Jewish News Supplement - 5.22.23 Dads & Men

THE HUMUSIYA: Feeding your roots

Eitan Altschuler

They say, “we are what we eat.” Maybe this is because food is more than just the building blocks of our physical body. . .it is also feeds our spirit. It reflects our emotions, “I need something fried today!” our attitude, “I am feeling bold and spicy!” and our joy, “We have to celebrate with something sweet!” What would Jewish holidays be without food?!?

It just has this unmatched ability to transport us to a place within ourselves.

We are also “who we eat with.” In addition to the aromas and fl avors of food, the company and conversation associated with meals can be just as important. Jews are a people, not only a religion, so just as we pray within a minyan, shouldn’t we also eat together?

The Humusiya is bringing the culinary soul of Israel to Hampton Roads. Its website, www.humusiya.com, is live,

and its daily menu is posted at the Cardo Cafe’ at the Sandler Family Campus. Monday through Friday, 9 am until 2 pm, The Humusiya is open with sit-down or take away service, along with DoorDash delivery. In addition to the daily menu, requests for special catering are possible via the website.

It is hoped that this food will bring people together from all walks of life: secular, religious, Jewish, and non-Jewish. The unaffiliated will have a chance to connect to their heritage as well as increase their exposure to Jewish culture. Plus, it could be a unique bonus for visiting the JCC or becoming a member.

Recently, my non-Jewish best friend, a good southern boy, told me he would like to get to know the Jewish community

better. He asked if I would take him to synagogue, but “not for the service, only for the food afterwards.”

A Humusiya, in this case, is exactly what my friend is looking for. Perhaps, in these times, when so much about Jews and Israel are misunderstood, it could raise greater familiarity with the community and awareness of its perspective.

If I learned anything from my time in Israel, it is that our Jewish experience is so much more natural and meaningful when it is blended into our everyday life. If we do this right, maybe we can foster a new way of connecting to and sharing our Jewish identities while being a model for other Jewish communities in the diaspora. Looking forward to serving you soon!

Rabbi Adam Zagoria-Moffet

(JTA) — Perhaps the strangest part was sitting through a Sunday service in the 1,000-year-old nave of St. Albans Cathedral (the longest nave in England!) and hearing the Hebrew Bible (specifically I Kings 1:32-40) read aloud in English. Maybe stranger yet was hearing part of that passage set to the music of 17th-century maestro George Friedrich Handel! These, and many other oddities, were only a fraction of the wonderful and unusual experiences of being an American-born British rabbi during the first coronation this country has seen in 70 years.

As with the funeral last year of the late Queen Elizabeth, the scale of organization and competence required to pull off such an event is astounding. For a country where it often feels that smallscale bureaucracy can get in the way of day-to-day life, the coronation was, by all accounts, seamless. This of course makes it the exception rather than the rule, as coronations past were often marred by logistical issues, bad luck, and sometimes straight-up violence.

It was the coronation of Richard I in 1189 that unleashed anti-Jewish massacres and pogroms across the country and led to the York Massacre in 1190, in which more than 150 local Jews killed themselves after being trapped in Clifford’s Tower, which was set ablaze by an angry mob. During that year there were attacks in London, Lynn, Bury St. Edmunds, Stamford, Lincoln, Colchester, and others. It was exactly 100 years later, in 1290, that Edward I would expel Jews from England altogether. They wouldn’t return (officially) for 400 years — or get an official apology from the church for 800.

The recent coronation’s weekend’s festivities, thankfully, were of a very different caliber. Not only were Jewish communities front and center, but Jews, religious and not, were active and welcome participants in the ceremony in Westminster Abbey. Indeed, despite the ceremony taking place

on Shabbat, the United Synagogue (a mainstream Orthodox denomination that accounts for 40-45% of British Jewish synagogue membership) was represented

by Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, who, together with other faith leaders, played a role in greeting the king as he left the church. This was especially unusual as it has long been

the position of the United Synagogue that their rabbis and members should not go into churches (much less on Shabbat). In Continued on page 16

Continued from page 15 many ways, this demonstrates one of the consistent themes of the coronation: the interruption of normal routine and the continued exceptionalism of the royal family.

Judaism is agnostic, at best, about kings. Our own monarchy came about because the people insisted on it, but against the will of the prophet Samuel against the desire of God. Once it was established — a process

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which involved several civil wars, a lot of bloodshed, and the degradation of many historical elements of Israelite society — it did, for a brief time, bring some stability to the fragile confederacy of Israelite tribes. But it was really only the half-century golden era under King Solomon that managed this feat. After him, and ever since, the monarchy has been a source of confl ict and violence. While we still hope that a righteous heir

of the Davidic monarchy will reappear and take their place as king of Israel, we, famously, are not holding our breath.

Our approach to non-Jewish monarchs is even more complex. Whilst King Charles III was being coronated to the words of our holy texts and being anointed in oil (the ceremony for our monarchs) from the Mount of Olives (in our holy land), we were at the same time reciting a litany of prayers, as we do daily, to remind us (in the words of our prayers): “We have no king but You” (Avinu Malkeinu); “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom” (Ashrei); “God is King, God has ruled, God will rule forever (Y’hi Khavod); “God’s kingship is true there is none else” (Aleinu).

These words were chosen by our sages for our prayers in part because they shared the biblical anxiety about monarchs. Halacha, Jewish law, does retain the notion of a king over Israel, but that king is so heavily bound by legislation, it is far from the absolutist monarchies of most of Europe.

being a Yankee, I’m not also a republican (an anti-monarchist, in the British context). Indeed, while I have my doubts about the idea of monarchy and while, religiously, there is a strong argument against human authority, the monarchy as it operates in modern Britain is fairly compatible with the idea of kingship as established by halacha — restrained, limited, and primarily occupied with being a moral exemplar rather than an authoritarian ruler. Maybe then it shouldn’t be so strange that so much of the ceremonies were drawn from our texts, and so much of the symbolism referential to our tradition. We can be grateful that King Charles’s coronation, the first in a generation, went off without a hitch and without bloodshed, and with the support and involvement of a diverse representation of Britain’s peoples and faiths.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY

However, since 1688 at least, after the brief (and failed) experiment with the notion of divine right of kings, England (and now the United Kingdom) has endorsed the notion of a constitutional monarch — a king or queen who is esteemed, but also bound by the law and by restrictions imposed by the people. In practice, this makes today’s monarchy an awful lot like that of ancient Israel, and very different from historic European monarchies, as well as very different from how Americans and others often see it. After nearly six years living and working on these green isles, I’ve come to appreciate the complexities and absurdities of the British monarchy, and to value the role that the ceremonies play in the collective life of Britons.

Many here are surprised to fi nd that,

To the outside, the coronation weekend has likely appeared to be just a lot of pomp and pageantry. No doubt, it is often Americans who are camping out on the Mall in see-through tents or wearing the royal family’s faces as masks in coronation parties — but this American, after more than half a decade here in Britain, can appreciate the depth of the monarchy in ways I couldn’t before. I see both its deep significance and history, its connection to our own tradition (sometimes through appropriation), and its negatives. As a rabbi and a Jew, I will always be of the opinion that there is only one Sovereign who truly rules, but there is something to be said for having a king as well as a King.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

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Legacy of leading by example: Charlie Nusbaum, Tidewater Jewish Foundation board chair

TJF staff report

As board chair of Tidewater Jewish Foundation, Charlie Nusbaum is a true follower of the phrase “lead by example.”

Since 1866, the Nusbaum family has served the Jewish community through Ohef Sholom Temple in Norfolk. Seven generations of Nusbaums have been actively involved in the temple’s growth and vitality, with Charlie Nusbaum being the fifth generation to serve as Ohef Sholom Temple president.

Nusbaum’s passion and life’s work is dedicated to the sustainability of community, with his servant-leader style approach allowing him to influence many organizations throughout Hampton Roads.

Initially, for Nusbaum, being involved with TJF was the “right thing” to do. Through the many programs and organizations that benefited from TJF, Nusbaum

saw it as a way he could make an impact in the Jewish community at a greater level. Growing up, he witnessed a high level of involvement at the community leadership level from his parents and other community elders. Serving on TJF’s board fulfilled a social responsibility and a heart’s desire.

“Charity begins in the heart,” says Nusbaum. “You need heart and passion to serve and preserve for the next generation.”

Now with years of volunteering with TJF, Nusbaum is on a mission to educate the community about the importance of legacy gifting through planned giving and endowments.

TJF, he says, is the bridge for the Jewish community – committed to creating permanent resources to meet the community’s challenges and needs. TJF educates about the rewards of philanthropy, facilitates the process for donors, offers flexibility to fund non-budget expenses that temples or other

agencies may incur, and provides guidance on best practices for endowments. “Whether Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform, preserving our history, legacy, and heritage depends on donor legacy assets gifted to TJF,” says Nusbaum.

“TJF covers all of us. There is no you and me. It is us. We are in this together,” says Nusbaum. “Whether you are a family donating $100,000 a year, or an individual gifting $100 a month, both are gifts that can perpetuate ongoing support of needs, both great and small, in our community.”

Looking forward, Nusbaum is committed to growing and sustaining TJF. “As a former board member commented, TJF is one of the most critical organizations in the Jewish community, as it preserves what we hold dear as legacies to strengthen and sustain Jewish Tidewater far beyond our individual lives,” he says.

Jewish Yankee Harrison Bader talks baseball over matzah ball soup and pastrami at Liebman’s Deli

Jacob Gurvis

(New York Jewish Week) — What better way to recover from an injury than some Jewish penicillin?

New York Yankees Jewish outfi elder Harrison Bader, who is missing the beginning of the 2023 MLB season due to an oblique muscle injury, starred in a recent episode of Home Plate: New York, a program hosted by celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson. In each installment of the show, which is available on the YES App, Samuelsson and a New York sports star visit an iconic New York eatery to discuss food, heritage and, of course, sports.

In the show’s most recent episode, Bader and Samuelsson visit Liebman’s Deli — a kosher spot that’s the last Jewish deli in the Bronx — which is just a short drive from where Bader grew up in Bronxville. Bader attended the Horace Mann School in the heavily Jewish neighborhood of Riverdale.

“I wanted to give a shoutout to Liebman’s Kosher Delicatessen, an absolute classic Jewish deli here in the Bronx,” Samuelsson wrote on Facebook.

While at Liebman’s, Bader and Samuelsson met owner Yuval Dekel, who has led the popular Bronx deli for 20 years, after taking over for his father, who

himself ran the restaurant for 20 years.

Dekel walked them through the deli’s process for preparing its beloved pastrami — even letting Bader apply the spice rub to pre-brined brisket. Bader, who called himself “a mustard guy,” said he grew up eating a lot of pastrami.

Once the briskets were ready to go into the oven, Bader and Samuelsson enjoyed some matzah ball soup, before sitting down to a full meal of pastrami sandwiches, stuffed cabbage, pickles, and other classic Jewish delicacies.

Bader, 28, played the fi rst five and a half seasons of his career in St. Louis before being traded to the Yankees last season. Bader’s father, who is Jewish, told the Forward that his son is considering formally converting to Judaism (Bader would not be considered Jewish under matrilineal descent, which says only a child born to a Jewish mother or a person who formally converts to Judaism is Jewish.)

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Bader had initially planned to play for Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic that was held in March, but ultimately dropped out due to his injuries. He said he would “absolutely consider” playing for the team in the future. (Bader’s fellow Jewish teammate Scott Effross, whom the Yankees acquired one day before Bader, also missed the WBC because of an injury.)

During his meal with Samuelsson, Bader talked about growing up in New York and playing baseball — and he credited his parents with helping to launch his career. “Obviously my father was my fi rst coach,” Bader said. “Without my dad pitching to me every day, since I was five years old, I would be nowhere.”

Bader said his father likes to visit every stadium he plays in, and often travels to see Bader’s games when he plays at a new stadium for the fi rst time.

He said his mother’s cooking has played a key role in his success, too.

After joining the Yankees last year, Bader lived at home with his parents during the playoffs, during which Bader enjoyed a breakout performance. “I was just in my little bubble — mother’s cooking me breakfast, grabbing coffee with my dad in the morning, then we’re going to play some ball at Yankee Stadium,” Bader recalled. “It’s so cool. It was so fun for all of us.”

Perhaps his postseason success was no coincidence? “Something in my mom’s eggs, I don’t know,” he said.

For more Jewish sports coverage, check out the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s Jewish Sport Report newsletter.

Outdoor Aquatic Center opens for Summer at Simon Family JCC and Sandler Family Campus for Memorial Day weekend

MAY 27-29, 11:30 am – 5:30 pm

With temperatures climbing this Spring, the opening of the Metzger Outdoor Aquatic Center is planned for Memorial Day weekend. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, members and guests are will be able to enjoy all of the fun the outdoor pools and water park offer.

The same hours will be in effect for the following weekend, June 3-4.

June 10 - August 20, outdoor pool hours will be extended to 7 pm on weekdays (MondayThursday), with the pool continuing to close at 5:30 pm on Fridays through Sundays.

August 21 - September 4, the pool will close at 6 pm on weekdays, and 5:30 pm, Friday - Sunday, including Labor Day on Sept. 4.

June 20 - August 11, outdoor lap swimmers can swim outdoor in the lap lane after 12 pm, to accommodate the camp schedule.

The JCC Summer Swordfi sh swim team is an excellent way for children to improve swimming skills with great coaches, make new friends, and stay fit over summer. Go to SimonFamilyJCC.org for more information.