Posts Tagged Holidays

The Gift of Books

Posted by Rachel Broder in Publishing on December 18, 2011

ebookanoid.com

I went to the bookstore to buy a book for a friend today. I had to weave through people, ask employees to look for a copy of the book in the back room, and then wait in line. I’m used to wandering into the store on Sunday, lazily combing through the aisles and then easing up to counter and out the door without having to say “excuse me” once. I go to the bookstore almost every weekend. Usually I like the peace and quite of the bookstore, but today’s buzz and borderline chaos were unexpectedly pleasant. The combination of the holiday shopping season and the closing of Borders earlier this year created what was my most hectic bookstore experience in a long time.

I’ve read countless articles this year about the predicted extinction of books, but also of the book world going full circle from small bookshops, to retail, back to small. I read the articles and compared them to my own experiences with the closing of the Borders in the city and the two near my parents’ house in the suburbs, realizing that the book world was certainly changing whether I liked it or not. I’ve felt a shared sadness with other book lovers over the past year, searching for a way to keep the love of literature alive so that books can be available to younger generations. I’ve felt a different kind of sadness as e-Books have taken storm and the Nook and Kindle became more prevalent around me on my morning commute to work. Today was the first day I didn’t feel any of that sadness when I was in the bookstore.

What I realized today is that books are still among the most popular gifts. Books appeal to a variety of people in ways that few other objects can- they’re living, breathing pieces that readers ingest and interpret in their own way. Books are durable in material and wisdom, traits that few toys or sweaters can boast. It made me so overwhelmingly joyous to watch shoppers select books for others based on preference, popularity, or mere chance. Though the future of books is certainly still daunting for me, today’s experience in the bookstore set my mind at ease. When the cashier asked me if I needed a gift receipt for my book, I told her absolutely not for I was sure that I had made the right choice.

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What I Talk About When I Talk About Holidays and Love*

Posted by Rachel Broder in JPS Books on December 11, 2011

Last week I was editing my students’ first ever five paragraph essays. They were charged with the task of writing a persuasive essay using a topic of their choice. One essay stood out to me for two reasons. First of all, it was by far the best-written essay of the bunch. Secondly, his topic was why Christmas is the best holiday of the year. He was not the only student to choose Christmas as a topic; the students talk about the nearness of Christmas often. What was unique about his essay was one of his subtopics: gift giving. He claimed in his final, and therefore most critical, body paragraph that the act of gift giving shows love between family members.

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This talented student/author is not the only one who sees the act of exchanging gifts as one synonymous with expressing love. The belief is not unique to those celebrating Christmas, nor is it unique to young people. I do, however, know that in my house Hannukah’s modern gift exchange has never been conflated with an expression of love. Rather, making latkahs, going to the synagogue’s menorah lighting, and scraping wax off of the menorahs each evening are the moments teeming with love. I also know that JPS’ selection of Hannukah books is rightfully small compared to that of Torah commentary and novels about family and ethics. The selection also shares traditions, not of gift exchange, but of story telling, game playing, and food consuming.

A large part of me felt guilty not commenting on my student’s essay, but I also recognize that he’s not to blame. We’ve all grown up in a society hypnotized by material objects. My hope is that more parents will raise their kids the way my parents did me, and that more publishers produce books like JPS’ Hannukah selection, which reinforce the importance of tradition and family. (I also hope that the rest of my students are writing as well as this particular one by the end of the school year.)

*A reference to the 1981 collection of short stories, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver.

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A Woody Allen Thanksgiving

Posted by Rachel Broder in Jewish Knowledge on November 22, 2011

thirteen.org

I want to thank PBS for airing the Woody Allen documentary on television this week. The documentary is three hours in length and part of PBS’ American Masters series. Often I find myself rambling at holiday meals. I stuff my face (my parents are by far the world’s best cooks), think of ways to lovingly tease my brother (I’ll never grow out of the habit), and ponder conversation topics that will solicit the most participation. I already know I’m going to use this Woody Allen documentary as cannon fodder come Thursday, so I’ll share a little with you all as practice.

The first night of the documentary focused a lot on how Woody Allen became the household name he is today. He talks about starting out as a writer, having no intentions of acting. He also had no intentions of being a comedian who performed before an audience. He wanted to be the guy behind the scenes. But people who met him recognized his tremendously entertaining delivery of jokes and lines. Woody was pushed to grow, and thus today we have Woody the writer, actor, director, producer, and personality.

Something else Woody talked about that really struck me was perspective. He explained that early in his career he simply wrote from the male perspective. Not until Hannah and Her Sisters did he really start exploring the female experience. His most recent film, Midnight in Paris, toyed with the idea of perception more than some of his other films. Not only did Woody explore female and male experience, but also simply (and simultaneously complexly) the individual experience with the universe, time, and self-exploration.

Not everyone at my turkey day table will want to talk about Woody Allen, but I’m hoping the topic will be more riveting than the annual conversation about my future.

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Sukkot in Philly

Posted by Rachel Broder in Link Roundup on October 12, 2011

jewishiphonecommunity.org

So you’re looking for Sukkot festivities in the Philadelphia area? Here are a few goings on about town:

- Philly.com announced on Wednesday that Occupy Philadelphia would soon have a sukkah.

- If you’re looking for a less politically charged sukkah, check out http://www.localsukkah.org/ to find one near you.

- Take a look at the event page for a special sustainability Shabbat at the Moishe House in Philly this Friday.

- Indulge in some really unique etrog beer, brewed by David Cohen of Tel Aviv’s Dancing Camel Brewing Company.

- Enjoy fruits and vegetables harvested in the Philadelphia area! The Philadelphia Jewish Voice’s blog has some really tasty sounding suggestions.

- If nothing suggested strikes you as interesting or worthy, look through Jewish Philly’s master calendar to find more Sukkot festivities in your area.

Wishing everyone a chag sameach!

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Why We Fast

Posted by Rachel Broder in Jewish Knowledge on October 3, 2011

The Philadelphia Jewish Voice’s blog posted a really great piece on the interactive online activity (for lack of a better word) called “Spent“. “Spent” allows participants to make financial decisions that millions of people are forced to make on a daily basis, but are often overlooked by others. I know that I do so every day. “Spent” placed me, the participant, in a position of unemployed single parent, eventually granting me a job in the form of waitress. Bills and obstacles quickly accumulated and forced me to make large decisions, like whether or not to enroll in a health care plan, and smaller ones, like spending $6 on a salad or $1 on a burger for lunch.

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The Voice connects “Spent” to the Yom Kippur fast. They write that, “Part of the purpose of our fast on Yom Kippur is to better understand that misfortune of the poor , and develop empathy for them, so that we can be inspired to make a difference in this world.” Sticking with “Spent”, poor can be substituted with unemployed or underemployed. On this Yom Kippur I will think of the 90 or so students I work with each day, most of who do not eat breakfast. 90 bodies come through my class each day, dragging until lunch at 1PM, and then either eat a budget-cut version of a lunch, or a bag of chips and a soda purchased at the corner store. My lunch is one thing I do not overlook on a daily basis. In real life I find myself stuck between wheat bread and whole grain bread, but in “Spent” I knew healthy foods weren’t even an option with $200 left in my account. I went for the burger, or the bag of chips and soda, with the knowledge that the decision to pick a cheaper meal over a healthier one would become automatic over time as long as I always only had $200 dollars in my account.

JPS’ Jewish Voices, Jewish Choices: Body has a section that discusses our obligations as human beings and Jews to exercise and eat properly. “Spent” reminded me of my obligation to myself, but also the difficulty in holding others to the same standard when money just wont allow it. I plan to spend this Yom Kippur curbing my urge to complain about fasting, and instead thinking of ways in which I can encourage the students I work with to develop healthy and affordable eating habits.

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Let’s Talk Honey

Posted by Rachel Broder in Jewish Knowledge on September 26, 2011

Rosh Hashanah has me thinking about food. Tablet Magazine has some seriously tasty-sounding Persian holiday dishes, while The Jew and The Carrot went Turkish. Though I am a budding young culinary student (of my mother and the Joy of Cooking), I’m not quite at complex holiday meals yet. What I can share with you is my love and knowledge of honey.

Whether dipping apples or challah in honey, I’m happiest at the table when my mom or dad sets down the gooey golden honey in one of the glass dishes we’ve had for my entire life. From local honey to Shop Rite huggy bear honey, I love it all. Now, onto my honey list:

- If you live around the Philadelphia area, treat yourself to Two Gander Farm honey. Made locally (Pleasantville) from local bees (my jar is made by West Philly bees!), the farm’s honey varies in flavor and color. There are a bunch of farmers markets and retail locations to pick up the local honey.

- The Milk and Honey Market in West Philly stocks local honey and yummy foods to dip in the honey. They also lead some of the grooviest markets in the city at the Fair Food Farm Stand in Reading Terminal Market and Almanac Market in Northern Liberties

- David Graves, or “Beeman”, has seven hives in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Manhattan. Check out Graves’ website for a great article on his honeybees, and for information about purchasing his honey.

- New Jersey actually has a New Jersey Beekeepers Association. Their website lists a ton of local beekeepers in NJ, along with details on each of their honey products.

- JPS is located up the street from Philadelphia’s Trader Joes, so I’m pretty familiar with T Joe’s honey products. Both the Trader Joes Clover Honey and the Trader Joes 100% Desert Mesquite Honey are worthy, but I lean towards the Clover.

- As said above, Shop Rite honey in the little plastic bear container is both delicious and adorable.

L’Shanah Tova to all!

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Help us Tweet #Torah to the Top!

Posted by Rachel Broder in Jewish Innovation on May 31, 2011

In exactly one week (June 7th), we at JPS (along with CCAR Press and Davka.org) will aim to tweet #Torah to the top ten of Twitter for Shavuot.  In order to do so, we need as many people to join us as possible.  JPS has created a #Torah Twitter tool that breaks text into Twitter-sized portions (140 character pieces), so it is really simple for others (YOU!) to join us on our journey to tweet #Torah to the top!  Here’s how it will work: You select your favorite public domain Torah text (sign up for your free copy of the 1917 JPS Tanakh!), paste the text you wish to share into our tool, and then tweet away!  You can use your preferred Twitter tool to schedule automatic tweets throughout the day or overnight.  The hashtag #Torah will automatically be added to each of your tweets, making it even easier to join the movement.

So why should you join us in tweeting #Torah to the top?  MyJewishLearning.com puts out a daily e-newsletter called “Jewniverse,” and in yesterday’s edition they wrote: “The project’s immediate goal is to make “Torah” one of Twitter’s most-talked-about topics. But the larger goal is to remind us how inspirational the Torah can be–even if you’re reading it 140 characters at a time.”  Even if you’re not a regular user of Twitter, the opportunity to fuse Torah and technology is extremely exciting.  Tweeting the Torah not only displays the Torah’s relevancy in modern society, but also gives followers an opportunity to take in the text in smaller chunks.

Shavuot, a holiday marking the joyous occasion of the receiving of the Torah, is celebrated with Torah study and dairy consumption.  Why not make Shavuot a little sweeter this year by sharing Torah text with your Twitter friends?  Whether you tweet Ruth or a portion you find particularly meaningful, please join us as we tweet #Torah to the top on June 7th!

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A Taste of Independence

Posted by Rachel Broder in Link Roundup on May 5, 2011

Growing up, Yom Ha’atzmaut meant festival of delicious food for my brother and me.  We would go to a gathering in Bucks County (outside of Philadelphia) with our parents, and proceed to stuff our faces with Israeli salad and sweets.  The joke in my house on holidays is that the vat of Israeli salad – made by my excellent chef of a mother – is only for me.  In honor of my extreme love for Israeli food, here’s a smattering of food blogs focusing on Israeli foods to make you drool!

-  Cafe Liz is Liz Steinburg of Tel Aviv transforming known and unknown recipes into sumptuous Kosher and vegetarian meals.  The most recent post is what really caught my eye: pasta fonduta with labaneh and zaatar.  She takes a traditional Northern Italian pasta dish and adds an Israeli twist.  My affection for Italian/Jewish food stems from Roman Jewish artichokes, and I see no reason not to expand to Italian/Israeli foods.

-  Over at Baroness Tapuzina Michelle Nordell outlines components to an Israeli breakfast at home.  She really got me with her recipe for kuku, a Persian omelet with saffron.

-  Chocolate and Zucchini is Clotilde Dusoulier’s delicious blog of mostly organic foods.  Her hummus recipe is not completely unique, but nevertheless tantalizing.  My mother makes an edamame hummus that knocks my socks off.  Also, if you’re in the Philadelphia area, Zahav makes possibly the smoothest hummus I’ve ever had.  And if I haven’t talked enough about hummus, I also suggest you read a hilarious little blurb on Sabra hummus over at Jewcy.

-  Irene Sharon Hodes writes about food and wine.  In an April post, she celebrated Golan Heights Winery, the winery that won this year’s best wine producer in the world award.  If you’re really interested in Israeli wine, Avi of Hakerem- The Israeli Wine Blog writes really detailed posts on the Israeli wine world.

-  Today’s post from The Jew and The Carrot highlights the rise of Israeli microbreweries (yum).  The Jew and The Carrot is one of my favorite food blogs (my mother would know- I email her recipes from the blog all the time), but the coolest thing I’ve come across recently is their post on Israeli food tours.

-  Israeli Kitchen is a wonderful blog not only for recipe ideas and reports on produce in Israel, but also for the beautiful photos included in each post.

May your celebration of Israeli Independence Day on May 9th be absolutely delectable!

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Ways to Remember the Terrible Things

Posted by Rachel Broder in Link Roundup on April 28, 2011

www.tbieugene.org

This Sunday, May 1st (the 27th of Nisan), marks the observance of Yom HaShoah.  In 1953 the Knesset decided on the 27th of Nisan- a compromise between traditional Jews who wanted the date to be in Iyar, and Zionists who wanted the date closer to the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (the 15th of Nisan). 

Depending on where you live, and what you’re interested in, there are a bunch of options across the country to observe Yom HaShoah:

- The Museum of Tolerance in LA has a slew of events over the next week including a family event on Sunday with speakers, The Butterfly Project, and more.  On Monday they are opening a brand new exhibit called, “Besa: Albanian Muslims Who Saved Jews During World War II.”  Throughout the week the museum will have film screenings and presentations.  Check out their site for upcoming events, some family-friendly and others for a bit more mature of an audience.

- Speaking of The Butterfly Project (which you should really check out if you haven’t already clicked on the link above!), the Holocaust Museum Houston has a bunch of really wonderful exhibits, but also a relatively new one called, “Whoever Saves a Life … Rescuers of Jews During the Holocaust,” which focuses on those who chose to help.

- If you’re in the New York area, stop by the Museum of Jewish Heritage on Sunday for an observance and a chance to talk with survivors.  On Wednesday the museum is hosting “Voices of the Holocaust,” a commemorative concert featuring Paul Schoenfield’s Ghetto Songs, which sets to music the poetry of Mordechai Gebertig.

 - The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in DC is running an exhibit called, “The Holocaust” through June.  It spans three floors, with over 900 artifacts, and is divided into three parts: “Nazi Assault,” “Final Solution,” and “Last Chapter.”  The museum is also hosting a bunch of really great traveling exhibits, including: “Fighting the Fires of Hate: America and the Nazi Book Burnings,” “Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals 1933 – 1945,” and “Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race.” 

If you’re planning to spend the day in your house, consider reading a book on the Holocaust.  Or, even better, think about sharing a book on the Holocaust with your child (or someone else’s child).  Not to toot our own horn, but JPS publishes Eve Bunting’s Terrible Things, a really excellent allegorical book for kids and adults.

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Is That Your Omer Beard or Your Playoff Beard?

Posted by Rachel Broder in Jewish Knowledge on April 21, 2011

Interestingly, The Counting of the Omer coincides with the NHL playoffs.  Jews count the days of wandering in the desert from Pesach to Shavuot, and hockey fans gear themselves up to hopefully run from the first round to the finals.  Omer beards and playoff beards begin to sprout on the most respectable people, and onlookers can ask themselves: Jew?  Hockey fan?  Both?  Full beards, patchy beards, black beards, red beards, etc. emerge, and every man bearing one has the satisfaction of being the bearded man. 

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Though the playoffs end positively for only one team, the Omer concludes with a joyous occasion for all Jews: the receiving of the Torah.  The playoffs mark a stressful but enjoyable period for participants and fans, while the Omer represents a somber time.  Jews mourn the wandering of ancestors, and hockey fans scream and paint their faces.  Despite the differences in atmosphere and end result (though, the kissing of the Stanley Cup is oddly reminiscent of the kissing of the Torah), this whole beard thing strikes me as significant. 

Jewcy has put together The Omerathon, a beard-growing competition to benefit Jewish Family Services Los Angeles.  Depending on tradition, participants are asked to grow their beards for 49 or 33 days while raising money for a defense against hunger in the community.  Depending on one’s team, hockey fans could also end up growing a beard for 49 or 33 days. 

So what’s with the facial hair?  JPS’ Celebrating the Jewish Year: The Spring and Summer Holidays outlines the significance of growing one’s hair.  Essentially, one is to set himself apart for the L-rd, and he is to do so by not cutting his hair- “the hair of his head shall be left to grow untrimmed” (Numbers 6:5).  Not cutting one’s hair has been expanded to include facial hair.  Though women are clearly not included in this beard tradition, I think that they can take a lesson from female hockey fans.  Female hockey fans can also not grow beards, so instead they satisfy their superstitious ritual fix by wearing special or lucky garments.  Some of my pals insist that we must all be seated in the exact same seats, wearing the exact same clothes, and going to the bathroom at the same minute mark or between periods for an entire playoff series, so there’s also that option. 

Though The Counting of the Omer is much more solemn, playoff hockey tradition is often as meaningful and serious for many.  Fans don beards, favorite jerseys, and lucky undergarments for the same reason Jews grow beards, avoid haircuts, and postpone weddings: out of respect and tradition.

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