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February 7, 2012

IDF updates

By Alia

One of the few accounts I subscribe to on YouTube is the Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson’s Desk. It’s a great source to point people to if they question Israel’s defense of their own land and people. I feel such pride, absolute nachas, when I see these reports and updates.

Here’s the monthly wrap-up for January.

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February 6, 2012

Tu B’Shevat ideas

By Alia

The New Year of the Trees (and a great favorite in my house as one of my kids’ names means “tree”), Tu B’Shevat, is coming up on Wednesday, Feb. 8.  Here are a few resources for you if you’d like to celebrate the budding of the branches (in Israel; here the current budding is not to be celebrated, it’s a source of concern about climate change):

My friend Rebecca Missel wrote a great piece for the Morristown Patch about the holiday, along with a few activities coming up.

At Berhman House’s Babaganewz, you can learn to make a dried-fruit centerpiece.

For a sweet twist on the holiday, kveller.com offers a candy-coated variation.

For older kids or a group of adults, Hillel offers a downloadable Tu B’Shevat seder.

Not quite warm enough for this here in New Jersey, but in Israel, where it's now the rainy season, Tu B'Shevat heralds the start of spring. My, how this little girl has grown into a Big Girl.

Anyone else know of any great resources?

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February 3, 2012

My parenthood was planned with Planned Parenthood’s help

By Alia

This week’s news that Susan G. Komen for the Cure is cutting its allocation (earmarked for breast cancer screenings) to Planned Parenthood is upsetting for many across the country. But it’s particularly upsetting to me, as not only am I a supporter of Planned Parenthood, I am also a former client.

Yes, as a teen I was too embarrassed to ask my mom to take me to get The Pill. My father was gone at that point, but trust me: had he been alive there would have been no approaching him either. But I was appropriately paranoid enough to want to prevent a pregnancy: I had already seen how difficult it was for someone close to me to have a child at 18. She loved her child, and she’s an amazing mom to this day – one that I go to for advice – but it was a rough start that I know she has warned her own daughters away from. So one day after school my high school sweetheart drove me to the Planned Parenthood clinic. From then until I graduated from college, I was a patient for my annual exam and to get discounted birth control pills.

As a result, I never got pregnant when I wasn’t expecting to – at least not until after I was married: Big Girl and Skater are just 20 months apart. But at that point we get to call it a surprise, not an accident or mistake. Paraphrasing the great sage Roseanne Barr, an unexpected child is a “surprise,” because a “mistake” you wouldn’t repeat if you could do it over. Having an unexpected pregnancy threw us for a loop, but of course not nearly the loop it would have been if I had gotten pregnant in high school or college.

From Planned Parenthood 2009-10 annual report

The thing of it is, the money that SGK gave was never for abortions, or even birth control; it was to further their own mission of saving women’s lives. As The Atlantic noted, “[I]t was all — roughly $680,000 last year and $580,000 the year before that — used for breast-cancer screening and other breast-health services for low-income, uninsured, and under-insured women.” So after all the pink ribbons and times I’ve supported friends – and my own daughter – in Walks and Runs for the Cure, I’ll be finding a different outlet to support breast cancer research and prevention.

New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg has pledged a match up to $250,00 to replace the funding Planned Parenthood is losing. Please donate some tzedakah along with him and me. Join me in supporting girls’ and women’s health and eventual parental happiness.

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January 30, 2012

Kosher pizza FAIL

By Alia

I grew up in Columbus, Ohio, keeping the basic tenets of kashrut but not the letter of the law. Columbus had a couple kosher bakeries, one kosher butcher, and usually one kosher restaurant at a time, which would last a few years, close, and we would wait for another to open up.

But I have never heard of a pizza shop offering – with total sincerity – pizza with real cheese and kosher pepperoni. Now I’ve heard of it, and somehow I wish I hadn’t.

The Charleston Gazette, under the headline “Pizza joint cooks it up kosher,” offers the story of Al ”Some people have wanted pepperoni their whole lives and they never have had the option” Qutub, who indeed gives those who’ve always wanted their treyf pizza made with kosher meat the chance. You can read the whole article here, but really just for the laughter. Lines like “It’s also important to use separate utensils, he said, as he cleaned a pizza cutter to slice a kosher pepperoni pizza with banana peppers,” and “When Qutub makes a kosher pizza, he arranges the toppings so that the cheese covers the kosher meat. Pork has more fat than kosher beef so covering the beef with cheese prevents it from drying up during the cooking process, he said,” make the article flow smoothly, like cheddar cheese sauce over brisket.

Occasionally my family likes to fake it: we get fake shrimp for gumbo or fake meat for tacos, etc. We’ve learned that we much prefer tofu-meat with real dairy than real meat and fake dairy. But this community doesn’t get it: the store owner doesn’t get it, the reporter doesn’t get it, and obviously the editors who stuck it in the paper/on the web don’t get it. Like I said on my friend Joshua’s Facebook page (where I saw this link, thanks!): ew, ew, ew – this is going on my blog – ew, ew.

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January 29, 2012

Don’t text about this till you’re parked

By Alia

I’m not a huge texter in general; I prefer the sound of my own voice and yours. But I do agree there are times when a text is a fast and reasonable way to get a message sent. And I do struggle with myself against texting while in the car. Not while I’m moving, but at red lights I’m tempted (I’ve done it, I admit it). I can do it quick, I reason. I can glance up and see when it turns green. But after reading this article in The Jewish Week, my will is now iron for never doing it again, even at red lights!

The article says that the whole idea of doing something you know may result in harm is completely against Jewish law. So that’s it, I don’t even have to think about it anymore. From now on texting while the car is on, even stopped at a red light, is pork to me. A ham and swiss sandwich. On Yom Kippur.

Even if you don’t keep kosher, I hope texting while driving is now treyf for you too.

 

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January 26, 2012

A little Birthright humor

By Alia

I hope you enjoyed reading about Alexa’s trip on Birthright Israel, which in Hebrew is called Taglit. This week we follow it up with a sketch from Israeli television:

I barely speak any Hebrew and I still thought it was really funny. How about those of you who do speak Hebrew? Or any Birthright alumni? Does it ring true?

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January 25, 2012

‘Big in China’ is big here too

By Alia

I’m really excited for my friend Alan Paul. Alan is the author of Big in China, a chronicle of his three and a half years in China with his wife and family in support of her career; while he was there he started a Chinese/American blues band which became, you guessed it, big. In China.

He was a guest blogger for me about a year ago, and I just saw this interview with him on the website Asian Jewish Life. My favorite quote: “I had an option to take a few years off from religion and I found that I really did not want to. I had a profound sense of just how tiny of a minority we are in the world, as well.”

The book has been optioned as a movie, to be directed by Ivan Reitman, and although Alan says he has no preferences as to who plays him, I do: I vote for James Marsden. He has the singing chops, and – to me – the same laid back, great-guy-to-have-a-beer-with vibe that Alan brings to a room. And yes, there’s enough of a resemblance:

Alan

James

 

 

 

 

Anyone who know them have any ideas of other actors? Anyone for Rebecca?

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General

January 24, 2012

Family bed

By Alia

I have never been a proponent of a family bed, at least not in my family. I could never get any sleep with a baby or toddler in my queen size bed. Now although after 17 years of marriage we finally have a king size bed, everyone’s trained not to come in, and they’re too old to want to, mostly.

click to enlarge (ripped from Facebook)

It’s funny, but when I titled this post, I was going to call it “co-sleeping.” But then I found I had already written a post called “co-sleeping“! That one’s about my boys sleeping together. Often.

Last night, I scared Bulldog when he scared me by appearing at my bedside at 1:30 a.m. for no reason other than he woke up. So, figuring we have this big king bed now, I let him in. I enjoyed the snuggle, at first. Who knew a 7 1/2 year old could take up 2/3 of a king size bed? I shoulda! He slept great, at least.

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January 20, 2012

Mothers Circle in Bergen County

By Alia

The Jewish Outreach Institute is hosting a free three-session workshop for women of other religious backgrounds raising Jewish children in Paramus starting Feb. 5. They were kind enough to send me their press release, and I hope they get a great turnout! Here’s the info:

Have you ever wondered how to create a Jewish home for your children, when you’re not Jewish yourself? The Mothers Circle, a series of free programs for women of other religious backgrounds raising Jewish children within the context of intermarriage, is excited to present The Mothers Circle Mini Course, a free 3-session introductory workshop to Jewish parenting. The three sessions will cover topics such as how to create a Jewish home, the Jewish child’s life cycle events, and an overview of the Jewish holidays. The sessions will take place at the Panera Bread at 165 W. State Rt. 4 in Paramus, NJ from 10 AM to 12 PM on Sunday February 5th, Sunday February 12th, and Sunday March 4th.

Through experiential education and a supportive, relaxed environment, participants will gain confidence through knowledge, addressing the questions many women of other religious backgrounds have when raising Jewish children. Participants will explore various subjects such as the blessings for Shabbat, the meaning of the high Holidays, and what a bar mitzvah represents in the Jewish life cycle. The overview of Jewish holidays will include holidays such as Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah, and Passover.

Rabbi Kerry Olitzky, Executive Director of the Jewish Outreach Institute, the organization that operates The Mothers Circle nationally and created the Mini Course, says, “The Mothers Circle Mini Course provides participants with a unique and informal opportunity for hands-on learning about raising Jewish children in the context of intermarriage. More importantly, the sessions meet the needs of those who might not yet feel fully comfortable creating a Jewish home with their Jewish partners and children.”

The Mini Course is locally hosted by Temple Avodat Shalom in River Edge, NJ. Rabbi Neal Borovitz of Temple Avodat Shalom is excited to be able to offer this opportunity: “Our congregation has worked successfully in offering joint programming with the Jewish Outreach Institute to serve the interests of both Jewish and non-Jewish men in relationships through the Answering Your Jewish Children and How Should I Know programs. It is out of that experience that we received interest from non-Jewish mothers in our community to offer a parallel program. We are grateful for this opportunity to offer the Mini Course to the community.”

The Mothers Circle Mini Course, made possible by a joint grant to the Jewish Outreach Institute and Temple Avodat Shalom from the Adler Family Innovation Fund, will be held at the Panera Bread at 165 W. State Rt. 4 in Paramus, NJ 07652 from 10 AM to 12 PM on Sunday February 5th, Sunday February 12th, and Sunday March 4th. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Stephanie at administrator@avodatshalom.net or (201) 489-2463 ext. 202.

The Jewish Outreach Institute (JOI) is an independent, national, trans-denominational organization reaching out to unengaged and intermarried Jewish families, and helping the organized Jewish community better welcome them in. JOI conducts research, runs programs, and serves as a national training institution and network for outreach professionals, guiding and supporting innovative outreach in communities throughout North America.

 

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January 18, 2012

Guest post from Birthrighter Alexa

By Alia

One year the two big kids came home from day camp loving their bus counselor. She became a great babysitter and (now that she’s in college) my Facebook friend. So when I read that Alexa Wasserman had just come back from a Birthright Israel trip, I asked her to be a guest blogger. And what a fabulous guest blogger to have! She had so many beautiful photos it was hard to pick just three.

It was always assumed that I would go on Birthright in college just as my older brother did before me after his freshman year at NYU. I had heard all about the camel rides and the Dead Sea before and had even seen the sights myself at the age of twelve for a family wedding. At just twelve years old, I was not able to appreciate Israel for all that it is: a country where I will always feel at home amongst my own people.

A trip to the Western Wall is a must

After applying to the trip three times I was finally accepted on the third try (so apply now*). Since the acceptance came as I got the news of a brand new Israeli boy cousin, I was extremely excited for the adventure. The trip was scheduled during the winter break of my junior year at Muhlenberg. This time, I had applied through my school’s Hillel to a program called Kesher, which is run by the Reform organization NFTY (National Federation of Temple Youth). I was looking forward to meeting young Jewish kids from all around the country and also for the amazing opportunity to appreciate Israel, a country I have learned about for most of my life.

Alexa and her new friends

Even after about fifteen years of Hebrew school and Hebrew high school I still was not even close to prepared for what I would find. I have come away from this trip realizing that I just experienced a gift which per person would cost roughly five thousand dollars; Jews around the world believe that it is my right to visit Israel before making some very important decisions in my life and so donated the money for me and my generation to go. I believe that this is a beautiful concept. Not only did I visit the place but also the people, as we were paired with eight incredible soldiers in the Israeli Defense Force for five days of traveling and experiencing.

These people changed my life. I could not believe that they were around my age (20) and while I am at school studying, they are fighting hard for my values, culture, religion and people. Hearing their stories and interacting with them truly enhanced the trip and the programming as well. There was never a dull moment with constant guitar playing, singing and nature. Hiking Masada was a great highlight of the trip. I was proud of myself for accomplishing the route and I even taught a Yoga class to my peers at 5 a.m. on top of the mountain as the sun came up. We visited Sderot, Svat, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, which was my absolute favorite place for its uniqueness. We also saw the Gaza Strip and Lebanon from across a hilltop. I did not feel in danger and instead felt comfort in knowing that we strive so hard to protect an area that we hold dear to us for it brings the Jewish people together and provides a sense of unification and security for my family and many others as well.

Alexa's trip photos are enough to make you drool.

Five of my friends had a bar and bat mitzvah aliyah at a synagogue in Tel Aviv on our final Shabbat in Israel. They had never received one before and it was incredible to watch as they experienced this at last. I was lucky enough to extend my trip and stay for a total of 22 days, 12 days past the 10-day trip. My parents joined me in Israel and we traveled to El Ad and Eli where my first cousins live. In Eli, I stayed at my cousin Hadassah’s house for Shabbat and had a great time with my four little cousins (including the new baby). They live in a settlement on the West Bank very close to the Arab people. Being with my family in Israel meant a great deal to me. I look back on my trip and think about the wonderful experiences I had, the friends I made and I realize how much I changed. I would highly recommend Birthright to any Jewish citizen of the world who is lost, found or searching for something. I think Israel is an unbelievable place filled with distinctly special people and we can never give up defending what is ours.

 

*Many tour operators host Birthright trips, so whether you want one that will concentrate on history, culture, outdoorsy-adventure, or just a great all-around tour, look into it! United Jewish Communities of MetroWest hosts a Birthright tour for New Jersey kids (the “kids” being 18-26). Contact Justine Reuben at 973-929-3054 or jreuben@ujcnj.org. – Alia

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