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Featuring
BENNY FRIEDMAN THE FRENCH HASSIDIC ACROBATS NOSSON ZAND & YISROEL AMAR with The YBO Orchestra
Monday December 26th, 2011 • 7:00pm
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FREE ADMISSION Delicious food for purchase to help cover the cost of the event ChanukahFestival.com • 954-458-1877 Levi@ChanukahFestival.com FFRONT RONT ROWS ROWS rreserved eserved for for V.I.P. V .I.P. Sponsors Sponsors $100 $ 10 0
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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ DEC. 15, 2011
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inside this issue ■ Arson Attack
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■ The week in News
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from the editors Soon we will be reflecting on the miracles of Hanukkah, lighting our menorahs, spinning our dreidels and eating our latkes. There will be plenty to do in South Florida: Chanukah on Ice or the Chanukah Festival at Gulf-
■ Israel News
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stream. There are poker tournaments and casino nights throughout the tri-county area.
■ Notable Quotes
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Presents will be exchanged and gelt will be dispensed by bubbes and zeides, nanas and
■ Community News
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poppas, and grandmothers and grandfa-
Cover design Rivkie Stall David Gutman, Editor/Publisher editor@SFJewishHome.com
thers. It is important that we don’t lose sight
■ Book Review
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of the reason for the season. The Broward County Federation spent last Sunday making
■ Wheres the Oil from
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■ My Israel Home
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■ K cuisine
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our world a better place. We encourage all of our readers to take the spirit of giving, along with the natural inclination to make charitable contributions before the end of
Editor welcomes all comments and questions which may be addressed in "letter to the editor" Ad sales representative Steve Nichol Ronnie Steinberg
the tax year, and give a meaningful gift to your favorite charity, plant a tree in Israel or invest in Israel with a bond purchase. We
■ Middle east
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also encourage you to support the businesses that support our publication by adver-
■ Forgotten Heroes
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tising with us. In particular, those in South Broward that can buy their oil, candles and
■ Health
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gifts from Holyland Judaica in Hollywood, should do so in order to encourage one of
■ Travel
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our Jewish businesses who is determined to overcome the tragic arson that victimized all of us. We would also ask you to let us know if there are certain features you like, topics you would like us to cover or areas of interest
Design & Production Michael Bass Contributing Writers: Estee Hebel Orlee Yahalom Avi Heiligman Rabbi Yaakov Thompson Michael Chesel Avraham Zuroff Rabbi Warren Kasztl Alan Rolnik Gedaliah Borvick Aron Adler Nate Davis
we should avoid. We are happy to hear your criticism and your praise. Please enjoy our latest issue and have a happy Hanukah and a healthy and successful New Year!
The South Florida Jewish Home 4180 N. 42nd Avenue, Hollywood, FL 33021 phone: 305-767-3443 fax: 954-416-6407 editor@sfjewishhome.com ads@sfjewishhome.com The South Florida Jewish Home is an independent bi-weekly magazine. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. The South Florida Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any productor business advertised within.
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We gratefully grate acknowledge our corporate sponsors:
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ DEC. 15, 2011
The Brotherhood of the Y Young oung Israel of Hollywood-Ft. Lauderdale in nvites you to our 8th annual
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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ DEC. 15, 2011
10 I lived in the Woods of Emerald Hills, just across the way from Young Israel of Hollywood. One Friday night, having told my boss that I kept Shabbas in order to recover from a grueling work schedule, I walked over to Young Israel for Shabbas Services. Surprisingly, I ran into an old friend from Penn, David Lasko, who happened to be the Youth Director at Young Israel. Not really knowing anyone else and being a stranger to the Orthodox service, I took David up on his invitation to join him for the Hashkama minyan, the early minyan at Young Israel Saturday morning. Hashkama minyans are famous for the eclectic and eccentric cast of characters that prefer to avoid the crowds of the regular services. David had to go to the early minyan because he worked the rest of the day running the youth groups and services and babysitting. The first person he introduced me to at the early minyan was Rabbi Michael Katz. Although he said he attended the hashkama minyan because it was much quieter and the davening was better, it was clear that he comfortably fit in with the misfits and outcasts at the early service. Rabbi Katz took me under his wing and invited me back to shul for mincha, mariv and seuda shlishit—the third Shabbas meal. I was entering a new world, with foreign words and unfamiliar terminology. Rabbi Katz helped me muddle through it. It was not long thereafter that Rabbi Katz marked up my siddur, showing the prayers I should say, labeling them in relative importance, so that I would not fall too far behind the minyan. He kept me abreast of the coming holidays and the traditions and rules attendant thereto. He continuously needled and prodded me to take on more mitzvoth and to do the ones I had already incorporated into my life better. Rabbi Katz became a mentor, someone I could ask the stupidly simple questions – never without an insult, mind you— but, I got the answers (and the humility) and grew in my yiddishkeit. More importantly, Rabbi Katz became a friend.
We started a beginners Gemorah shiur (a Talmud class), meeting once a week to learn a couple sentences of the oral law with several other lawyers and doctors in the community. Although the students have come and gone and the location has changed from time to time, the class has been a mainstay in Hollywood for 20 years. I am proud to say my son now joins me at his class every week. I have been defending his sarcastic and caustic personality ever since we met. And, in return, he makes sure I get the best Etrog in Hollywood every Sukkot. Rabbi Katz’s Holyland Judaica has been a staple for Hollywood and the surrounding community for 20 years. While his knowledge of Jewish books is unmatched, his history of retail customer service faux pas is equally legendary. My favorite apocryphal tale involved an elderly woman with a walker who purchased a case of wine. Rabbi Katz brought it to the register, rang it up and completed the transaction and gracefully walked away. The old lady in the walker asked if he could help her carry it to her car. Rabbi Katz, without a moment’s hesitation retorted that he had a bad back and was told by his doctor not to lift anything heavy. Had I not been there to bring the wine to the woman’s car, I’d imagine it would still be on his countertop. Despite, or perhaps because, his quirks and idiosyncrasies, I love him like a father. I was devastated to learn of the fire that destroyed what he has built over the past two decades. I am also encouraged by the tremendous support our community has shown to Rabbi Katz and his family in this tragic time of need. I hope everyone will come out to his little story on the south side of Stirling Road, just west of 56th Avenue, to make your Hannukah purchases. I will gladly give you the spot in line in front of me. Written by: Keith Wasserstrom
HOLYLAND JUDAICA STORE DESTROYED IN ARSON ATTACK A raging fire set by arsonists destroyed a Florida Jewish bookstore, causing at least $100,000 worth of damage. The fire broke out at 2AM on Thursday, Dec. 1, inside the Holyland Judaica store near 56th Ave and Stirling Rd in Hollywood. Hollywood Fire Rescue responded to a fire alarm and were able to extinguish the blaze before it could spread to neighboring businesses. Police noted that the back door had been broken down and a surveillance camera belonging to an adjacent store showed two or three figures running away as
flames burst from the back door of the bookstore. The motive for the arson attack is not known, but an anti-Semitic hate crime is suspected. Burglary does not appear to have been the motive, as nothing was taken from the store and the cash register was not touched. Most of the shop was destroyed in the fire, with shop fittings, Chanuka merchandise, and Jewish books either burned entirely or badly damaged due to smoke and heat.
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Katz himself noted, “There was nothing taken. So you have to ask, ‘Why focus on a place like this?’” The fire destroyed tefillin (phylacteries), which contained texts from the Torah, menorahs for Hanukkah and hundreds of holy books. His wife, Toby, is one of many who were particularly disturbed by the sight of charred religious books, which according to custom will have to be buried. “Throughout history, how many times have we seen Jewish books burned?” she asked. “It’s a recurring theme and very painful to see.” “It saddens us that at this time of the year something like this is happening,” said deputy fire chief Mark Steele. Although they were in shock at the extent of the damage, and uncertain whether their insurance would be enough to enable them to rebuild, the Katzes were encouraged by the outpouring of community sympathy and support. In the close-knit Jewish community, many people stepped forward with offers of interest-free loans, and others volunteered to help them set up shop in their new, temporary location. “I just had to come down and help out,” said Malka Oropesa, a Hollywood mother of two young children. She volunteered this week to help Katz and his wife, Toby, set up a modest display of replacement merchandise in a onetime ice cream shop just doors from his burned-out store in the Emerald Center at 5650 Stirling Road. Oropesa is one of many longtime store patrons, most from the Orthodox Jewish community in this Emerald Hills neighborhood, who have volunteered labor, encouragement and financial assistance to help Katz, who is also a rabbi. “Everybody loves Rabbi Katz,” said Tziviah Staiman, who called herself a frequent buyer of gifts and Jewish periodicals at the store. “He’s a staple here.”
Michael Katz said he has been touched by the outpouring of support. “It is amazing,” he said. “After almost 20 years here, people come to depend on me.” Hurry-up orders to local suppliers provided some of the Chanukah merchandise Katz scrambled to come up with. And some came from a shipment that arrived Dec. 1, the day of the fire, but had not yet been moved into the store. The merchandise Katz now offers is but a tiny taste of the banquet of religious goods, games and paraphernalia destroyed by the fire that started in an office at the rear of the store. Katz estimated the value of the lost contents at $100,000. But available are many Chanukahready gifts and necessities: menorahs, olive oil, dreidels, magic games, milk chocolate gold coins, “My First Chanukah” bibs, and even boys’ yarmulkes bearing Spider-Man and Miami Heat insignias. Oropesa said Katz helped guide her to religious texts after she returned to the faith of her father some years ago. “I think the whole community has experienced grief over the fire,” she said. “I think we’re all shocked by this.” On Thursday, police released a surveillance video of two men seen walking past the store soon of the fire. Hollywood police Lt. Norris Redding said the men were not being called suspects, but added, “We would like to talk to them.” Anyone with information is asked to Hollywood police at 954-967HELP (4411) or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. With thanks to Channel 7 and to Mike Clary of the Sun Sentinel, whose reporting was used in the preparation of this article.
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“It’s really a disaster here,” a friend of store owner Michael Katz told WSVN television.
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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ DEC. 15, 2011
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This week in news
Mansor Almaribe, an Australian national, has been sentenced to one year in jail and 500 lashes in Saudi Arabia. His original sentence was to include two years in jail, but his sentence was commuted in the presence of an Australian consular official. His crime? Insulting a companion of the prophet Mohammed. The crime is considered extremely severe as Saudi Arabia is governed by Sharia law.
mission Chief Vladimir Churov and the registration of opposition parties. As an indication that Russian leaders are listening to protesters, officials allowed peaceful protests to take place across Russia on Saturday without police intervention. The next big day of protests is planned for December 24th, when one of the protest leaders, Alexei Navalny, will have served his 15 day jail term for his involvement in last week’s protests.
A sentence of 500 lashes is considered to be almost equivalent to a death sentence. Almaribe’s other son, Mohammed, expressed concern for his father’s life. His father suffers from heart disease and diabetes. “Five hundred lashes on his back, and he has back problems. I wouldn’t think he’d survive 50.”
Russian President Medvedev to Investigate Elections After protests and demonstrations, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that an investigation will be commenced into the allegations of fraud in Russia’s parliamentary election. Tens of thousands of protesters demanded that the presidential election in which Valdimir Putin won be annulled and rerun. On his Facebook site, Medvedev wrote, “I do not agree with any slogans or statements made at the rallies. Nevertheless, instructions have been given by me to check all information from polling stations regarding compliance with the legislation on elections.” But this was not sufficient for protesters; many unsatisfied citizens responded with insults and criticisms. “We don’t believe you,” wrote Natalia Akhi. Irina Arapova asked, “And who’s going to do the checking? The executive authorities (United Russia)?” Protesters are demanding a rerun of the election, the release of those who thye define to be political prisoners, the termination of Central Election Com-
Joe Gordon, also known as a Lerpong Wichaikhammat, is a Thai-born American living in Colorado. On a recent visit to his native country, Gordon was detained and ultimately sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for defaming the country’s royal family. Thailand’s lese majeste laws mandate that people found guilty of defaming the monarchy, including the king, the queen and the heir to the throne, face three to 15 years behind bars. Several years ago, Gordon posted a Thai translation of an unauthorized biography, “The King Never Smiles,” published by Yale University Press, online. The book details the king’s life and alleges that he has been a major stumbling block to the progress of democracy in Thailand.
Almaribe was arrested by religious police in Medina while on the Muslim pilgrimage called the hajj. His son, Jamal, said that Almaribe was reading and praying at the time of his arrest.
Neil Hawkins, Australian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, has appealed for leniency. “The Australian government is universally opposed to corporal punishment,” the department said in a statement.
American Jailed in Thailand For What he Said in U.S.
After hearing the verdict, Gordon said, “I am an American citizen, and what happened was in America.” He added, “This is just the system in Thailand…In Thailand, they put people in prison even if they don’t have proof.”
Shalit Thanks Activists Involved in His Rescue At a thank you dinner held by the Shalit family on Sunday night, Gilad Shalit thanked the activists who worked on his behalf for his release. His message was conveyed via video, as he is still unable to face large crowds. “I know without a doubt that your continued struggle and your support for my family were one of the decisive factors that contributed to the decision to release me,” Gilad said in the video. “I am grateful to all of you and to each and every one of you individually. I will continue to be grateful to you for the rest of my life.” Gilad’s father, Noam, told the activists at the dinner, that “we have reached the end of this long journey. Gilad still has a long way to go but you, dear activists, can say that it is over and done with…Gilad does not yet know about all the intense activity that was done for him, about the good people who worked tirelessly for him for many years. Obviously, it’s hard for him to contain such a large amount of information but in time he will be exposed to the all the things that were done and to all the people who accompanied us faithfully and steadfastly to the end of this struggle.”
Mexico: Drug Cartels Using More Sophisticated Equipment No longer are drug cartels using shovels and pickaxes to dig beneath the border. Nowadays, drug gangs are employing sophisticated equipment and companies to drill passageways that are hundreds of miles long between Mexico and the United States. In 2006, when Joaquin “Shorty” Guzman was arrested, he described the two-hundred foot tunnel that was dug beneath the pool table in his home to be “cool.” U.S. customs agents seized more than 2,000 pounds of cocaine which had been smuggled along that route. Over 100 tunnels have been discovered in the past five years. ICE agents are trying to shut the tunnels down—two drug tunnels were discovered along the California border just this past month. One was about 1,600 feet long and authorities seized over 32 tons of marijuana, worth $65 million. General Gilberto Landeros, a Mexican army commander, said, “It’s evident that those who constructed these tunnels are specialists, not only for the size but also because it requires study of the soil to prevent it from caving in. The machinery they use for construction is really sophisticated.” So, the drug cartels are becoming more sophisticate
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Australian Citizen Sentenced to 500 Lashes in Saudi Arabia
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This week in news
Israel Has New Plan to Slow Flow of Illegal African Migrants Since 2006, over 50,000 Africans, mostly from Sudan and Eritrea, have illegally entered southern Israel through the border with Egypt’s Sinai desert. On Sunday, the Israeli Cabinet voted unanimously to finance a $160 million program to expand a detention center for the illegals and to increase construction on border fence in the area. The border fence will be used to keep terrorists out as well. Addressing the Cabinet, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that these new arrivals were entering the country not to escape persecution, but for better economic opportunities. “If we don’t take action to stanch this illegal flow, then we will simply be inundated,” he said. He also said that he will explore the possibility of repatriating some of these migrants, as they have done before. In a state that was born out of those escaping Nazi persecution, this issue is definitely up for debate. Many do not want to see those who are escaping persecution or conflict turned away from a country that should be able to empathize for those in hard situations. Many advocate that the Africans are bona fide refugees and should be granted asylum. Reut Michaeli, an attorney for The Hotline for Migrant Workers, says, “Across the world, 88 percent of Eritrean migrants who seek asylum are recognized as refugees. I find it very difficult to believe that the ones who come to Israel are any different.” Many Africans have been streaming to Israel after Egypt quashed a demonstration of Sudanese refugees in 2005. Word of safety and job opportunities found in Israel have led to many more migrants entering Israel. Because of the lack of an official government policy, many migrants have congregated in slums and have been clashing with the locals in those areas.
Latvia’s Largest Bank Fights Off Bank Run Amid Rumors Swedbank, Latvia’s largest bank, scrambled to fight off a depositors’ run over the weekend. Amid rumors that Swedbank was facing legal and liquidity problems in Estonia and Sweden, thousands of Latvian’s fled to the bank to retrieve their cash. Lines at the ATMs stretched to hold as many as 50 people. Last month, Latvijas Krajbanka, the country’s 10th largest bank, was nationalized after regulators discovered fraud that was perpetrated by the bank’s former owner. Depositors were unable to access their cash for days. Around three years ago, the country’s second largest bank, Parex Bank, was taken over by the government after it entered technical default. Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis said that the rumors of the bank’s imminent closure were spread maliciously and that the police have opened up a criminal investigation. Maris Mancinskis, Swedbank’s Latvian chief, said the rumours were “absurd” and that the bank was functioning normally. Accoriding to Kristine Jakubovska, a spokeswoman for Swedbank, depositors had withdrawn 24 million lats ($48 million) by Monday morning, or about 1.5 per cent of all deposits in the bank.
El Al to Lay Off 200 Employees Due to the serious increase in fuel prices, El Al, Israel’s official airline, has announced that it will be forced to lay off 200 airline employees. The cost of jet fuel has increased by 47 percent; El Al’s jet fuel expenditure rose to $205 million in the third quarter. That’s up from $160 million. Its net profit decreased from $42.5 million last year to half of that today. El Al is also streamlining operations and cutting costs. Senior executives have agreed to pay cuts as well. Ear-
lier this month, El Al cancelled its Tel Aviv-Sao Paulo route and will be phasing out non-energy efficient aircraft. Chief executive Elyezer Shkedy said, “We are committed to and prepared for a continuing effort to cope with the economic changes in Israel and around the world, with challenging market conditions and competition.” He himself has agreed to a 20 percent pay cut for December and for all of 2012.
Israeli Officials Disappointed in Obama’s Policy Towards Iran Senior Israeli officials has expressed disappointment over the Obama Administration’s policy towards Iran and described their policy stance as “hesitant.” “The administration is still not acting in full force to impose significant sanctions against Tehran,” one senior official said. “While the House of Representatives and the Senate are promoting (anti-Iran) legislation, the White House is operating according to an ideology which could be defined as ‘hesitant.’ The Iranian issue calls for a clear stance, but the administration has yet to take the necessary measures to significantly hurt the ayatollahs’ regime.” US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro said that the United States coordinates with Israel, especially in regards to the issue of Iran. “There is no issue that we coordinate more closely on than Iran,” Shapiro told reporters in Tel Aviv. “A nuclear Iran is a real threat to Israeli security, ours and our allies’, and that is why we are determined to prevent this from happening.” On the other hand, Israeli officials have commended both France and the UK for their policy towards Iran. “France and the UK have begun to act determinedly, while Obama’s administration has yet to formulate a policy that is sufficiently severe.”
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This week in news Barak: Syria’s Ruling Family to Topple
At a conference in Vienna on Sunday, Israel’s defense minister, Ehud Barak, predicted that Syria’s ruling Assad family could fall within a few weeks. He said, “Something is wrong with this family, the way they suppress the will of the Syrian people, killing them, slaughtering their own people…The falling down of this family is a blessing for the Middle East.” But, he added, Israel will not “intervene in any way” to assist in the toppling of Syria’s government. In regards to Iran, he said that the best way to deal with the tyrannical power is through economical means. He urged “urgent, coherent, paralyzing” steps towards crippling the Iranian economy. “Nothing short of this kind of sanctions will work,” he said. A “direct attack, isolation, by the whole world” against the Iranian central bank is what’s needed. In regards to the future of Iran, he predicted that the government can potentially fall as well, but nuclear weapons can prolong its rule. “If they turn nuclear, they might assure another layer of immunity, political immunity for the regime in the same way that Kim Jong-il [of North Korea] assured his.” Earlier this month, Barak said that an Israeli attack on Iran was not imminent. He has also said there were several months left in which to decide on such action.
branch of science. This is in itself of great importance. It has also given us a reminder of how little we know and perhaps given us some humility. That is a truly great achievement.” At a dinner in honor of the Nobel laureates, “Today I am joined by many hundreds of enthusiastic scientists worldwide. I stand here as the vanguard of the science of quasicrystals, but without these dedicated scientists the field would not be where it is today. This supreme recognition of the science we have unveiled over the last quarter century is celebrated by us all. Science is the ultimate tool to reveal the laws of nature and the one word written on its banner is TRUTH. The laws of nature are neither good nor bad. It is the way in which we apply them to our world that makes the difference… Let us advance science to create a better world for all.” Other Israelis who have received the Nobel prize in the past include Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Daniel Kahneman, Avram Hershko, Aaron Ciechanover, Robert J. Aumann, and Ada Yonath.
Dwight D Eisenhower and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor all have stayed in the Grand Astor Suite, which is furnished with fine linens and antiques. It is now privately owned by someone in the fashion industry who will not be using it for a while. Does that price include a massage and a private chef as well?
Penthouse in Florida Sells for $21.5 Million And talking about expensive real estate. This one set some records. Penthouse ‘A’ at the Setai South Beach recently sold for a record $21.5 million. Previously purchased “raw” in 2004 for $9 million, the property was listed in April, 2010 for $27 million. The 5,803 square foot residence has 4 bedrooms and 4 baths. The Penthouse sits atop the 40-story world-famous Setai Resort, known for its luxury and celebrity clientele.
d and are able to construct tunnels in just a couple of weeks. This makes the ICE’s job harder, as the tunnels are built almost as fast as the ICE can find them. This also gives the ICE a clue as to who they should be going after to find the tunnels. Only a certain number of companies have the sophisticated equipment needed to do the drilling. Once the ICE can locate these companies, they will have an advantage over the cartels. “We all know that they have access to equipment such as hydraulic lifts, elevators, generators, water pumps,” said Ramona F. Sanchez, a spokeswoman for the Drug Enforcement Agency in Phoenix. “It’s not your pick and shovel operation.” Norway: Butter Shortage Sends Prices Soaring A severe butter shortage in Norway has left citizens worrying about their holiday baking. The shortfall, which is expected to last through January, has sent prices soaring. Online sellers have been offering 500gram packs of butter for 350 euros ($465!). The shortage is blamed on a rainy summer season and the popularity of a fat-rich, low-carb diet which sent butter demand soaring. Demand for butter has grown by 30 percent compared to 2010.
Prof Shechtman Receives Nobel Prize Professor Dan Shechtman has received in Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He is the 10th Israeli to receive the Nobel prize. The chemistry professor received the prize for his discovery of quasicrystals, patterns in atoms that were thought impossible. Professor Sven Lidin, a member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, said,“Your discovery of quasicrystals has created a new
Last Friday, a Russian was stopped at the NorwegianSwedish border with 90 kilos (198 lbs) of butter stashed in his car.
Apartment for Rent: $165K a Month Yes, you read that right—it is not a typo. The most expensive apartment rental in New York is located at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. The fifth-floor apartment, which faces Central Park and Fifth Avenue, is being rented out for $165,000 a month. John F Kennedy,
The purchaser is not a celebrity and is said to be a private businessman.
Blagojevich Gets 14 Years for Corruption “My life is ruined,” former Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich, said, “I have nobody to blame but myself.” Blagojevich was sentenced to fourteen years in prison for corruption and for misuse of his power. He told the judge that he made “terrible mistakes.” “I caused it all. I’m not blaming anybody. I was the governor and I should have known better and I am just so incredibly
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Corrupt governors in Illinois are not something new. Four out of the nine most recent governors have been sentenced to prison. Blagojevich, though, received more than twice as much time as any of the other governors. Much of his sentence is contributed to what he did, but even more than that was the spectacle he caused when faced with the accusations. Blagojevich wrote a book, appeared on reality TV and drew national attention to himself and his case. Joel Levi, a former federal prosecutor, pointed out, “His behavior and conduct once he was charged was almost a template for what you don’t want a defendant to do... He did everything possible to alienate the prosecutors and the judge and, ultimately, it came back to hurt him.” Blagojevich was accused of trying to sell Obama’s former Senate seat. He also demanded a $50,000 donation from the head of a children’s hospital in return for increased state support, and extorted $100,000 in donations from two horse racing tracks in exchange for quick approval of legislation for the tracks they wanted.
Starbucks GC to Join Obama’s Campaign Paula Boggs, Starbucks general counsel and secretary, is set to join President Obama’s re-election campaign in April. She has been with Starbucks since 2002. This is not the first time Boggs has joined with President Obama. In 2010, Obama appointed Boggs to the White House Council for Community Solutions, which works on community-developed solutions to youth devel
opment, education and employment. Prior to her tenure at Starbucks, Boggs worked at Dell Computer and as a trial lawyer. She was also a U.S. Army officer assigned to the Pentagon and a staff attorney for the White House. She is well-known at Starbucks for her singing and songwriting and is a voting member for the Grammy’s.
Traffic Deaths Rates Slow According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, annual traffic deaths in the U.S. have fallen to their lowest level since 1949. According to figures from NHTSA, highway deaths in 2010 fell to 32,885. It represents a 2.9 percent drop from 2009, despite Americans driving almost 46 billion more miles in 2010. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood said, “While we have more work to do to continue to protect American motorists, these numbers show we’re making historic progress when it comes to improving safety on our nation’s roadways.” Jake Nelson, director of traffic safety advocacy and research at AAA, says there’s a number of contributing factors to the drop. “Safer vehicles, safer roads and safer drivers as a result of traffic-safety policies that have been implemented over the last few years are certainly contributors. It’s the combination of all these factors that have given us the results we’re seeing today.” New hands-free cell phone laws and
stiffer drunk driving penalties are big contributors. Distracted driving, which refers to texting, dialing a phone or the activities of another person, contributed to 3,092 fatalities “Distracted driving has become a much bigger issue in the last few years,” said Nelson. Nearly one in every 100 drivers was texting, emailing or using a hand-held device at any given moment last year. This is an increase of 50 percent over the previous year. Many states have banned texting while driving; last month Pennsylvania became the 35th state to prohibit texting while driving. Many drivers surveyed said they would answer their cellphones while driving. Nearly two out of 10 drivers
admitted sending texts or emails while driving. That spiked up to half of drivers 21 to 24 years old. Although, more than half of drivers said making a cellphone call made no difference to their driving performance, and a quarter said texting or emailing made no difference, 90 percent of those surveyed said that when they are passengers they feel very unsafe if the driver is texting or emailing.
Mitt Romney: Wealthy Man, Frugal Habits Mitt Romney, Republican presidential hopeful, wears Gap jeans and a Seiko watch on the campaign trail, but don’t be fooled. The man is worth $200 million but does not (literally) wear it on his sleeve. Romney has poured $52 million of his own funds into his Senate and presidential campaigns but insists on flying on discounted airlines like JetBlue. Romney, who acquired great wealth through his lucrative business deals, is driven to succeed in business by his competitive nature rather than by his drive for riches. His Mormon faith and the teachings of his father have led to his frugal nature. Tagg Romney, Mitt’s son, explains, “There isn’t much that bothers him more than wasting money.” In his campaign for the nomination, Romney has pledged to rein in government spending and reduce federal debt. He points out that he has reduced fiscal waste in every organization that he has led.
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sorry.” But apparently “sorry” doesn’t cut it. The judge, James Zagel, sentenced Blagojevich to 14 years, close to the 15-20 year sentence the prosecution sought. “The abuse of the office of governor is more damaging than the abuse of any other office, except the president’s. Whatever good things you did for people as governor, and you did some, I am more concerned with the occasions when you wanted to use your powers...to do things that were only good for yourself,” the judge said. “When it is the governor who goes bad,” he added, “the fabric of Illinois is torn and disfigured and not easily repaired.”
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Corzine Testifies About MF Global’s Last Chaotic Days Former U.S. Senator Jon Corzine testified last Thursday that he was “stunned” to learn that MF Global was not able to located hundreds of millions of clients’ dollars in the days before the firm’s collapse. Corzine served as the chief executive of MF Global and resigned 5 days after the firm declared bankruptcy on October 31st. “I simply do not know where the money is or why the accounts have not been reconciled to date,” Corzine said in testimony before the House Agriculture Committee. He was subpoenaed to testify before Congress about the “last chaotic days” of MF Global. Client money and monies involved in the firms’ trading activity should have been held in separate accounts. The disappearance of client money has led to speculation that MF Global used its clients’ money to shore up risky bets. Corzine said, “I never intended to break any rules…There were an extraordinary number of transactions during MF Global’s last few days, and I do not know, for example, whether there were operational errors at MF Global or elsewhere, or whether banks and counterparties have held onto funds that should rightfully have been returned to MF Global.”
A Chanukah Present for Uncle Sam James H. Davidson Jr. passed away last December at the age of 87. With great concern for the economy and his country, he willed $1 million to the government. But that was not all. He also willed his historic Coral Gables house to Uncle Sam to help the government eliminate the country growing debt. The house was put up for auction on Saturday and was sold for $1.175 million. Barbara Perez won the bid for the 1929 Spanish style home. The contents of the home will be auctioned off in January.
Supreme Court to Hear Arizona Immigration Case The Supreme Court has announced that they will take the case of Arizona’s tough immigration crackdown law. The case, which won national attention, allows state and local police to verify citizens’ immigration sta tus during their duties, such as during traffic stops. Federal administration lawyers argue that the law in
train was moving! The thieves greased the tracks, which caused the train to skid and slow down. The thieves then took the opportunity to remove the corn-filled containers with a hook that was connected to a tow truck.
Thieves Steal Over $100K Apples
fringes on the federal right to police borders and set immigration policy. Other states have passed similar laws since Arizona passed these laws. The court said that Justice Elena Kagan has recused herself from this case. She came under fire for not recusing herself to hear challenges on the new health care law, as she was Obama’s solicitor general from March 2009 through May 2010. The health care law was signed in March 2010 and the Arizona immigration law passed in April 2010. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer said she expects the court to uphold the rights of states. “Arizona has been more than patient waiting for Washington to secure the border. Decades of federal inaction and misguided policy have created a dangerous and unacceptable situation, and states deserve clarity from the Court in terms of what role they have in fighting illegal immigration.”
Talk about brazen! Thieves stole at least 125 Apple iPads from a Best Buy store in San Carlos. The thieves, who must have been pretty strong and pretty bold, pried open the store’s front doors and the security roll-up door and dragged a large steel rack with the 125 iPads through the fire exit. They loaded their haul onto their vehicle and escaped. Store officials say the estimated loss is $100,000.
There’s Something in the Water Marathoners in Las Vegas’s Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon have reported that the water they received on the run to hydrate them may have gotten them sick. Race organizers filled buckets and trash cans with hydrant water which was handed out to the marathoners during the run. And although runners said that the water tasted funny, race organizers say that the water was tested and found to be safe. But health officials are investigating at least 10 reports of runners who claimed to have experienced intestinal problems following the run. Over 44,000 runners participated in the race. The runners paid up to $179 to run a half or full marathon.
Michelle Breaks World Record
No More Vacation Days?
For the first time in your life, you can be proud of your country...when it comes to exercise. Michelle Obama has broken the world record for most people doing jumping jacks in a 24-hour period. 300,265 participated in the event. As part of Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative, Michelle led 400 elementary and middle-school students in jumping jacks on the South Lawn of the White House. Other jumping jacks events were held around the world as well.
Scott Bennett didn’t want to go to work. Apparently he used up all his vacation days, so he tried another tactic: he wrote an obituary for his mother (who is alive and well) and had it published in a local newspaper in order to get paid bereavement time off from work. Relatives called the paper to report that his mother was indeed living and Mrs. Bennett actually visited the paper to confirm that she was not deceased, as was reported. Mrs. Bennett was very understanding when the paper apologized for the error.
Wild, Wild West Police in Brazil have reported the theft of 50 metric tons (55 US tons) of corn from a train. But that’s not what makes this story so unique. What is so amazing about this incident is that the corn was stolen while the
Talk about an “honest” day’s worth of work…
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Talk about a slick operation.
Gown Return
Driving Pains Geoffrey Burke of Sherwood, Oregon sure is quick on the draw. When an officer pulled Burke over for speeding, Burke explained that he was driving himself to the hospital because he was having chest pains and that he couldn’t move his left arm; he was scared he was having a heart attack. But Burke was surprised that instead of being let on his merry way, the conscientious officer called paramedics to assist Burke. The ruse was exposed when Burke refused to let medics take blood samples, put in an IV and would pull out any needles. After he was taken to the hospital, doctors said that he was indeed fine. And now, Burke got himself another ride—this time to the local jail. He’s accused of initiating a false report and for second degree disorderly conduct. And don’t worry, the officer made sure to give him his speeding ticket and citations for driving with a suspended license and without insurance.
Hold Your Breath Apparently, finals time is a little stressful for some. In a video splashed across Facebook, a California State University student is seen lashing out at fellow students in the university’s library. The student felt that the other students were breathing too loudly as they studied for finals. When told to calm down, the woman screams, “Don’t you tell me that. It’s rude and disrespectful, okay? It’s finals right now. Please, respect!...What’s wrong with you? What is wrong with you? What is wrong with all of you? What is wrong with all of you?” She slams her books on the desk and shouts, “I am not being louder than you, am I? Am I talking like this? Can you please just stop talking?” Whoa…someone takes their studying seriously…
80-Year Old Can Face Criminal Charges for Feeding Ducks Claire Butcher, an eighty-year-old resident of Lynn, Massachusetts, can face criminal charges if she doesn’t stop doing what she’s been doing for years—feeding the ducks. Butcher is known as the “bird lady” and has been feeding the ducks, geese and pigeons at local ponds for 45 years. In 2009, Lynn officials officially asked her to stop bringing shopping carts full of bird food to the pond since they contended that the feedings were causing problems with bird excrement and rats. An attorney for the city, Vincent Phelan, said, “You can see how filthy it is over there and how many animals reside there. It’s because of the constant feeding by Ms. Butcher.” The city sought an injunction, and Butcher agreed to not feed the ducks anymore. But Butcher has repeatedly ignored the order, which includes a No Trespass Order. She was fined several times but has never paid up. Butcher explains, “The animals in the park do not belong to the city of Lynn — they belong to God.” Now the city is fed up and has launched a criminal complaint. “The only thing we wish to do is have her stop. It is a clear public safety issue at this time and the city has had enough,” Phelan said. A court has ruled that Butcher violated the No Trespass Order and a city ban on feeding wildlife and should face criminal charges. After the hearing, when asked if she will continue to feed the ducks, Butcher responded, “I don’t know. I’m going to think about it.” Butcher can spend up to 30 days in jail if found that she violated the ordinances.
Just In Time for Chanukah Although it’s not shemen ze’is zach, used cooking oil is worth a lot of money. And thieves in Massachusetts know this. Several restaurants have said that they have been targeted by thieves who have stolen tanks of used cooking oil. Phil Bruno, a general manager at a company that collects oil for recycling, says, “Bottom line, it’s worth money and there’s a lot of people that think they’re either going to get rich or save a fortune heating
Talk about a wonderful wedding present. Just before their wedding, a Chicago couple had their car stolen, along with everything in it. But the most traumatic of all the items stolen was the bride’s wedding gown that was in the trunk. Two police officers pulled over a car on suspicion that it was stolen—and it was! When they opened the trunk and found the wedding dress, they tracked down the owners and personally delivered the car and gown back to the happy couple before the wedding. Police officer Paul Sandoval said, “They didn’t care about their belongings. There was other stuff missing from the vehicle, but as soon as she saw the wedding dress she was ecstatic, so it was a nice feeling. It was a nice end to a good story.” And they lived happily ever after.
Lucky Cat! Tommaso has inherited $13 million from Maria Assunta. And no, he is not her son or her friend. Tommaso was Assunta’s cat. She rescued him from the streets a few years ago and grew very attached to him. In recent years, as she was aging, Assunta, the widow of an Italian property tycoon, asked her attorneys to locate an animal shelter to take care of Tommaso after her death. But none seemed to be to her liking, so instead Assunta bequeathed her $13 million fortune, which includes properties in Rome and Milan, to Tommaso through her devoted nurse Stefania. Stefania seemed surprised that her employer was so wealthy. “The old lady suffered from loneliness. She looked after that cat more than you’d look after a son. I promised her that I would look after the cat when she was no longer around. She wanted to be sure that Tommaso would be loved and cuddled. But I never imagined that she had this sort of wealth. She was very discreet and quite. I knew very little of her private life. She only told me that she had suffered from loneliness a lot.” And if you think that $13 million is a lot of money for a feline, Tommaso is now only the third-wealthiest pet in the world. Kalu, the chimp, inherited $80 million from his owner, and Gunther IV, a German shepherd, inherited $372 million from Gunther III, the companion of an eccentric German countess.
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their house or running their diesel vehicles on cooking oil after it’s processed.” The price of used cooking oil can go as high as $1000.
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Notable
Quotes Compiled by Nate Davis
•Say WHAT?• “Rod Blagojevich is going away for 14 Years in prison. His barber got the death penalty.” – David Letterman
“Somebody ought to have the courage to tell the truth. These people are terrorists ... we pay for those text books through our aid money.”
“[Blagojevich] was convicted of trying to sell Barack Obama’s vacant senate seat. If he had waited a few years, he could probably sell it back to Barack Obama.” – Craig Ferguson
- Newt Gingrich standing by his comments, after coming under attack at a Republican debate
“The higher a monkey climbs up a pole, the more you see of his [backside].” - Obama’s chief strategist talking about how people don’t like what they see in Newt Gingrich “We campaigned in 2008 not because we thought it was going to be a cakewalk. I mean, after all, you had a candidate named Barack Hussein Obama, so you knew that wasn’t going to be—you didn’t need a poll to tell you that that was going to be an uphill battle.” - President Barack Hussein Obama in a speech at a Democratic National Committee event, 12/11/11 “Newt Gingrich did not make it on the Most Fascinating People list. He made it on another list of 2011 though: Most Fascinating Newts.” – David Letterman “We’re jumping the gun just a little bit… and we never need an excuse for a good party.” - President Obama joked to the crowd at the White House Chanukah party on 12/8/11, which included Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and ambassador to Israel Michael Oren “Remember, there was no Palestine as a state, it was part of the Ottoman Empire. And I think that we’ve have invented the Palestinian people, who are in fact Arabs and are historically part of the Arab community, and they had the chance to go many places and for a variety of political reasons they have sustained this war against Israel now since the 1940s, and it’s tragic.” - Newt Gingrich to the Jewish Channel last week
“I happen to agree with most of what the speaker said except the specific “invented” remark. That I think was a mistake on the Speaker’s part. I think the Speaker would suggest that as well.” - Mitt Romney at Republican debate “No.” - Gingrich responding to Romney “Mitt Romney now says the gloves are coming off. And then Ron Paul said, ‹And my teeth are coming out.’” –David Letterman “Many voters feel that Mitt Romney is out of touch with real Americans after he tried to make a bet with Rick Perry for $10,000. When asked to comment, Mitt said, “I’m sorry, but that’s all I had in my pocket at the time. ” - Conan O’Brien “Ask Osama bin Laden and the 22 out of 30 top al-Qaida leaders who have been taken off the field whether I engage in appeasement. Or whoever is left out there, ask them about that.” - President Obama responding to Republican presidential candidates who argued that Obama’s policies amounted to appeasement of the Palestinians
“We submitted a formal request for the return of our lost equipment as we would in any situation to any government around the world.” - Hillary Clinton discussing the downed drone “Donald Trump is hosting a debate in Iowa, but so far Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum are the only presidential candidates to RSVP. Rick Santorum actually requested a plus one — you know, so he could bring all of his supporters.” –Jimmy Fallon “I think the government should make but one decision: annul the results of the elections and hold new ones.” - Mikhail S. Gorbachev, regarding last week’s Russian elections, in which Putin is accused of fraud “We don’t kill our people ... No government in the world kills its people, unless it’s led by a crazy person.” -Syrian President Assad, denying the well-known fact that he has slaughtered thousands of protestors over the past several months. “They heard this signal and with the support of the U.S. State Department began their active work.” - Putin blaming the US for stoking post-election riots in Russia “We are the largest nuclear power.” - Putin to supporters “I represent the millions of Americans who wanted me to run and who are tired of this country getting ripped off by China and OPEC and the rest of the world. We’re a laughing stock—run by stupid people.” - Self-proclaimed Republican kingpin, Donald Trump “When you have somebody say ‹We want you to be a Cardinal for life’ and only offer you a five-year deal, it kind of confused us. Well, we got over that insult and felt like Albert had given so much of himself to baseball and into the community ... we didn’t want to go through this again.” – Albert Pujos’ wife discussing the St. Louis Cardinals “insulting” five-year, $130 million dollar offer for him to continue playing baseball in St. Louis
“There are people here who have been able to control this spy plane, who can surely analyze this plane’s system also. ... In any case, now we have this spy plane. Very soon, they’re going to learn more about the abilities and possibilities of our country.”
“A lot of packages this time of year get lost. That’s awful. You’re promised something great. You wait and wait and wait. But nothing good ever comes. It’s like voting for Obama.”
- Ahmadinejad discussing the downed drone
- Craig Ferguson
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DAVIE, FL – The tradition continues! The Jewish Federation of Broward County gathered approximately 200 volunteers at the Ann Storck Center in Fort Lauderdale for “Tikkun Olam Day to ‘Make a World of Difference’ to those in need. Volunteers ages 10 and over helped build community by spending the day landscaping, mulching and participating in other activities. In-kind donations were accepted such as native plant shrubs, mulch, storage shelves, gift cards, toiletries, non-perishable food items and shoes. “Being Jewish means being part of a community that stretches from here in Broward County, across the ocean to our spiritual homeland in Israel and around the world – connecting one another through shared values,” said Eric B. Stillman, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Broward County. “This day is dedicated to supporting our local community, helping another agency whose mission is to serves so many.” The Ann Storck Center, 1790 SW 43rd Way in Fort Lauderdale, enriches the lives of children and adults with developmental disabilities through residential, preschool, adult day care training and expressive arts programs. “We are so thrilled to work with the Jewish Federation of Broward County,” said Charlotte Mather-Taylor, Executive Director for the Ann Storck Center. “We are grateful for the passion and enthusiasm that the volunteers have shown – they have amazing energy!”
Bringing Smiles one Slice at a Time Sunny Isles, FL- For the children of Chai Lifeline Southeast, pizza and entertainers were a perfect early Chanukah combination. The Sunday, December 11 party was organized by Chai Lifeline Southeast and volunteers from K-Space. Accompanied by their new volunteer BFFs, children were entranced by the antics of ventriloquist, Avy Sherman. They listened intently to stories retold by Ahuva Ep-
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REPAIRING THE WORLD… ONE DAY AT A TIME
Now in its 7th year, “Tikkun Olam Day” was initiated as an opportunity to unite our community in an effort to adhere to the sacred Judaic value tikkun olam (to repair the world.) The event is presented by the Jewish Federation and area synagogues in collaboration with Rebuilding Together, Broward County, and cochaired by Anita Platt and Stanley Leibowitz. “Giving back is in my blood. I have always been involved in charitable work,” said Anita Platt, co-chair of Tikkun Olam Day. “Tikkun Olam Day is a visible, tangible way to help the community. It is truly gratifying to participate in a community-wide endeavor like this.” Stanley Leibowitz, Anita’s co-chair, concurred adding that “Tikkun Olam Day is our way of enabling members of the community to give back and help repair the world. There’s so much we can achieve when we work together.” The Jewish Federation of Broward County gratefully acknowledges Festival Flea Market Mall for being a participating sponsor. The Jewish Federation of Broward County acts in concert with its network of beneficiary agencies to lend them a helping hand,; safeguard and address local educational and social service needs; perpetuate Jewish tradition and heritage; and ensure the continuity and survival of Israel, and Jewish communities around the world.
TOP PHOTO Lori Mizels, Ibby Schulman and Honey Backman MIDDLE PHOTO Ellen Fisher and Elissa Mogelifsky BOTTOM PHOTO Tyler Kotler
stein before enjoying pizza, soda and yummy refreshments. For many children, the highlight of the afternoon was a visit to the “Toy Store,” where each chose a gift to take home for Chanukah. Parents appreciated the time to relax and network with new and old friends. “My child had the most fabulous time”, said one enthusiastic mother. “Any escape from his daily routine of doctors and hospitals so such a huge gift.” For more information about volunteering for Chai Lifeline or to find out more about Chai Lifeline services, please contact Chai Lifeline Southeast at 305-956 9990 or visit our website, www.chailifeline.org/southeast. The Lasko Family Southeast Families Service Center, the home of Chai Lifeline Southeast, is the central ad-
dress for families in nine states to receive Chai Lifeline’s emotional, social and financial support. Services include professional case management, medical referrals, insurance support services, emotional support groups, special trips and holiday festivities, family retreats special programs for siblings, and crisis intervention services for families, schools, camps and communities. In addition, Chai Lifeline created and operates two summer camps at the Jack and Moishe Horn Campus in New York. Camp Simcha, named in memory of Dr. Samuel Abraham, is the only kosher, medically supervised camping program for children with cancer and other hematological illnesses. Camp Simcha Special, dedicated in memory of Zvi Dovid Obstfeld, is the only camp capable of meeting the medical and social needs of children and teens with more than 60 disparate chronic medical diagnoses.
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En route to Broadway, Soul Doctor: Journey of a Rock-Star Rabbi opens December 25th in Miami Beach at the Colony Theatre, followed by a run in Fort Lauderdale’s Parker Playhouse. This exhilarating, riveting and hilarious musical tells the true story of the beloved and controversial father of popular Jewish music, Shlomo Carlebach, and has already garnered critical acclaim! “More than just a show, it’s a transformative theatrical experience. The crowd roared with laughter and song all night long” – A CERTIFIABLE HIT”- Larry King “Powerful and touching…A charismatic, enlightening evening that rouses the soul” – The Times Picayune “A soulful and joyous musical celebration!” – Playbill “Genius! A diamond! Destined for Broadway and the annals of musical theater for some time to come! Five stars!” – Examiner.com In addition to an award-winning production and musical team – the forces behind such Broadway mega-hits as The Producers, Hairspray, The WHO’s Tommy and Smokey Joe’s Café – the South Florida cast includes a roster of nationally recognized award-winners and/or nominees Gary Morris - Shlomo Carlebach Best known as the Grammy Award winning Nashville country music star, a winner, the recipient of the Country Music Association’s Single of the Year (Wing Beneath My Wings) and Billboard’s New Male Artist of the Year. Gary is also a Broadway phenomenon, being the first American to play Jean Valjean in the original Broadway cast of Les Misérables, setting the standard for the challenging role and receiving a Drama Desk Best Actor nod for his historic performance. Morris’ rendition of Bring Him Home anchors the platinum-selling Grammy Award-winning International cast album. After refusing star roles in dozens of Broadway musicals, Gary has chosen “Soul Doctor” for his return to the Broadway musical stage, embracing the spirit of the legendary Shlomo Carlebach, bringing an almost mystical, yet exuberant vibe to the role. “This man’s story is amazing,” Gary recently told Joy Tipping of the Dallas News. “He went against the traditions of his faith to say it’s all about love; it’s not about race or creed or anything else. It’s just about peace and love.” At the height of his Nashville recording career, Gary boldly played opposite Linda Ronstadt in the New York Shakespeare Festival production of Puccini’s La Boheme. He has graced the historic stage of the Grand Ole Opry, given a command performance for the Queen of England and performed at the
White House for every living U.S. President – one of the few artists to do so. Keeping it in the family, Gary’s 14 year-old son Garon Morris is also in the production, playing the role of young Shlomo Carlebach. Liz Larsen – Shlomo Carlebach’s Mother Tony Award (Best Featured Actress in a Musical) and a Drama Desk Award nominated Broadway luminary, the dazzling and hilarious Liz is widely known for her role as crime scene technician Jessica Reed on Law and Order and is no stranger to the Broadway stage. Liz Larsen made her Broadway debut as Chava in the revival of Fiddler on the Roof and later played the roles of Eleanor and Bizarbara in Barry Keating’s musical, Starmites and the Broadway production of Frank Loesser’s The Most Happy Fella, Damn Yankees, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, as well as originating the role of Velma von Tussle in the Broadway’ mega-hit, Hairspray. A bit of theater trivia – Liz is the granddaughter of Vaudevillian Georgie Price, who originally released and made famous the song “Bye Bye Blackbird”. Erica Ash - Nina Simone Fresh from her Broadway run in “Baby It’s You!” in the role of Dionne Warwick, Erica Ash seamlessly slips into the role of the legendary Nina Simone, the unlikely friend and Muse to Shlomo Carlebach. Erica brings an amazing star quality to the role, a seductive and hypnotic quality reminiscent of “The High Priestess of Soul” she portrays. Born in Florida, Erica originally aspired to train as a physician, but during a trip to Japan she landed a job as a backup singer and decided to follow her heart and pursue a career in acting and performing. She has graced the Broadway stage in The Color Purple as well as The Lion King and has made guest appearances and/or starred in several television shows, including “Cold Case,” “MadTV” and “The Big Gay Sketch Show.” Eric Anderson – Shlomo Carlebach Eric recently made his Broadway debut as Stewpot in the Tony award-winning revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center. He moved to New York nearly four years ago from his native California, where he garnered many acting accolades and awards from LA and San Diego critic circles.
versions of The Wild Party, Tateh in Ragtime and River in the world premiere of Roger Bean’s Summer of Love. As a member of the Troubadour Theater Company, his roles have ranged from the title role in Othello, to Ophelia in Hamlet: The Artist Formerly Known as Prince of Denmark. His television credits include “The Good Wife,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Alias.” Earlier this year, Eric was featured in the movies “New Year’s Eve” and “Gods Behaving Badly,” and he is the singing voice of Shaggy in the animated feature “Scooby Doo & the Song of the Vampire.” Ryan Strand – Eli Chaim Carlebach Ryan feels blessed to be “rockin’ with the Rabbi!” Cast in the role of Shlomo’s twin brother Rabbi Eli Chaim, Ryan portrayed Frankie Valli in the Broadway’s first national tour of Jersey Boys and as Abraham in Altar Boyz. He received his training at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and the BFA Music Theatre. Other young hot Broadway performers bringing star power to Soul Doctor include Jeffrey Kuhn, who was the talk of Broadway when he recently played more than 40 different roles in The 39 Steps; Jonathan Brody, who brought the roof off of theaters across America portraying Groucho Marx and originating several different roles in Broadway’s Tony Award winning musical Titanic; and Sara Andreas, who recently took Broadway by storm playing numerous roles in the musical Catch Me If You Can. Soul Doctor (www.shlomomusical.com) runs December 25 January 8 at the Colony Theater, 1040 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach. It continues January 10 - 29 at Fort Lauderdale’s Parker Playhouse, 707 NE 8th Street. Individual tickets for the show can be purchased at the Colony Theatre (305.674.1040), Parker Playhouse (954.462.0222) or through Ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.com.
About SOUL DOCTOR takes us on a musical odyssey through the challenges and triumphs of this cultural phenomenon: his childhood escape from Nazi Germany, becoming a rabbinical prodigy in America; discovering Gospel and Soul music during his unlikely friendship with Nina Simone; his meteoric rise as a “Rock Star-Rabbi” in the 1960s, performing with Bob Dylan, Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead; his struggle to reconcile his deep traditional roots with his desire to reach people of all backgrounds in the “free-love generation;” and his personal conflicts trying to keep his family together while traversing the globe as a “Soul Doctor,” bringing joy and song to the lonely, the searching and the brokenhearted.
Highlights of Eric’s West Coast career include: Burrs in both
Hannukkah Special! 25% Off / No Service Charge December 25 – 28 Performances at the Colony Theatre Available by phone only: (305) 342-2353 or (310) 863-4326
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BROADWAY-BOUND “SOUL DOCTOR: JOURNEY OF A ROCK-STAR RABBI” ANNOUNCES STAR POWER CAST OF TONY, GRAMMY, DRAMA DESK AND CMA AWARD WINNERS/NOMINEES
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Book Review THE SCATTERED TRIBE: AN ODYSSEY TO DISCOVER EXOTIC JEWISH COMMUNITIES AROUND THE GLOBE Book Review of The Scattered Tribe, Traveling the Diaspora from Cuba to India to Tahiti & Beyond, (Globe Pequot Press) by Ben G. Frank,ISBN 978-0-7627-7033-5 • $17.95 • Paperback • 5 ½ x 8 ½ • 288 pages • Available wherever books are sold or www.globepequot.com
Reviewed by Jerry Sloane Jerry Sloane, CPA, is host of “In The Hot Seat” broadcast on Cablevision, Long Island. He is a member of the accounting firm of Berdon LLP, Jericho, N.Y.
I first met Ben G. Frank, the author of the new book, The Scattered Tribe , Traveling the Diaspora From Cuba to India to Tahiti & Beyond, (Globe Pequot Press), back in the early 1990s when his first Jewish travel guide came out. When he appeared on my Cablevision TV show, “In the Hot Seat,” I could tell he was a sojourner, a traveler, especially as his eyes lit up when he mentioned Paris, Rome and the Jewish communities there. He has been on an odyssey ever since, and his just published book, “The Scattered Tribe,” traces Jewish communities including exotic lands as Tahiti, Vietnam, Burma, India, Morocco, Cuba, Russia, as well as a chapter on Siberia. The book ends with a compelling chapter on Israel. Jewish travel books are rare and Frank keeps to the tradition of such noted Jewish travel writers as the 12th century Spanish Jewish rabbi, Benjamin of Tudela. Frank relates some fascinating stories of the people he encounters. He has even added some touching, personal memories connected to his destinations. Take Vietnam for instance, one of Frank’s chapters. I agree with him, that very high on the list of tourist memories of that Southeast Asian country is dodging the motor bikes. Ask any recent visitor what they remember most about Vietnam and chances are it’s those darn motorbikes, as Frank notes in “The Scattered Tribe.” While the noise level in this metropolitan area reaches a crescendo not unlike a major American city, the sound is vastly different. Here the noise comes out from motorbikes and motorcycles. Don’t worry, however, one manages to cross the boulevards and traffic circles and survive. The bikers wouldn’t dare hit you. There was no Chabad House when I visited Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon. Today, Chabad offers an address to Jewish tourists. Chabad House is located in a downtown, upscale neighborhood surrounded by stores and shops. In “The Scattered Tribe,” Frank tells of his experiences at Chabad in Saigon which was set up in 2006. He recently attended a Passover Seder, a memorable event told in the book. Interestingly, Vietnamese Jewry is made up of American ex-pats. These American Jews conduct business in Vietnam and frequent Chabad for its many activities. This author concurs with Frank’s assessment of Vietnamese hospitality. As a veteran in the Army in the Vietnam era, I was not sure of the attitude I would receive on a visit to this Southeast Asian land. Surprisingly, the people that I encountered were friendly and helpful. Saigon seemed in many ways like any other American city,
though Hanoi, on the other hand, ranks in my opinion as a charming French city. A highlight of the trip to Hanoi was the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh who during the Vietnam war was to Americans, “the devil incarnate.” One fact makes this tome valuable for the Jewish or non-Jewish reader and traveler. Frank has added the Eastern World to his general itinerary agenda. And The Scattered Tribe focuses on the far-flung Jewish outposts of Siberia, India and Burma, a valuable addition to any travel or Judaica collection. Frank also shows his guidebook-writing background including plenty of street addresses of sites and information useful for travelers and tourists. This is a fine book for the armchair traveler and I must admit travel books make for great reading. I especially enjoy how Frank tells of his high adventure in his odyssey to discover exotic Jewish lands around the globe, especially his experiences on the Trans Siberian railway and Jewish communities in Irkutsk, Birobidzhan and Vladivostok. Frank is considered one of this country most distinguished travel writers and commentators on Jewish communities around the world. As Kirkus Reivew wrote of The Scattered Tribe, “…there is something here for anyone seeking insight into the current state of the Jewish diaspora, or a basic knowledge of Jewish life in the various places visited by the author.” Well worth a read and reference!
This will boggle your mind, I know it did mine!
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
The year is 1911 --- One hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes! Here are some statistics for the Year 1911:
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
The average life expectancy for men was 47 years. Fuel for a car was sold in drug stores only. Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub. Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason. The Five leading causes of death were: 1. Pneumonia and influenza 2. Tuberculosis 3. Diarrhea 4. Heart disease 5. Stroke
There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads.
The American flag had 45 stars...
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
The population of Las Vegas , Nevada , was only 30!!!
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower !
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented yet.
The average US wage in 1910 was 22 cents per hour. There was neither a Mother's Day nor a Father's Day. The average US worker made between $200 and $400 per year .... A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year. More than 95 percent of all births took place at home . Ninety percent of all Doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION! Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as "substandard."
Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write and only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school. Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, Regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health!" ( Shocking? ) Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help ....... There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. !
Sugar cost four cents a pound. Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years. Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME â– DEC. 15, 2011
THE YEAR IS 1911
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Jewish Thought
Year End Appeal Overkill by Sherri W. Morr Do it by tonight. Your last chance. The hours are fading away. We made our goal, but it’s not too late for you to join. Save the children. Give global women a chance and stop global warming. This year you can help. Give a gift of hope, joy and light. Plant more trees, and let’s not forget the homeless. With the clock rapidly ticking rapidly away to 2011, there have been more appeals in the mail than ever before. Numerous envelopes with heart rendering photos on the outside, filled with 3 pages of facts, remittance envelopes and painfully sad letters. Photos of animals, families and people at risk. You helped us do this, and now we need you to help us do that. Young people who want to study, new immigrants who need a chance, foster children who outgrew their status. Oceans that need cleaning, cities that need rehabilitation, and politicians who want you to help retire their campaign debt. Success stories that you created with your gift in 2009. Letters that plead for expanded services, and continuation of programs for the arts, museums and theater spaces. Schools and education dollars to replace what our governments used to be responsible for, now appeal to us to carry that burden. Thank the president, the senator, the supervisor, the mayor and the school board-
Israel Develops Cancer Vaccine
make a gift. Remember the fallen, those who departed, served their country, their industry, their passions, give a gift that honors their contribution. Every possible cause, every interest, and every leisure time activity has asked for contributions. Granted they need them, for sure they are worthy, but so many “asks” clearly cannot handle the shrinking philanthropic dollar. Many organizations say their gifts are up. Smaller gifts, more contributors. Others say there is a severe decrease. Some organizations even wrote to say they are NOT asking, but should you want to… The donors themselves are confused, weary, and depositing such mail in the round file (for recycling of course). One donor I know took all his mail and deposited it on the desk of a nonprofit CEO, and said, “OK, you tell me where I should give.” And then there is online giving, the new social phenomena associated with social networking. Don’t buy me a gift; give that $10 to a good organization. Your birthday? Nah, you don’t need another item for yourself; celebrate someone else, you do need the feel good feeling of doing good. It’s a lot of good I know. One online site raised $8 million for Haiti. Another boasts capturing thousands of new email addresses. The next generation of (museum goers, theater patrons and young entrepreneurs) deserves your support. Oh and don’t forget, its 100% tax deductible.
Vaxil's groundbreaking therapeutic vaccine, developed in Israel, could keep about 90 percent of cancers from coming back.
There are a 12 Million Jews in the world, and yet they have received 192 Nobel Prizes. The Muslims number 1.4 Billion ... or 117 times the number of Jews! Based upon this 117:1 Muslim-to-Jewish ratio, one might expect the Muslims to have 22,464 Nobel Laureates. They have nine, including the prize awarded to the pedophile godfather of modern terror, Yaser Arafat.
As the world's population lives longer than ever, if we don't succumb to heart disease, strokes or accidents, it is more likely that cancer will get us one way or another.. Cancer is tough to fight, as the body learns how to outsmart medical approaches that often kill normal cells while targeting the malignant ones. In a breakthrough development, an Israeli company has formulated a therapeutic cancer vaccine, now in clinical trials at Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem.
Unless the Swedes and Norwegians start awarding Nobel Prizes for plane hijackings, pizza shop bombings, civilian bus attacks, Jihad suicides/homicides, drive-by shootings, throat-slittings, embassy attacks and other such acts of barbarisms, the embarrassing low level of contribution to the welfare of civilization and mankind by the [Arab] Muslim world will continue. The Jewish People, meanwhile, will continue being the Lights Unto All Nations.
Send that good feeling gift online, just click here, and choose your cause. You can be clicking til the ball drops. The advantages are many. You can instill responsibility for your city, you religion, your neighborhood and those who have less. You can motivate those little kids who man their lemonade stands in the summer, or the moms who bake delectable delights for the church bake sales. You can get on the phone and call people, ask them to give. These do-good activities do make a difference. They make us feel good, like we are being proactive, we are doing something. This year there are many who do have less, but most of them do not fall into the category of the arts, the schools or even the homeless. I have not seen one campaign for those who have lost their homes due to the mortgage bubble that exploded. I have not seen any campaigns for those whose lifestyle imploded due to loss of jobs and their own dignity. In direct contrast we have the retailers who want us to buy now, buy fast, hurry this sale will not last! What’s the answer? Collaboration? Will not happen. Improved economy? Not this year. Less new causes? Doubtful. Giving? Yes, that’s the only way. We cannot ignore the needs. We must give, give til it feels good. Know that even the “kitsch” phrases ring true. There are few new ways of asking. Only new ways of giving. Use them. Hurry the hours are slipping by.
And the world is licking their boots and doing their bidding, turning the homeland and its inhabitants over as ransom, as if that would slake their bloodlust. In the words of the American Enterprise Institute’s political scientist Charles Murray, “In the first half of the 20th century, despite pervasive and continuing social discrimination against Jews throughout the Western world, despite the retraction of legal rights, and despite the Holocaust, Jews won 14 percent of Nobel Prizes in literature, chemistry, physics, and medicine/physiology. In the second half of the 20th century, when Nobel Prizes began to be awarded to people from all over the world, that figure rose to 29 percent. So far, in the 21st century, it has been 32 percent. Jews constitute about 0.2 percent of the world’s population.
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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME â– DEC. 15, 2011
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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 17, 2011
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From Mishkan to Menorah Oil By Avraham Zuroff SHILO, ISRAEL
Editor’s Note: The Chag of Chanukah is one filled with many halachos and minhagim. It is a time when families and friends join together, and children and parents sing Ma’oz Tzur and play dreidel together. So much of Chanukah’s halachos and traditions stem from the nes of the pach shemen, the tiny jar of oil the Maccabim were able to find that miraculously lit the menorah for eight days and nights. We light our menorahs using shemn zai’s zach; we eat latkes and doughnuts fried in oil to commemorate the miracle. How does that little olive produce all that oil for us to use throughout the eight days of Chanukah and how does it get to our Chanukah table? We asked our reporter, Avraham Zuroff, to visit one of Israel’s oil producing factories to help us get a sense of the process. Here is a glimpse into his tour of the factory. Ancient Shilo was Eretz Yisrael’s first capital city. It was where Yehoshua set up the Mishkan and divided Eretz Yisrael among the twelve tribes (Yehoshua 18: 18). Chana HaNeviah’s silent supplications, expressing her yearning to be a mother, were uttered here, and answered when she became the mother of Shmuel HaNavi.
Shilo is some thirty miles east of Tel Aviv and a bit more than twenty miles north of Jerusalem. Our bulletproof bus passes Jewish villages surrounded by fences and barbed wire. We view minarets jutting out of the Arab villages, which are not encased with barbed wire. Many of these Arab villages contain mansions, which question the claim that these villagers are impoverished refugees as a result of the “Zionist occupation.” After an hour, we arrive in Shilo – just a “stone’s throw” from Shechem. Modern Shilo’s 1,500 residents have built educational institutions, a grocery and a hesder yeshiva, along with several synagogues, one scalemodeled to the ancient Mishkan. Indeed, extensive archaeological excavations suggest that Tel Shilo, just below modern Shilo, is the site of the Mishkan.
Pioneers At the base of the Shilo hill is the Meshek Achiya olive oil factory, the first modern-day olive press in the Shomron, founded by the late Yossi Shuker and his wife, Ronit. During the first year of the operation’s establishment, tragedy struck. While cleaning out one of the bins, Yossi’s hand got stuck in the grinder, pulling his head
Meshek Achiya CEO Eli Shenkar (right) speaks with olive growers
into the machinery. Paralyzed for seven years, he was only able to communicate with his eyelids via a computerized communications device. Four years ago, Yossi passed away from acute head injury. Ronit, a nurse, took over the responsibility of the 6,000 olive trees that her late husband planted. Eight years ago, bochurim from Moshav Eli coordinated with small investors to rent the olive press from Ronit, who was managing the olive factory and visiting her husband daily at the hospital. Although Ronit eventually sold the factory, its present owner is proud to continue in her footsteps of using only Jewish labor for the production of olive oil.
From Arbequina to Zuri Last year, between seven and eight percent of the country’s olive oil sold in local stores was produced at this plant. Israel’s olive growers (including Arab growers) produce 15,000 tons of olive oil annually. This past year, several hundred tons of olive oil was produced at the Achiya factory, Meshek Achiya CEO Eli Shenker tells The Jewish Home. To get an idea of how much oil that is, statistics from the United Nations Food and Agriculture organization reveals that the U.S. produced 2,700 tons of olive oil in 2009. In comparison, Spain
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produced 1.2 million tons; Italy produced 587,700 tons of olive oil – much more than the combined efforts of Israeli and American olive oil production. We arrive during the olive oil factory’s busy season. From Sukkos until after Chanukah, olives are harvested. During this season, the Achiya olive factory is bustling with activity, twentyfour hours a day, six days a week.
dark green to purple to jet black. The optimum time to pick olives for oil production is when the olives are a light green to purple color. A black olive is overly ripe for oil production purposes. Ideally, the olives are hand picked and milled within hours from their harvesting. This minimizes the oxidation and enzymatic reactions,
heated to around 80 degrees. Oil yield is proportional to the temperature and mixing time. However, the use of higher temperatures and longer mixing times increases oxidation of the oil and therefore decreases shelf life, so a compromise must be struck. As long as the temperature is less than 80 degrees, the oil can still be labeled as “cold extracted.” Eli says that theoretically hand picked and manually pressed olives would produce the best tasting and most nutritious oil. But it’s not cost-effective in commercial olive oil production. Hence, it’s industry-standard to consider “cold press” olive oil that wasn’t heated over the 80 degree mark. In contrast, cheaper, lower quality oil is heated at higher temperatures to produce a greater yield of oil extraction.
Although Kohanim (and all Jews) are considered to be in a state of tumah that prevents them from consuming the oil, Kohanim are allowed to feed their animals with the terumah oil or burn the oil for Chanukah.
There are about 700 types of olives worldwide. Israel’s olives include the arbequina, barnea, maalot, manzenilo, muchsan, nubo, picholin, picoel and zuri species. The zuri is the most abundant variety in Israel, cultivated mainly in the Galilee region. The oil has a rich aroma and taste but a low preservation capacity. Its high level of acidity makes it challenging to extract quality oil from this variety. Due to the nubo and muhsan species’ large fruit size, they are used for food consumption. The maalot variety, developed by the Volcani Institute, is used for oil production due to its very small fruit size and high oil content. The picuel is also used for its oil. Other species are marketed for either oil or fruit.
Into the “Jacuzzi” Israeli olives are harvested between Sukkos and after Chanukah. As the olive ripens, it changes colors from
A new harvest of olives is dumped into the hopper.
which reduce the taste quality and nutritional benefits of the olive. Eli explains that his factory harvests 124 acres of produce and processes more than 2,000 tons of olives. “We don’t produce oil. Oil is extracted from the olives, which naturally contain oil,” he explains. A forklift lifts a plastic bin containing about 882 pounds worth of olives. Additional bins are dumped into a hopper which contains 17 tons of olives. As a conveyor belt moves its contents upward, mud and leaves fall behind. High-intensity water pressure removes additional leaves and dirt in what Eli calls a “Jacuzzi bath.” The olives are then crushed into a paste. This paste is then malaxed (slowly churned or mixed) to allow the microscopic oil droplets to more easily separate. The malaxation process takes place between 20 to 40 minutes. During the process, the paste is normally
The olive oil is first extracted into a paste.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture grades oil according to acidity, absence of defects, odor and flavor. “U.S. Extra Virgin Olive Oil” is oil with an excellent flavor and odor and free fatty acid content of 0.8 g per 100 g (0.8%); “U.S. Virgin Olive Oil” is oil with reasonably good flavor and odor and free fatty acid content of not more than 2 g per 100 g (2%); U.S. Virgin Olive Oil Not Fit For Human Consumption Without Further Processing” is a virgin oil of poor flavor and odor, also known as “U.S. Lampante (lamp) Virgin Olive Oil”;
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Mansion in an Arab village
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“U.S. Olive Oil” is an oil mix of both virgin and refined oils; U.S. Refined Olive Oil is an oil made from refined oils with some restrictions on the processing. Eli says that his factory strives to keep the acidity down to 0.5 percent. Nevertheless, he said “even at a level between 2 to 2.5 percent, the olive oil is healthy, without a doubt.” After malaxation is complete, the paste is sent to a phase separator. Traditionally the olive oil was separated from the paste using a large press that was either screwed down or weighted with rocks. But most commercial producers, including the Achiya plant, use a decanter centrifuge for this process. The decanter is a horizontal centrifuge rotating at 3,000 rpm. The high centrifugal force separates the solids, vegetation water and oil, which is the desired product. After extraction the remnant solid substance, called pomace, still contains a small quantity of oil. The oil is further filtrated to ensure that no clumps remain in the product, similar to what homogenization does to milk. “Some like the unfiltered oil as they feel it’s more natural but most prefer the filtered form,” Eli explains. The oil is then either pumped into a 30,000 liter or 10,000 liter stainless steel vats, depending on the run. The cold winter months help maintain the proper storage temperature of the olive oil. But in the hot summer months, the factory is refrigerated to ensure the proper temperature. Terumah and maaser are then taken. Kohanim who come to the plant are welcome to receive the terumah oil and only have to pay for the container. Although Kohanim (and all Jews) are considered in a state of tumah (ritual impurity) that prevents them from consuming the oil, Kohanim are allowed to feed their animals with the terumah oil or burn the oil for Chanukah. Eli lets me taste fresh olive oil with crackers. The zuri olive oil is spicier and has a more dominant olive taste than the arbequina variety. Eli explains that most consumer olive oils sold are actually a blend of different olive oils.
aren’t any kashrus issues, Eli explains. But after the oil is stored in vats, unscrupulous companies have been caught adding other oils, such as hazelnut oil and animal fats. Tom Mueller in his recent book, Extra Virginity: the Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, cites an Italian producer who suggests that 50 percent of the olive oil sold in America is, to some degree, fraudulent. And the Food and Drug Administration considers the truth in labeling of olive oil low priority, as low-quality oil isn’t killing anyone. However, kosher consumers need to know that the olive oil doesn’t have non-kosher animal products. In addition, some companies use the same equipment to product grape seed oil, which must be kosher-certified as yayin nesech issues may come to play. In which case, the kashrus agency must ensure that the equipment is thoroughly cleaned before subsequent runs of olive oil begin. And cheap oils that use citric acid and other chemicals do not contain chometz if the consumer wants to use these oils for Pesach. In addition, those who are scrupulous to light their menorah exclusively with olive oil should ensure that what it says on the label of the bottle is really pure olive oil. Thus, a valid kashrus certificate is necessary to ensure the truth in labeling. “If seems too cheap for olive oil, it’s probably not olive oil,” Eli warns. Although Eli has been involved in farming most of his life, he acquired his knowledge about olive oil on the job. Just over three months ago, Eli became Meshek Achiya’s CEO. “Until a few months ago, I didn’t understand the differences in taste,” he confesses. “But now I could tell the difference.” He says that Achiya’s products are distributed mostly within Israel. He finds it difficult to compete with the overseas market, where Spanish and Italian olive oil is significantly cheaper. So why pay more for his olive oil? He explains that some are willing to pay a premium for a better quality product. Many Christian supporters of Israel prefer buying products created in the Holy Land. In addition, many Jews buy his products for ideological reasons as they want to support settling the Shomron and giving jobs to Jewish laborers. Wherever we get our olive oil, we now have a greater appreciation of what goes into the bottle and how it gets there.
Scandals The olive oil manufacturing process at factories like Achiya doesn’t require chemicals to extract the olive oil. On equipment which is used exclusively for olive oil, there
Olives are washed to remove contaminants, such as dirt and leaves.
Bottling at Meshek Achiya, Shilo.
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My Israel Home T
Now’s a good time to create a list of your apartment priorities in descending order, including apartment size, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, parking spot, sukkah porch, garden, views, etc. Once you have prioritized your wish list, we can determine how much it will cost to fulfill your dream.
Step 4: A Good Lawyer is Worth His/Her Weight in Gold A
Five Steps to Make Your Israel Dream Home a Reality! By Gedaliah Borvick A reader who missed my home-buying workshops asked if I could write an article summarizing the program. Great idea; let’s jump right in: Buying an apartment in Israel can be a thrilling, yet daunting experience as you find yourself out of your “comfort zone,” confronted with many challenges stemming from language and cultural differences. To successfully navigate the process of purchasing a home in , you must take it one step at a time:
Step 1: Budget
You have found the right apartment; the next step is to choose the right attorney. Unlike the United States, there is no title insurance in Israel, nor is there a standard industry contract, so you need to retain a seasoned attorney who is current on all real estate issues in your neighborhood.
Step 5: Post Closing Once you own the apartment, you must ensure proper oversight of your property. If it will remain empty between your trips to Israel, I highly recommend hiring a property manager to collect the mail, pay your bills, represent your interests at building meetings, and regularly inspect your apartment. The issues we discussed above may sound daunting, but don’t despair. There are excellent and honest real estate professionals who will diligently represent your interests. If you surround yourself with the right people, they will help you avoid potential pitfalls and make your home-buying process a positive experience.
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Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home, a real estate agency helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. You may contact him at gborvick@myisraelhome.com. To read previous articles, please visit his blog at www.myisraelhome.com.
Determine how much money you can spend. When creating a budget, keep in mind that closing fees, including acquisition taxes, real estate agent, mortgage broker, appraiser and lawyer, can add up to 8% of the purchase price.
Step 2: Location Suppose you want to buy a home in Yerushalayim. Yerushalayim has over 75 neighborhoods! Where to begin? Take a deep breath. First, let’s determine where you will feel most comfortable. Are you observant? If so, would you define yourself as Yeshivish, Centrist, Modern, Chassidishe? By answering these questions, you have already pared down your neighborhood choices to a manageable number. Second, let’s focus on location; issues to consider include proximity to friends and family, religious and cultural institutions, shopping, transportation and parks.
B
Step 3: Usage
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How will you use the property? If as a vacation home, then you may want to be within walking distance of the Kotel. Or perhaps the kitchen size or room count might be secondary to the need for a sukkah balcony. However, if you are buying the property as an investment and planning to rent it out, proximity to the Kotel or the existence of a sukkah balcony might not be as im www.thaitreat.com portant, as the premium paid for such benefits is usually not recouped in the apart-
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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 17, 2011
ment’s rental rates. Another point: if you purchase an apartment for your own personal use, it may be a marvelous idea to buy a renovated unit. However, if you plan on renting it out, you may prefer to spend less money and buy an un-renovated apartment, as most tenants do not treat their homes with the same kid gloves as would an owner.
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K cuisine stronger muscles, bones and teeth. According to the International Dairy Foods Association, 1.5 ounces or about 3-4 natural* cheese cubes is considered a serving size. This is not a lot of cheese, but it is enough to give you the nutrition and taste you’re looking for. Very often less is more when cooking with cheese. “Overcheese-ing” is a good way to ruin an appetite – no one enjoys attempting to swallow a big wad of cheese, nor is it pleasant to the palate. However, a nice little shaving of Parmesan or Pecorino can add a unique complexity of flavor and texture to a dish, an incomparable finishing touch. Packages of pre-sliced cheese are very popular in the supermarket and convenient to use, but the sheer thickness of those slices can be overpowering in a sandwich or cooked dish; instead of enhancing your dish by adding a subtle nuance of flavor, all one tastes is a whole lot of cheese. Try buying whole blocks of cheese and make paper-thin slices yourself – not only will your meals taste better, but you’ll cut down on unnecessary fat, expense, and waste to boot. Nowadays, there are many terrific kosher cheeses out there from all over the world. New and exotic French and Italian cheeses are being imported every year. If you’re not ready for that just yet, there are some terrific domestic cheeses available as well. (My favorite is a special OU supervised run of sharp cheddar made by Cabot.) Chanukah is coming, so here’s your chance to go crazy and try some new cheesy recipes without the guilt! *”Natural” means real cheese, not American Processed Cheese Food
Say “Cheese”!
Here is an old classic that is effortless to put together. Serve as an appetizer or as a salad with your main meal.
By Naomi Ross
Caprese Salad
A cheese-lover such as me can’t help but get excited at the possibilities of an eight day holiday in which there is a custom to eat cheese. With Chanukah just around the corner, it is important to understand where this custom comes from. During the Greek rule, amongst all of the terrible decrees that were made in order to Hellenize the Jewish people, one of the most despicable was an order issued requiring all brides to have a “visit” with a Greek officer prior to their weddings. Yehudis, the daughter of Yochanan the High Priest , and a woman of great beauty, devised a plan. She sneaked into the camp of the Greeks and arranged a meeting with Holophernes, the Greek general. Whenile in his tent, Yehudis fed him a salty cheese in order to induce thirst. She gave him plenty of wine to drink until he became so drunk that he fell into a deep sleep. Our heroine then took his sword and beheaded him, carrying his head back to Jerusalem for all to see. As a result of her courageous plan, the Greek army became demoralized, Bnei Yisroel gained the courage to fight harder, and we became victorious over the Greeks. Yehudis had a keen understanding that as long as the tznius and purity of Jewish women was being compromised, victory over our enemies was not within our grasp. The cheese that we eat is a reminder of that fight, which continues to this day. Despite such a lofty track record, cheese still gets a bad rap these days. It’s too fattening, it’s too high in cholesterol, they say. But like anything, when consumed in moderation, cheese can add tremendous flavor to your cooking in addition to many healthful benefits. Many cheeses serve as a good source of protein, calcium and vitamin A – all helpful in developing
2 large vine-ripe tomatoes (heirloom beefsteaks in the summer!), sliced 1/4-inch thick 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/8-inch thick Kosher salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar 2 tsp. orange juice 8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (cut into very thin strips) Arrange the tomato and mozzarella slices on a platter or individual salad plates, alternating the slices and fanning them out like a deck of cards. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine oil, vinegar and orange juice in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Drizzle mixture over tomatoes and mozzarella. Sprinkle basil on top. Serve immediately and enjoy! Serves 4. For Naomi Ross, her kitchen is her canvas. As a kosher cooking instructor, food writer and recipe developer, Naomi strives to bring inspiration into the home kitchen, integrating cooking basics with a love of good food. Naomi lives with her husband, four children and grandmother in Woodmere, NY. She teaches regularly at the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts and the Kosher Culinary Institute of the Five Towns. In addition, she gives group demonstrations and private lessons throughout the tri-state area. To learn more check out her website: http://www.jewishcookingconcepts.com.
Tori Avey 1 cup lowfat ricotta cheese 8 oz. cream cheese 3 large eggs
Combine all ingredients except the oil in a food processor. Process the mixture for about 45 seconds, pausing a couple of times to scrape the sides, until the mixture forms a thick batter. Heat a small amount of oil in a large skillet— just enough to coat the bottom of the pan (about 1/2 cup for a large skillet). Use a spoon to scoop up the batter, then pour it in the size/shape of silver dollar pancakes into the hot oil. Use about 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake. If the batter seems too loose or unmanageable, add more flour by the tablespoonful until the batter is a better consistency. Fry the latkes for 1-2 minutes on each side until they turn golden brown. Expect some variation in the shape of the latkes, they won’t form a perfect circle. The latkes are done when they are evenly
Cheese Latkes
1 cup flour 3 tbsp granulated white sugar 1/2 tbsp kosher salt Grapeseed or canola oil, for frying
golden brown on the outside with a gooey, cheesy center. Drain the latkes in a single layer on a paper towel. Serve immediately. These latkes can be eaten plain or topped with a drizzle of honey. Other toppings include jam or preserves, sour cream, maple syrup, yogurt or agave nectar. Tori Avey is a culinary anthropologist, convert to Judaism, and her family’s resident chef. Her blog The Shiksa in the Kitchen explores the history of Jewish cuisine as well as other historical culinary topics. She focuses on the story behind the food– why we eat what we eat, how cultural foods have evolved, and how yesterday’s food can inspire us in the kitchen today. She also posts free kosher recipes that include stepby-step photos on TheShiksa.com. Tori’s food writing and photography has appeared on the websites of CNN, Bon Appetit, Zabars, LA Weekly and The Huffington Post. She’s also been a featured guest on Martha Stewart Living Radio and Chef Jamie Gwen’s radio program. Her website’s fan page is currently one of the fastest growing food pages on Facebook
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Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Holes with Apple Compote
Potato, sweet potato and cheese latkes Potato, sweet potato and cheese latkes Serves 8
By Elizabeth Kurtz My friend Lee Kushnir sent this to me a while ago. I can’t believe it took me so long to try it. The recipe makes about 24 doughnut holes which turns out not to be enough because they are so good out of the pot that they don’t make it to the table. Don’t skip the apple brandy or liqueur in the apple compote, it gives it a nice flavor that is hard to pinpoint but warms and spices the dish. Thanks Lee!
1 stick unsalted butter or margarine ¼ cup superfine sugar ½ cup cold water Pinch kosher salt 1 cup flour 4 medium eggs ¾ gallon peanut or vegetable oil, for deep-frying 1 cup superfine sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon FOR COMPOTE: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine 6 large Golden Delicious apples 2 tablespoons apple brandy, brandy or apple liqueur 2 tablespoons lemon juice ½ cup water 1/3 cup superfine sugar 1 vanilla bean, split in half and scraped ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon Directions Prepare cinnamon sugar by combining sugar and cinnamon in a flat, rimmed dish and mix well with a fork. Prepare dough by combining butter, sugar, salt and water in a medium saucepan and set over high heat. Bring to a boil then remove from heat and dump in the flour all at once. Using a wooden spoon stir well until the mixture comes together as a ball. Add eggs, 1 at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next (the dough should be nice and glossy when finished). To fry, heat oil in a heavy based pot (like a Dutch oven) to 365 degrees F. Using a 2-inch ice cream scoop, carefully drop a few balls at a time into the oil. Work in batches so as to not overcrowd the pot. Cook until golden and puffy – about 6 minutes. Use a mesh strainer or slotted metal spoon to remove from oil and place directly onto dish of cinnamon sugar. Roll around to coat evenly all over. Serve doughnuts warm with apple compote.
Ingredients 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cooked 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cooked 7 oz kashkaval cheese 3.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled 3.5 oz parmesan cheese, grated ½ cup chives, chopped 1 cup flour 8 eggs Salt, ground black pepper Oil for frying Preparation Puree potatoes and sweet potatoes. Add remaining ingredients and stir into a smooth mixture. Heat oil for deep-frying. Pour batter into oil in latke shapes and fry both sides until golden. Place on paper towels. Serve with sour cream and applesauce.
Ingredients
Zucchini Pancakes
1 ½ pounds zucchini 6 scallions, thinly sliced ¼ cup chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried dill 8 ounces low-fat feta cheese 1 teaspoon paprika ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour 3 eggs, beaten Olive oil for frying Directions
Grate the zucchini coarsely. (A food processor works well.) Add the scallions, dill, cheese, paprika, flour and eggs. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. (I use a non-stick pan.) Drop the zucchini mixture by large tablespoons and spread them out to make thin patties. Cook until crisp and brown on both sides. Makes about 24 small pancakes. Recipe courtesy of Hazon and the Jewish Carrot
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ DEC. 15, 2011
A Chanukah Miracle Replace the regular potato latkes with something unusual this Chanukah! Here is a different and delicious recipe brought to you by Maruan Aliane, Head Chef of the Prima Royale Hotel, Jerusalem.
36 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ DEC. 15, 2011
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Middle East
by Jonathan Feldstein
Who most successfully discriminates against, brutalizes, and slaughters its own citizens? Let’s take a look at our contestants. Every night, I sit down to watch the world’s newest TV reality show. Unlike a scripted, well-choreographed, high-priced show, the show I am watching is evolving in real time before our eyes, on the nightly news, “The Bad Boy of the Middle East.” The main difference between a commercial TV reality show and this one is that it’s hard to determine who the winner will be, if there will be a winner at all and, if so, what that winner will get in lieu of the cash prize most shows offer. Who is the Bad Boy of the Middle East? It’s the one who most successfully discriminates against, brutalizes, and slaughters its own citizens. Let’s take a look at some of our contestants. Algeria – To put up a buffer against the wave of protests enveloping North African neighbors Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, Algeria ended its two-decade-old state of emergency and will try to hold off other protests. Not the worst offender in terms of brutalizing its own citizens, but not a shining light of democracy either. A long shot to win the title, but in changing times, one never knows. Egypt – The Arab spring was highlighted by the toppling of Egypt’s long time, and less than democratic President Hosni Mubarak. Violence that erupted, then took the summer off, only now to rear its head again with hundreds of thousands protesting in the streets and dozens killed, so far. An Islamist victory will certainly lead to repression, especially among Egypt’s 8 million Christians. Iran – The bad boy of the bad boys. Their President doesn’t even try to lie about what they want to do to us. They just lie about making the weapons to use to do it. Iran gets extra credit for lying and making outrageous statements, and getting spineless other states to go along with them. They also get extra points for arming a network of like minded terrorists to destabilize Gaza, Lebanon, Iraq, just to name a few. Before any Arab spring, the Iranians put down a post election fraud revolt that was starting. Since then, the winds of summer, fall and winter have not reached the sails of Iranians who would like to live with a sense of freedom and democracy. Definitely a front runner from brutalizing their own citizens and threatening the rest of us. Iraq – Depending on what comes, Iraqis may long for the days that their “only” problem was being tortured by their former president Saddam Hussein. Fighting between the Shia, Sunni and Kurdish populations was, and probably always exist. Terrorist attacks by one group to another are common. As soon as the U.S. and other troops exit, Iran is sitting next door waiting to pounce and destabilize further. Whether the Iraqis win or not, one thing that’s almost certain is that Iraqis will surely spill one another’s blood for some time to come. Jordan – The Hashemite kingdom deserves credit for hanging on. A real democracy it isn’t, but it certainly isn’t one of the most brutal of Arab states. There’s a healthy struggle between an indigenous population that’s largely Palestinian, and a minority represented by the monarchy. The monarchy hasn’t really brutalized the Palestinians since the later challenged the former in 1970. It’s not certain that if a new challenge were to arise that King Abdullah could get away with a new Black September as his father did. Jordan changes governments as a national past time, and with the heat of the Arab spring, has done so
again. For the moment, the King is stable. For the moment. Lebanon – This country gives definition to the word unstable. With a civil war that lasted decades, occupation by Syria, two wars with Israel as a result of the Lebanese firing rockets at Israel and attacking its citizens, murder of their popular Prime Minister, and the destabilizing imposition of Hezbollah as a terrorist entity now occupying seats in their parliament and maintaining their own army within an army, the only thing that makes Lebanon look good today are the horrors taking place next door in Syria. Lebanon is too torn and divided to be The Bad Boy today, but tomorrow is another day. Libya – The dust hasn’t settled since the revolution that ousted, captured and then killed its maniac dictator, so it’s unclear what will be. Between Qaddafi the father and Qaddafi the son (Seif ), the Libyan people have been terrorized and butchered for decades, and Libya also exported its terror. Extra credit for, while doing this, bullying the Brits to release the mastermind of the Lockerbie terrorist attack, while enabling British companies to sign lucrative oil deals with Qaddafi and company. Morocco – it’s not impossible that the wave of revolutionary fervor sweeping across northern Africa could go as far west as Morocco. But compared to others, Morocco is less at risk, therefore less internal brutalizing of its citizens. What will come of an Islamic party winning the recent elections there and whether it’s a threat to the long term monarchy remains to be seen. Palestinian Authority – Like Alcoholics Anonymous, the PA is governed by a “recovering” terrorist group, the PLO, and one that hasn’t even realized that there’s a problem in being a terrorist organization, Hamas. The internal strife between the two is severe, despite the whitewash of “unity” they paint periodically for the world to see, and each targets the other’s supporters, leading to murder and terrorizing of the people they claim to represent in a power struggle that has long term implications. Saudi Arabia – The enlightened, oil rich desert kingdom gives women new rights to go out of their homes and go to university, even allowing one woman to represent the Saudis in the upcoming Olympic Games. Maybe the Saudi people will be appeased by this and the wave of unrest hitting the rest of the world will pass by like a desert storm. Saudis still behead people convicted of certain crimes and chop off hands of criminals. Unless there’s a wave of dissent against the well entrenched monarchy, it’s not likely that the Saudis will be serious contenders. Syria – Poor Bashar Assad can’t get a break. He wants to unleash the full force of the Syrian military against his people, like the Iranians want him to, and like his father did. But Bashar just can’t fill his father’s big brutal shoes. He’s had more than 3500 people killed this year alone. Even the Arab League suspended and sanctioned Syria. As an assembly of some of the least democratic and most authoritarian countries in the world, their standards are far from western, or enlightened. So when they don’t like what another member is doing and sanction that member, it’s got to be really bad. Tunisia – Other than angry fruit vendors setting themselves on fire because of a little police brutality, the protest and violence that enveloped Tunisia has largely passed. They set off a chain reaction that’s not stopped, but Tunisia’s issues are mostly self contained and they don’t pose a great threat to their own people or others. A for Assist, but no real great chance at Tunisia winning the Bad Boy title.
Turkey – The Turks might get some sympathy after two serious earthquakes, but the real issue is their on and off cozying/conflicting with Iran and how that plays out domestically. They continue to fight against their own Kurdish population, support terrorist organizations, and have led the charge against neighbor Syria, while absorbing tens of thousands of refugees. But, if they step too far out of the box, or if the Kurds in Iraq are emboldened in the deterioration of their country, it could create a new challenge for Turkey, one which they might just seek advice on repressing the population from the Syrians they are now sanctioning. Yemen – The country is a vacuum even with its’ hated and brutal dictator who is offering terms to step down that have not been acceptable, all the while breeding a local Al Qaida chapter that’s among the most radical. They may brutalize their own people but as a backwater, like in the movie, most won’t care as “what happens in Yemen stays in Yemen.” Israel a Contender? While situated in the Middle East, the only thing that makes Israel a contender is the international media and UN taking things that pale by comparison to the brutality of all the rest of the region and making Israel out to be a monster. The truth is that even the “occupied” Palestinians have a better and freer life than most of their Mid Eastern brethren, and this is depicted by protesters throughout the region saying that they want a democracy like Israel on one hand, while calling for destroying Israel on the other. Also, that Arabs and Jews can protest freely in Israel without fear of government or military reprisals make Israel not even qualified to enter for the title. If there’s one thing that these conflicts in the Middle East tell us, it’s that Israel is not the root of all the problems, that making peace with the Palestinians won’t begin to make the rest of the problems go away, and that when Arabs kill one another, it’s accepted as the norm, (boys will be boys). And when Israel shoots tear gas or rubber bullets at Palestinians, it’s front page news as “proof ” that Israel is anti-democratic, apartheid, or the biggest offender of human rights and perpetrator of “war crimes” in the world. Of course, when these countries and their third world allies stand in judgment, it’s no wonder. Maybe that’s also part of what makes a real Bad Boy the worst, the ability to deflect criticism and blame for their own criminal acts and human rights violations, and point a finger at Israel. 64 years after the world voted to create a Jewish and an Arab state in British occupied Palestine, if the Arabs would accept the formula of two states for two people, as Israel did then and still does, this would be one of the easiest problems to solve in the Middle East. But based on the ongoing conflicts that are pervasive throughout the region, highlighted by governments discriminating against, repressing, and killing their own citizens almost as an Olympic sport, it’s unlikely that even the long awaited resolution to the challenges Israel faces of being accepted by its neighbors will make any impact on the wider problems. Israel does serve an important role for its neighbors, to be the punching bag to deflect domestic issues. Rather than accept responsibility and accountability for their own behavior, they blame Israel for all their problems and use that to leverage support of the people they abuse in their own countries
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ DEC. 15, 2011
Bad Boy of the Middle East
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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME â– DEC. 15, 2011
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Yigal Allon and Operation Yoav The Israeli War of Independence in 1948 was fought against Arab countries that ignored the UN Partition Plan and were doing everything they could to backstab and kick out the Jews. In the south, the Egyptians were very much a part of this treachery and disregarded a truce between the two countries in October of that year. They were attacking IDF outposts and convoys that were passing through the road from Yerushalyim to Chevron and BeerSheva. Since the area that was being occupied by the Egyptians consisted of over 50 percent of the land that was allocated to Israel and there was serious concern that the UN would award the land to the Arabs, the Israeli government gave the operation high priority. The commander of the force was Yigal Allon and there were three full brigades and forces from other assorted units under his command. Their main objective was to open a road to the Negev, but Allon realized the political ramifications if the enemy was still there so he sought to drive them out completely. The attack was given the code-name Operation Yoav after a fallen comrade. The Israelis opened the offensive on October 15 in the evening with the bombing of Egyptian airfields, which effectively kept the sky clear of all enemy aircraft for the
duration of the battle. The commando brigade from the Yiftach Brigade mined the railway to prevent reinforcements from reaching the front. As this brigade moved onto their next objective of attacking enemy encampments, units from the Givati Brigade forced a wedge southwards to the east of Iraq El-Manshiyeh, thus cutting the road between Faluja and Beit Guvrin. The next morning, tanks from the 8th Armored Brigade and forces from the Negev Brigade opened an offensive on El-Manshiyeh. They were up against fortified defenses and suffered heavily losing four tanks for their efforts. The Israelis then turned their attention to the Givati Junctions, and with the Givati Brigade they achieved a breakthrough and made an attack west of Faluja at a place called Hill 113. The hand-to-hand fighting was extremely fierce (some soldiers even reported being bit by the enemy) with the Israelis finally capturing Hill 113 and driving a wedge into Egyptians positions. Even with these successes, time was running out to open the road to the Negev. The UN Security Council was pushing for a cease-fire and Yigal Allon realized that more action needed to be taken. On October 19, the Givati Brigade moved to attack the Huleiqat defense system, and after another bitter fight and 100 Egyptian dead, it was defeated and the road was open. Their next objective was to capture the capital of the Negev, Beersheva. Early in the morning on October 21, the Givati and the 8th Armored Brigades opened the attack. Some units were placed on outlaying roads to prevent reinforcements while other units shelled enemy positions. There was a divisionary action in the direction of Chevron and other units went into Beersheva. After five hours of fierce fighting, the garrison of 500 Egyptians surrendered to the IDF. Only 60 Israeli soldiers were sent into the city itself but they had a selfpropelled gun that caused the enemy to panic and finally give up. The Egyptians were now cut off and in four pockets. Major Gamal Abdul Nasser, the future Egyptian president, served as the operations officer in the Faluja pocket. The truce came at 3PM on October 22, but the offensive continued. The IDF captured the police fort of Beit Guvrin on the 27 and the Egyptians retreated from Ashdod the next day and Majdal on November 6. Three days later, the Iraq Seuden fortress on the coast was finally captured. It had been the site of many failed attacks and the Israelis named it Yoav Fortress in honor of the success of the operation. The Givati Brigade now has a museum on the site. In addition to the Yiftach, Givati, Negev and 8th Armored Brigades, the Harel and Oded Brigades also played a big part in the capture of the southern part of Israel. The Israeli Navy also took part in the operation and sank the Egyptian flagship, the Emir Farouk. The offensive, also called Operation Ten Plagues, was a huge success as it opened a corridor to the Negev and regained ground that was allotted to them by the UN. It also caused the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip to jump from 100,000 to 230,000 people. Israel now had much more breathing room to stage more attacks on the Arabs and finally win the War of Independence.
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CHAl WOK 305-705-2110 www.chaiwokmiami.com 1688 NE 164th Street, North Miami Beach, FL 33162
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ DEC. 15, 2011
Holllywood Hollywood y Sara’s Sara ’s Kosher Kosh osher h R her Restaurant es estaurant
42 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ DEC. 15, 2011
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Dining Guide
41 ON THE BAY
CAFE VERT
4101 Pinetree Drive Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-535-4101 Rabbinic Supervision: Kosher-Miami
9490 Harding Ave. Surfside, FL 33154 305-867-3151 Supervision: OK
ASIA Sushi, Wok, Grill
CHAI WOK
7600 W Camino Real Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-544-8100 Supervision: ORB
1688 NE 164 Street North Miami Beach, FL 33162 305-705-2110 Supervision: Kosher Miami
ASI’S
CHINA BISTRO
4020 Royal Palm Ave Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-604-0555 Supervision: Kosher-Miami
3565 NE 207th Street Aventura, FL 33180 305-936-0755 Supervision: Kosher Miami
ASI’S GRILL AND SUSHI BAR
CINE CITTA MIAMI
4020 Royal Palm Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-604-0555 Supervision: Kosher Miami
9544 Harding Avenue Surfside, FL 33154 305-407-8319 Supervision: OK
AT YAKOV
CUSINE BY SILVIA
5800 Stirling Road Hollywood, FL 33021 954-981-7710 Supervision: ORB
141 Via Naranjas, suite 45b Boca Raton Fl 33434 561-361-3939 Supervision: ORB
AVENTURA PITA 18129 Biscayne Blvd. Aventura, FL 33160 305-933-4040
B & H PIZZA 233 95th Street Surfside, FL 33154 786-245-5557 Supervision: Kosher Miami
BAGEL TIME 3915 Alton Road Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-538-0300 Supervision: Circle K
BLUE STAR TAVERNA 2221 N. Federal Hwy, Hollywood, Fl 33020 954-639-7875 BOCA PITA EXPRESS Middle Eastern Israeli cuisine & grill 7185 N. Beracasa Way Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-750-0088 Supervision: ORB
BON AMI CAFE 5650 Stirling Road Hollywood, FL 33021 (954) 962-2070 Supervision: ORB
CAFE EMUNAH 3558 North Ocean Dr. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 954-561-6411 Supervision: ORB
ELIES CAFE 145 East Flagler Miami, FL 33131 786-594-0196 Supervision: Kosher-Miami
ELSIE’S CAFE Located in the North Miami Beach JCC 18900 NE 25th Avenue North Miami Beach, FL 33180 305-778-5946 Supervision: Kosher Miami FRESH CAFE 2214 NE 123 Street North Miami, FL 33181 305-891-8848 Supervision: Kosher Miami GIGI’S CAFE 3585 NE 207th Street Aventura, FL 33180 305-466-4648 Supervision: Kosher Miami GRILL TIME 16145 Biscayne Blvd. North Miami Beach, FL 33160 786-274-8935 | 305-491-3325 Supervision: ORB GRILL TIME RESTAURANT Fusion Steak House 8177 Glades Road Boca Raton, FL 33434 (561) 482-3699 | Fax: (561) 487-4044 Supervision: ORB
HARBOUR GRILL 9415 Harding Avenue Surfside, FL 33154 305-861-0787 Supervision: Kosher Miami HOLLYWOOD DELI 6100 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, FL 33024 (954) 608-5790 Supervision: ORB JCC CAFE American 9801 Donna Klein Blvd at Cultural Arts Center Boca, Raton, FL 33428 561-852-3200 x 4103 | Supervision: ORB JERUSALEM PIZZA 761 NE 167th Street North Miami Beach, FL 33162 305-653 6662 | Supervision: Kosher Miami JONA’S GRILL & BAR 2520 NE 186th Street North Miami Beach, FL 33180 305-466-0722 Supervision: Kosher-Miami JONAS PIZZA 2530 NE Miami Gardens Drive North Miami Beach, FL 33180 305-918-8998 Supervision: Kosher-Miami JONAS PIZZA 544 w 41st Miami Beach Fl 33140 305-397-8395 Supervision: OK JON’S PLACE OF BOCA Pizzeria 22191 Powerline Road Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-338-0008 Supervision: ORB KIKAR TEL-AVIV RESTAURANT Chinese and Continental Cuisine Carriage Club North 5005 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-866-3316 Supervision: OK Laboratories
L’CHAIM MEE CHINA ORIENTAL RESTAURANT 3940 North 46 Avenue Hollywood, FL 33021 954-986-1770 Supervision: ORB
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Dining Guide
43
PITA PLUS 1883w3 Biscayne Boulevard Aventura, FL 33180 305-935-0761
SUBWAY 18900 NE 25th Ave North Miami Beach, FL 33180 305-663-9883 Supervision: Kosher-Miami
LUL GRILL CAFE 18288 Collins Avenue Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160 305-933-0199 Rabbinic Supervision: OK
PITA PLUS 3801 N. University Dr. Sunrise, FL 33351 954-741-5844
SUNRISE PITA & GRILL 2680 N University Dr. Sunrise, FL 33322 954-748-0090
PRIME SUSHI 726 Arthur Godfrey Road Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-534-0551 Supervision: Kosher-Miami Cholov Yisroel
SUNRISE PITA TOO 5650 Stirling Rd. Hollywood, FL 33021 954-963-0093 Supervision: ORB
MAOZ VEGETARIAN Town Center Mall 6000 Glades Road #1175 Boca Raton, FL 33431, 561-393-6269 | Fax: 561-393-6532 Rabbinical Supervision: National Orthodox Rabbinical Organization MILKY CAFÉ 4579 N Pine Island Road Sunrise Fl 33351 954-533-5325 Supervision - ORB MOZART'S - 1250 West Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach, FL 33422, 954-531-1263 - 18110 Collins Avenue, Sunny Isles, FL 33160 - 4433 Stirling Road, Hollywood, FL 33021 954-584-5171 Supervision: ORB
NEWTIME Moroccan and Spanish cuisine 2120 N.E. 123rd Street North Miami Beach, FL 33181 305-891-6336 Supervision: Kosher Miami ORCHIDS GARDEN 9045 La Fontana Boulevard Boca Raton, FL 33434 561-482-3831 Supervision: ORB ORIGINAL PITA HUT 5304 41 Street Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-531-6090 Supervision: ORD PITA LOCA 601 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33139 305-673-3388 Supervision: Kosher Miami PITA PLUS 2145 Stirling Road Hollywood, FL 33312 954-241-2011
PRIME SUSHI 18250 Collins Avenue Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160 786-284-8430 Supervision: Kosher-Miami RARE STEAKHOUSE 468 W 41st Street Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-532-7273 Supervision: Kosher-Miami RITZ RESTAURANT 1678 NE Miami Gardens Dr. North Miami Beach, FL 33179 305-354-9303 Supervision: Kosher-Miami SAGI’S MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 22767 US Highway 441 Boca Raton, FL 33428 561-477-0633 Supervision: ORB SARA’S 3944 N 46th Street Hollywood, FL 33021 954-986-1770 Supervision: ORB SEVENTEEN 1205 17 Street Miami Beach, FL 33139 305-672-0565 Supervision: Kosher-Miami SHALOM HAIFA RESTAURANT 18533 W. Dixie Hwy Aventura, FL 33180 305-945-2884 Supervision: ORB
SHEM TOV’S PIZZA 514 41st Street Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-538-2123 Supervision: Kosher Miami
TASTI CAFE 4041 Royal Palm Ave. Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-673-5483 Supervision: Kosher Miami Dairy THAI TREAT & SUSHI & BOMBAY GRILL 2176 NE 123rd Street North Miami, FL 33181 305-892-1118 Supervision: Kosher-Miami THE FAMOUS PITA BURGER BAR 18798 W Dixie Hwy North Miami Beach, FL 33180 305-682-9692 Supervision: Kosher-Miami URBAN BAGEL 2790 Stirling rd Hollywood Fl 33020
WEBER CAFE 3565 NE 207th Street Aventura, FL 33180 (305) 935-5580 Supervision: Kosher Miami WEST AVENUE CAFE 959 West Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33139 305-534-4211 Supervision: Kosher Miami YAMI YAMI 5021 State Road 7, Davie, FL 33314 954-534-1158 Supervision: ORB
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ DEC. 15, 2011
LEVY’S KOSHER OF HOLLYWOOD 3357 Sheridan Street Hollywood, FL 33021 954-983-2825 Supervision: ORB
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ DEC. 15, 2011
44
Josh Post
“So...Where`re We Going” by Josh Post I get this question asked to me time & time again. Even if the person has neither the time nor the money, invariably I will hear “so ...where`re we going”?! There is a certain aura surrounding a cruise vacation that makes people want to know about it. As the saying goes “there’s nothing like a cruise vacation”. This is even more so for a kosher cruise. You truly get the best of both worlds. On one hand you get the awesome experience of being on a first class, high end luxury ocean liner; a veritable floating hotel. Onboard passengers indulge in such amenities as spa, sauna, jacuzzi, gym, pool, casino, bars, shows, auctions to name a few. When the ship docks; usually 3-4 times per sailing, you disembark to visit a different city or country each time. All this without packing & unpacking over & over again. On the other hand a Kosher cruise offers minyanim, shiurim, Daf Yomi, lectures, concerts & of course gourmet Glatt Kosher cuisine. This turns a vacation into a “vacation of a lifetime”. Instead of “surviving” on cold cereal & tinfoil dinners, there are 3 full fresh gourmet meals plus afternoon snacks & late night buffets. Breakfast is among other things; omelets made to order, pancakes, fresh baked croissants, muffins, bagels with fine cheeses & lox. Lunch is either a meat or dairy buffet filled with many delectable hot entrees & a full salad & dessert bar. Dinner is elegant sit down fine dining with main courses of prime rib, duck, lamb chops, veal chops, thick steaks, spare ribs...paired up with a nice Cabernet or Chardonnay! We live in a hectic fast paced world, with little time to think or reflect. The antidote to this is relaxing on your private veranda while watching the calm serene waters slowly drift on by. So...”where`re we going”? Well, I’m off to the Caribbean on January 8th & I hope you`ll join me!
Josh Post
45 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ DEC. 15, 2011
46 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ DEC. 15, 2011
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Health & Fitness In The Know With Dr. Bo: Your Guide to Weight Loss & Nutrition Hi, Dr. Bo. I know that water is an extremely important aspect of healthy living and weight loss, but can you tell me exactly what those benefits are? I have a slight addiction to soda and find it very difficult to drink something that lacks any sort of flavor. Any tips or information on the subject would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! -Emily H., New York, N.Y.
Dr. Bo: Thanks for the great question, Emily. As a former soda drinker, I know exactly how you feel (as do most Americans). Water isn’t always the exciting choice, but once you understand the benefits and how drastically it can change the way you look and feel, that choice becomes the obvious one. The fact that the average adult is made up of 60% water shows how important it is to constantly replenish what you lose throughout the course of a day. Treat your body like your car and please don’t drive on an empty tank. This essential liquid aids us in a variety of different ways. Water flushes out the toxins in our liver and kidneys, effectively delivers nutrients to our cells, keeps our joints healthy and loose, and helps combat constipation. Dehydration alters these processes and can make losing weight, which is difficult in its own right, an even harder thing to do. Water helps with the absorption of nutrients, which is extremely vital to weight loss. If we’re not getting the proper nutrients because of dehydration, our body will metabolize what we eat at a slower rate. It’s imperative that we don’t create any discord between the different functions of our body. Dieting is difficult… try not to sabotage yourself by putting extra stumbling blocks in your path. When it comes to how much water is appropriate to drink, that number can fluctuate. It varies based on a few different factors. Weight, exercise regimen, and individual physiological makeup, all play a role. The Institute of Medicine states that men should drink about 3 liters (13 cups) of water a day, while women should consume around 2.2 liters (9 cups) a day. However, the standard number that most people abide by is 8 cups a day. Since we lose water through perspiration, breathing, and urination, it’s extremely important that we constantly replenish. Here are some tips on water that you may find useful: If you are bloated and suffer from water retention, the cure is… more water! In terms of appearances, water can help you look less bloated and make your skin glow. You may think that drinking less will make that water weight in your belly go away, but this is the last thing you should do. Similar to how our body holds onto fat and slows weight loss if we starve ourselves, the same can be said for water. Our body senses dehydration and retains the water as a reserve. If that doesn’t help, another cause could be a diet that’s high in sodium. Lowering your salt intake to 1,000-3,500mg per day can reduce that water retention. If drinking plain water is difficult, there are other non-fat, artificial-sweetener-free ways to satisfy your daily intake. Some people just aren’t that thrilled with drinking water. It’s understandable and there are things you can drink besides boring old water. Healthy alternatives to soda and sugary drinks are seltzer, club soda, herbal tea, Crystal Light Pure, and Vitamin Water Zero. These drinks are full of flavor and won’t hit you where it hurts… the scale. Also, you can get a lot of your daily fluid intake from citrus fruits. Not only are they nutritious, but they also contain a high content of fiber that will help rid you of water retention. Drinking water is a very good thing, but sometimes, too much of a good thing can be bad. While it’s extremely difficult to overhydrate, it is possible to drink too much water. It’s important not to overdo it, especially if you haven’t eaten anything. It’s a rare occurrence, but the people who are most susceptible to overhydrating are infants, marathon runners and endurance athletes, and anyone who pushes their body too hard in extreme heat. When you consume large quantities of water and electrolytes aren’t properly replenished, you’re at risk for overhydrating. If you are drinking the proper amount of water and can’t seem to quench your thirst, see a physician for underlying causes. The medical term for “extreme thirst” is polydipsia. The etymology is from the Greek words poly (many) and dipsia (thirst). It’s a symptom that is generally associated with diabetes. If this is something that you frequently experience, see your physician immediately. A zinc deficiency can also be to blame for this. If that’s the case, a zinc supplement can help. It allows your body to absorb fluids and retain proper sodium levels.
Dr. Bo Rosenblat is a board-certified medical doctor with office locations in Pembroke Pines, Hewlett, and Manhattan. For more information about Dr. Bo’s Diet, please call 954-436-6697. Have a question about diet or nutrition? Email Dr. Bo at info@drbosdiet.com and it may be featured in a future column.
47
Greece has been in the news a lot lately as it is a major contributor to the economic downward spiral in Europe. But putting economics aside, Greece holds a lot of history, and, particularly around Chanukah time, played a large role in our Jewish history and exile. Athens is the capital and largest city in Greece. In its Golden Age, Athens was seen as the cradle of philosophy and art. The Hellenists and Epicureans viewed life as a purely physical, pleasurable medium devoid of Gd and afterlife. Modern-day Athens pays homage to its culture yet brings contemporary vibrancy to its core. Athenians are laid-back and easy going. The city seems to come to life after dark, with nightclubs and entertainment lighting up the town.
Hadrian’s Arch
Hadrian’s Arch is many times seen as the symbolic entrance to the city. Hadrian erected this enormous triumphal arch during his reign. He had the inscription written on one side of the arch, “This is Athens, the ancient city of Theseus.” On the other side of the arch, he inscribed, “This is the city of Hadrian, not of Theseus.”
Central Market
Things You Won’t Want to Miss
This open-air, open-stall market runs along Athinas. Visitors can mix with the locals and sample delicious fruits and vegetables, cheeses and olives. Shops sell live poultry and fish, whose smell permeates the air on hot days.
The Acropolis
Flea Market
Known as the “High City,” the Acropolis refers to the ancient city of upper Athens. It takes around 4 hours to climb the table-top hill. Spending time there allows visitors to enjoy the views and see how the changing lights dance on the hill. On the top of the Acropolis rests the Parthenon, a temple built in honor of goddess Athena. Visitors cannot enter the Parthenon, but can admire its grandeur and proportions. During the summer months, the heat can be stifling here. It is best to visit the Acropolis in the evening during the summer season when there are less visitors and it is much cooler. Be sure to visit the Acropolis Museum located here which houses over 4,000 pieces and works of art and history.
For a little bit of fun and a taste of what really goes on in this city, take a stroll through the flea market on Sunday morning. Everything is sold here, from old matchboxes to army uniforms and sewing machines. The scene is exciting and slightly chaotic—remember to bring along your bargaining skills and never pay for anything “as marked.”
Jewish Museum
National Gardens
Greek’s Jewish community was virtually wiped out during the Holocaust. This small museum holds remnants of Jewish life in Greece. It also contains an impressive reconstruction of the Patras synagogue.
When you are tired and looking for a respite of the action, take time to visit the National Gardens. The gardens are home to meandering paths and foliage. Ponds with ducks and peacocks and a small zoo will delight younger travelers.
Kolonaki Square This is the place to see and be seen. Locals gather here for coffee, a place to read a newspaper and for chatting with friends. Celebrities and stars can be spotted at the cafés around the perimeter of the square.
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ DEC. 15, 2011
Athens, Greece
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ DEC. 15, 2011
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49
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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ DEC. 15, 2011
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Private all-girls Orthodox School Seeks Full-time Super-Secretary Effective Immediately Please e-mail office@shaareibina.org
Seeking Part Time Business Assistant The position will require -General admin support -Written correspondence -Good Organisation Skills -Computer literate
Fax resume to 954-416-6407
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51
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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ DEC. 15, 2011
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