of a new cookbook, Balaboosta: Bold Mediterranean Flavors to Feed the People You Love, (Artisan, $29.95). Harissa gives her Really-Not-SoShort Ribs a dramatic flavor boost. She refers to S’chug as “Dad’s hot, hot, hot sauce.” “My father actually takes this homemade sauce with him to restaurants,” she reveals. “Even today he cleans the cilantro, picks his own chile in the spice market, peels the garlic and grinds it all by himself – a true labor of love.” Preserved lemons are intensely lemony, yet mellow, packing a lot of flavor for a prep time of only 20 minutes. “Sure, they take ninety days to make,” notes Admony, “but they’re such an amazing addition to so many different kinds of dishes that it’s totally worth the wait.” You’ll get hooked on the difference in the Seared Snapper. “I ate a lot of spicy fish growing up,” she recalls. “The fish my mom used to buy had typically been frozen or farmed fresh, so the focus of the recipe was never on the quality of the catch but on the sauce and spices.” To call this cuisine “Mediterranean” or “Middle Eastern” is an umbrella whose ribs are enveloped in endless folds of fabric. Admony’s mixed Israeli heritage

OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | FEBRUARY 2014

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Preserved lemons are intensely lemony, yet mellow, packing a lot of flavor for a prep time of only 20 minutes. reflects her Yemenite and Persian upbringing, but like Israeli cuisine itself (if there is any such thing), her style reflects borrowings from many cultures in the region. Ironically, she chose the Yiddish word balaboosta for one of her restaurants as well as her first cookbook. “I chose the name, because it’s warm and reflects who I am,” she said. And she’s not talking about the stereotypical perfect housewife of yesteryear. “Today it’s trickier. Most women work outside their homes, managing careers and kids, so it’s hard to live up to the traditional definition. A modern balaboosta figures out how to build a successful career without neglecting her husband and family.”

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. 2 Heat oil in large Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot until it starts smoking. Add carrot, onion, celery, leek and garlic. Sauté until vegetables start to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Add thyme, rosemary and bay leaf and sauté another 5 minutes.

3 Add wine and bring to a boil; then reduce mixture by half. Add chicken stock, honey, salt, baharat, paprika, cumin and pepper. Bring to a boil; then lower heat to simmer.

Really-Not-So-Short Ribs

4 Using tongs, sandwich short ribs between a layer of vegetables on bottom and another layer of vegetables on top. Ladle some sauce over the short ribs; then cover with a lid. Bake until meat is fork-tender, 2½ to 3 hours. Serve with sauce.

3 tablespoons canola oil

Seared Snapper with Red Pepper Lemon Sauce and Rice Cakes

Serves 4 to 6 This is a perfect dish for wintertime — it’s heavy and stewy and will leave you feeling stuffed until April.

1 large carrot, coarsely chopped

Serves 4

3 celery ribs, cut into ¼-inch pieces

You can replace snapper with halibut, black bass or grouper. The sauce is also a lovely complement for chicken or lamb.

1 large leek, white and light green parts only, cut into ¼-inch pieces

Red Pepper Lemon Sauce

5 garlic cloves

1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped

4 fresh thyme sprigs 1 fresh rosemary sprig 1 bay leaf 4 cups red wine 4 cups chicken stock ½ cup honey 3 tablespoons kosher salt 1½ teaspoons Baharat (recipe below) 1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 5 pounds beef short ribs, rinsed

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

2 wedges Perfect Preserved Lemons, coarsely chopped (see Note)

Rice Cakes (see Note) Microgreens

1 Combine bell pepper, preserved lemons, roasted garlic, lemon juice, sugar, salt and chile flakes in food processor. Puree until smooth; then slowly drizzle in 1¼ cups oil while machine is running. Transfer sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate, bringing it to room temperature before serving. The sauce is best that day, but can be made 1 day in advance. 2 Place large skillet over high heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, pat fish fillets dry; then season both sides with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons canola oil to hot skillet and carefully place fillets skin side down in pan. Cook 3 minutes, flip them over and fry for another 2 minutes. 3 To serve, place a spoonful of red pepper lemon sauce onto one end of the plate and drag spoon to opposite side, smearing sauce across plate. Place one rice cake over the center, slice each fillet in half and place both halves on rice cake. Garnish with some microgreens. Repeat with the other three plates. Note: You’ll find the recipes for the Preserved Lemons, Roasted Garlic and Rice Cakes on our website: www.ocjewishlife.com. Source: Balaboosta by Einat Admony

2 cloves Roasted Garlic (see Note) 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice ¼ teaspoon sugar 1½ teaspoons kosher salt ½ teaspoon chile flakes 1¼ cups canola oil 4 snapper fillets Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons canola oil

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

In Her Father’s Footsteps Susannah Heschel will speak at CBI. BY JULIA LUPTON

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

PROFILE

SUSANNAH HESCHEL IS Eli Black Professor of Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College. She is the author of several books and many essays on topics ranging from Jewish feminism and American Jews and multiculturalism to the Jewish Jesus and the Aryan Jesus. Currently, she is working on a study of European Jewish scholarship on Islam. Heschel is the daughter of Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972), one of the most important Jewish theologians and philosophers of the twentieth century. His books include The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man (1951). Professor Heschel will speak at Congregation B’nai Israel in Tustin on Sunday, February 23, at 7 p.m. (cost: $10 per person). She is interviewed here by Julia Lupton, professor of English at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and a Congregation B’nai Israel (CBI) board member. You’ve received a Guggenheim Fellowship. What are you working on? What’s the best thing about having a year to devote to your research? I am thrilled to have won a Guggenheim Fellowship, but I have postponed it a year, because I’ve just now returned to Dartmouth after a year at the Wissenschaftskolleg in Berlin, an institute for advanced study. The topic I worked

My father inspired Jews around the world to understand that Judaism commands social engagement and serious political commitment.

Susannah Heschel

on in Berlin and hope to complete during my Guggenheim fellowship is a study of European Jewish scholarship on Islam. I am intrigued that so many Jews flocked to the study of Arabic and Islam, starting in the 1830s – and most of these were young Jewish men from Orthodox homes who had received traditional Jewish education in Hebrew texts. For them, it was startling to see the parallels between the Qur’an and rabbinic literature – Mishnah and Midrash. By the 1920s, Jewish scholars came to dominate the field of Islamic Studies in Germany, a field that was basically destroyed by Hitler by expelling Jews from the universities. It has taken quite a few decades since the war for Germany to rebuild the field. My curiosity is sparked by this sudden Jewish interest in Islam, which was not shared by non-Jewish German scholars. Jewish scholars admired Islam and devoted great energy to pointing out both parallels and Jewish influences on Islamic thought and religious practice. Islam was portrayed by them as a religion that was rational, insistent on strict monotheism, rejecting all

anthropomorphism and adhering to a religious law that was highly ethical. Indeed, Islam was called a religion of “ethical monotheism” just as Judaism is. Can you tell us a little bit about your relationship with your father, Abraham Joshua Heschel? I was very, very close to my father and still feel very close to him. He was a very loving, gentle, empathetic father and an extraordinary human being. His contributions were enormous in many fields. For example, he inspired Jews around the world to understand that Judaism commands social engagement and serious political commitment, at the same time that he inspired Jews to study, appreciate and regain their religious traditions. He was brave and walked firmly when other Jews hesitated or hid, marching at Selma, meeting with Vatican officials, including the pope, during the Second Vatican Council, fervently opposing the war in Vietnam, speaking out on behalf of Soviet Jews and much more. He was frequently isolated, often attacked OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | FEBRUARY 2014

PROFILE

Susannah and Abraham Joshua Heschel

by colleagues, even by friends and former students, for the public positions he took. After his death, some of his self-proclaimed disciples insisted that he would have become a Republican had he lived longer – which is nonsense, of course. What do you consider to be your father’s most enduring contribution to modern Judaism? So many changes in Jewish life have been inspired by my father – but also in the Christian world. Christians who read my father’s writings tell me that they now see Judaism differently, and I constantly see theologians, popes and presidents quoting my father. Indeed, President Obama told me, “Your father is our hero,” and that he has my father’s books on his shelf and quotes from them. So the range of my father’s influence is great, even if the goals he longed for – an end to poverty, no more war, gentler hearts – have not yet been reached. From where you sit, what do you think are the most urgent and interesting developments in Jewish studies and Jewish life right now? Jewish Studies has become a vibrant field, which is wonderful. As someone who has theoretical dimensions to my work – for instance, 60

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

Jewish scholars came to dominate the field of Islamic Studies in Germany, a field that was basically destroyed by Hitler.

postcolonial theory in my study of Abraham Geiger, queer theory in my study of Christian and Jewish views of Jesus – I am delighted that theory is increasingly brought to bear in the writings of younger scholars. If I have worries, they would be that Jewish Studies should be better integrated into the intellectual life of the academy, a problem that has to be addressed by both sides. Jewish Studies is too often manipulated by the wealth of donors, rather than the interests of students and the requisites of the scholarly agenda. What thrills me is to see the changes that have taken place for Jewish women in the last few decades. When I published On Being a Jewish Feminist in 1983, I never imagined that so many of our goals would be achieved in my lifetime – imagine, women ordained as Orthodox rabbis! GLBTQ rabbis! Oranges on Seder plates! A flourishing field of Jewish women’s studies! Women deans of rabbinical colleges! Of course, every advance we make brings the awareness of additional problems that require attention, but I am amazed that we have come this far, and I am thrilled that we can hope for further advances in coming decades.

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WHY: Susannah Heschel, the daughter of one of the foremost 20th-century Jewish thinkers, Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-72), is the author of a prizewinning monograph, Abraham Geiger and the Jewish Jesus (University of Chicago Press), which won a National Jewish Book Award, and The Aryan Jesus: Christian Theologians and the Bible in Nazi Germany (Princeton University Press). She has also published and edited her father’s essays. OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | FEBRUARY 2014

LIFESTYLE

FOR THE NEXT GENERATION On January 9, NextGen Orange County partnered with Moishe House to co-host a preTribeFest happy hour. TribeFest will bring together 1,800 young Jews (ages 22 to 45) in New Orleans March 16 to 18. For more information, email NextGen@jffs.org or visit www.TribeFest.org.

JYA, the JCCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s group for adults 21 to 35, held several events at the end of 2013. For more information, email: elanasimon@jccoc.org. TOP LEFT: Lisa Greenberg Grier, Rachel Schiff, Cassie Jacobs and Jennifer Saar. TOP RIGHT: Robert Miller, Rina Hunter, Eric Altfest and Sarah VanZanten. MIDDLE LEFT: Rachel Schiff and Lisa Greenberg Grier. MIDDLE RIGHT: Adam Wilson, Zach Newman, Kyle Carter, Jessica Meister, Diana Shabtai, Liora Schneider, Scott Timsit, (Front to back) Eyal Baumel, Jeffrey Brenner, Aaron Karp, Aaron Horowitz, Ari Kutner, Zach Grosz and Lisa Gorodzinsky. BOTTOM RIGHT: Seth Groder, Dany Tash and Brandon Pollock

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JACKIE MENTER OF JEWISH FEDERATION & FAMILY SERVICES

Orange Jews

LIFESTYLE

G e n Y Wo rl d

A Game of Numbers ONLINE JEWISH DATING IS A MAJOR TREND. BY RACHEL SCHIFF

WHAT ONCE WAS a hidden secret has become socially acceptable, even praised. In an article from the Jewish Post entitled “Internet Dating’s Major Impact [on] Jewish Life,” Rabbi Zev Wineberg stated that “evolving social realities have created more of a need for Jewish dating websites.” He continued, “This situation becomes more challenging as both Jewish and American society grow and change.” Realizing the need to perpetually modernize Jewish traditional ways, the number of Jewish dating sites exceeds any other subculture or religious group in America. What our mothers have figured out is that JDate is the largest Jewish online dating community. Since 1997, the site has enabled users to communicate and meet other Jewish singles instead of hunting for a curlyhaired person with a Star of David at a local watering hole. According to JDate’s online survey, 63 percent of all users’ families have encouraged them to join JDate and 22 percent of JDate users’ mothers have paid for their membership at one point in time. Now we all know what we got for Chanukah, eh? Spark Networks, Inc., the creators of JDate, wrote in December of 2011 that there were 62,764 paying Christian subscribers to their online dating sites, while

there were 90,094 paying Jewish subscribers. For the first time in history, the Jews have outnumbered any subgroup! This information is astounding when paired with the religious population ratios. While 78.4 percent of America identifies itself as some denomination of Christian, the Jews only account for 1.7 percent of the population. Clearly, online dating is a highly sought-after approach and remedy for intermarriage within the Jewish community. The online presence that the small population of American Jews has is a modern technological and dating phenomenon, unparalleled by any other subculture or religious community. JDate’s “News Center” takes a look at its user population. According to the survey, JDaters are 51 percent female and 49 percent male. This almost even split indicates that JDate is valuable to both sexes. In addition, 41 percent of all users have a bachelor’s degree, 33 percent have a master’s degree or higher and 70 percent of JDate’s users make $50,000 per year or more. In September 2012 JDate released data indicating that “[of the Jewish population] 76 percent of those who used an online dating website used JDate.” Additionally, 57.7 percent of JDate users state that they come to the site to look for “similar lifestyle[s] and values,” whereas

34.8 percent of users are looking for “physical chemistry.” I guess that means we all have to start being honest about our profile information and take recent pictures. Oops! In 2004 JDate introduced the “willing to convert” option on its site for non-Jewish users to indicate if they are there with the intention of becoming a member of the faith. A survey revealed that non-Jews make up approximately 2 percent of the users on JDate, and there were 21 thousand reported marriages from 1997 to 2008. None are reportedly interfaith couples. The rate only continues to increase at 5 percent between the years of 1990 and 2001. Prior to online dating, it was increasing by 10 to 15 percent every ten years. This rate has dramatically slowed down, proving that when the Internet and Jewish mothers who are willing to pay for JDate collide, the Jewish community’s rate of interfaith marriage decreases. So, if you’re one of the 22 percent of people whose mothers got them a JDate subscription, welcome to the online dating world. For those of you who have been on the most awkward of dates because of online dating, thank your mothers and your Internet providers... and remember what the Torah says – “Be fruitful and multiply.”

What our mothers have figured out is that JDate is the largest Jewish online dating community.

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.

OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | FEBRUARY 2014

LIFESTYLE

9:30 A.M. Keeping Fit Ezra AACA

SENIORS

CALENDAR FEBRUARY 2014

MONDAYS 10 A.M. News & Views 11:30 A.M. Drop-in Bridge 7 P.M. Drop-in/Learn to Play Mah Jongg Merage JCC

10:30 A.M. The View for Women of All Ages Merage JCC

9 A.M. Tai Chi 10:30 A.M. Stretching 1 P.M. Yiddish Club Ezra AACA

WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS 8:45 A.M. Gentle Yoga Merage JCC

TUESDAYS 10 A.M. Bridge Workshop

WEDNESDAYS 10:30 P.M. Learn to Play MahJongg Merage JCC

THURSDAYS 9:30 A.M. Drop-In MahJongg 10:30 A.M. Beyond the Canvas Merage JCC

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

FRIDAYS 10 A.M. Men’s Club at the J 11 A.M. Chair Yoga for Seniors 11:30 A.M. iPhone Tips Merage JCC MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3 11 A.M. What’s Up? Ezra AACA 7 P.M. The Jewish Experience: Israel in the Six-Day War Merage JCC THURSDAYS, FEBRUARY 6 & 13 10 A.M. CREATE! Arts and Crafts Workshop Merage JCC

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13 10:30 A.M. Ezra Writing Group Ezra AACA WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19 10:30 A.M. A Wholistic Approach to Women’s Wellness Merage JCC THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20 10:30 A.M. Living With Integrity Ezra AACA MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24 11 A.M. Anti-Kvetch Ezra AACA TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25 10 A.M. Books and Bagel: The Innocents by Francesca Segal Merage JCC

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6 10:30 A.M. Travelogue Ezra AACA

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26 11 A.M. Writing for Reminiscences Ezra AACF

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7 10:30 A.M. Make a Photo Book on the Computer Merage JCC

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27 11 A.M. Life in the Diasporas/ Apocalyptic Literature Ezra AACA

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10 11 A.M. Anti-Kvetch Ezra AACA

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28 10:30 A.M. Get Your Book Published Merage JCC

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11 7 P.M. Men’s Wine Tasting Merage JCC WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12 11 A.M. Writing for Reminiscences Ezra AACF

All events are at the Merage JCC, 1 Federation Way, Irvine, (949) 435-3400 x 303; www.jccoc. org; the Ezra Center at Temple Beth Emet, 1770 W. Cerritos, Anaheim, (714) 776-1103; or the Ezra Center at Temple Beth Tikvah, 1600 N. Acacia, Fullerton, (714) 871-3535 unless otherwise indicated.

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OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | FEBRUARY 2014

LIFESTYLE

Desert Destination

A Night to Remember “ONE NIGHT ONLY” CELEBRATES BROADWAY’S JEWISH LEGACY. BY PAMELA PRICE

“One Night Only” was a roaring success, raising

PHOTO BY PAT KRAUSE

$200,000 to fund JFS.

Anticipating “One Night Only” are (left to right) Bobbi Resmo, Nicolette Resmo-Haroutunian, Dr. Harry Haroutunian, Donna MacMillan and Mike Resmo.

THE SEVENTH ANNUAL Jewish Family Services (JFS) of the Desert’s “One Night Only” production by Michael Childers opens April 23 at 6 p.m. at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert. Hold on to your high hat, because this promises to be a night to remember with the “Michael Childers Presents/One Night Only Jewish Legacy of Broadway” tradition. This means a memoir celebrating the vintage personalities that played a role in creating Broadway from Eddie Cantor and George and Ira Gershwin 68

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

to Al Jolson and Stephen Schwartz who brought Wicked to the world. The announcement was made at the JFS 11th Annual Patron Party, a cocktail supper on December 9 at the residence of Donna MacMillan in Indian Wells. The Patron Level begins at $1,000. Last year “One Night Only” was a roaring success, raising $200,000 to fund JFS and the services provided to the community from mental health consulting and camp scholarships to KidsFirst Health Life and

Senior Care Management programs. Ken Katz, an expert in nonprofit fundraising, has met with extraordinary success in staging this annual event. Katz said, “One Night Only sold out in ten days in 2013. It’s an event the desert population looks forward to toward the end of the ‘season.’ Calvin Remsberg will direct the 2½-hour production in two acts. Expect entertainers such as Elaine Paige, Roger Bart and Liz Callaway to bring Broadway into the limelight, with a Jewish spin.” Katz promises one “unannounced performer.” This year the event takes off the night before, April 22, with a cast party at the residence of Helene Galen followed by the official after-party on April 23 at Acqua Pazza, the popular California Bistro at The River. Both venues are in Rancho Mirage. For information, call (760) 325-4088 or visit www.jfsdesert.org. A Pam Price is a Coachella Valley correspondent for www.forbes.com/sites/PamPrice/.

LIFESTYLE

Celebrating Orange County’s Jewish History Minister: Rabbi Joseph Levine BY DALIA TAFT

Blogosphere Orange County Jewish Life wants to acknowledge some of the intetresting blogs related to the Jewish community. Enjoy! “Facebook friends report that Israelis are hosing down their driveways to get rid of the snow. I wonder how Israelis manage to win all kinds of Nobel prizes and not know that when water freezes it makes ice.”

Susie Lubell susielubell.blogspot.com

Rosamund and Liurette Robbins, Temple Beth Sholom, Santa Ana, 1945

THREE-YEAR-OLD ROSAMUND (Pat) Robbins and her seven-year-old sister Liurette stand in front of Temple Beth Sholom, Orange County’s first synagogue, in 1945, when it was located at 8th and Bush Street in Santa Ana. According to the sign behind them, there were no services on Saturday mornings, and the “Minister” was Rabbi Levine. The family had just joined the temple and the girls were posing for their mother Rosalind, who was pregnant at the time. Younger sister Lu Ellen, born in December of the same year, became the first baby named at TBS. In keeping with family tradition, when Liurette married in 1958, she was the last person to do so at the Bush street location.

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.

FEBRUARY 2014 | OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

“36+ rabbis are shaving their heads for a little known organization called St. Baldricks Foundation – ‘a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long, healthy lives.’ I am trying to help raise money and awareness in order that we can help find a cure.”

Rabbi Heidi Cohen www.ravima.com “Harnessing technology to create efficiencies and revolutionize education hasn’t had the intended impacts in the past.”

Russel Neiss via Rabbi Drew Kaplan dkquotes.wordpress.com

OCJEWISHLIFE.COM | FEBRUARY 2014