Tikkun Olam

It's funny. Just before the real New Year starts - the real New Year for me being Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year - we're not in the habit of going around joking with our friends, saying: 'ok, I'll talk to you next year.' We say this just to be 'cute,' as if it's going to be a whole year before we speak to them again, when we know we're going to in two days, or a week.  Just the number of the year will have changed. It's an excuse to party, to go out with friends or family and do something, anything--often something crazy, that we'll regret in the morning, as they say. On New Year's when I was a child, I'd go upstairs to my "best friend's" apartment, directly above ours (my best friend was an Episcopalian girl named Laura. We used to communicate by banging out various codes on the heater pipe in the bathroom). There we'd eat snacks and drink sodas, play games, and wait until the stroke of midnight, when we...

Finally, here is something worth writing about for the Jewish New Year, which has just begun with Rosh Hashana this past Thursday and Friday.  On the occasion of the 4th of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, there is a very good chance that Israel might be on the way to energy independence, through the gas and oil discoveries in the Tamar and Leviatan fields in the Mediterranean. What impact will this have on Israel's economy, on its current dependance on the U.S. and other countries for oil? On its relations with its volatile neighbors the Arabs, in 'neutral' countries ( relatively speaking, as far as its Arab neighbors go) such as Jordan?  Or Egypt? Or the "Palestinians?" This is a door opening to a positive, exciting future. Here is my wish for the New Year: may Israel achieve energy independence and economic wealth, eliminate poverty among its citizens, and may this discovery help promote true peace with its neighbors in the Middle East.

I am feeling contemplative at the end of this special holiday season which began with Rosh Hashana, ten days later the holiest day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur-the Day of Atonement-and culminated in the very festive and special holiday of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret--23 days of prayer, introspection and celebration--and after almost  a month of no blogging, I decided to finally blog, after having read a post by Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman about the nations of the world converging on Jerusalem, to show their support for Israel and the Jewish People. My last post was about the savagery and inhumanity of Islamic extremists. I have written before of the world 's antisemitism and Israel's seeming isolation among the nations of the globe. We read in the Torah portion read on Sukkot that in the end of days, all the non-Jewish nations will come to Jerusalem to serve Hashem. This sounds like a fantasy, because in today's world,  Israel is being vilified and denigrated, mocke...

For Rosh Hashana I am posting this Latma TV video--have to bake my challot and my D.H. and I have to cook up a storm.  I wish all my readers (and also those who are not!) a Ktivah ve-Chatimah Tovah: may you be written and sealed for a good year. Shanah Tovah, everyone!

When you think about it, we Jews have wonderful holidays, celebrating goodness, giving thanks to G-d for...everything.  And at this time of year, we Jews are supposed, during our High Holidays,  to do much introspection on our moral selves, our character, and our lives.  We are supposed to make serious efforts to change for the better.  Well, have we? Have we consciously worked on it? Did you become a better person than you were last year? Have I? Dennis Prager has a very interesting take on why most of us have trouble doing that .  He has come up with 13 reasons - stumbling blocks, if you will - preventing us from become morally and ethically better human beings.  The one that surprised me was Number One: we don't really want to be good people.  Read the first four reasons below.  Then click on the link, and read the rest.  As someone said in a song (see previous post), it ain't gonna be so easy . 1. Most people don't particularly w...

Have you ever seen a video such as this Israeli one: hoping and praying for a good, peaceful year--coming from the Arab sector? If you have, please send me the link.  'Cause I haven't.  Ever. Gmar Chatimah Tovah*. *Gmar Chatimah Tovah: May you be sealed (in the book of life) for a good year.

Towards the New Year, Rosh Hashana 5772, I would like to recap my daughter's situation and extent the hope that she will continue to improve in her efforts to combat this terrible disease of RSD/CRPS with the goal of complete ambulation and personal, pain-free independence. Some time ago she took it upon herself to force herself to walk using a special walker, on which she places about 85% of her body weight by leaning her arms on the armrests, similar to this one: She is still unable to place most of her weight on her legs, as she is doing this through her pain.  Finally, however, the doctors listened to her and took her off most of the medications and narcotics she was on previously, which did nothing to help her, but only drugged her up so much that she would almost literally fall asleep into her soup, so to speak--the list was interminable: Elatrol, Clonazepam, Gabapentin, Oxycontin, Cymbalta, and later Lyrica instead of Gabapentin, and Valium and Percosets. They are go...

Upon the season of the New Year, Rosh Hashana 5771, I wanted to post something of significance illustrating the love of the Jew for Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel), and its importance. Here is a little story told by my friend Rabbi Avraham Trugman of Ohr Chadash , illustrating the holiness and centrality of the Holy Land to the Jewish people, from time immemorial.  No matter what anyone says to the contrary. May all of you have a Shanah Tovah u'Metukah: a Good and Sweet Year!

Thanks to my blogger friend D for alerting us to this video (and to Jacob Richman for including it on his aggregate of Rosh Hashana videos). This is the kind of dedication we need to change the world.  Believe in the right.  And fight for it.

I am afraid there will be no peace before Rosh Hashana.  Nor will there be before Yom Kippur, or Sukkot--unless a miraculous redemption happens.  The world is heading down the slippery slope, and kowtowing to rogue states and terrorist supporters.  Already there have been at least four innocent people murdered by Arab terrorists during this month of personal introspection, Elul, approaching the High Holy Days. Here are some reasons why. There is blatant Anti-Semitism everywhere, it is totally accepted now--even on  Facebook , which apparently is doing nothing about removing the anti-Israel hate sites (I reported two--did you?). It looks to me as if everyone is capitulating at this time: Netanyahu stated last week that the "construction freeze" would end as originally planned, on September 26th.  I don't trust what he says anymore.  He should have cancelled the meeting with Abbas after the terrorist attacks on four civilians, and ended the construction f...

By virtue of the fact that my father taught and was Hebrew Supervisor at the Ramaz School for around thirty years, I was enrolled as a student there for twelve years. Along with my home environment, Ramaz is where I was imprinted with Zionism and Judaism, and received an outstanding Jewish education. I received Principal Rabbi Haskel Lookstein's Rosh Hashana address in my email a week or two ago. He was the assistant principal when I was a student there (his father, Rabbi Joseph Lookstein a"h, who also officiated at my chatunah, was then principal). I feel that this address is important enough to share with my readers. It very much epitomizes what Modern Orthodoxy strives to be today. Add to that the idea of G-d being available to everyone learned or not, and also emphasizing mysticism, spirituality and holiness in one's daily life, joy and dance in observance as well as serious Jewish (and secular) scholarship; and knowing that I am descendant (on my mother...

I awoke this morning to cold air. The temperature (it was forecast) had dropped to the fifties. It was gray and raining. As I looked out the window (while freezing in my PJs), I saw rain mixed with snow. Our first snow, on Tzom Gedaliah* . September 21st. This is considered early, although the changing-t0-snow was very brief, although it is still raining. It was barely snow; just a hint . . . But it is interesting, because the geese had disappeared. Our complex is a haven for ducks and geese, because there are greenbelts and several 'lakes' (man-made, of course; part of the design). They live here in the summer, and practically all year round, at least the ducks do. But the geese a week or two ago, suddenly were gone. A friend of mine opined that geese have a sense of the seasons, and if they suddenly fly--it means that it will be an early winter. It certainly feels like that now. I read sometime back in the summer, around Tisha b'Av* , about a gathering w...

No time to blog, for days now; doing a little work here and there, and somehow have been busy, busy, busy. With the chagim* coming, the tension and excitement are mounting. I have just seen our friends out the door. My friend came earlier to cook in our kitchen, as we are jointly cooking with a third couple (who are a little homebound), and going to their house for the first seudah* of Rosh Hashana* which starts Friday at sundown. I baked six (6) round challot* , whole-wheat, two with raisins. The custom for Rosh Hashana is to use round challot as opposed to braided, as 'round' is a symbol of the circle of life, and on Rosh Hashana we review our deeds from the past year, atoning for our sins, and ask for forgiveness. It is also, according to Jewish tradition, the day of the creation of Adam ha-rishon , the first man. We believe that G-d judges us on this day, which is why one of the names (Hebrew) of this auspicious day, is Yom ha-Din , or 'Day of Judgement.' T...

What does Haveil Havalim #186 (up and running at The Israel Situation ) have to do with 'cooking up a storm?' NOTHING! I was about to turn in at 2:00 a.m. after cooking (with my hubby the Chef) for hours, when I had this urge. . .a little voice (a bat kol from cyberspace) said to me mysteriously ' go thee to thy computer ' . . . and so, because I have been absolutely out of the JBlogger-loop since Rosh Hashana, I did just that. Lo and Behold (I've always wanted to say "lo and behold."), two of my posts were linked; musta happened between baking the challot and mixing the Lokshen kugel, I guess. So, you want to know what we are cooking for Sukkot (the first days, anyway)? I thought you'd never ask. Here is a preview of coming attractions: Baked five beautiful (ptu ptu ptu) round honey-raisin challot; made fish (the loaf kind; hubby made his special poached trout for Rosh Hashana; I do the "loaf kind."), chicken soup, 48 matzah balls (we fre...

I know it’s already after Rosh Hashana but I really need to unload about my wonderful cooking experience with Kugel Yerushalmi (“Jerusalem Kugel”). For those of you who don’t know what a ‘ kugel ’ is, it is a baked Jewish side dish or sometimes dessert generally made with noodles to which are added liquified sugar and oil and then a combo of beaten eggs, salt & pepper, after which it is baked. It is sometimes translated as ‘pudding’ or ‘casserole.’ One of my favorite and more difficult kugels is Kugel Yerushalmi. It is a (very) sweet kugel, which satisfies Israelis’ sweet tooth, and is often made to be eaten on Shabbat, but is also especially appropriate for the holiday of Rosh Hashana, where most foods are sweet and a “sweet new year” is emphasized. But, as I said above, it is more difficult to make than your average kugel; to make your average kugel, you have to cook the noodles—usually wide egg noodles-in a big pot of salted (or slightly oiled) water. Drai...

[ *Copyright Alert below ] I want to do at least one last post before Rosh Hashana *. I am trying--between job searching on the web, real job fairs and virtual job fairs--to keep up my posts as much as possible, but it's very difficult ( Jewish guilt plays a part here). I was awakened this morning by my chayelet bodedah* daughter, not really too early for me (except tor the fact that I had been awake until 2 a.m. the night before...); we had a great conversation and talked for over 40 minutes (it's her shekel!) It was wonderful. Even though I am so missing my kids not being with us for the chagim* , we do have guests, and have to finalize our menu and confirm everyone, and possibly also shop for ingredients for challot (which I will bake; round has GOT to easier than braided), traditional sweet side dishes such as carrot and sweet potato tzimmes and desserts-and, of course, food for Shabbat. Baruch Hashem, we have our main dishes for the upc...

We had a very meaningful Rosh Hashana night; I always love our custom of the "yehi ratzon" seder with it's different foods, symbolizing the various blessings we want G-d to grant us: a retreating and ending of our enemies, our being fruitful and multiplying, our merits increasing, etc. In short, we do more than the average Ashkenazi Jew with his 'apples and honey,' does. Maybe you could call us " AshkeSefardim !" But this Rosh Hashana was a little different than in past years; this is the first year I wasn't able to, for physical reasons, walk the mile-and-a-quarter to shul the first day: I can't remember any other Rosh Hashana where I didn't go to shul. At first, I was devastated. How would I be infused with kavanah without the congregation to enhance the feeling of teshuvah (you've heard of "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" ?)? How would I hear the blasts of the shofar and be awed into 'awakening' to...

(First, a hearty welcome to my new non-Jewish visitors; a glossary is provided below to help explain the "Hebrish" I constantly use in my writing. It is an honor to have you among my readers!) It is erev Shabbat again (you've heard of "t-g-i-S," right?) and while I'm waiting to light the candles I thought it would be a good time to BLOG (oy, have I got it bad!) I apologize to my readers for not blogging (whaddaya mean, ya didn't notice?!) for a whole week plus; we had a thunderstorm here in yenemsville and it fried our modem. So no internet for a week. Talk about withdrawal. . . I had been thinking about something I found out some years ago when I was learning with a learn-ed chevruta (learning partner). Part of the Oneg Shabbat* is partaking of the three traditional meals on Shabbat, the first being Friday night, and the other two during the day. There was a beautiful kiddush (sanctification) we did when we had our seudah shlishit* , which I have no...

"It was Rosh Hashanah morning, and the Rabbi noticed little Adam was staring up at the large plaque that hung in the foyer of the synagogue. It was covered with names, and small American flags were mounted on either side of it. The seven-year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the Rabbi walked up, stood beside the boy, and said quietly, "Good morning, Adam.""Good morning, Rabbi," replied the youngster, still focused on the plaque. Finally, Adam asks, "Rabbi, what is this? "Well, it's a memorial to all the men and women who died in the service."Soberly, they stood together, staring at the large plaque.Adam's voice was barely audible when he asked: "Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur?" (credit to my friend, Miriam Liebe for this little story).