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Saturday Shabbat at the Rabbi’s House

As a child growing up in both secular and Orthodox households, I never felt close enough to understand Orthodox religion. The mental distance between God and and my world as a child was rigid; “no jumping on the beds,” “being quiet on Shabbat” and so on. At the time, there was a feeling that religion is my enemy and only dictates to me my flaws: am I good or bad if I don’t listen to the higher authority of good. We were invited to eat today’s Shabbat lunch at the head rabbi’s house in Pittsburgh. (American Jews call it “shabbos” … Continue reading →

Shabbat: Thanksgiving Every Day

Imagine having your family gathered around a table filled with delicious food. Perhaps these are the siblings and children you see every day, or perhaps your in-laws or cousins have come to visit. Although the faces are familiar, the feeling is different; the atmosphere is more peaceful and seems set apart from the stress and worry of everyday life. The meal has been prepared lovingly and with attention to detail, and you enjoyed the communal effort with daughters, sisters (sons and husbands are welcome in the kitchen too!) This description may sound like a portrait of a typical family Thanksgiving, … Continue reading →

What is Shabbat? – Part II

A traditional Shabbat meal could consist of many food courses. The first course is usually soup; and what type of soup do you think most Jews eat on Shabbat? That’s right, Matzoh Ball soup in chicken broth! Usually the preparation of the soup is started the night before if the soup is being made fresh. There are also small, yellow croutons which can be used in your soup produced by Osem. They look like really tiny small crackers but they add crunchies to your soup if you like that taste. Challah and wine is still on the table with some … Continue reading →

What is Shabbat? – Part I

Shabbat or the Sabbath is considered the seventh day of creation or the day G-d rested. There are many traditional ways of observing the Sabbath from attending temple (synagogue, shul) services on Friday night, Saturday morning, and Saturday evening; to having a sit down family style dinner on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Many observant Jews will not work, drive, or watch television, and enjoy the day of rest with friends and families. Some will catch up on some reading, others will attend shul all day, and many will just rest. Shabbat is considered the most important holiday in the … Continue reading →

The Message of Giving Back

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Many years ago, I was at the turning point of becoming religous. It was undoutably, a phase I was going through but it was also more than that. In a spiritual journey that took more than fifteen years trying to understand laws of Kashrut and Gemmara, I think I have come to understand that Judaism is a cyclical process of giving. I guess it is also part of my nature: I need to give back in order to nurture my soul from within. Today marks fourteen years of the passing of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson of righteous memory. In 1993, … Continue reading →

More Great Jewish Books

The Rebbe’s Army: Inside the World of Chabad-Lubavitch by Sue Fishkoff (2003) I read this book a few years ago and found it an excellent introduction for those who are interested in Lubavitch Chassidim and how they have expanded from a relative small Chassidic group in White Russia to an organization with over 3,000 official centers around the world which provide Shabbat meals, lectures, a second home and Jewish simcha (joy) to any Jew who is in, let’s say, Hong Kong and is looking for freshly baked challah or a minyan (group of ten) for davening (praying). This book gives … Continue reading →

Kosher Reading

Every Jewish home needs a good library — even a kosher kitchen. The following are some cookbooks, ruminations on paper plates and guides to how to get started keeping kosher. I especially enjoy Sue Fishbein’s Kosher by Design series for her imaginative recipes and gorgeous photographs. She has written kosher cookbooks that run the gamut from entertaining to how to cook for kids, and a good place to start is with her first book. Her recipes are electic and feature such wide-ranging dishes as Carribean jerk chicken and Moroccan spare ribs. She also features traditional favorites, such as matzoh balls, … Continue reading →

The Seattle Menorah Controversy: What is the Issue?

Most of you have probably heard about the Menorah versus X-Mas tree controversy at the Seattle airport. Tempers have flared and stories have been tossed back and forth with such frenzy, that it is hard to know which action provoked which reaction, since the media seems to be representing hearsay as fact (or is that hearsay as well). In this blog, I am not attempting to try to sort out what really happened, although I intend to give some defense for Rabbi Bogomilsky,which has been rarely heard in the news. I would also like to discuss the reason why we … Continue reading →

A Hawaiian Hanukkah

When I first moved from Hawaii to the “mainland” (the continental United States) to attend college nearly 20 years ago I received a lot of attention from my fellow classmates (mainly because no one could believe I would willingly leave Hawaii for life in Wisconsin). I spent the better part of my first semester fielding questions including, “Do kids surf to school in Hawaii?” and “Does everyone live in grass shacks there?” Oh, and my personal favorite, “How long did it take you to drive from Hawaii?” To set the record straight: no, we don’t surf to school; we live … Continue reading →

Living with Stereotypes: All Jews Have Money

For more of my thoughts about Jewish stereotypes, please see: I’m Not Truly Jewish? Of course, the stereotype that all Jews have plenty of money is probably the most popular. Well, I am here to tell you — all Jews do NOT have plenty of money. However, there are many people in the Jewish community who only serve to fuel this vicious stereotype. Gee, how do you think stereotypes originate? In “I’m Not Truly Jewish?” I talked about how I was shunned by the people in my synagogue because I did not become a Bat Mitzvah. I am also certain … Continue reading →