HAKOL - April 2017 Special Section

Human rights advocacy

By Michelle Cohen Special to HAKOL In September 1980, HAKOL released a special issue to delve into the “history of courage and determination” of people who sought “fundamental human rights: the right to their own culture, the right to practice their religion and the right to live in the land of their choice.” Thirtyseven years later, as refugee rights have become a hot-button item once more, this Passover is a prime time to take a look back at what role HAKOL has played in educating the Lehigh Valley Jewish community about human rights around the world.

The special issue, entitled “The Record,” focused on the Jews of Russia and was published in cooperation with the Anti-Defamation League and the National Conference on Soviet Jewry. The 16-page paper is divided into spreads that detail each time period of Russian Jewish history before delving into the specific issues facing Russian Jews at the time.

Beginning with a chronology from 722 BCE, the first spread features the “veiled in legend” beginnings of Russian Judaism, with Jewish accomplishments bolded in a timeline. A map, photograph, mural and sculpture show the areas where Jews settled and the specifics of anti-Jewish

policies enacted during this time.

A letter to Joseph, the ruler of the kingdom of Khazaria in southern Russia, from Hasdai Ibn Shaprut, a court-physician, diplomat and inspector-general of customs in 10th century Spain’s Muslim government, accompanies the facts.

Each of the other four historical sections contains relevant photos, political cartoons and writings from the time, ranging from diary entries to newspaper articles to pieces of different constitutions, that come together to create the story. In addition to the beginning page that runs through 1772, the other time periods include “Russian Jewry under the tsars (1772-1917),” “Years of revolution, hope and despair (1917-1930),” “The long, dark Stalinist night (1930-1953),” and “Rebirth of the Jews of Russia (1953-1980).”

After providing the historical context for the current problems of Russian Jews, the section then delved into three essential human rights that people were fighting for every day. These sections not only tied into Jewish rights, but also the rights of all people in Russia at the time.

The section on the right to practice religious beliefs included not only an article detailing the prejudice against a synagogue described as a “nest of spies” but also featured a picture of a Russian Orthodox protest

in New York to call attention to imprisoned leaders and a description of the risks that Pentecostal Christians were taking to spread the word of their religion. A 13-year-old girl’s essay describing her vision of having a homeland in both Russia and Israel, featured on the spread about the right to national and cultural identity, is accompanied by an article about the treatment of ethnic minorities in the USSR. A letter sent by 18 GeorgianJewish families to Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in 1969 asking for help with emigrating to Israel, featured in the spread about the right to emigrate, sits next to biographies of Jewish and non-Jewish prisoners.

After the issues are delineated, the back page of the paper is dedicated to ways to move forward. Even though these problems were happening to people in a faraway country, there were still resource organizations like Freedom House and the National Conference on Soviet Jewry, among others, that Lehigh Valley residents could consult. A bibliopgraphy of sources mentioned in the paper could help further readers’ education about the issues at hand. Columns from the ADL and the National Conference on Soviet Jewry urged people to use their new knowledge, reach out and find ways to help people in need.

The Lehigh Valley Jewish Clergy Group present the

19th Annual Community Passover Seders PLEASE JOIN US AT OUR TABLE THIS PASSOVER. ALL ARE WELCOME. OR CALL TO ARRANGE TO SHARE IN A SEDER IN SOMEONE’S HOME.

Call any of the synagogues listed below if you are interested in sharing in a Passover seder with congregants having seders in their homes: AM HASKALAH, Allentown 610-435-3775 Student Rabbi Janine Jankovitz BETH AVRAHAM, Palmer 610-905-2166 Rabbi Yitzchak Yagod

BNAI ABRAHAM SYNAGOGUE, Easton 610-258-5343 CHABAD OF LEHIGH VALLEY, Allentown 610-336-6603 Rabbi Yaakov Halperin CONGREGATION BRITH SHOLOM, Bethlehem 610-866-8009 Rabbi Michael Singer

Congregation Brith Sholom MONDAY, APRIL 10 | 6:00 PM Join Rabbi Michael Singer as we retell the story of the Exodus from slavery to freedom. Catering by Boscov’s Ala Carte Catering Service. Vegetarian selection is available. Brith Sholom adult members $40 per person; non-members $45 per person; children (ages 6-13) $18 per person; children (ages 5 and under) free. Contact Tammy to make your reservation by April 3, 610-866-8009.

2 APRIL 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | HAPPY PASSOVER

CONGREGATION KENESETH ISRAEL, Allentown 610-435-9074 Rabbi Seth Phillips

TEMPLE BETH EL, Allentown 610-435-3521 Rabbi Moshe Re’em Cantor Kevin Wartell

TEMPLE ISRAEL OF LEHIGHTON, Lehighton 610-370-9591 Rabbi Rachel Rembrandt

CONGREGATION SONS OF ISRAEL, Allentown 610-433-6089 Rabbi David Wilensky

TEMPLE COVENANT OF PEACE, Easton 610-253-2031 Rabbi Melody Davis

TEMPLE SHIRAT SHALOM, Allentown 610-706-4595 Cantor Ellen Sussman

Chabad of the Lehigh Valley MONDAY, APRIL 10 | 7:30 PM Enjoy a meaningful seder with traditional songs, stories and lively discussions led by Rabbi Yaacov Halperin. $25 per adult; $18 per child; $75 max per family. For reservations, more information or to make special financial arrangements, contact Chabad of Lehigh Valley, 610-351-6511 or office@ chabadlehighvalley.com or visit chabadlehighvalley.com.

Easton Joint Community Seder Temple Covenant of Peace/Bnai Abraham Synagogue TUESDAY, APRIL 11 | 6:00 PM at Temple Covenant of Peace Led with joy and ruach by Rabbi Melody Davis, Cantor Jill Pakman and Cantor Bob Wiener. $20 per adult; $10 per child; $60 max per nuclear family. RSVP by April 5. To learn more contact 610-253-2031.

Congregation Keneseth Israel Super Shabbat Seder FRIDAY, APRIL 14 | 5:45 PM Traditional foods from Chef Eric, musical guests and afikomen!

Members $25 adults, $18 kids; non-members $32 adults, $22 kids; under 6 free. RSVP by March 30 to 610-435-9074.

By Michelle Cohen Special to HAKOL This year, as part of your Passover seder, consider using the haggadah supplement from HIAS to learn more about the journey to freedom in today’s world and how you can help others in need.

Formerly known as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, HIAS now goes by its acronym to show that it is an advocacy center for all refugees, no matter their religion or country of origin. It is currently involved in a variety of places around the world, with a dual mission of refugee protection and advocacy for human rights.

As an organization that started with a Jewish slant, HIAS is eager to demonstrate modern connections to refugees through the Passover story: “Throughout our history, violence and persecution have driven the Jewish people to wander in search of a safe place to call home,” the HIAS website says. “We are a refugee people. At the Passover seder, we gather to retell the story of our original wandering and the freedom we found. As we step into this historical experience, we cannot help but draw to mind the 65 million displaced people and refugees around the world today fleeing violence and persecution, searching for protection.”

It is as a result of this sentiment that the HIAS haggadah supplement was created. Designed to “lift up the experiences of the world’s refugees as we retell our story this Passover,” the supplement is divided into several sections, with real-life stories to read, activities to conduct, questions to ask and ways to get involved in the future. The experiences are designed to start at the beginning of the seder, with an activity and a reading about leaving shoes at the door, and end at the conclusion of the seder, with a call to action based on “Next year in Jerusalem.”

The supplement is peppered with stories and photos of modern refugees designed to help participants gain a better understanding of the experience of losing one’s home and connections to the past. These stories add a human angle to the haggadah’s larger theme of connecting the Jewish people’s experience in Egypt to the modern world, and lend an opportunity for reflection on the blessings in our own lives as well as how to help others who may not have these blessings.

The exercises range from the educational – learning about different efforts made by entrepreneurs and charity workers to help refugees around the world – to the personal, including a “modern midrash” exercise where participants look around their own homes and figure out what they could lose if they had to leave suddenly, and to what memories they would cling.

One particularly poignant piece of the supplement is the Dayeinu, which encourages participants to question what does it mean to have enough and think about the small blessings in everyday life. The haggadah shares the stories of what “enough” means to several refugees, some of whose stories are reproduced on this page.

HIAS’s message is clear: when remembering our own story of exile and persecution, it is important to remember others.

To find the supplement in its entirety, go to www.hias.org/passover2017.

For Dowla, the wooden pole balanced on her shoulders, which she used to carry each of her six children when they were too tired to walk during the 10-day trip from Gabanit to South Sudan – Dayeinu: it would have been enough.

For Sajida, the necklace her best friend gave her to remember her childhood in Syria – Dayeinu: it would have been enough.

For Magboola, the cooking pot that was small enough to carry but big enough to cook sorghum to feed herself and her three daughters on their journey to freedom – Dayeinu: it would have been enough.

In this season of freedom, lend hope to others

By Joy Miller Special to HAKOL During the holiday of Passover, Sid Kleiner and a few volunteers help Beth Tikvah Jewish Prisoner Outreach (BT-JPO), a pluralistic Jewish nonprofit of over 30 years which tries to help those in prison who are Jewish all year long. Their freedom has been cut short, for many of them for a number of years. Sid Kleiner, the president of BT-JPO, is the brother of Bunny Nepon, who lived in the Lehigh Valley for many years and moved to Florida before passing away recently.

Beth Tikvah has provided 300 prayer books from Lehigh Valley religious institutions, a project which I have been involved in. Last year, I had help with shipping costs from Congregation Keneseth Israel and Beth Tikvah JPO. Last year, volunteers from the Allentown JCC’s Friendship Circle signed and wrote holiday messages on Chanukah cards that were sent to over 200 prisoners in this outreach program. Over 100 Jewish calendars have been collected in the Lehigh Valley, from Congregation Sons of Israel and Chabad of the Lehigh Valley and individuals, and sent out this year alone. Temple

Shirat Shalom has donated prayer books, and Temple Beth El donated Jewish-themed books.

As we approach the holiday celebrating our own freedom, please consider helping Jewish prisoners through BT-JPO. One of the major items needed are unused postage stamps so that those served can be free enough to communicate with family and friends, lawyers or other business and personal connections.

Dropping off postage stamps at the JCC front desk is a great way to help BT-JPO. We also appreciate donations of other Judaica; in particular, we are looking for prayer books in hard or

soft covers for Shabbat, festivals, daily prayers from Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist and Chumash, Talmud and Tanakh books are also appreciated. Tallit and tallit bags are needed as well; they do not need to be new. These items do not have to be new, but in reasonable condition.

If you would like to know other ways to help, I am more than willing to explain opportunities and share information. Please remember, we are free, so let us help others not so fortunate.

For more information, contact Joy Miller at 610-417-1243 or miller.interpretations@gmail.com.

HAPPY PASSOVER | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | APRIL 2017 3

The ‘Unofficial Hogwarts Haggadah’ is what’s missing from your seder

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4 APRIL 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | HAPPY PASSOVER

By Beth Kissileff kveller.com Magic? Seder? Can these two words coexist happily in the same evening? Rabbi Moshe Rosenberg, author of the “Unofficial Hogwarts Haggadah,” currently the number one bestseller in both haggodot and Jewish life on Amazon, believes so.

Kveller caught up with Rosenberg recently to learn a few new spells and charms and hear his wisdom on what kind of sorcery is appropriate for the retelling of the story of the Exodus at Passover.

Rosenberg writes in the Haggadah, “The most striking parallel between Hogwarts and haggadah has to be the four houses of Hogwarts and the four children of the seder. While they are not and need not be exactly correlated, these categories of students agree

on a major principle of education—each student is an individual, endowed with unique character traits, aptitudes and passions.”

When he is not expounding on how the wizarding world can provide advice to the Jewish world, Rosenberg teaches fifth grade Judaica and coordinates technology integration at the SAR Academy in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, and is rabbi at a synagogue in Kew Garden Hills, Queens.

Where did the idea for the Hogwarts Haggadah come from?

When I was introduced to the "Harry Potter" series in its second book, I saw that it was a universal language for my students. I fell in love with the books myself—I could not do this project with something I did not enjoy. J.K. Rowling gets the human condition and humor and adolescence, characterizations and scenes.

It is all there and it does not disappoint. The books address so many core issues in life. And the message says so many things we are teaching our kids through Jewish sources. I connect the dots, in order to drive ideas home, relate to something in kids’ own experience.

Teachers have been doing this from time immemorial.

announcements. We knew the audience was there, and we were able to find them.

How can I make my seder magical?

The best way to make the seder magical is to get the kids involved. This haggadah can be a conversation starter, giving them a piece of commentary to build on.

Once kids are engaged, your seder will be magical.

In the seder itself we do everything to induce kids to ask questions. Every generation has its own language and own frames of reference, this is theirs.

What is the most important element for a seder?

The Talmud tells us different people experience joy through different modalities.

Just as you have four children [in the Haggadah, the wise, the wicked, the simple and the one who does not know how to ask] and four houses [Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff], all learn differently. In the Haggadah, I asked students, ‘how do you like to learn?’ and got such a broad variety of responses.

What is the target audience and goal for the book?

I think that it is a book that refuses to pigeonhole itself.

Young kids will get a kick out of it, middle schoolers will appreciate it, high school age kids are one of the strongest demographics for the book. The kids from my Harry Potter nights [at SAR’s Harry Potter club], have been writing and tweeting and posting.

How do I get my seder guests interested in discussing issues and engaging with questions when they are just there to eat?

I am supposed to know this because I wrote a book?

Let’s see, I guess, first of all, never stand between a seder guest and their food.

So timing is very important.

You are not going to get to discuss anything when everyone is famished and it is 11 at night. You decide in advance at which juncture to try to engage: maybe one of the questions to kids? Like everything else in life, this requires preparation, not doing on the fly.

Did you expect this level of interest?

I thought there was interest, the question was reaching people. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my children.

They are my team. They created a Facebook page, a sign up list, sent out

How can I get Fred and George Weasley to come to my seder?

By telling them they are not wanted. Or maybe if Peeves asks them. Tell them they can bring products from their joke store that will keep people interested.

RECIPE: Funfetti matzah cake for Passover INGREDIENTS: 4 pieces of matzah Lots of colored sprinkles 1 ½ cups white chocolate chips For the filling: 6 oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature 1 tsp vanilla 1/3 cup sugar 1 ½ cups heavy cream (keep very chilled until ready to use) Pinch of salt For the frosting: 2 cups powdered sugar (look for special kosher-for-passover powdered sugar) 1/3-1/2 cup milk 1 tsp lemon juice

By Shannon Sarna kveller.com This recipe might just be proof that you could put frosting and sprinkles on anything and it would be delicious, including matzah.

White chocolate, whipped cream cheese filling and a healthy shower in frosting makes this matzah cake a fun, colorful and pretty delicious dish to enjoy any time during Passover. My daughter loved digging in, but so did my husband—truly a whimsical and indulgent dessert that can be enjoyed by all.

This is very much a dairy dessert, and no, I don’t recommend trying to make it nondairy. I do recommend assembling the cake with filling and allowing it to sit overnight before covering it in frosting. This will allow the matzah to soften slightly and the flavors to meld together.

DIRECTIONS: Place white chocolate in a glass bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring well in between, until smooth. Spread a few tablespoons on three pieces of matzah. Set aside.

To make the filling, beat the cream cheese and sugar together using a hand mixer. Add vanilla and mix. Take chilled heavy cream and stream in to cream cheese mixture while beating on high. Beat until doubled in size but not too stiff.

Pipe or spread the filling on first layer of white chocolate-covered matzah. Top with second piece of white chocolate-covered matzah and add more filling. Repeat a third time and then top with plain matzah.

Place in fridge overnight.

Remove matzah cake from fridge and flip over (you will notice that the matzah has started to curl a bit overnight).

To make the frosting, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice and milk. If it looks too thick, add a touch more milk.

Pour frosting over the top of cake. Allow to sit another 1-2 hours.

Top with sprinkles.

JFS to brighten older adults’ Passover celebrations

By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor This year, Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley will be offering several services for local older adults to help make sure everyone is included in the festivities this Passover season.

Two model seders will take place in the Lehigh Valley, one at Atria Bethlehem and one at Kirkland Village, to give older adults the seder experience in an abbreviated time. All the key elements will be included, such as drinking wine, making a matzah sandwich, singing Dayeinu and retelling the Passover story. After the seder, the residents will proceed to the dining room for a festive Passover meal. The seder will help older adults feel connected not only to the community, but to their memories, said Carol Wilson, JFS clinical coordinator of older adult services. “They can connect to their memories of Passover with smells, foods and songs,” she said, noting that sensory memories can be very powerful.

In addition to the seders, JFS staff and volunteers will make visits to homes and assisted living residences across the Lehigh Valley to deliver matzah and door hangers made by students from the Jewish Day School. This project was inspired by a call from a resident last year who noticed Easter decorations on other doors and wanted to decorate her door with something Passover-related. “The door hangers don’t only brighten the hallways, they also remind older adults of their connection to the Jewish community,” Wilson said.

There are opportunities for volunteers to lead model seders, fill out a store-bought or custom card for an older adult or donate kosher-for-Passover matzah and other foods for the Community Food Pantry and deliveries to older adults.

If you are interested in these opportunities, please contact Carol Wilson at 610-821-8722 or cwilson@jfslv.org.

HAPPY PASSOVER | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | APRIL 2017 5

By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor This Passover, try something exciting and new with my 10 plagues nail art! I’ve been working on this for years and the result is bound to impress people at your seder. Feel free to make your own adaptations to the designs, whether that means choosing different patterns to represent the plagues or using different colors than I did. The sky is the limit for this fun Passover-themed nail art.

YOU WILL NEED:

Nail polish in the following colors: (Feel free to substitute these colors with ones you like or mix your own by adding white to a color to lighten it and black to darken it.)

• White • Black • Red • Blue • Green • Yellow • Pink • Grey (or mix white and black) • Something matching your skin tone Dotting tools or another way to create dots – I recommend buying a cheap set of dotting tools, but you can also use pens or pencils in various levels of being sharpened to create the desired effect.

Nail polish remover and Q-tips or paper towels – for mistakes, and to clean the surrounding skin afterwards.

THE PLAGUES 1. BLOOD

This plague can be done in one of two ways. You could opt to paint your whole nail red, or you can follow the following steps for a blood-drip pattern.

Step 1: Paint your nail with the skincolored polish.

Step 2: Put a good amount of red polish on your dotting tool, so it will start to drip, and make several dots at different heights along your nail.

Step 3: Drag the extra polish down from the dots to make the blood drop’s path.

Step 4: Fill in the tip of your nail with red polish to create the place where the blood is coming from.

2. FROGS

Step 1: Paint your nail with the background color. For this design, feel free to use whatever background color you want. I had light green polish for the frog, so I created a contrast with a dark blue background.

Step 2: Paint a green semicircle and add two large dots above it.

Step 3: Put a smaller white dot in the center of each of the large dots to make the eyes.

Step 4: Add pupils by placing a small black dot in the middle of the white dots.

Step 5: Make two small lines with a small dotting tool to make the nostrils.

3. LICE

Step 1: Paint your nail with the skincolored polish.

Step 2: Starting at the top of the nail, make two sweeping movements downwards to create locks of hair. I used yellow for the hair, but feel free to use whatever color you want.

Step 3: Add small dots to represent the lice in the hair. I recommend using black if you chose a light color for the hair and white if you chose a dark color for the hair, to maximize the contrast.

Step 4: Make two small horizontal lines at the bottom of your nail with black polish to make the impression of a neck. Feel free to add facial features if you want.

4. WILD ANIMALS

This step is the most individualized one, considering that there’s no specific animal mentioned in this plague. When I do my plague nails, I choose an animal

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that pain here the f an In face

Step Step blac nail, the b dots Step and ting

5. C

Step Step the t Step dots eyes alive eyes Step mak look

6. B

Step ored cree Step sizes on th lar r Step yello

t I want to learn how to nt. I’ve done a panda bear e, but feel free to adapt frog instructions or look up nternet tutorial to create the e of any animal you want.

p 1: Paint your nail white. p 2: Using a dotting tool, make two ck dots toward the top third of your , then create a line running around border of your nail to connect the s. p 3: Create droopy diagonal eyes a tiny triangular nose with the dotg tool.

CATTLE DISEASE

p 1: Paint your nail white. p 2: Draw a pink semicircle starting at tip of your nail. p 3: Use the dotting tool to make two s for the nose and two dots for the s. I prefer to make open eyes for an e cow, but feel free to make Xs for s to signify the cow’s death. p 4: Use the rest of the white space to ke random black blotches, which will k like cow print.

ones. I chose yellow because it resembles infection, but feel free to use white and make more pimply boils instead.

BOILS

7. HAIL

p 1: Paint your nail with the skin-cold polish. This will make it look extra epy, as if the boils are real. p 2: Use dotting tools of different s, or different amounts of nail polish he same dotting tool, to create irregured dots. p 3: Use a smaller dotting tool to put ow dots in the middle of the red

Step 1: Paint your nail blue. I prefer a deeper blue for a better contrast with the hail.

Step 2: Place many small grey dots all over your nail to create falling hail. You can also use white here for more of a snowy effect.

Step 3: Add a thin grey line to the tip of your nail to create a snow-covered ground.

8. LOCUSTS

Step 1: Paint your nail white.

Step 2: Use a small dotting tool to create lines branching up from the tip of your nail. Make the lines connect like branches of a plant.

Step 3: Add many small black dots to the plant to make locusts.

9. DARKNESS

Step 1: The easiest one yet… simply paint your nail black.

10. DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORN

Step 1: Paint your nail black.

Step 2: Use a large dotting tool to make

FROGS

CATTLE DISEASE

BLOOD

LICE

BOILS

LOCUSTS

HAIL

a big dot for the skull. I chose to add an elongated vertical part at the bottom here to help make Step 3 easier.

Step 3: Draw a thin line with white polish under the skull to make the jawbone. If you made the vertical part at the bottom of the skull in Step 2, simply draw a black line in the middle of it to separate the jawbone from the rest of the skull.

Step 4: Draw an X below the jawbone to give a skull-and-crossbones vibe.

Step 5: Use a small black dotting tool to add two dots for eyes and a tiny triangular nose in the middle of the skull.

WILD ANIMALS

DARKNESS

DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORNS

HAPPY PASSOVER | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | APRIL 2017 7

By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor This Passover, decorate your seder table with matzah crafts the whole family can enjoy.

Matzah decorations are less traditional than other Passover accoutrements like Elijah cups, afikomen holders and matzah covers, likely due to two factors – the fact that matzah is a food, so it could spoil, and the difficulty of manipulating matzah into another form other than a square shape.

These two projects depend on the limitation of the matzah rather than trying to work around it, using its inflexibility and edibility to contribute to unique seder table decorations.

Matzah Flowerpot/ Tissue Box Use this as a centerpiece to brighten your table with some fresh spring flowers, or lend someone a smile during cold season with a Passoverthemed tissue box.

You will need: - Four sheets of matzah - A 6” x 6” box or tissue box - Flowers or tissues to fill the box - Glue - (Optional) A piece of ribbon to tie around the box, or stickers/glitter pens to decorate

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Two matzah crafts to adorn your seder table this Passover

Instructions: 1. Empty the box of anything already in it, and set out the matzah to the side.

2. Glue around the edges of one sheet of matzah, plus an X in the middle, then stick to one side of the box.

3. Repeat for the other three sides of the box.

4. Give the glue time to dry; spend this time preparing the tissues or flowers for the box.

5. Once the glue is dry, insert the tissues or flowers into the box.

6. Decorate the box however you like!

Tie a ribbon around it, or let the kids have fun with glitter pens or stickers.

Make sure to be gentle when touching the box, as matzah cannot withstand much force.

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8 APRIL 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | HAPPY PASSOVER

Matzah House Like the previous project, this begins with matzah affixed to a box, but this time, we’re focusing on edibility. By using melted chocolate or kosher icing rather than glue, you and your family will be able to create a memorable matzah house with a variety of kosher-for-Passover foods. With this project, Passover food can be fun after all! (Project adapted from www.marthastewart.com) You will need: - 6-by-6-by-6-inch cube cardboard box - Scissors, to cut the tape

Matzah crafts Continues on page 9

Find new Passover traditions on breakingmatzo.com

By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor Whether you’re looking for a new way to enjoy your seder this year, or you wish to delve deeper into the traditions your family has followed for years, look no further than breakingmatzo.com, a Jewish website with over 15 years of holiday-themed content.

Breakingmatzo.com is described as “an online resource to help you create lasting memories around your Jewish home holidays,” said founder Andy Goldfarb, an Allentown native and son of Dr. Harold Goldfarb of Allentown.

Goldfarb created the website as a way to share the “magic of sharing holidays and life events with my children.”

Goldfarb shares his own story of celebrating Passover with his great-grandfather, and hopes the various tools on the website will help other families not only create unique Passover traditions,

Matzah crafts Continues from page 8

- Knife, to cut the matzah - Tape - Minimum of 7 sheets of matzah - Melted chocolate or kosher icing - Kosher or kosher-for-Passover foods (for decoration) Instructions: 1. Assemble the box. Make sure to trim the top into triangle shapes and tape together to make the roof.

2. Use the knife to cut one of the sheets of matzah into triangles to fit the triangular sections of the roof; leave the other six sheets whole.

It may be helpful to have a

but also keep them going from generation to generation.

The website is divided into a variety of sections, each with its own way to help the whole family get ready to celebrate the holiday. Adults can prepare for the seder by cooking recipes from a variety of contributors’ families, while children can stay entertained with instructions to make Passover gnome gardens and DIY seder plates. During the seder, articles from the philosophy section can contribute topics of discussion such as the difference between “Passover” and “Pesach,” numbers in the seder, the role of women in the Exodus story and even how the story of Passover could help land a human on Mars.

In addition to articles, a variety of video tutorials can show people of all ages and Jewish experience how to make some of the essential pieces for the seder table.

Some of the craft projects and recipes have videos as well.

Don’t be fooled by the Passover name – breakingmatzo.com also offers the same types and depth of content for Chanukah and Sukkot to keep the joy of learning year-round.

As Goldfarb concludes, “I hope you will find ideas to make your Passover seder even more magical, meaningful and memorable for your own family and friends.”

With the Breaking Matzo website, these ideas are only a click away.

few extra sheets here in case the triangles don’t come out great on the first try. It can be very difficult to cut matzah.

3. Use melted chocolate or kosher icing (store-bought or homemade) to affix four slices of matzah to the outside of the box to make the walls, two slices to the slope of the roof and the triangles in the uncovered spots on the roof.

4. Once the chocolate or icing on the house hardens, use more melted chocolate or icing to affix other kosher or kosherfor-Passover foods to the matzah house. Whether you create a simple and classic design or go wild with fun shapes and colors, this edible creation will be enjoyable as both a decoration and a tasty treat!

HAPPY PASSOVER | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | APRIL 2017 9

Here's a light Passover lunch that's good for you – tasty, too

By Megan Wolf Jewish Telegraphic Agency

BROCCOLI AND PARMESAN SOUP Serves 4 Ingredients: 2 heads broccoli 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided Salt to taste 1 cup whole milk 1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 tablespoon butter 1 onion, thinly sliced 2 large cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus more for garnish 1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock (or more, depending on how thick you like your soup) Preparation: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Remove the bottom portion of the broccoli stalks and peel the thick outer layer with a vegetable peeler. Separate the florets from the bunch and chop the stalks so that you are using the entire broccoli. Although the stalk is a bit fibrous for a salad, it is perfectly usable for this application.

Toss the broccoli with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the olive oil and salt to taste, spread on a baking sheet and roast until soft and golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Heat the milk in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat — you want to gently heat the milk so it doesn’t scald. Add the potato pieces to the milk and cook until tender, about 12 minutes.

Once cooked, set the potato and milk mixture aside.

In a separate skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil and the butter over medium heat, and cook the onion and garlic until translucent and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes.

Place three-fourths of the onion mixture in a blender, and continue to cook the remaining portion until golden brown and more caramelized, another 10 to 12 minutes, then set aside for garnish.

Add the potatoes and milk, broccoli, Parmesan cheese and nutmeg to the blender or food processor with the onion; blend until combined.

10 APRIL 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | HAPPY PASSOVER

MEGAN WOLF

Even during Jewish holidays, when food is so abundant, it is possible to eat well.

My cookbook, “Great Meals with Greens and Grains,” highlights many of my favorite plant-based, vegetarian recipes that not only are healthy but delicious. And many of its recipes are kosher for Passover or can be easily modified by removing or substituting a single ingredient.

The following three recipes would be great when served as a light dairy lunch following a traditionally heavy seder.

They are colorful, flavorful and packed with good-for-you ingredients.

Spiced Rubbed Eggplant with Quinoa and Cherries

Begin adding the stock until you have achieved your desired consistency, adding more if you need. Season to taste with more salt if necessary.

Divide the soup among 4 bowls, top with a spoonful of the caramelized onions, a pinch of nutmeg and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

KALE SALAD WITH CANDIED ALMONDS, APPLES AND MAPLE DRESSING Serves 4 Ingredients: For the dressing: 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1/4 cup lemon juice Salt to taste For the candied almonds: 1/2 cup whole raw almonds 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1/2 teaspoon salt For the salad: 1 bunch kale, stems discarded and leaves roughly chopped 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 4 scallions, thinly sliced 1 medium tart apple (Granny Smith, Northern Spy or Braeburn), halved, cored and thinly sliced Preparation: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

To make the dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well incorporated, then set aside.

To make the candied almonds: In a bowl, toss the almonds with the olive oil, maple syrup and salt, spread in one flat layer on a parchment- or foil-lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

To make the salad: In a large bowl, combine the kale, feta, scallions, apple and warm almonds, toss with the dressing and serve immediately.

Tip: If you don’t have almonds, you can use any other nuts on hand — pecans or walnuts would be delicious.

SPICE-RUBBED EGGPLANT WITH QUINOA AND CHERRIES Serves 4 Ingredients: 2 large eggplants, halved, tops left intact For spice rub: 4 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/4 cup olive oil For the quinoa: 2/3 cup (uncooked quinoa (certified kosher for Passover) 1 1/3 cups water 1/3 cup unsweetened dried cherries or raisins 1/3 cup chopped parsley, divided 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallion (white and green parts), divided Salt to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice Preparation: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

To make the eggplant: Place the eggplant halves cut-side up on a nonstick baking sheet.

With a sharp knife, score the eggplant diagonally every 1/2 inch, then run the knife down the center of the eggplant. Be sure to only score the flesh of the eggplant; do not pierce through the skin.

To make the rub: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the spice rub. Massage the spice mixture evenly across each of the eggplant halves, being sure to rub it into the flesh.

Turn the eggplants cut-side down and roast for 45 to 50 minutes, or until very soft and cooked through.

To make the quinoa: Combine the quinoa and water in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and continue to cook until the water has evaporated and the quinoa is fluffy, 10 to 12 minutes. Mix the cooked quinoa with the cherries or raisins and set aside.

When the eggplant is cooked, add half of the parsley and half of the scallions to the quinoa, stir to combine and season to taste with salt. Top each eggplant half with equal amounts of the quinoa mixture, then top with remaining parsley and scallion, drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice and serve immediately.

(Excerpted from “Great Meals with Greens and Grains,” by Megan Wolf. Copyright © 2016 Megan Wolf. Reprinted with permission from Page Street Publishing Co. All rights reserved.)

The two most dreaded words …

'Passover shopping'

By Shari Spark Special to HAKOL Preparing for Pesach was much easier in the time of the ancient Israelites. You set aside a lamb, planned to share it with your neighbor, roasted it whole and ate it with bitter herbs and matzah.

These days, the seder is an extravagant affair requiring online searches, scouring cookbooks and calling relatives for the newest, most gourmet and best of Bubbie’s recipes. Would that it was only the simple meal of the lamb, maror and matzah!

How many courses? Soup and fish? Soup or fish? One dessert?

Did you know Aunt Sadie’s vegan and gluten free?

In order to fulfill the mitzvah of a “kosher Pesach,” finding the required ingredients becomes a full-out scavenger hunt. Having grown up in a small town, and having lived in smaller Jewish communities across America, I have encountered two primary options: Shop from store to store, over and over again, in your own community (the hunter/gatherer method). Or, travel out

of town to a near-"ish," larger kosher market and get everything in one swoop (the safari method, and my preferred shopping option).

And so, I became curious as to how many others living in the Lehigh Valley also leave to shop for Pesach, armed with coolers, cloth shopping bags and cartons, for the trek to a shopping galaxy, far, far away.

My first query was to our annual Facebook group: Lehigh Valley Passover Shoppers.

Yes – it’s a real thing where we ask each other who has found potato starch or recommend the best way to peel hardboiled eggs. The group overwhelmingly responded that they go out of town for at least part of their shopping: • “ShopRite in Philadelphia, but I mostly get deliveries from my parents who shop there.”

• “ACME in Narberth – good meat prices if you watch the sales.”

• “The Monsey area of Rockland County, New York, has three kosher supermarkets that have everything our local stores don’t.”

• “I shop first locally since

you never know what is here from year to year. Then to Rockland Kosher Supermarket. NOW can everyone stop talking about Pesach? I am not ready to start yet!”

For those who stay in town, many wish they could go somewhere with more selection and better prices, but find shopping here “doable."

I am a dedicated out-oftown Pesach shopper, usually to Philadelphia. Over the years, the journey has included friends along for the ride (and sometimes other people’s lists … “Can you get me a jar of apricot jam?” "If you see sunflower oil, get me three.”

This tactic is known among Passover buyers as "symbiotic shopping").

Occasionally, you find people who have fashioned Lehigh Valley Pesach consumerism into an outright science.

They have a PhD (Passover hasn’t Defeated me).

The summit of kosher for Passover shopping for them is a trip to Brooklyn, and “if you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere.”

The experience of shopping

amongst so many "landsmen" invigorates these doctoral candidates with a “feeling like nowhere else!” The ambience is equaled by the quality, selection and value of the Passover products that can be had all in one location. I tried to get my PhD last year. Let’s just say it was not the rewarding experience had by others (and honestly, who can wait in line to park and pay equal to the time it actually takes to shop?).

Whether on the road or at local stores, may your Passover

shopping be rewarding. Try to remember that the important part of Pesach is sharing the seder at a table of family and friends, and in the end, no one will care if you have one dessert or three, soup and fish, turkey or brisket (all not true … they do care and they will tell you so).

Thank you to the respondents for their input. No participants were unduly stressed out in the writing of this piece. A Happy and Kosher Pesach to all!

PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT

Passover dairy dinner

BY SANDI TEPLITZ

Okay, we all can find a ton of things to make for the seder ... but how about in between when we're scratching our heads for new ideas. Here's a dairy meal that's sure to please – and it doesn't taste Passover-ish.

SAUTEED FLOUNDER WITH TOMATO BASIL BUTTER FOR TOMATO BASIL BUTTER: In a frying pan, sauté 1 pound of peeled seeded and chopped tomatoes with 1 large clove of minced garlic in a T. of heated olive oil. Cook for 12 minutes, until a puree is formed. Cool. In a Cuisinart, place one stick of salted butter, 1 + 1/2 t. grated lemon rind, 1/4 t. salt, dash of pepper and 1/4 c. minced fresh basil. Add tomatoes.

FOR FISH: Coat 1 pound flounder filets with a mixture of 1/4 c, potato starch, 1/4 c. cake flour, 1/2 t. pepper, 3/4 c. matzah meal and 3/4 c. grated parmesan cheese KP. Dip into 2 extra large eggs. Shake off excess, and recoat with parmesan. Fry in mix of 1/4 c. butter and 1/4 c. oil.

VEGETABLE SLAW INGREDIENTS: 3/4.lb. cabbage, sliced thinly 1/4. c. apple cider vinegar 1 T. sugar 2 t. salt 2 t. pepper 1/2 c. vegetable oil 1 bag baby carrots, dried well, then grated 1/2 red pepper, and 1/2 green pepper, sliced thinly heirloom cherry tomatoes to garnish

TECHNIQUE: Whisk vinegar and seasonings, then whisk in oil. Combine vegetables and toss. Serve very cold.

OVEN-ROASTED POTATOES To generous two pounds of potatoes, unpeeled and diced, add 1 T. salt, 1 t. pepper and 2/3 c. vegetable oil. Toss well. Spread on cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Add a generous two cups of finely chopped onions, roast for another 25 minutes, until crispy.

From the Dent Family to You and Your Family -

Happy Passover!

PEAR SORBET To 3 pounds of peeled, cored and sliced ripe pears, add a bottle of KP Riesling wine and 3/4 c. sugar, then poach until soft. Cool.

Puree until smooth. Add 3 T. lemon juice and freeze in an electric ice cream maching according to directions. Top with slightly sweetened strawberries.

CHARLES W. DENT Member of Congress

PAID FOR BY CHARLIE DENT FOR CONGRESS HAPPY PASSOVER | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | APRIL 2017 11

Wishing you and your family a

HAPPY PASSOVER

PASSOVER BRAISED BRISKET WITH SOUR CHERRY GLAZE GiantFoodStores.com/savory

Stop by a Giant near you and let the celebration begin!