Posted in Faith, Family, Holidays, Israel, Jews/Judaism, Kosher, My Life, Religion, Spirituality, tagged Faith, Family, Holidays, Israel, Jewish, Jews, kosher, My Life, Passover, Religion, Spirituality on March 25, 2013 | 2 Comments »
Hi, guys…
Passover begins tonight (Monday March 25, 2013) at sunset.
(Baking handmade shmura matza for Passover)
I will be in Toronto for a little over a week.
Have a happy, kosher and joyful Passover.
(The Passover seder table)
I’ll should be back Wednesday April 3.
See you then!
Posted in Faith, Family, Israel, Jews/Judaism, Kids, Kosher, Musings, My Life, Parenting, Personal Observations, Photography, Photos, Religion, Spirituality, Travel, tagged Faith, Family, Israel, Jewish, Jews, Judaism, Kids, kosher, Musings, My Life, parenting, Personal Observations, Photography, Photos, Religion, Spirituality, Travel on February 12, 2013 | 9 Comments »
On Monday, I arrived in Israel for the first time in my life after so many years… decades… of waiting, hoping, praying.
I came alone.
I knew it was going to be emotional. I knew it was going to be intense.
I was prepared… or so I thought.
It was like being prepared to be hit by a bus… compared to actually being hit by a bus.
When the plane touched down in Tel Aviv, I began weeping. [1]
I could barely stand. Other passengers grabbed their carry on bags and headed out. I was in a daze.
I made my way through a blur of tears. I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want to stop. I moved as if in a trance. Was this really happening? Am I in one of the thousands of dreams and daydreams I’ve had over the last 30 or 40 years?
I was nervous about being questioned by Israeli authorities. Who was I? Where was I from? Where was I born? Why was I coming to Israel? Was I Jewish? A Jew with an Italian name? Were my parents Jewish? Did I convert? What rabbinical court converted me? My daughter lives in Israel? She immigrated to Israel? Where does she live? What is her address? Is this my first visit? What prayer does a Jew make when he embarks on a trip? Recite the first line. Do I wear tefillin? When do I wear them? When do I NOT wear them? What was the Torah reading for last Shabbes? What’s the Torah reading for next Shabbes? Was I married? Did I have an aufrufen? Did I read from the Torah? What was the Torah portion? Can I recite the first line from my haftorah portion? What holiday is coming up in 2 weeks? What book is read? Recite the blessings that are read before the book is read. Can you read the first few lines from that book? Do you know the melody that goes with that reading?
I had heard so many stories about Israeli security. I was nervous. I stepped up to the customs officer and handed her my passport.
“What is the purpose of your visit?”
I explained that this was my first visit to Israel and that I came to see my daughter who made aliyah (i.e. emigrated to Israel) a year ago.
“Where does she live?”
I told her she lives in Ramat Gan.
“How long are you going to be in Israel?”
I said I was staying for two weeks, returning on February 25.
The customs officer looked at me for a few moments, sizing me up.
She smiled and handed me back my passport and told me to proceed to baggage claims.
I walked to the baggage claim area and searched for my luggage. A plain black suitcase. My dear friend (and international travel guide) Tracy suggested I attach some brightly-coloured masking tape or cloth to make it distinguishable. I found it. Both wheels were broken off.
I extended the handle and dragged the suitcase behind me as I moved out into the main lobby. I felt numb. It all seemed so unreal. I couldn’t help feeling that I was going to wake up at any moment.
A tall handsome young man with a wide smile. Tomer. My daughter’s boyfriend. He waves and comes to me, giving me a big warm tight hug.
And then I see my beloved daughter. I’ve not laid eyes on her in over a year.
I cry again. I can’t help it. Tomer helps me with my crippled suitcase.
We walk out into the fresh air. I breathe it deep into my lungs.
I’m here. I feel I’ve finally come home to a place to which I’ve never been before.
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[1] Actually, I started crying as soon as I heard the landing gear lowering.
Posted in Community, Culture, Fashion, Jews/Judaism, My Life, People, Religion, Toronto, tagged Community, Fashion, Israel, Jews, Judaism, kosher, My Life, People, Photography, Photos, Religion, Style, Toronto on November 5, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
When I am in The Heart of the Old World [1], there is a certain pervasive sound you hear… a kind of omnipresent background music… a gently swaying ‘bed track’ to the place. It is a general all-encompassing soundtrack permeating the entire area… made up from the voices of hundreds of Jewish girls and women.
It is useless trying to explain a symphony with words,. I will at least give you a tiny taste of some of the lyrics. Try to imagine the sing-song tones blending in and through each other, above and underneath each other, mixing and intertwining, separating and repeating, like a Bach fugue.
Those who know what I am talking about are well familiar with the melodies, counter-melodies, tempos and keys. To the uninitiated, I can only say that one cannot describe a colour adequately with words… it must be seen to be fully understood. Similarly, like a Shakespearean play, the words are meant to be heard, not read. [2]
At the grocery store, on the sidewalk, in the coffee shop, in the parking lot… it binds us and keeps us together. It forms a warm comforting blanket around us.
And now… let us listen… and hear those precious voices all around us…
Boruch HaShem! Im Yirtzeh HaShem. B’ezras HaShem!
It’s all shtuss. It’s just a bunch of shtuss.
Yes, bli neder. Absolutely, bli neder! Of course, bli neder!
Make a brochah, Shmuley. Did you make an after-brochah?
Chas v’sholom! K’neine hora! Lo aleinu!
You hold by that? We don’t hold by that! Who holds by that?
Look at that punim! What a shayna punim! Can you believe the punim on this kid?
Where are you for Shabbes lunch? You’re coming for Shabbes dinner, right?
Where does he daven? What time do they finish davening over there?
She lives in Beit Shemesh now. Ramat Gan. She’s in Bnei Barak.
Monsey. Crown Heights. Lakewood. Boro Park.
She’s engaged? Who’s engaged? She’s getting married!
Mazel tov! How wonderful! They should know only joy and happiness.
Simchas. Only Simchas! Next by you. It should happen by you.
Narishkeit. I’ve never heard such narishkeit!
Really? You’re serious? You’re not serious. You are? Really?
When’s shkiah? What time is shkiah? When’s candle lighting?
What time’s Shabbes over? Come over for havdalah!
She’s a giyeres. They’re baalei tshuvah. Frum from birth.
They’re moving to Atlanta. It’s a very nice community there.
As my Bubbie, olav hasholom, would day, “It’s from fainting!”
Are you ready for Pesach? Oy, please. Don’t remind me!
Where do you get your challah? You make your own!?
I buy frozen gefilte fish and bake it! It’s mamish ok.
We have an aufruffen to go to. I’m at a bar mitzvah.
Nu? Shoyn? Oy, a broch! Vey iz mir!
Zeit nisht meshiggah!
Genig shoyn. Enough, already!
Again with the shtuss?
In the Heart of the Old World, as it is in any Jewish neighbourhood, this is the soundtrack to our lives!
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[1] Bathurst Street in Toronto, between Lawrence and Wilson.
[2] This YouTube video, Shduss Frum Girls Say, although a comic look at the subject, gives you sort of a taste…
As does the second video in the series, Shduss Frum Girls Say 2…
And how can we leave out Passover Shtuss??…
These videos are the work of Zehava G, whose works can be found on YouTube at…
http://www.youtube.com/user/wllwrk4food?feature=plcp
Or on Facebook, at…
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Zehava-G/137144146317809?ref=hl
Zehava… you’re the best!
Posted in Faith, Holidays, Jews/Judaism, Religion, tagged Faith, Fashion, Holidays, Israel, Jewish, Jews, Judaism, kosher, Photography, Photos, Religion, Spirituality, Style on September 14, 2012 | 4 Comments »
Well, boys and girls – geeks and nerdlings – it’s that time of year again!
The Jewish holidays will soon be fast upon us. (Is that a redundancy?)
This coming Jewish year (5773), all of the seven (count ‘em – SEVEN!) Jewish holy days between September 16 and October 10 will fall on week days.
I will be spending almost all of them in The Heart of the Old World (i.e. the area of Bathurst Street between Lawrence and Wilson avenues)
As such, this blog (along with its ‘sister blog’ Vampyre Fangs) won’t be posting articles as per its regular Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule.
It’s a Jew thing.
Not to worry. I will return to my usual full schedule by the middle of October, all refreshed and spiritually revived.
Wish all of my readers the best, now and always. Thank you for popping by and reading my musings.
As they say in the Vatican, “Gutt yontiff! A gutten un a gezinter yor! A gebentshed un a zeeser yor!”*
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* Translation (from Yiddish): “Happy holy day! A good and a healthy year. A blessed and a sweet year!”
Posted in Faith, Friends, Jews/Judaism, Kosher, Lifestyle, Love, Modern Culture, My Life, Religion, Spirituality, Toronto, tagged Faith, Friends, Jewish, Jews, Judaism, kosher, love, My Life, Religion, Spirituality, Toronto on August 27, 2012 | 5 Comments »
I had occasion the other day to spend a leisurely afternoon with my dearly beloved friend, Davka Frei. [1]
Davka is a stunningly beautiful Jewish girl who has zero interest in Yiddishkeit. [2]
It’s not that she hates Judaism or even dislikes it. It’s simply not on the radar with her. As such, she is continually flummoxed at the fact that I live an observant Jewish life.
I did not grow up Orthodox. I chose to become Orthodox later in life. And this is what gets her!
You see, while Davka can wrap her mind around someone being observant because he or she was raised that way and ‘did not know better’ (i.e. FFB – Frum From Birth [3]), she has a much harder time understanding why someone who ‘knew better’ (i.e. had a normal non-observant life) would choose a frum lifestyle.
(Frum vs Frei)
Fortunately for the both of us, the Frum/Frei debate hasn’t affected our relationship in the least because for the most part we are completely dippy about each other. For all of our differences in terms of religious observance, we thoroughly enjoy each other’s company.
(Frei vs Frum)
And it is that genuine affection that trumps just about everything else.
In our own way, we are both as Loonie as they come… but we arrive at our loopiness from different angles.
(That’s not us, btw)
That’s what makes lunch (kosher, of course… my friend puts friendship over flavour! [4]) with Davka such a wonderful, delightful experience.
(Ahavas Yisroel! [5])
Love really does conquer all.
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[1] Davka Frei (pronounced ‘DAHV-kah FRY’). Not her real name. Davka Frei is a pseudonym. Davka is an Aramaic word that has no precise English translation. The closest you can come is probably ‘very’ or ‘exactly’ or ‘precisely.’ Frei (lit. ‘free’) is a Yiddish/German word meaning ‘non-observant’or ‘not Orthodox’… as in ‘free’ from religious observance.
[2] Yiddishkeit (from the Yiddish; Lit. “Jewishness”) – the word is usually used to mean Judaism and everything related to Jews and Judaism.
[3] Frum (from the German fromm, meaning “devout” or “pious”. The ‘u’ is pronounced like the ‘oo’ in ‘book’ or ‘cookie’) meaning committed to the observance of Jewish commandments and law, specifically of Orthodox Judaism. Frum is the opposite of Frei.
[4] Truth be told, our last lunch together was at the Oasis Cafe in downtown Toronto. I wasn’t expecting much. We both had the Eggplant Parmigiana with caesar salad and Peach Snapple. It was astonishingly good. Davka: “It’s so delicious, you’d never know it was kosher!” LOL
[5] Love for one’s fellow Jew.
Posted in Faith, Holidays, Israel, Jews/Judaism, Kosher, Lifestyle, My Life, People, Photography, Photos, Religion, Spirituality, tagged Faith, History, Israel, Jewish, Judaism, kosher, Lifestyle, My Life, People, Photography, Photos, Religion, Spirituality on July 26, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
The ninth day of Av (Tisha B’Av) is perhaps the saddest day in the Jewish calendar.
It is the day we commemorate and mourn the tragic events that occurred on that day.
(Romans carrying the Menorah taken from the Temple of Jerusalem)
Tisha B’Av in History
On Tisha B’Av, many national calamities occurred:
(To this day. Jews pray at the Kotel [Western Wall] – what remains of the ancient Temple compound)
The Tisha B’av fast begins Saturday, July 28th at sunset. It ends approximately 24 and a half hours later, Sunday night. Check for local times in your area.
May you have an easy fast and may HaShem protect and save the Jewish people from the hands of those who wish to destroy us.
(My son at the Kotel)
Posted in Cooking, Fashion, Food, Health, Holidays, Italian, Kosher, My Life, Photography, Recipes, Style, tagged cooking, Fashion, Food, Health, Holidays, Italian, kosher, Photography, Recipes, Style on July 18, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Saw this over at Jamie Oliver’s website. Sounds wonderful, especially on hot days when you don’t feel like doing a lot of cooking.
A really simple, quick and amazingly tasty pasta dish which always hits the spot and will impress your mates. Try baking some fish filets over the herby tomatoes… it’s fantastic.
(© David Loftus)
• 500g mixed red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
• 150g good black olives, stoned
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• a bunch of fresh lemon basil, leaves picked
• a bunch of fresh marjoram, leaves picked
• 10 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 400g spaghetti or linguine
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a large bowl, scrunch the tomatoes with your hands to slightly mush them. Mix in the olives, garlic and vinegar. Tear in the basil and marjoram leaves and pour in the olive oil. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
Cook your pasta in salted boiling water according to the packet instructions until al dente. Drain and quickly toss in with the tomatoes. Call your guests around the table, then taste the juice at the bottom of the bowl and adjust the seasoning if you feel it needs it. Serve right away.
Stay cool!
Posted in Cooking, Culture, Faith, Food, Friends, Health, Inspiration, Israel, Jews/Judaism, Kosher, Life, Lifestyle, Modern Culture, My Life, People, Recipes, Reviews, Style, Thoughts, Toronto, tagged cooking, Culture, Faith, Food, Friends, Inspiration, Israel, Jewish, Jews, Judaism, kosher, Life, Lifestyle, Recipes, Style, Thoughts, Toronto on March 26, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of spending Shabbes with my rebbe and mentor, R’ Michael Skobac [1] and his charming wife, Chashi.
R’ Skobac is Master Po to my Grasshopper.
(R’ Skobac and I SO don’t look like this!)
Shabbes dinner featured a spelt/camut challah that was out of this world!
He was kind enough to share the recipe with me… and here it is!
R’ Skobac’s Healthy Challah for Dummies (and those short on time):
Ingredients:
Method:
Mix ingredients well into a dough. Divide in two and shape into round loaves.
Bake both loaves on a cookie sheet (covered in parchment paper) @ 350F for 40 minutes.
Check to make sure they’re done and ENJOY!
Simple. Fast. And for those intimidated by baking anything more complicated that muffins or banana bread, a really great way to feel like you know what you’re doing.
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[1] Rabbi Michael Skobac - one of the world’s foremost authorities on Missionaries and Cults – is the Director of Education and Counselling of Jews for Judaism (Canada). He was educated at Northwestern University and Yeshiva University and has been involved in Jewish education and outreach work since 1975. (He and I also sit together at our little shtiebl, Congregation Bais Dov Yosef in Toronto [aka The Holy Strudel King]).
Posted in Cooking, Culture, Fashion, Food, Fun, Health, Kosher, Life, Lifestyle, Modern Culture, Musings, My Life, Opinion, People, Recipes, Reviews, Style, Thoughts, tagged cooking, Cuisine, Culture, Fashion, Food, Fun, Health, kosher, Life, Lifestyle, Modern Culture, Musings, My Life, Opinion, People, Recipes, Reviews, Thoughts on March 23, 2012 | 3 Comments »
When I first saw a photo of this little treat the other day, I said, “WOW!”
A pizza cone. What a stroke of genius!
Pizza dough, formed into the shape of a cone and filled with pizza toppings!
This is the best thing since the calzone… basically a pizza turnover!
While not nearly in the Out Of Control category of foods like deep-fried Twinkies or those bacon triple cheeseburgers with Krispy Kreme glazed donuts for buns… the pizza cone does speak to the heart of a ‘fast food with a bit of an edge’ fan. Just the idea of it immediately finds a home in most junk food lovers’ hearts.
And the best thing is that, just as regular pizza can be made kosher, so too can a pizza cone!
The whole milk-meat prohibition can be easily side-stepped with meatless pepperoni, chorizo or deli slices. I myself prefer the kosher products made by Yves Veggie Cuisine. They are available at any good grocery store. Kosher mozzarella and parmesan cheeses are easy to get at any kosher food outlet.
I suppose it’s just a matter of time before I try to whip up one of these little wonders.
I somehow cannot see myself being disappointed!
Posted in Community, Cooking, Culture, Faith, Food, Fun, History, Holidays, Inspiration, Israel, Jews/Judaism, Kids, Kosher, Life, Lifestyle, Modern Culture, Musings, My Life, People, Recipes, Religion, Spirituality, Style, tagged Children, Community, cooking, Culture, Faith, Food, Fun, History, Holidays, Inspiration, Israel, Jewish, Jews, Judaism, Kids, kosher, Lifestyle, Modern Culture, People, Recipes, Religion, Spirituality, Style on March 5, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
This Wednesday night, March 7, marks the beginning of the Jewish festival of Purim, commemorating the events of the biblical Book of Esther in ancient Persia (now Iran). The wicked Persian premier, Haman, plotted to wipe out all the Jews (sound familiar?) but was ultimately thwarted. Purim falls into the “they tried to kill us, we won, let’s eat!” category of Jewish festivals and holidays.
As part of the celebration, Jews traditionally bake three-sided fruit or poppy-seed filled turn-over cookies called ‘hamantashen’ (also spelled ‘hamantaschen). Their triangle shape is because it is believed that a tri-cornered hat was worn by the wicked Haman (i.e. the ‘Haman’ in ‘hamantashen’).
In the spirit of the festival, I offer you Chabad‘s ‘Quick & Easy Hamantashen’ recipe. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 (18.25 ounce) package moist yellow cake mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
Fillings:
1 cup fruit jam (any flavour) or 1 cup prepared poppy-seed filling or 1 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
Recipe yields 2 dozen hamantashen.
