h g Hi s y a d i l o H Supplement to Jewish News September 21, 2020 jewishnewsva.org | September 21, 2020 | High Holidays | Jewish News | 11
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High Holidays Dear Readers,
I
n the most recent issue of Jewish News, we wrote about area synagogues preparing for this most unusual High Holiday season. As we go to press, much of those con-
gregations’ work is complete with boxes and bags of honey and cakes and memorial books and prayer books delivered into the hands of their congregants. The preparation
R I S T O R A N T E I N S P I R E D
B Y
I T A LY
has been enormous and the anticipation palatable. Positive and appreciative notes of thanks have been shared throughout Jewish Tidewater as the outreach is helping to maintain connections. Now, as we move away from Rosh Hashanah, our focus shifts to Yom Kippur. Among the various articles in this High Holiday section is one about staying healthy while fasting, while another article offers an easy-to-prepare chicken recipe before the fast. What would a holiday section be without food? One afternoon earlier this month, Facebook seemed to be flooded with a clip of a cute little boy singing Avinu Malkeinu. It was an amazing interpretation of the plaintive poem sung during the High Holidays. I listened, was moved, and impressed, but then I scrolled on, honestly not wondering much about the child or where he was from or about the fact that he was singing in English. Fortunately, it turns out that other people were intrigued and on page 14, we share an interview with six-year-old Bibi’s mom. It’s a surprising story in many ways. Also, within these pages, our advertisers provide some of the best options for places
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High Holidays The Avinu Malkeinu kid isn’t Amar’e Stoudemire’s son. But he does have a message for the High Holidays. Take it from his mom. Philissa Cramer
(JTA)—Nina Shapiro didn’t intend for the video of her son’s singing to go viral. The Perth, Australia, mother of two describes herself as “paranoid about my kids being on social media.” But after the minute-long clip of 6-yearold Bibi belting an impassioned version of Avinu Malkeinu, the plaintive poem sung on Yom Kippur, mysteriously landed on Twitter and Facebook, Shapiro is wondering whether she might want to take another approach. “I’m totally overwhelmed by the impact it’s had,” Shapiro told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency from her home in Western Australia. “It wasn’t built with an intention to be a performance.”
Exactly how the video got from a family text chain to thousands of Jewish viewers is unclear, but there’s no question that Bibi’s performance of a song he learned at his school was resonating with many on the eve of the High Holidays. “Someone please give me the URL to this kid’s Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur livestream,” tweeted Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg to her 115,000 followers. “Or maybe I’ll just spend the days watching this over and over again.” Because nothing on the internet is simple, the video spurred a rumor, stated with authority by multiple people on social media, that the video starred a son of Amar’e Stoudemire, the basketball player and recent convert to Judaism. “If we saw a cute video of a white kid singing Avinu
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Malkeinu, would we automatically jump to the conclusion that he was a famous Jew’s kid?” tweeted Tema Smith, who writes frequently about Black Jews within the Jewish community. “It feels like the digital equivalent of the experience so many Black Jews describe when stepping into communal spaces, being asked to legitimize their right to the space.” Others who amplified the video did know who Bibi was, even though he is not identified in it. They included people associated with Sinai Academy, the school in Cape Town, South Africa, that he attended before the family moved to Australia two years ago. Shapiro credited both that school and the one he attends in Perth, Carmel School, with developing her son’s love for Judaism. “I see how he comes back singing happily and with his own free will,” she says. “It hasn’t been a dictatorial kind of, ‘You will learn this because you have to.’ They teach with love. That’s been passed on to him and that’s what he gives back.” We spoke to Shapiro—perhaps now to be known forever as Bibi’s mom—about the video; her take on the rumors; and what she hopes comes next for her son. First up, a new video of another Rosh Hashanah song. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. JTA: What’s the story behind the video and what do you make of how it has been received? Shapiro: I took the video in our dining room and sent it to a few family members. I don’t believe in exposing my children on social media. But obviously somewhere along the line, it wound up there. I don’t know how—none of the big Facebook posters are anybody I’ve ever heard of or sent it to. It’s not something I would have chosen but it’s happened and the positive responses have just been overwhelming. I sent it to a close friend and said I’m so upset that this happened,
Bibi Shapiro
and she said, “But Hashem obviously wanted this message to go out in this way.” I really am trying to take it from this perspective. JTA: This is a Yom Kippur song, not exactly a happy song. Why do you think people are saying the video made them happy? Shapiro: He is such a passionate little boy. He’s been singing all his life, all the time, from when he was a baby. When he heard an advert on TV he would copy it. He’s very sensitive and very passionate and I think it comes across. I realize there were a few mistakes. If I had been planning to share I would have made sure it was perfect before I posted worldwide—but this shows things don’t have to be perfect to have real impact and that also made me happy. His purity and his innocence and his passion are touching. He knows nothing about this. I’ve made copies of some of the comments
High Holidays for when he’s older but not for now. He doesn’t know what Facebook is or Twitter, Instagram. He knows that I am happy and other people are happy when he sings and that’s all that matters. JTA: What comments stuck out to you? Shapiro: I saw someone say, “This is a future hazzan.” And that’s really meaningful to me. When I knew that I was having a boy, one of the first things that went through my mind was I would so love him to be on the bimah at shul, not even knowing of his musicality. I also saw someone say that this was more meaningful in the preparation for the chagim [holidays] than any other rabbinic text she had read. And for me—and a few people have commented on it—Avinu Malkeinu, I’ve never heard the English words for it. It certainly impacted me, and if as a child I had learned it this way, it would have been so meaningful. I’m so glad my child gets to understand what he’s singing. People have said it’s made them happy and given them hope and even though I don’t understand it, the fact that it has done that to people especially at this time in the world, I’m so grateful for it. JTA: One thing that struck me is that during this pandemic, even for people who are going to synagogue, singing isn’t happening and children aren’t present. To hear a child sing is sort of unusual right now. Shapiro: We’re very lucky in Perth—it’s one of the very few places in the world that COVID hasn’t impacted. We’re still able to go to shul with restrictions. So if he’s able to provide that for people, then what an incredible blessing and miracle. I’m awed that my little boy could do that for people. JTA: Your son is Black, and some of the comments I saw mentioned that. There were also rumors that the video was of a son of Amar’e Stoudemire. What role do you think race played in the video’s reception? Shapiro: If I had seen him and not
known him, I would wonder about the color issue, too. There was one comment that I saw, where someone said, “He doesn’t look Jewish but he sounds it. It just shows you that you don’t have to look Jewish to be Jewish.” Somebody else commented to say, don’t be so stereotypical. Bibi is adopted—we adopted each other when he was a baby. He has been raised Jewish, and it’s all he knows. Halachically [according to Jewish law] he is a Jew. I’ve come to realize he has a Jewish neshama [soul] even though entering the world he was not born into a Jewish family. Perth is a very small Jewish community, with one school and no kosher restaurants. And there are very few non-whites day-to-day if you’re in a certain area. A racially diverse Jewish community it is not at all, but from the first moment, I have never felt anything but accepted and included and
welcomed across the board. It’s not to say it’s not ever going to be hard, but it hasn’t been our experience. When I saw that people were saying he was Amar’e’s son, initially I was angry. But it wasn’t so much about racial stereotyping. I googled the family, and they do look similar. I was upset that somebody had the audacity to post that without checking the facts. It would be interesting to know if [Stoudemire’s son] did sing. I would love for Bibi to have more Jewish notwhite role models. There’s a rapper who came to South Africa, Nissim Black. The concert was only for adults but I would have loved to have taken him to that. JTA: So will your son’s many new fans get to see more from him? Shapiro: Part of me is so tempted in some ways, now that the whole thing has been started. There’s unlikely to be a
I also saw someone say that this was more meaningful in the preparation for the chagim [holidays] than any other rabbinic text she had read. Youtube channel, but Zeesy Deren [the principal of the South Africa school], her brother is Choni G, a famous South African religious singer. She said he mentioned to her that he would love to work with Bibi, and I would love that. Bibi’s biggest inspiration is the music of Jewish religious boys choirs, and my absolute dream is for him to be part of one of those groups. I would love that and he would love that.
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High Holidays In a difficult time, welcome the new year with this easy chicken recipe means chicken. Chicken is celebratory. It is also available, relatively inexpensive, easy to cook and doesn’t take hours. Best of all, chicken is mild, so it takes on all sorts of flavors from what you cook it with and how you season it. Is it any wonder that this lovable bird has been an enduring classic for Shabbat? This chicken recipe includes leeks and dates, two of the symbolic ingredients for the New Year. I’ll serve it with its savory pan juices over egg noodles and a green vegetable on the side. Shanah tova. Be well and stay safe.
Ronnie Fein
(JTA)—The High Holidays won’t be usual this year. Like many of you, my family won’t be getting together, so we’ll be setting the table for two, not 11. It’s disappointing because although we managed on Passover with a Zoom Seder, we figured all would be well by the High Holidays. But all isn’t well. It’s been difficult to shop, what with waiting in line to get in and having to wear a mask and push a shopping cart that stinks of Lysol. Or text with my Instacart shopper to pick out the right bananas. I know I’m not the only person who can’t find all the grocery items I want (there isn’t a whole brisket to be had). And the expense! Oy! But then I think about what makes the holidays so extraordinary. About hearing the shofar blast (virtually from our synagogue), how it thrills us and calls us to think about the past year and consider our future. I’m
grateful the holiday has come. I look forward to another year ahead. During the High Holidays we celebrate new beginnings, we pray for good health, joy and prosperity. We eat as best we can. For us this year, eating best
16 | Jewish News | High Holidays | September 21, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
Ronnie Fein is a cookbook author, food writer and cooking teacher in Stamford, Connecticut. She is the author of The Modern Kosher Kitchen and Hip Kosher. Visit her food blog, Kitchen Vignettes, at www.ronniefein.com, friend on Facebook at RonnieVailFein, Twitter at @RonnieVFein, Instagram at RonnieVFein.
High Holidays BRAISED CHICKEN WITH DATES Ingredients: 1 cut up broiler-fryer chicken 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 leek, chopped (½–¾ cup chopped, or use one medium onion) 1 large clove garlic, chopped 2 teaspoons tightly packed chopped fresh ginger 2 teaspoons tightly packed grated fresh orange peel ¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or use 2 pinches cayenne pepper) ¹/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg Salt to taste ½ cup chicken stock ½ cup orange juice 6–8 whole pitted dates, preferably medjool, cut in half Chopped chives or parsley for garnish
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Directions: 1. Rinse and dry the chicken and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken a few pieces at a time until they are lightly browned, about 8 minutes. 2. Remove the chicken to a dish and set aside. Add the leek, garlic, ginger and orange peel to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Return the chicken to the pan and spoon the leek mixture on top. Sprinkle with the cayenne and nutmeg. Sprinkle with salt if desired. 3. Pour in the chicken stock and orange juice. Stir the liquid, cover the pan and turn the heat to low-medium. Cook for 15 minutes. Add the dates and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 4. Place the chicken and dates in a serving dish. Boil the pan fluids over high heat for a minute or 2 to thicken the sauce slightly. Pour the sauce over the chicken and dates. Sprinkle with chopped chives or parsley. Makes 4 servings.
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18 | Jewish News | High Holidays | September 21, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
High Holidays Four new children’s books to brighten up the Jewish New Year Penny Schwartz
BOSTON (JTA)—Sparkling stars and the light of the full harvest moon comfort a young boy and his older sister as they fall asleep in their family sukkah. That’s a scene in Night Lights, an endearing new illustrated children’s book by Barbara Diamond Goldin, one of the country’s most highly acclaimed Jewish children’s book authors. It’s one of four new engaging books for kids to usher in the Jewish New Year at a time when holiday traditions are being upended due to the coronavirus pandemic. Having to deal with quarantine and perhaps school at home, families can take pleasure turning the pages of these crisp new reads. Night Lights was published originally 25 years ago. The characters of the mother and sister are featured more prominently in the new shorter, refreshed text, Diamond Goldin told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in a phone conversation. Amberin Huq’s brightly colored illustrations are new, too. This year’s crop of newcomers also features the latest in the popular Sammy Spider series that has delighted kids for years. Earlier this year, the Rosh Hashanah middle grade novel Rachel’s Roses, by Ferida Wolff and illustrated by Margeaux Lucas, was named a notable middle grade novel in this year’s Sydney Taylor Book Award for Jewish children’s books. The heartwarming immigrant story, set in the early 20th century, is perfect for ages seven to 10. Up next is Sukkot, the seven-day fall harvest festival, when Jews build small huts at their homes to recall the ancient Israelites who wandered through the desert for 40 years after the exodus from Egypt. The fall holidays wrap up with the celebration of Simchat Torah, when the cycle of reading the Torah begins anew. A holiday with ancient roots, Sukkot resonates with many issues of the day, Diamond Goldin observed, from its
environmental and nature themes to a reminder of the plight of those who live in temporary shelters today, including refugees, a point she makes in her author’s note.
Sammy Spider’s First Book of Prayers Sylvia A. Rouss; illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn Kar-Ben Publishing; ages 3 to 8 Young kids are introduced to daily prayers like the Shema for going to sleep, to blessings for Shabbat and special occasions. Each blessing, explained in lively rhyming verse from the point of view of the friendly Sammy Spider, is written in Hebrew, transliteration and a simple English translation. The blessings recited over Shabbat candles, wine and challah are perfect for Rosh Hashanah, which begins this year on Shabbat. Kids will enjoy spotting Sammy Spider dangling from his web on the brightly colored pages that embellish the book. Hillel Builds a House Shoshana Lepon; illustrated by Angeles Ruiz Kar-Ben Publishing; ages 4 to 8 Meet Hillel, an enterprising young boy who loves building houses—in trees and even under the basement stairs. But on Jewish holidays, his inventive houses
High Holidays many kids who fear the dark. Amberin Huq’s expressive illustrations glow with the golden hues of fall and glisten with the lights of the night.
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seem to get in everyone’s way. Finally, as Sukkot approaches, Hillel finds his groove. In his orange overalls, standing on a ladder, Hillel is gleeful as he helps his family build a sukkah, where they will eat their meals for seven days. “‘Sukkot means hammers and nails and branches and fruits and lots of decorations,’” Hillel said happily.
Night Lights: A Sukkot Story Barbara Diamond Goldin; illustrated by Amberin Huq Kar-Ben Publishing; ages 4 to 8 At the beginning of Sukkot, a young boy named Daniel and his older sister, Naomi, get ready to camp out overnight in the family sukkah for the first time without their grandpa, who has a cold. Readers will soon figure out that Daniel is a little anxious. There’s no electricity, his sister teases him, so he can’t have his night light. He brings his teddy bear, but in the shadows, Daniel imagines scary faces in the squashes that hang as decorations. As the night grows darker, Naomi realizes she needs a little reassurance, too. Looking up through the sukkah’s branches, the siblings see the glow of the star-filled sky and the bright full moon that coincides with Sukkot. Maybe their ancestors did have night lights in the desert, after all. The sweet story will strike a chord with
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• Family owned and operated since 1917 • Affordable services to fit any budget Worse and Worse on Noah’s Ark Leslie Kimmelman; illustrated by Vivian Mineker Apples & Honey Press; ages 4 to 8 In this upbeat spin on the biblical story of Noah’s Ark, award-winning author Leslie Kimmelman infuses a kid-friendly Jewish sense of humor. The story imagines how bad things can get when Noah and his family shelter through 40 days of the biblical flood in the ark’s crowded quarters along with pairs of all their animal friends. The story of Noah is read aloud from the Torah in the synagogue two weeks after Simchat Torah. In Worse and Worse, the animals get seasick, peacocks bicker with the zebras and the skunks make quite a stink. As the troubles amass, Noah’s wife and sons complain, “Could things get any worse?”—a refrain that kids can repeat page after page. Just when readers think the kvetching will never stop, Noah gets the crew working together to fix a leak that threatens them all. They begin to cooperate and care for each other. Kids will dive in to Mineker’s cartoon-like illustrations of zebras, parrots, growling lions and sloths hanging upside down. An author’s note prompts conversation about empathy.
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jewishnewsva.org | September 21, 2020 | High Holidays | Jewish News | 19
High Holidays Want to catch up on 5780 in Jewish pop culture? Start here, with The Almas. Gabe Friedman
The wisdom we have received and the strength we find in our faith gives us the best possible tomorrow.
(JTA)—Do you ever wish there were a fun Jewish version of the Oscars? Or the Grammys? What about a roundup of the best Jewish moments from across the vast reaches of the internet over the past year? Alma, one of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s partner sites at 70 Faces Media, does all of that and more in its second edition of The Almas, a collection of the best Jewish movies, television, books, music, and celebrity and internet moments of 5780, the past Jewish year. It’s not your typical list. In the television category, for instance, an award goes to “The Show We’re Sitting Shiva For” (it’s Schitt’s Creek, which finished its run this year). In the music category, there’s a “Best Jack Antonoff Production” mention—referencing the Jewish songwriter and how
he’s now ubiquitous in the world of pop hit writing (the award goes to Taylor Swift’s Folklore album, to give you an idea of his popularity). But there are more traditional awards, too, like Breakout Jewish Artist (rapper Doja Cat) and Breakout Actor (Adam Sandler, for his star dramatic turn in Uncut Gems). “This past year has obviously been very different than any others in recent memory, but with so many people stuck at home and consuming more media than ever—and with very few things that feel worthy of celebrating—we wanted to go into the Jewish New Year once again reflecting on all the exciting, unique ways Jews have represented ourselves in the media and on the internet,” Alma editor Molly Tolsky says.
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Nearly a year after attempted Yom Kippur attack, pandemic forces Halle Jews out of synagogue for High Holidays
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( JTA)—The coronavirus, not the attempted Yom Kippur attack by a gunman nearly a year ago, will keep the Jewish community of Halle, Germany, out of its synagogue for the High Holidays in 2020. The congregation will worship at a larger municipal space that’s more suitable for social distancing. “We are not happy about this, we’d rather be in our synagogue, but this is the most practical solution,” the chairman of the community, Max Privorozki, says. The synagogue was full to its capacity of about 100 last October when a white supremacist gunman tried to blast open the building’s armored door on Yom Kippur. He is standing trial for the murder of two people near the synagogue after failing to enter. The gunman filmed the killings.
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20 | Jewish News | High Holidays | September 21, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
Cnaan Liphshiz
Members of Halle’s Jewish community of about 500 people were “looking forward to spending Yom Kippur and the High Holidays in the synagogue,” Privorozki says. “Trauma is not an issue—we come there every Shabbat,” he adds. But under the emergency measures for social distancing due to the coronavirus, the building can now only accommodate 19 people. “I’m not going to choose for my congregants who can come to synagogue, so it’s either we move to a new space or we have no space,” Privorozki says. The community has moved its Torah scroll to the alternative venue, which normally has a capacity of 400 but can now accommodate only 80 people. Police, who were criticized for not providing security to the synagogue last year, will guard both of the municipal building’s entrance points, Privorozki says.
High Holidays
Seven tips for staying healthy during the Yom Kippur fast Eat regular meals before the fast It is important to get your body into a routine before the fast. Make sure to eat regular meals on the days before the fast. And don’t skip breakfast, which is probably the most important meal of the day. Keep away from very rich and spicy foods. And eat in moderation. Take it easy before and during the fast On the day before the fast, refrain from strenuous physical exercise. Don’t run around too much doing chores—spoil yourself and take it easy. Keep out of the hot sun and spend the day in cool surroundings as much as possible. This is certainly true on the day of the fast as well. Dr. Tzvi Dwolatzky
(My Jewish Learning via JTA)—There is a marked difference between the intended feeling of being uncomfortable with not eating or drinking for 25 hours and actually becoming ill as a result of not getting enough liquids and nutrients. Yom Kippur not only requires emotional preparation, but physical as well. A person can take several important steps before the holiday in order to achieve the best physical condition possible to perform better on Yom Kippur, which this year falls on the evening of Sept. 27. Here are seven tips to prepare you for an easy fast:
For at least two days before the fast, make sure to drink adequate amounts of fluids. Remember that the healthiest thing to drink is water.
Have a light meal before the fast When sitting down to the meal before the fast, a light meal is preferable. Eating extra amounts of food does not help to keep you going for 24 hours. Rather eat small amounts of carbohydrates (bread, potato, rice, pasta), some protein (fish, chicken) and fruit (grapes and watermelon). Keep spices and salt to a minimum. The break-fast meal Well, you managed the fast very well, now it is time to eat. Go slow! Eat some carbs and drink some fluids. This article was printed with permission from Rambam HealthCare Campus, a 1,000-bed academic hospital in Haifa, Israel.
Ask your physician if your health allows you to fast Many chronic medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart disease or arthritis, do not usually prevent fasting as long as the condition is stable. This is usually the case for pregnant and nursing mothers, as well. Clearly an acute illness accompanied by fever, vomiting or diarrhea will prevent fasting. Before going any further, you should check with your doctor whether your health allows you to fast. Prepare early At least a week before the fast, cut down on the daily amount of coffee and caffeinated beverages. Also, take it easy with salty foods. Keep away from alcohol because it stimulates the loss of body water. The use of artificial sweeteners should also be kept to a minimum. Drink a lot of liquids, but don’t overdo it It is very important to be well hydrated before the fast. For at least two days before the fast, make sure to drink adequate amounts of fluids. Remember that the healthiest thing to drink is water. Keep a bottle of water with you and note how much you drink—about half a gallon is generally sufficient. But don’t overdo it. Drinking too much can wash out essential salts from your body. jewishnewsva.org | September 21, 2020 | Jewish News | 21