מסיבונת של מוצ"ש עם האורחים והילדים

      I found this video on youtube and I found it adorable so I am posting it.Enjoy!!

Getting Back To Basics

     I found the attack in Israel less than a week ago to be very disturbing . I am so happy that I haven't read about any of the evangelists "reasons" for why this attack happened. I have only heard requests for unity and peace among Jewish people and requests for people to reflect and appreciate their families. I have heard requests for us to  appreciate the lives we all do have. Finally.We are finally getting back to basics. We are concentrating on ahavas yisroel.  I think that this is because this attack happened in Har Nof which is home to the women's  kiruv yeshiva Neve  Yerushalayim. Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Goldberg z"tl  was the husband of Briana Goldberg, the front desk receptionist at Neve Yerushalayim. Rabbi Aryeh Kupinsky  z"tl, was the husband of the former receptionist Yaakova Kupinsky. Rabbi Kalman Levine z"tl was the husband of a Neve alumna , Chaya Levine.
      From what I have gleaned online about the rabbis who were so brutally and tragically taken from us is  that they were dedicated to doing mitzvot and to helping others. They did not hide in ivory towers with their Judaism . They helped others grow in Torah and reach their potentials. They lived "the Shabbos Project"'s ideals. Coincidentally (or not) the shabbos project's shabbos was just a few short weeks ago.
      To mekarev someone to Judaism one needs to teach someone the intricacies of halacha without neglecting to include and implement good midos and ahavas yisroel.
      We need to continue the work of those who are no longer able to lead us. We must do it out of our love for others and out of our desire for them to experience how rich a life of Torah is. Okay, maybe I am sounding a bit evangelical, but I think this is the message to be learned.



































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The Kansas City Connection

Friends remember KC native killed in Jerusalem attack | Local News - KMBC Home
      Earlier this year there was an anti-semitic attack in Kansas City. Last week there was a terrorist attack in Jerusalem . One of those murdered was Rabbi Kalman Levine who grew up in Kansas City. Rabbi Moshe Twersky , another of the rabbis who was killed in the massacre has a nephew who currently lives in Kansas City. A few years ago I attended a friend's son's bar mitzvah in Kansas City. Many looked at me quizzically. They did not believe that there are Jews in Kansas City. Well guess what folks? There are Jews in Kansas City and the Jews of Kansas City are making their selves heard. I am hoping next time we will hear about amazing positive events occurring due to Jews in Kansas City and with Jews who grew up in Kansas City.
     I have visited Kansas City twice in my life. I would like to say that the Jewish community of Kansas City is one of the kindest communities in the world.
      

Dancing Rabbis

Post by The Jewish Standard. There has been so much tragedy in this world lately that I am posting some levity. This is such a cute video. I am expecting to see John Travolta make an appearance.

Survivor Describes Horrific Synagogue Attack - Inside Israel - News - Arutz Sheva

Survivor Describes Horrific Synagogue Attack - Inside Israel - News - Arutz Sheva  I am linking to this amazing testimony of Rabbi Shmuel Goldstein about his survival of the horrific massacre in the shul in Har Nof last Tuesday. It is such a miracle that he is alive and able to tell us his story. May he have a speedy recovery along with the others who were injured. Baruch dayan emet for those who were so tragically murdered there.

CNN sucks

     I get email updates from CNN . Today is no exception. I realize that they are biased against Israel, but this morning took the cake. They informed me of the terror attack in Israel using "quotation marks" around the words "terror attacks"  as if to say it was not one. I felt like I was punched in the stomach. They were so clearly saying how little they care about Jewish people. It was not as though I did not know this, but it still hurts to read it. I have never been to Har Nof, but I have been to Jerusalem. I am so broken up about what happened in Israel to my Jewish brethren. As for the rest of the world, I am waiting for them to surprise me with respect  and compassion for my people. I won't hold my breath , but I will not give up hope either. Baruch dayan emet for those who were murdered in the terror attack in Israel this morning . Sending love and support to their families. 

Hatikvah - The Hope - The National Anthem of Israel - התקווה

      This is an amazing rendition of Hatikvah. Enjoy.

Family history come to life: Lost Holocaust-era dress designs uncovered

     This is such  a sad story. This couple sent these dress designs to their relatives in the United States to help get the wife a job and help them get exit visas. Sadly it was not fast enough to save them. The couple did not survive but these sketches do. They are hanging in the Milwaukee holocaust museum. They even actually made dresses from these designs. I cannot hold back my tears. Such beautiful dresses. Imagine what this woman could have created had she lived longer. Words cannot express how  sad it is for these lives to have been cut so short. 

Kichel

     One of my favorite kiddush dishes is kichel. Its easy to buy them but I always thought it would be fun to make them. So I did.    I found this great recipe that I will share with you.

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This recipe is adapted from the book "The World of Jewish Cooking" by Gil Marks. 

Eier Kichlich

3 large eggs

4-5  tbsp granulated sugar, divided

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup canola oil 

1 cup all purpose flour

Beat eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy for 5-10 minutes.  Add 1tbsp sugar, salt and oil and continue beating mixture until thick for about 10 minutes. Gradually beat in the flour  until the mixture is smooth. 

Drop batter by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto parchment lined baking sheets. Sprinkle kichlich with 2-4 tablespoons of sugar , to cover. 

 Bake kichlich until puffed and golden brown for 20-25 minutes.  

Remove pans from oven and with a spatula transfer cookies fro pan to a cooling rack. Allow to completely cool before serving.  

Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or in freezer bags in the freezer for up to three months. 

Brittany Maynard’s Tragic Death

       Is it me, or were you also disturbed by Brittany Maynard's suicide?  I read aish.com's response Brittany Maynard’s Tragic Death  which I found powerful.  I know that I was disturbed by it.  Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few weeks you have heard of Brittany Maynard at 29 has decided to commit suicide rather than have treatment for her brain cancer. On November 1 she took a deadly dose prescribed by a doctor to commit suicide in Oregon.
       As it is doctors don't always want to do as much as we would like to help people live longer with medical care for serious illnesses so now this young woman is glorifying suicide. Will it become acceptable to commit suicide for those who suffer from depression? Will they close down the suicide hotlines?  Would it  be more comfortable to die than suffer with depression? Where does one draw the line? Even if what Brittany Maynard did was acceptable , why did she make it so public? It feels like there was an agenda.
     When older people decide that they have had enough treatment and opt out of more procedures due to illness it is a lot different than what Brittany Maynard did. Refusing treatment eventually made them pass on, but they did not actually cause their own deaths. She went the extra mile. If she just stopped treatment it would have been one thing, but suicide.... I do not think that that was the right thing to do. That's my 2 cents, not that anyone is asking. Suicide is not brave, living with whatever life throws you is brave.

1979 Making bagels by hand in Brooklyn, NY

    I found this gem online today. Notice how they aren't wearing gloves as they make the bagels. Does anyone know what part of Brooklyn this is?

Hot Stuff

 

 I went to the farmer's market in union square today. Its one of the most magical places in New York City.  The Tai hot peppers really caught my eye. I don't enjoy eating  hot peppers, but they make beautiful pictures.

a bouquet of hot peppers

Thai Hot

Age

     There are so many inspiring people around today. Retirement age may be 65 but many are still working at their professions even part time. I do not know that retirement age should be raised because of this, but the point is many seniors are still living vibrant lives.
      I have an older relative who recently passed away at the age of 84. He was a lawyer and still worked almost until the end.
       Even among  those who are not working , many older adults do not live in nursing homes and are living independent , vibrant lives. I suppose that a big fear can be getting older and being debilitated. Unfortunately some people do, but not everyone does. It is nice to be able to appreciate the lives of those who are still vibrant contributors to society. One can always learn so much by speaking to them.
       

Punk Jews

    So I just watched the documentary PUNK JEWS for free on YouTube. I had wanted to go to one of the screenings, but I hadn't managed to .
      I really did not know what to expect. I thought that it would just be a movie about people who go to the Thursday night 'Cholent'. It did include a lot of coverage of them, but they really were not the whole movie. Because of my preconceptions it was not until the end of the movie that I understood the message of the film. The message really was not that enlightening.  To be punk really means that a  person has their own way of doing things. This film is about Jewish people who have found their own ways of expressing their Judaism that does  conform to the mainstream. Some of the people used to be Hasidic and others started out as regular reform or conservative Jews. They all found their own ways of expressing Judaism. This documentary is a  cliff's notes catalog of unusual ways to express one's Judaism . I would not mind to see a more in depth version because I do not feel that the fifty-five minutes of this documentary was enough to cover this topic. To the credit of the filmmakers there is a Punk Jews play list on YouTube that includes more Punk Jews that were not included in the film. Perhaps these will be included on their DVD release.
      I know that many of you don't even want to spend the fifty-five minutes watching this film even though I posted it to my blog post, but I am not going to give a full synopsis . Watch it. Its free.

DLST

     Tonight we are 'falling' back. We are turning the clocks back so that the winter days are shorter. It kind of stinks. Its finally nice and cool outside, but it gets dark out early . Bah! I will enjoy an extra hour of the day tonight!  Winter is on the way....