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January 2015 Teves/Shevat 5775

ORANGE COUNTY JEWISH LIFE Know a Nice Jewish Boy? Finding the “Perfect” Mate A Safe Place to Pray Finding Comfort in Ritual

THE ACCIDENTAL RABBI An Exclusive Interview with Israel’s Chief Rabbi David Lau

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JLIFE | Teves/Shevat 5775 | JANUARY 2015

56

VIEWPOINT

17 On The Lighter Side Know a Nice Jewish Boy?

18

Fresh Orange Jews OC’s Fresh Faces

57 Rachel Goes Rogue Uniqueness Lost in Prayer

Israeli Guy Jewishness in Israel

60

FEATURES

History/Blogs Orange County’s Jewish History & The Blogosphere

26

62

A Safe Place to Pray Finding Comfort in Ritual

28 How Do Jews Pray?

The changing practice of prayer.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

34

40

Livin’ in the Hood A cloud of distrust encircles the neighborhood.

63 All Aboard the Moishe House!

New House, More Brains, One Community

28

64 Mission Delicatessen A Tour of Three of Orange County’s Delis

Out & About A Guide to OC Fun

36 Cooking Jewish With Judy Bart Kancigor

40 Ate9 dANCE cOMPANY The World Premiere of “Queen George”

IN EVERY ISSUE

12 First & Foremost Prayer? On Purpose?

16 Letters/Who Knew Words From our Readers

LIFESTYLE

44

News & Jews O.C. Jewish Scene

J Doc on the Street How Do You Pray?

58

52 Not Your Bubbe’s Judaica Israeli artists are making the tchotchke cool again.

53 The Value of Prayer Talk. He is Listening

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Seniors Calendar Fitness, Education & More

66 Advertising Index

Look inside for Kiddish, our insert publication, right after page 34.

20 On the Cover

The Accidental Rabbi An Exclusive Interview with Israel’s Chief Rabbi David Lau

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PUBLISHER | MODY GORSKY, LLM, MBA PUBLISHER | MARK EDELSTEIN PUBLISHER | MOTAN, LLC PUBLISHER EMERITUS | DR. MARK MOSS MANAGING EDITOR | TRACEY ARMSTRONG GORSKY EXECUTIVE EDITOR | LISA GRAJEWSKI, PSY.D. EXECUTIVE EDITOR | FLORENCE L DANN GEN Y EDITOR | RACHEL SCHIFF CONTRIBUTING EDITOR | TANYA SCHWIED FOOD EDITOR | JUDY BART KANCIGOR EDITORIAL INTERN | HANNAH SCHOENBAUM ART DIRECTOR | RACHEL BELLINSKY

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FIRST & FOREMOST

PRAYER? ON PURPOSE?

Are OC Jews Engaging in a Conversation with G-d?

BY RACHEL SCHIFF

IT IS A daunting task: What do OC residents do in terms of prayer? How do they practice?

How much value do we place in our conversations with G-d? For many, there may be no conversation; for others, it may be seen as a one-sided conversation; and a smaller portion of the population may see that their conversations with G-d happen often and multiple times a day. This edition of Jlife is meant to inspire our community to talk about prayer in the context of our modern lives.

Arguably, many of us pray more than we realize. How many times do we catch ourselves praying to get somewhere on time or praying to pass a test or land a deal? These small acknowledgements are incredibly comHow many mon for many people, even times do we those who do not identify catch ourselves themselves as religious. praying to get Prayer, for the Gen Y somewhere on demographic, is an interesting conundrum — a blend time or praying of summer camp, Debbie How do we pray? In a to pass a test or Friedman tunes, all mixed complex society, how can land a deal? prayer still be meaningful? with staunch Conservative Most importantly, how does ideals. This blend may have prayer connect us to our left our demographic at a loss, almost dismissing prayer because we tend to stray from Jewish identity? It is an ancient religion, yet labels. Unless, of course, you’re Orthodox. In our modernity commonly defines us. Many Jews consider themselves cultural nonbelievthis case, prayer may come first.

Prayer cannot be boxed into mainstream ers. However, these Jews are still incredibly sects anymore. American Jews, have found engaged and identify themselves as Jewish. ways to pray that transcend beyond synagogue Their Jewishness cannot be simplified to a walls. We are left to question how this para- conversation. They remain attached to the digm shift of individuality embraces meaning- label “Jewish” through their childhood roots ful, communal prayer with a term I’d like to and a connection to the nostalgic memories they harbor. In addition, is there a need to coin “denominational absence.”

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The Sarajevo haggadah

pray or is it a desire? There is something inherently meaningful within that question - to desire G-d, to need G-d, or maybe even to place importance on faith. When there is faith, there is hope. When there is hope, there is commonality. When there is commonality, there is community. Is prayer keeping OC’s Jewish community together?

Rabbi David Wolpe states, “To pray is more than to hope; it is an opening to the universe, an address to G-d, a preparation of one’s heart to live meaningfully and usefully.”

No matter how you see prayer fitting into your lives, we hope this edition inspires our community to engage in Jewish thought. A

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LETTERS

Kvetch & Kvell

Marc Yablonka Burbank, CA

“ROGUE” WAVES Dear Editor: Regarding Rachel Schiff’s piece “Unscathed Political Questioning” in the latest issue of JLife: While at her post as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton represented abroad the most anti-Israel, some would say, I among them, anti-Semitic President of the United States in American history. How any American Jew can posit that she would be good for Israel if elected to succeed President Obama is ill-conceived at best, ignorant at worst? American Jews should never forget the maltreatment this administration – while she was aboard – repeatedly afforded Prime Minister Netanyahu on at least one of his state visits here.

In my opinion, a Hillary Clinton presidency would be a disaster for the United States as well as Israel.

Dick Morris, a one-time White House political guru alleges that First Lady Hillary Clinton insulted him by suggesting that, as a Jew, Morris was obsessed by money.

“That’s all you people care about is money,” Mrs. Clinton shouted after Morris requested a pay raise during a meeting at the White House.

The former Clinton confidant also detailed two separate examples illustrating Hillary Clinton’s apparent discomfort with Jews.

Mrs. Clinton also sat silently while Yassar Arafat’s wife Suha accused Israel of deliberately poisoning Palestinian women and children. Of course, you hear very little of these actions in the mainstream press.

Could you imagine if Mitt Romney or any other prominent republican acted in the same manner?

Steve Greenberg Irvine

We welcome your letters! Email editorjlife@gmail.com with your feedback.

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PHOTO BY ZACH DALIN

Let alone a 47-minute phone harangue she leveled at the Prime Minister about settlements in Jerusalem, which she had no right to do. When was the last time we read about her haranguing Abbas or Hamas for 47 minutes over their terroristic acts of death perpetrated against innocent Israeli men, women and children? Oh gee!

For some reason, I can’t seem to remember any such calls. Can you?

Who Knew?

Well, to make a long story short, Jennifer Connelly is Jewish! Since her mother is Jewish, and in Judaism one’s religion is based on one’s mother’s religion, that makes her Jewish. Her father is not Jewish. Jennifer Connelly (who’s full birth name is Jennifer Lynn Connelly) was born on December 12, 1970 in Cairo, New York, U.S..

She gained recognition for her work in the 1998 science fiction film “Dark City” and for her portrayal of Marion Silver in the 2000 drama “Requiem for a Dream.” In 2002, Connelly won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award for her supporting role as Alicia Nash in Ron Howard’s 2001 biopic “A Beautiful Mind.”

Connelly was named Amnesty International Ambassador for Human Rights Education in 2005.

She continues to star in criticallyacclaimed films today.

Source—isjewish.com

On the Lighter Side | BY MAYRAV SAAR

VIEWPOINT

Know a Nice Jewish Boy?

Exploring our idea of the “perfect” mate.

MAJOR GENOME STUDIES HAVE FOUND COMMON MIDDLE EASTERN ANCESTRY IN JEWS FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD.

MY SISTER IS single.

I bring this up because 1. Maybe you know somebody? and 2. The central question of this month’s issue is “What is Being Jewish,” and nowhere is your Jewishness more relevant than on the dating scene. We all want sis to find a “nice Jewish boy.” But what is a nice Jewish boy?

We know what “nice” looks like (kind and generous with a good earning potential). And the “boy” part is pretty self-explanatory. But “Jewish” is harder to define.

My husband is a Jew by choice, and he’s definitely Jewish. So to my mind, a willing-to-convert non-Jew would suffice (again, maybe you know somebody?). Not everyone would agree.

Others define “Jewish” as strictly a by-birth designation, even if the Jew in question is an anti-religion atheist who wouldn’t know a haftarah from a hefeweizen.

I personally think that narrowing the designation this way spells doom for the future of the Jewish people. But there is some validity to the argument that Jewishness is an ethnicity.

According to science, we are definitely kinda mostly all related to one another. Major genome studies have found common Middle Eastern ancestry in Jews from all around the world. Geneticists say that doesn’t quite qualify us as a race, per se, but it does make us a nation – albeit one that spans the globe.

And according to sociological studies, defining Judaism as strictly a religion is something that fewer Jews are actually doing. In fact, the oft-quoted Pew Study of 2013 found that nearly a quarter of Jewish people identify as “Jews of no religion,” a distinctly Jewish twist on the American trend toward secularism that implies a Jewish ethnicity and set of traditions distinct from a Jewish belief system. In other words, we might eat bacon and we might eat on Yom Kippur but we’d never eat bacon on Yom Kippur. Because, you know, we’re Jewish.

So we’re a loosely affiliated group of people with some common lineage and a core set of moral principles that differ when put into practice, if they’re put into practice

at all. That doesn’t sound like a race or a religion. That sounds like a family.

Some of us are born into it. Some of us are here by marriage. Sometimes we’re here for each other.

Sometimes we turn vicious. But in the end, when the bagels are set before us and the weaker-than-it-needsto-be coffee is poured, we sit around the brunch table and feel a certain sense of being stuck with one another.

Chosen People who wouldn’t necessarily choose to be with these people.

Family.

It sounds both horrifying and perfect – not unlike having your sister write a column that tells the whole world you’re single. I feel bad for sis. This must be humiliating. But, then, this is a Jewish publication, so we’re all family here.

And, also, maybe you know somebody? A Mayrav Saar is a writer based in Los Angeles.

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Israeli Guy | BY TEDDY WEINBERGER

VIEWPOINT

Jewishness in Israel

The further you travel the closer you are to home.

MY JEWISHNESS HAS BECOME A FACT OF MY LIFE SIMILAR TO SUCH FACTS AS MY HAVING TEN TOES AND TWO EYES. 18 JANUARY 2015 |

SINCE MOVING TO Israel in the summer of 1997, I cannot recall a time when I have uttered the following three words: “I am Jewish.” The most obvious reason for this is that here no one ever asks me: “Are you Jewish?” In America, I was frequently asked this question. I would respond in the affirmative. I sort of miss this verbal exchange. I was always happy to tell someone that I was Jewish. For one thing, I could answer the question with absolute certainty. Unlike the questions “are you religious?” or “are you Orthodox,” which before answering I felt compelled to launch into a short dissertation concerning how I defined religion and Orthodoxy, I felt no compunction in responding to the question of my Jewishness with a simple “yes.”

But the main reason I miss this question is that I feel good about being Jewish and the question gave me an opportunity to verbally embrace my Jewishness.

Life in Israel has paradoxically removed Jewishness from the day-to-day template of my being. Of course, I know that I am still Jewish, but being Jewish in America was part of my front-brain consciousness, much like my being a man; now, however, my Jewishness has receded into the background. My Jewishness has become a fact of my life similar to such facts as my having ten toes and two eyes.

It can now be understood why those Jewish Israelis who are secular sometimes have extremely weak Jewish identities. In Israel, where one is almost never called upon to say “I am Jewish,” ethnic consciousness is intertwined with religious consciousness in a much stronger way than it is in the diaspora. And when there is no religious identity here, it can create an atmosphere where there is little Jewish identity. While it is a truism that only in Israel can secular Jews perpetuate themselves (whereas outside of Israel the next generation tends to assimilate into the majority culture), it does not follow that secular Israeli Jews necessarily have stronger Jewish identities than diaspora secular Jews.

The above discussion helps explain an interesting phenomenon concerning the hundreds of young secular Israelis who fan out across the globe each year to work in Jewish summer camps, schools, and commuJlife

nity centers. These youngsters often report that in the diaspora they are given a precious gift: they experience their Jewishness for the first time in their lives. Once they are back in Israel, where no one will ask them “are you Jewish,” what they do with this gift is up to them.

They might allow their Jewishness to recede into the backdrop of their lives or they might look toward an aspect of Jewish tradition to deepen it. But please just do me one favor: Make sure that they do indeed come back—we need them here in Israel. A Teddy Weinberger, Ph.D., is Director of Development for a consulting company called Meaningful. He made aliyah with his family in 1997 from Miami, where he was an assistant professor of religious studies. Teddy and his wife, Sarah Jane Ross, have five children.

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COVER STORY

THE ACCIDENTAL RABBI An Exclusive Interview with Israel’s Chief Rabbi David Lau

BY LISA GRAJEWSKI, PSY.D.

R

abbi David Lau, Israel’s new Chief Rabbi (as of 2013) is incredibly enthusiastic, even at 10:30 p.m. Israel time. When I saw the Israel phone number flash across my phone I picked up expectantly, on the other side Rabbi Lau introduced himself.

I was thrilled by the opportunity to learn more about the rabbi who claims to “belong to everyone,” and astonished to hear that he did not always want to be a rabbi. Some of the interview is paraphrased to improve the flow of the article.

Rabbi Lau is the son of former Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel and Holocaust survivor, Yisrael Meir Lau. This interview is the first West Coast interview with Rabbi Lau, and Jlife is honored to be the Chief Rabbi’s inaugural interview in California. I spoke with Rabbi Lau from his home in Modi’in, approximately 15 minutes outside of Jerusalem. He was as eager to practice his English, as I was to get this exclusive scoop.

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COVER STORY

How did this man find his way to the important role he plays today?

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COVER STORY

Rabbi Lau is a known to be a rabbi of the people.

How is it to follow in your father’s footsteps? I’ll tell you something amazing.

When I got married almost 30 years ago I said I am sure of two things: first, we’ll get married; second, I do not want to be a rabbi. I met 50 percent of the decision. The reason I did not want to become a rabbi is because I saw how difficult it is to be a rabbi. How difficult it is to be with people in happiness and sadness.

There was so much to know, so much learning, so much to study. You really need to see and know people.

I knew the dynasty needed to be kept. I have a brother and [assumed] he would do it.

But from time to time you need to see how you can help others. Sometimes life takes us in a different direction.

Life took Rabbi Lau in the direction of being a rabbi for the people. Before being elected Chief Rabbi of Israel he served as Chief Rabbi of Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut and Shoham. He has been married for 29 years and has seven children and three grandchildren.

Where does your drive to make the Chief Rabbinate more “friendly” and accessible come from? “I was born with it.

But also, my grandfather was a very clever and warm man. I remember his funeral – everyone was there. There were people from the right and left [politically]. I saw how many people loved him; everyone with their reason. I saw a rabbi can be with everyone. You can be there.

If you can [help others] – you must do it. If 22 JANUARY 2015 |

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How do you feel about visiting the United States? I am going to visit my brothers! Every Jew is my brother. I am going to meet people who want to think about a better world. If we can speak about it, maybe there is hope we can do it.

Rabbi David Lau is the youngest Chief Rabbi of Israel. In 2013, (at the age of 47) he was elected for a 10-year term as the Ashkenazi Chief If you can, Rabbi; he serves with Rabbi you must be Yitzak Yosef, the Sephardic Chief Rabbi. The role alterwith people nates between the two rabyou can, you must be with in happiness bis and is recognized as the people in happiness and sadsupreme halakhic and spiriand sadness. ness. Do what you can do, it tual authority for the Jewish does make a difference!” people in Israel. The post is controversial, as many You have made an believe the position to be archaic and outdatattempt to reach out to all of Judaism, ed.

However, Israel is a Jewish state founded how has that impacted your office? as a Jewish homeland, and Judaism is central The Chief Rabbinate is like a legal advisor in Israel – the Jewish advisor in Israel. We are to the culture and identity of the country.

Rabbi Lau made it clear during the interlike a mezuzah [symbolically the mezuzah is G-d’s watchful care over the home]. [The chief view that it is his desire to bring Jews together.

Rabbinate] keeps the vision of Jewish life in For instance, while he was expected to light the Chanukia at home, he was also scheduled the Jewish country.

Yes, Israel is a democracy. Jewish tradition to meet with Indian Jews from Cochin and says you can do what you prefer, but you must celebrate Chanukah with them in Jerusalem know [what you are doing]. My job is to teach the night following our interview. While in the United States Rabbi Lau is scheduled to Jewish law to the Jewish government. visit Jewish communities in California and What is your hope for peace in Israel? Chicago, including an interview by Rabbi Last week, I sat with the head of all religions in Eliezrie on Monday, January 12 at 7:30 PM at Israel, including Muslims and Christians. We Congregation Beth Meir HaCohen / Chabad have a committee that, once a year, we speak in Yorba Linda. Tickets for the interview are together around a table. If you sit around the available online at OCJewish.com or by calling same table you feel good. My hope [for Israel] (714) 693-0770. A is that everyone can sit together.

I spoke to them about education. We must I dedicate this article to Rabbi Eliezrie and speak about peace when we educate. We are am grateful for his persistence and connections that made this article possible. — Lisa leaders and we must say, “You cannot kill because of religion.” Everyone agreed. I told Dr. Lisa Grajewski is a therapist with Jewish them, “Please educate everyone. Pay attention Federation & Family Services in Orange to the books used in schools, educate the chil- County and an Adjunct Professor at Argosy University and The Chicago School of dren… Maybe the future can be better.”

Professional Psychology. Dr. Grajewski has been with JLife Magazine since 2004.

F E AT U R E S

The Budapest Great Synagogue in Hungary is a sanctuary for many.

A SAFE PLACE TO PRAY Finding Comfort in Ritual

BY LISA GRAJEWSKI, PSY.D.

AFTER A PARTICULARLY difficult day it is always nice to arrive home. Whether it is the greeting of a loved one, the eager wagging of a dog’s tail, or a cat’s enthusiastic meow – it feels good because it is familiar. The couch is where it was the morning you left, the book you were reading lies on your bedside table waiting for your return, and you can navigate your home with your eyes closed. Just as the home brings 26 JANUARY 2015 |

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comfort, so does the familiarity of Judaism. As Jews we follow rituals on holidays, including Shabbat, and in our home. No matter how distant we may become from the practice of Judaism, some things remain inherent – dinner on Friday night, the Pesach Seder, adhering to dietary laws (even when we do not go to shul) are there because there is a sense of com-

fort instilled in holding to those traditions.

In the synagogue we find comfort in familiarity as well. Regardless of the city where we attend synagogue we know the prayers will be the same, the Torah is likely to be in a similar location, and we will face east when we pray.

Each week we read from the Torah, the same verse we read the year before, we will hear the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (unless it is Shabbat), and even our children begin to follow the service at an early age.

For Jews with special needs the synagogue is a source of comfort in that it provides ritual.

According to Spagnola and Fiese (2007), this type of ritual is akin to predictable structure.

This type of structure guides behavior and is a comfort to those with disabilities, especially autism. It also aids in the early development of children. In addition to academic skill development through education on Israel, Jewish history, and reading Hebrew, the synagogue provides a way for individuals to develop social skills as well. Starting with Hebrew school or just attending services, the synagogue provides a microcosm of society that allows many with social difficulties the opportunity to engage in a safe and familiar setting. The Bar or Bat Mitzvah is an opportunity for a young person to hone public speaking skills, for those with special needs it is an opportunity to be a part of something greater through the ritual of a Torah portion and leading the service – something they have likely seen again and again. In addition, the ritual of the service provides a familiar foundation that creates a sense of comfort in many who require the unchanged routine.

I realize that for many the simplicity of ritual’s impact on special needs is just that – simple. However, I find it hopeful and comforting that the synagogue is a place that may provide those lost to other avenues a safe place to pray. A Dr. Lisa Grajewski is a therapist with Jewish Federation & Family Services in Orange County and an Adjunct Professor at Argosy University and The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Grajewski has been with JLife Magazine since 2004.

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F E AT U R E S Set aside time for reflection and gratitude.

HOW DO JEWS PRAY? The Changing Practice of Prayer

BY FLORENCE L. DANN

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F E AT U R E S

MOST JEWS TODAY don’t pray. “As a matter of fact, nationally, Jews pray least,” says Rabbi Sid Schwarz, a senior fellow at Clal: The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership where he directs the Clergy Leadership Incubator (CLI) program. “While Jews are looking for spiritual experiences,” he continued,” they don’t pursue it in prayer.”

And what’s true for the national picture is certainly true here in Orange County. Lisa Grier, Chair of NexGen, points out that Jews 25-45 tend to “identify with the culture more than the religion and like to follow tradition but don’t necessarily belong or go to a synagogue.”

So why don’t Jews like to pray? Perhaps it is because we struggle with a belief in G-d; a 2006 Harris Poll Survey of Religion found that 12 percent of Jewish respondents claim they don’t believe in G-d. Another 24 percent weren’t sure. Also there is a language barrier. Even in liberal synagogues, prayers are often sung in Hebrew and the English translation is usually not exact — and can be misleading. Plus, prayer takes time.

It may also be that the concept of prayer has been frozen in our minds conjuring the image of “speed praying” through the siddur (prayer book) in the communal setting of a synagogue or havurah – not paying much attention to what it says or means to us. There is no question that, for some, that is what is familiar and meaningful. But for others, prayer is an alien concept and only done because “that’s what you do” when attending services. While liturgy is designed to evoke a sense of deep connectedness, for many the words are meaningless. So praying itself becomes meaningless.

Beginnings Where did prayer come from? Actually, the initial concept of prayer is found in Genesis when Adam and Eve converse with G-d. The impetus for prayer, then comes from the need or desire to have a conversation with G-d. Prayer developed from there. There was a time when

Whether you are visiting the Western Wall or attending your local synagogue, prayer plays a very important role in our lives.

service to G-d required animal sacrifice, and praying was an eccentricity. After the destruction of the First Temple, regular communal Jewish prayer began as a substitute for the sacrificial cult and according to later rabbinic sources the daily offerings were accompanied by the recitation of biblical passages and extra-biblical liturgies. Some Psalms might have also been sung in the Temple.

The early period of Jewish prayer was that of the Tannaim - those sages whose oral traditions of law and legend are gathered in the Continued on page 30

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F E AT U R E S Continued from page 29

Even in liberal synagogues, prayers are often sung in Hebrew and the English translation is usually not exact.

Mishnah (edited c. 200 C.E.). From their traditions we learn that it was the rabbis active at the time of the destruction of the Second Temple (70 C.E.) who gave Jewish prayer its structure and, in outline form at least, its contents. Their liturgy consisted of three sets of prayers: (1) the Shema – the central statement of Jewish monotheistic belief which is recited twice a day – and its blessings; (2) “The Prayer” of 18 blessings, also known as the Amidah – recited several times daily, and (3) the public recitation of the Torah in installments read three times per week. Within the liturgy there are prayers of petition and confession, but prayers of gratitude and praise tend to dominate the liturgy. These practices and doctrines that unite Jews have evolved over the millennia.

While prayers of praise and gratitude might be easier for some –

praising the Creator, creative force or the creations itself, and expressing gratitude for what we have - it’s those petitionary prayers that do us in.

Believe it or not, deep down most of still view our appeals to G-d the way young children approach Santa Claus. We ask for something, G-d checks if we have been naughty or nice, and determines if we can have what we asked for. We are praying for G-d to intervene in our lives in some way. When that doesn’t happen, we question whether G-d exists — or are angered because we were told “no.”

Additionally, our society is primarily liberal and many Jews are educated in the fields of science and reasoning and so forth … if you can’t prove it then it must not exist. So we think our prayers don’t do any good.

However, the idea that prayer is pleading with G-d for help is not exactly accurate. The English word “prayer” comes from the Latin word precaria, which means “obtained by entreaty.” In this translation, to pray is to ask for something. But Jewish prayer is “an act of personal transformation.” The word tefilah (for prayer) comes from the reflexive verb l’hitpalel, which means to judge oneself. We are not trying to change God’s mind. We are trying to change ourselves. We are trying to access our souls.

Evolving Tradition As modernity called into question the intellectual and social underpinnings of Jewish life, some communities responded by making accommodations, reforming the liturgy and reshaping the experience of worship to meet changing sensibilities.

“Services tend to be highly scripted and choreographed,” said Schwarz. “Perhaps we need to think not of a prayer service, but a prayer experience.”

Some synagogues introduced sermons and prayers in the local language, musical instruments, and choirs. Some deleted certain doctrines from the prayer that were seen as outmoded or unaccept-

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F E AT U R E S

able. And today we see a range of normative Jewish behaviors, from has evolved into two mutually enhancing strands — meditative moveobservance of rabbinic law to synagogue affiliation or engagement ment and spiritual dance. with Israel that define their Jewishness. Those who find one Jewish This surprising word origin of Jewish prayer (to judge oneself ) propathway implausible can explore a multitude of others. But praying? vides insight into the purpose of Jewish prayer. The most important Not high a many lists. part of any Jewish prayer, whether it is a prayer of petition, of thanksYet today there is a move to explore the concept of prayer in align- giving, of praise or confession, is the introspection it provides – the ment with the evolution of the Jewish community. There are a number moment that we spend looking inside ourselves, seeing our role in of “davening” or prayer groups that are springing up outside the tra- the universe and our relationship to G-d, a higher power or spiritual ditional structure of the synagogue where people essence and other people. The liturgy provides a gather perhaps for a Shabbat dinner and conduct structure, but we provide the introspection. And the service around the table, or meet regularly whether we do it communally in a synagogue or in homes and then hire a rabbi to conduct High on a mountaintop, privately in our homes or at Holiday services. Some people look outside the beach, we are praying.

Judaism to find a way to connect spiritually – Jewish prayer is when the truth is, whatever one seeks, it is in Keva or Kavanah? an act of personal Judaism, but you have to know where to look.

“Prayer is a freeze dried experience that was transformation.

This is true for prayer as well. canonized for future generations,” said Rabbi “I believe my generation feels that they don’t Zalman Schacter- Shalomi, z”l. “You have to add need to be in synagogue to pray,” said Grier. “I the warm water of your experience to make it would say I’m finding that most people are secular Jews and do pray but come alive.” on their own terms. I pray and most of the time it’s at night before I Jewish prayers include both keva — the fixed structure of prayer that go to sleep, but I would say I’m a little bit more observant than most.” we have inherited, and the power of kavanah — spontaneous, inner That’s the question; do you have to be observant in the traditional devotion. Both are integral parts of personal and communal Jewish sense to pray? prayer but can often be in conflict with one another. There is a specific When Abraham Joshua Heschel stated we need to pray with our feet, practice of Jewish prayer. There are laws. There are fixed times, fixed he catapulted the concept of social action as being “prayer in action.” ways, fixed texts. On the other hand, prayer is worship of the heart, the That has had great appeal to modern Jews, but Heschel also believed outpouring of the soul, a matter of kavvanah (inner devotion). The in regular ritual prayer. Another approach has been the Jewish Prayer rabbis were by no means unanimous in their interpretation of what Movement where an ancient Jewish practice was rediscovered where proper kavanah should be and held opposite opinions. body and soul are united in movement. Moving to prayer music is a The rabbis of this first age provided what that age needed: limits. natural human impulse and applying it to prayer has become – unconsciously an engaging experience. The Jewish Prayer Movement program Continued on page 32

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F E AT U R E S

F E AT U R E S

They offered interpretations of when, how, and in what way the prayers were to be arranged and recited. They gave us structure, keva, the framework and the details of Jewish worship. The second age introduced a philosophy of Jewish prayer: that included not only the words of our siddur (Jewish prayer book), but the “ideas” inherent the Bible and Talmud.

However, the Talmud argues that fulfilling the commandment to pray rarely depends on kavanah--if you do the specified things, you are “yotzei,” meaning you have fulfilled your obligation. Determined to modify the traditional services and make them more available to Jews, the Reform Movement opted for kavanah over keva. The number of required prayers was reduced to give time for worshipers to “pray” while they were reading (not chanting) them, giving them silent time to meditate on their own, to the accompaniment of soft organ music that would encourage people to feel themselves in the presence of God. Abraham Joshua Heschel promoted balancing the two, “the fixity of our prayer-book and the spontaneity of our heart.” He was unwilling to surrender either one. However, prayer becomes trivial when ceasing to be an act in the soul. Maimonides declares, “Prayer without kavanah is no prayer at all.”

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I can’t tell you how many times I have done Havdalah. Yet one Saturday, several years ago at a retreat in the hills of Oregon, that brief service took on a life of its own and everyone in that room was transfixed by the energy that seemed to be surging among us. No one wanted that evening to end and we sang and danced for hours. The words provided the structure, but something else provided the almost magical experience. At that moment in time we were all transfixed by the communal kavanah - we were all present; and being present is not only part of a prayer experience, but is part of our lives.

Being present in the spiritual life always has a double meaning. There’s present, as in here, in attendance. And there’s present, as in now, a moment of time. Perhaps we will attend High Holiday Services and we will be “there” – but will we be fully present? What is the spiritual practice of being present not only in prayer but in life - for isn’t kavanah also required to perform our actions with a purposeful, considered intention.

One of his students asked Buddha, “Are you the messiah?” “No”, answered Buddha.

“Then are you a healer?” “No”, Buddha replied. “Then are you a teacher?” the student persisted. “No, I am not a teacher.” “Then

what are you?” asked the student, exasperated.

“I am awake”, Buddha replied.

The world’s religions all recommend living in the moment with full awareness. While Zen Buddhism is especially known for its emphasis on “newness,” Jewish and other spiritual teachers consistently urge us to make the most of every day as an opportunity that will not come to us again.

However, that doesn’t mean innovation is all about kavanah. It’s a myth that creative people loathe structure. Mozart had 88 keys on his piano, 4 beats to a bar, and specific deadlines imposed by his patrons. Shakespeare wrote in the very regimented structure of Iambic-Pentameter. When he couldn’t find just the right word, he created a new word.

Hundreds of them. But he created inside a rigid structure.

So while keva gives us structure, kavanah gives us the opportunity to soar – both important elements in prayer as well as in life. A Florence L. Dann, a fourth year rabbinical student at the Academy for Jewish Religion in LA has been a contributing writer to JLife since 2004 and currently teaches English as Second Language to adults.

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out&about GO WITH LE FLO Go With Le Flo is a romantic comedy in German and French. It was shot in Berlin by the award-winning filmteam (and music group), “Bright Blue Gorilla.” The film is an international labor of love with cast & crew from 20 different countries, starring fresh new faces, many from the legendary Bertolt Brecht Theater, Berliner Ensemble.

It will be playing at Bowers Museum, on Saturday Jan 3, 2015 at 1:30 pm.

KINKY BOOTS This exhilarating Broadway musical will lift your spirits to new high-heeled heights!

Winner of six Tony Awards® including Best Musical, this inspirational story follows a struggling shoe factory owner who works to turn his business around with help from Lola, a fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos.

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POTTED POTTER Family entertainment presented by Irvine Barclay Theatre Jan. 21 to 25 brings together all seven Harry Potter books in 70 hilarious minutes for an unauthorized Harry Potter experience. This Olivier Award-nominated play is written and performed by two-time Olivier Awardnominated actors Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner.

SHEN YUN A Shen Yun performance features 100 world-class performers, over 400 sets of exquisite hand-made costumes. Through the universal language of music and dance, Shen Yun weaves a wondrous tapestry of heavenly realms, ancient legends and modern heroic tales, taking you on a journey through 5,000 years of authentic Chinese culture.

TANGO BUENOS AIRES One of Argentina’s greatest cultural treasures is known throughout the world as the most authentic dances of the Argentine Tango. In “Song of Eva Perón,” the company performs a sparkling and poignant work in music and dance that traces the fabled and tragic life of Argentina’s legendary First Lady.

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE | January 2015

Itzhak Perlman One of classical music’s most beloved virtuoso violinists, Itzhak Perlman will be performing with the Pacific Symphony for one special matinee concert on Sat, Jan. 11 at 3 p.m. Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician as he joins conductor Carl St.Clair and the rest of the symphony performers for this one special event playing the heart-stopping beauty of Beethoven’s only violin concerto in the hands of this beloved and charming talent.

Born in Israel in 1945, Perlman completed his initial training at the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv. He came to New York and soon was propelled into the international arena with an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1958.

Following his studies at the Juilliard School with Ivan Galamian and Dorothy DeLay, he won the prestigious Leventritt Competition in 1964, which led to a burgeoning worldwide career. Since then, Perlman has appeared with every major orchestra, and in recitals and festivals around the world.

In January 2009, Perlman was honored to take part in the Inauguration of President Barack Obama, premiering a piece written for the occasion by John Williams and performing with clarinetist Anthony McGill, pianist Gabriela Montero and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. In December 2003, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts granted Perlman a Kennedy Center Honor celebrating his distinguished achievements and contributions to the cultural and educational life of our nation. In May 2007, he performed at the State Dinner for Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The

Duke of Edinburgh, hosted

by President George W. Bush and Mrs. Bush at the White House.

Seattle, Montreal and Toronto, as well as at the Ravinia and OK Mozart festivals.

Perlman is a frequent presence on the conductor’s podium along with being a highly sought after performer, and through this medium he is further delighting his audiences. He has performed as conductor with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony, National Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and the symphony orchestras of San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Pittsburgh,

Perlman was Music Advisor of the St. Louis Symphony from 2002-04 where he made regular conducting appearances, and he was Principal Guest Conductor of the Detroit Symphony from 2001-05. Internationally, Perlman has conducted the Berlin Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Philharmonic, the English Chamber Orchestra, as well as a regular in one of his native country’s symphonies, The Israel Philharmonic.

Itzhak Perlman

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PHOTOS BY MICHELLE GARRET

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You really can’t go wrong with a couscous salad.

Jlife

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Pass the strudel please.

PHOTO BY JOSH MONKEN

A recipe is a window into a world.

HOMEMADE HERITAGE Celebrating Jewish food with Gefiltefest

BY JUDY BART KANCIGOR

Jewish food is not just something to eat – it’s a history lesson on a plate. Through old recipes we learn about Jewish history, customs and religious practices. A recipe is a window into a world, a reflection of a way of life, as important a historical document in its way as a treaty or declaration of war. And it doesn’t hurt that it tastes good too!

But just what IS Jewish food? Is there any such thing? Wherever Jews have wandered they have absorbed the foods of the surrounding communities. Creative Jewish cooks borrowed the recipes of their German, Austrian, Russian, Hungarian,

Romanian, Polish – you get the idea – neighbors and molded them to conform to the kosher laws and to religious observances. They then brought the foods of their homelands with them when they came to America.

What we think of today as our most beloved Jewish dishes from Eastern Europe were born in the kitchens of the poor. These cooks had to be creative. You can roast or grill prime cuts, but less tender, cheaper cuts had to be slow cooked and tenderized with wine or marinated for flavor. To stretch a meal, one could add fillers or wrap

precious proteins in dough.

If you’re Sephardic, “Jewish food” to you is bourekas and filas, stuffed vegetables and vine leaves, baba ghanoush and hummus and delicious borrowings from North Africa or Spanish, Italian and Greek cultures. While the menus of the diverse Jewish cultures may differ, what we share is our love of food and the impact it has on our identity and celebrations.

Food has a special place in Jewish heritage because it is seen as God’s blessing. We recite prayers both before and after meals, and Jewish holidays, festivals and rituals have had a tremendous impact on our cuisine.

“Food has always been of special importance to Jews,” says renowned cookbook author Claudia Roden, writing in the introduction to “The Gefiltefest Cookbook” (Grub Street, $39.95). “It is a link with the past and about roots and identity, ancestors and old homelands.”

Roden is a founding patron of Gefiltefest, a Jewish food charity based in London “that aims to celebrate, promote and revive worldwide Jewish culinary traditions” by raising awareness and funds for foodrelated charities, such as food banks in Israel and London. Their flagship event is the annual Gefiltefest London Jewish Food Festival, held this year in June. Proceeds from the sale of the cookbook help support the festival and food-related charities.

The founding of Gefiltefest began serendipitously with a competition for a cooking lesson with Chef Lisa Roukin won by Michael Leventhal, a journalist and publisher of historical books. Instead of scheduling a one-on-one lesson, Michael asked Lisa to give a cooking demonstration for his friends.

Maureen Kendler, Head of Education at the London School of Jewish Studies offered to speak about kosher cookbooks, and Ariel Kahn, Literature and Creative Writing teacher at Roehampton University, agreed to discuss food in Jewish fiction. Within three weeks, twenty speakers had signed up to participate in the first Gefiltefest London Jewish Food Festival.

The cookbook was a natural outgrowth of the event, and the list of contributors is a veritable Who’s Who of the most celebrated Jewish chefs and food writers: Poopa

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What we share is our love of food and the impact it has on our identity and celebrations.

Dweck, Florence Fabricant, Jamie Geller, Marcy Goldman, Joyce Goldstein, Faye Levy, Deborah Madison, Gil Marks, Joan Nathan, Yotam Ottolenghi, Denise Phillips, Steven Raichlen, Claudia Roden, Evelyn Rose, Michael Ruhlman, Paula Shoyer, Marlena Spieler, Paula Wolfert, and Orly Ziv, to name just a few.

The recipes encompass an international array of beloved dishes as well as family favorites and chef creations: Spinach with Pine Nuts and Raisins; Onion and Goat Cheese Tart; Shawarma Salad; Pollo Ezechiele (Chicken with Tomatoes, Olives, Herbs and Red Wine); Parisienne Gnocchi with Spinach, Onion and Poached Egg; Caprese Latkes; Pizza Ebraica; Syrian Artichoke and Cheese Casserole; Chocolate and Halva Babka.

Gil Horav, one of Israel’s leading culinary journalists and television personalities, contributes a unique take on tabouleh, using couscous instead of bulgar, and adding pine nuts, pomegranate seeds (or dried cranberries) and lots of vegetables, “a sort of fruit and vegetable extravaganza,” as he calls it.

Gefiltefest founder Michael Leventhal offers his Grandma Sophie’s Apple Strudel.

“My grandma continued to make the strudel even when she was well into her nineties,” he writes. “She would have been flattered – but mostly bemused and surprised – to see her recipe published alongside so many renowned cooks.

Regardless, it is my favorite recipe.”

Tabouleh-Couscous Vegetable Salad Serves 10 “The Lebanese claim that we stole this recipe directly from their culinary heritage, and honestly, there might be a seed of truth in that claim. But whereas the Lebanese tabouleh is a relatively simple (however, no less tasty) combination of bulgar wheat and chopped fresh herbs, the Israeli version is much richer.” Gil Horav 1 package instant couscous

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4 tomatoes

4 tablespoons ground almonds

4 cucumbers

4 medium cooking apples (Braeburn, Granny Smith or Golden Delicious)

4 spring onions 2 lemons 6 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt or ground sea salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted 1 cup pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 1/2 cup chopped parsley 1/2 cup chopped dill

1 Prepare couscous according to package directions, and let it cool completely.

2 Finely dice tomatoes and cucumbers.

Thinly slice scallions and mix together with other vegetables.

3 Add zest from one whole lemon and juice from both lemons to salad.

4 Add remaining ingredients, including cold couscous, and mix well. Keeps well, refrigerated, up to 24 hours.

Apple Strudel Serves 8-10 “For many years no Shabbat was complete without two rolls of [Grandma Sophie’s] perfect, freshly made apple strudel.

They arrived every Friday afternoon in a plastic box and were devoured by Sunday morning. The same crooked plastic box was returned so that it could be refilled the following week.” Michael Leventhal, founder of Gefiltefest 14 ounces ready-rolled puff pastry Flour for dusting 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/2 cup raspberry conserve

3/4 cup raisins 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon beaten egg Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1 Preheat oven to 350˚F. Cut sheet of pastry in half width-wise.

2 On lightly floured surface or large piece of parchment paper, roll half out into 11 X 15-inch rectangle – pastry will get very thin.

Lightly brush pastry with half the oil, leaving a 1-inch border. Spread 1/4 cup conserve within border and sprinkle 2 tablespoons almonds over top.

3 Peel and grate apples into colander;

squeeze out as much juice as you can.

Spread half over pastry, making sure apple is evenly spread, followed by half the raisins and sprinkling of cinnamon.

4 Carefully roll from long edge of pastry to form a log. Turn so seal is underneath, then tuck ends under and brush all over with beaten egg. Transfer to lined baking sheet; repeat with remaining pastry and ingredients.

5 Bake 30-35 minutes until golden and puffed up. Cool on wire rack. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar; cut into slices. Eat and enjoy!

Jlife Food Editor Judy Bart Kancigor is the author of “Cooking Jewish” (Workman) and “The Perfect Passover Cookbook” (an e-book short from Workman), a columnist and feature writer for the Orange County Register and other publications and can be found on the web at www.cookingjewish.com.

A&E

ATE9 Company Dancers

What inspired you to start your own dance company? I love choreography. I love making movement – visions need movement. There are so many dancers who deserve to dance and entertain and be on stage. I wanted to give them a platform and stage for the opportunity to dance.

Why did you choose Los Angeles, not Israel where you originally started? I

ATE9 DANCE COMPANY In the World Premiere of “Queen George.”

BY TANYA SCHWIED

ATE9, CALLED “ONE of Los Angeles’ hottest cultural commodities” will perform the world premiere of Queen George, on Saturday, January 17th from 7:30 – 10:00 p.m. at the Santora Building (207 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, CA). Up and coming choreographer and Batsheva Dance Company alum, Danielle Agami, has collaborated with Israeli designer and carpenter, Amir Raveh, with a visual art component by Avi Roth who will exhibit his abstract expressionist artwork.

Queen George will feature Ate9 dancers performing duets throughout the gallery, rotating every half hour, while private 40 JANUARY 2015 |

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rooms will feature a one-on-one dance performance. In this highly-curated exhibition space, Raveh’s colorful furnishings, which incorporate workshop leftovers and remnants to create a patchwork of old and new, will serve as the backdrop for the dancers. Ate9’s distinctive style of contemporary dance, which delicately balances explosive physicality and expressive movements, combined with the eclectic design pieces, will create a collage of movement, color and shapes.

I recently spoke with Ms. Agami to ask her a few questions about her exciting new show and what led her to this moment in her career.

left Israel three days after making the decision to leave the Batsheva Dance Company (Israel’s most prestigious and critically-acclaimed contemporary dance company) I knew if I stayed in Israel I would go back and do what was comfortable – I needed to put a sea between Batsheva and me. I take a challenge and face it head on! The reason I chose Los Angeles, besides the weather, is because I felt that I could really be wild here!

What can the audience expect from your upcoming piece, Queen George?

I want people to experience Dance as another form of art. No shiny dresses, or big lights, just movement, humility. The audience will be able to just zoom in, listen, and be sensitive to what they see. This piece focuses on home, relationships, people, men and women. We will dedicate the evening to intimacy.

What did Batsheva’s Artistic Director, Ohad Naharim, teach you and how has that shaped your own company? Ohad taught me to enjoy the moment – your past, memory and experience are all in your toolbox. That box may contain who you are but also leave you available and open to change. Fall in love with people not the process – then you are free to change and mold. A Tanya Schwied graduated from New York University, studied abroad in Israel, and currently works for the CEO and President of Jewish Federation & Family Services.

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TH

THE ANNUAL ORANGE COUNTY INTERNATIONAL JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL NEW YEAR, NEW FILMS – THE BEST IS YET TO COME! Shoo the holidays out the door and join us as we greet 2015 with inspiration from the silver screen.

Coming Attractions at Regal Westpark: Closed Season – Wednesday, January 7th The Last Sentence – Sunday, January 11th Rue Mandar – Wednesday, January 21st Documentary Screening at Temple Bat Yahm: Exodus 1947 – Saturday, January 31st Last-minute Addition: GETT: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem Israel’s Submission for the 2015 Best Foreign Film Academy Award Wednesday, January 14th, 7:00 p.m. at University Synagogue This film has not been released in the U.S.! $10 at the door; series ticket also accepted

The 2014-15 Orange County International Jewish Film Festival Committee

Founded by University Synagogue & Co-sponsored by: Temple Bat Yahm Temple Beth Emet Temple Beth Tikvah Congregation Shir Ha-Ma’alot

For complete film listing, schedule, location and pricing info visit ocjff.org or call 949-553-3535

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| JANUARY 2015 41

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Restaurant Review

ANDREI’S RESTAURANT “Conscious Cuisine” that is mindfully delicious.

BY TRACEY ARMSTRONG GORSKY

MY HUSBAND AND I recently dined at Andrei’s Restaurant in Irvine, but this wasn’t just a matter of going out for a “nice meal.”

This was an “experience.” From the moment we walked through the door we were greeted by beautiful décor and a warm staff. The manager personally greeted us and our server was very personable. We felt like we were in the company of friends right away.

We were still taking in all the sights and smells when the Executive Chef, Yves Fournier, came over to personally greet us and give us a synopsis of what Andrei’s was all about. It was enlightening. I came to (hopefully) enjoy some great local cuisine… I had no idea that this place was founded on such wonderful

Andrei’s goes out of its way to work with local vendors and farmers.

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principles as well.

First of all, Andrei’s is a 501.C3 non-profit organization focused on a number of community and global support causes. All of the proceeds from the restaurant go to a charity that helps fund wonderful causes (see sidebar for details). They are “Conscious Cuisine” on all levels and really do make a difference.

And just what is “Conscious Cuisine?”

At Andrei’s, “Conscious Cuisine” embodies many different facets. From the sourcing to the preparation, everything is done with thought and purpose. They think responsibly about how food is sourced and prepared and with that in mind, they go out of their way to work with local vendors and farmers. Andrei’s also

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Andrei’s Restaurant main dining room has great ambience.

THE ANDREI FOUNDATION

uses local, seasonal and fresh organic ingredients. Free-range and organic meats are utilized as well as sustainable seafood choices. And it doesn’t just stop there. Biodegradable chemicals are used in all aspects of their operation; they recycle their oil and also work to reduce paper and energy usage.

Andrei’s mission is to “go further, to think responsibly and to care deeply about all aspects of sourcing and preparing our food, serving it with style and creating an environment where sharing a meal enhances relationships with family and friends. That’s what Andrei’s is all about.”

And it’s true. We really felt like family there from start to finish. I’m a little embarrassed now to look back on all the things we ordered in the name of “research,” but, well it was a delicious burden to shoulder.

We started off with our server’s suggestion of the Dante’s Winter Sangria and were not disappointed. It is a warm and fuzzy concoction of Spiced Rum, White Wine and Winter Fruits and Spices (served up in a cinnamon sugarrimmed glass). Those went down just all too well and were a perfect accompaniment to the smorgasbord of goodies we ordered.

I’m crazy for starters so I chose several appetizers as my main meal option. First, the

Spiced Lamb Spring Rolls (Feuille de Brick, spiced ground lamb, feta cheese, spinach, tomato confit, dill and cucumber yogurt and teeny peppercress) and the Alaskan Crab and Chilled Shrimp (deep sea Alaskan Crab salad, slow-poached shrimp, vodka cocktail sauce and teeny Red Mizuna). I was blown away. These two were just for me, no sharing (I’m lucky my husband doesn’t care for seafood).

Then the two of us set out our sites on the Cheese & Charcuterie (the chef ’s selection of local cheeses, dried fruit, honey, nuts, Dijon Mustard and a French Baguette). It was a long drawn-out feast for the senses.

My husband then went on with the Moroccan Chicken Pastilla (slow-braised chicken, onion, carrot, almond, garbanzo bean, tomato, garlic and fresh herbs wrapped in Feuille de Brick dough). This time he was the one reluctant to share.

We really shouldn’t have, but we finished off with the Goat Cheese Cheesecake with a pecan crust and cranberry and pear compote and the Dark Chocolate Crème Brulee with pecan & bourbon cookie. Just divine.

We had a wonderful experience and can’t wait to come back. And, I just may have to try another five items all by myself in the name of “research” again. Oh, the sacrifices I make. A

The Andrei Foundation was established in November 2005 in memory of Andrei Olenicoff and was made possible by the generous contributions of those who cared for him as a son, brother, husband, friend and colleague.

This Foundation serves to honor his memory by carrying on his legacy of kindness, hope, and respect for all. During his lifetime, Andrei was afflicted with a retinal degenerative disease known as Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). RP and other retinal degenerative diseases affect 1 in 28 people in the U.S., causing vision impairment or vision loss.

Finding a cure for these lifealtering diseases and aiding people affected by vision impairment and blindness is the main goal of this Foundation as is supporting causes like nature and wildlife conservancies that were near and dear to Andrei’s heart.

Andrei’s Restaurant 2607 Main St., Irvine (949) 387-8887 andreisrestaurant.com Jlife

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How Do You Pray?

J Doc ON THE STREET

BY LISA GRAJEWSKI, PSY.D.

Prayer is sacred and very personal. For some, prayer is steeped in tradition and for others it is a focus on positive aspects in his or her life. In Judaism, prayer reminds us of the days we worshiped in the Temple and often brings us together as a community. What is Jewish about prayer? Many things. A tradition, thousands of years old, it is as diverse as Judaism itself. Our daily customs and practices are often announced by prayer — the bread we eat, the wine we drink and the garments we wear. We pray for those coming into the world and for those leaving the world.

And, according to the Talmud, Jews even bless G-d through prayer for both good and evil.

Prayer is not just for the religious and it does not have to be done only on holidays and Shabbat. J Doc wanted to know how the Orange County Jewish community prays, and this is what we discovered.

I MEDITATE FOR a few minutes when I wake up focusing on gratitude and in the evening before I go to bed focusing on forgiveness. I also work really hard at trying to be a mensch and try to incorporate kindness into everything I do – as a living and continual prayer.

Sue, Educator I am a traditionalist at heart. I say the Kriyat Shema before going to sleep and also focus on a Loving Kindness meditation around those in my life. I enjoy nature and make a point of thanking Hashem (my version) for the beauty that we have here in OC every morning. I listen for a living, so I would like to believe someone is listening to me!

Gabriella, Therapist My greatest obstacle to prayer is shifting my state of mind from a whirling calendar of responsibilities to a state of silence and meditation. Achieving a con-

nection with G-d and personal mindfulness through daily prayer is no small feat; my elementary school rabbi would assure us that prayer is a “cumulative experience.” For me, daily traditional prayer puts G-d on speed dial as my emergency contact. My personal prayers are often pleas for strength and guidance in facing challenges, and gratitude for showing me through. Today my greatest spiritual guide is my 5-year-old son who is now learning the traditional prayers at school for the first time; it is his fresh perspective, questions and wonder about ancient prayers that imbues them with new life.

Karin, Mother and Scientist Dr. Lisa Grajewski is a psychologist working toward licensure. She is a therapist with Jewish Federation Family Services and is a psychological assistant for a private practice in Tustin. Dr. Grajewski has been writing for JLife Magazine since 2004.

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News&Jews OC JEWISH SCENE | JANUARY 2015

Look and Feel Younger in 7 Days Join author Elisa Zied, MS, RD, CDN for a luncheon and an opportunity to discuss fitness, nutrition, knowledge, and social connections on January 8th at noon at the Merage JCC. If 40 is the new 30, then 70 is the new 60. The Merage JCC finds that its members – young and old – eagerly seek means to maintain and increase wellness everyday.

Endowment Book of Life Signing Recently, over 150 guests, including professional leadership and clergy, from more than 15 local Jewish organizations, were present to celebrate our community’s success in creating a culture of legacy giving. Those participating included Jews of every affiliation as well as unaffiliated members of the Jewish Community, individuals giving hundreds of dollars, along with those giving millions. Everyone in attendance agreed on the core principle: “We will build a bright tomorrow for our community by working in a united, cohesive partnership. Jewish OC is on track to a stellar future.” For more information on the Foundation go to: www.jcfoc.org.

Sailor Receives Medal for Heroism 58 Years Later Much to his surprise, Ted Lavoot received a package from the United States Navy for a rescue he participated in decades before. He received the Navy Marine Corps Medal, the second highest award for non-combat heroism awarded by the Navy. Lavoot received the medal in a flag ceremony by the Orange American Legion Post #132 at the Orange Circle. Navy Chaplain Lt. Jon Neal of USMC Pendleton Base, made the Formal Presentation before a crowd of over 200.

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News&Jews TVT Ambassadors Club Trips Sixteen students – 11 seniors, four sophomores and one freshman – from Tarbut V’Torah Community Day School will go to China in late May to do volunteer work with Me to We, an international service organization. Susan Miller, upper school history teacher and advisor to the Ambassadors Club, will chaperone, along with parent coordinator Adrienne Matros and former student and former Ambassador Asher Genoot – who went with TVT to White Earth reservation in Minnesota, attends USC and speaks Mandarin fluently.

The trip, which is in its seventh year, takes TVT students to remote locations where they can make a difference by helping with service projects, teaching people how to speak English and learning about other people’s customs while explaining their own.

Each year about 90 students apply for the program.

The school will be holding an open house on Thursday, January 22, 2014 at 9:30 to showcase its passionate faculty and innovative curriculum. RSVPs are requested: (949) 333-2779.

Mandel House Celebrates Shabbat Recently, University Synagogue’s Tikkun Olam committee brought a homecooked Shabbat dinner over to the residents of the Mandel House; the Mandel House is the first home for mentally challenged adults in Orange County. Members of the committee lit candles and said blessings with residents; followed by a meal made by volunteers.

Spoken Word Artist Speaks to Teens at CBI Andrew Lustig, a Jewish Spoken Word Artist who travels to Jewish communities world-wide performed his inspiring poetry “I am a Jew.” The inaugural event kicked off Congregation B’nai Israel’s Hebrew High. Mr. Lustig spent time speaking with students following his performance and gave students a different perspective on Judaism. The program was made available by the generosity of the Zembrosky Youth in Art Fund.

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News&Jews Tel Aviv Comes to the OC! The OC recently played host to its very own Layla Lavan celebration in the spirit of cultural diversity, peace, and harmony. There was a pre-celebration lecture: Made in Tel-Aviv: The Contemporary Musical Culture of Tel-Aviv on the campus of UC Irvine and later that night, Layla Lavan took place for Orange County students and young adults.

Layla Laan is a true experience of Tel Aviv’s nightlife and contemporary musical culture, and was hosted by Hillel Foundation of Orange County and co-sponsored by pro-Israel groups from all three main university campuses located in Orange County including Anteaters For Israel (UC Irvine), Titans for Israel (CSUF) and Panthers For Israel (Chapman University).

Mezuzahs for Mandel House Recently, Rabbi Rick Steinberg affixed mezuzahs to each resident’s bedroom door frame while residents and their families looked on. It was a touching and meaningful event that highlighted Jewish Federation & Family Services’ mission to care for people in need and to sustain and enhance Jewish life. Rabbi Steinberg did a great job of explaining why the mezuzah is so important and included the residents in the blessing.

LISHMA: Adult Jewish Learning Series Starting in January 2015, the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program (“CSP”) will be offering two weekly class series: Modern Jewish Thought, taught by David Lewis, CEO of the Bureau of Jewish Education, and Beyond the Pshat (a search for deeper meaning in the Text), taught

by Rabbi Rayna Gevurtz of Temple Bat Yahm. To register, contact Heather Zemmol Macaulay at (949) 435-3450 or heather@bjeoc.org.

For more information about the Bureau, visit www.bjeoc.org, and for more information about CSP, visit www.occsp.org.

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Jlife

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| JANUARY 2015 51

LIFESTYLE

Piece of History produces a full line of Israeli historic action figures.

NOT YOUR BUBBE’S JUDAICA A new generation of Israeli artists is making the tchotchke cool again.

BY MERAV CEREN

ASAF HARARI, AN Israeli graphic designer, remembers his travels to California fondly, enjoying the slightly irreverent way some Americans commemorate the country’s history. “In the United States, every gift shop sells figurines of movie stars, cartoon characters, athletes, and politicians such as President Obama,” he reminisced. It was these trips which made him wonder whether such figurines would be popular in Israel. In 2010, while studying Political Science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he launched his design studio Piece of History. When his first figurine depicting Theodor Herzl, the father of modern political Zionism, sold out in a matter of months, he knew he had something special.

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Today, Piece of History produces a full line of Israeli historic action figures, including Prime Ministers Golda Meir, David Ben-Gurion, and Menachem Begin. The company also sells t-shirts, posters, and other pieces of Zionist and Jewish-themed collectibles. “I believe that souvenirs and collectibles are part of any country’s identity; they’re not only for tourists,” Harari said.

These collectibles are examples of an ongoing and growing movement of modern Israelis developing new, hip designs for our generation. Tired of clunky, outdated pieces, artists and designers throughout Israel are producing modern curios appropriate for hipper households. Harari describes it as a drive to “bring

modern style to the historic culture of Israel, Judaism and Zionism.”

Another artist remaking the tchotchke is Australian-born Barbara Shaw, who owns her own shop on trendy Emek Refaim in Jerusalem’s German Colony. When she moved to Israel in the 1980s with her family, she bemoaned the lack of creative expression in Jewish gifts. She sees herself as “part of a new confident Israeli style that has been merging of late in all fields of design.” Her shop is filled with brightly-colored stationary, mugs, aprons and Judaica, emblazoned with English, Hebrew and Yiddish phrases. A line of neoncolored aprons can be purchased for your cool dad (abba sababa, in Hebrew), your funky Polish mother (ima polaniah giz’it), or the barbeque-er (melech hamangal – king of the grill) in your life. English choices illustrate recipes for the “best challahs,” “best potato latkes,” or “magical chicken soup.”

In a Jerusalem Post interview back in 2012, Shaw admitted, “My art is my form of Zionism. Jerusalem has a reputation as a heavy sort of place. I’m trying to lighten it up in my own way with colorful, fun, bold and zany designs. What makes me happy is seeing people laugh at the expressions on our products. It’s easy to make people cry, but not so easy to make them laugh. I love the humor.”

Harari and Shaw represent a desire for Israelis to define their Judaism and nationalism in creative, new ways. The added bonus is that we get to decorate our homes with their imaginative art. A Merav Ceren was born in Israel, grew up in Southern California, and has now returned home. She holds a BA in International Relations from UCI, where she led the re-establishment of Anteaters for Israel, and is pursuing her Masters in International Relations from Syracuse University.

LIFESTYLE

Talking to G-d can be done anywhere at anytime.

THE VALUE OF PRAYER Talk, He is Listening

BY RABBI DAVID ELIEZRIE

PRAYER – IT IS not something we are trained to do, the language is foreign, and we may only remember a few words from childhood Hebrew School. Yet some of the melodies invoke nostalgia. But let’s be honest, praying or davening as it is known, is something that is uncomfortable for many of us.

What is prayer? Why do we need it? And why pray in a formal setting?

Simply put, prayer is the way that man communicates with the Creator. It is us (as humans) reaching out G-d to ask for help or thanking him (G-d is neither he or she, however we speak in human terms) for the

goodness in our lives. At the very core of each person is a neshama, a soul, a spiritual life force that animates us and gives us life.

That essence is a touch of the Divine in each human. The neshama creates a common bond between us and G-d. Prayer strengthens that bond.

Why ask G-d for help? Maybe I should talk to a friend or even my therapist. The reason is simple, the Creator cares deeply about each human and his or her life.

Abraham, the first Jew, provided a unique contribution to the world by recognizing one G-d. The essence of Judaism is the belief in G-d. Prayer is the way we talk to G-d.

Prayer is not that complicated. Talking to G-d can be done anywhere and anytime.

There are places that are more conducive: a synagogue, the Western Wall, the graves of the righteous. Those places are imbued with greater sanctity. The primary mitzvah of prayer in the Torah is to ask G-d for our needs whatever they may be. To remind us of our connection to G-d, Judaism — from Biblical times — has instituted three daily prayers, a liturgy, drawn from the Psalms, the Torah, and the poetic spirit of saintly Jews. These prayers give us a structure for talking to G-d. The daily obligation of prayer causes us to pause in the midst of the day, and remind ourselves of the essential connection between us and G-d.

So what are about those who are not proficient in Hebrew or do not understand the service? What should they do?

First you can pray anywhere, and in any language. Make the idea of meditating and praying to G-d in your words a daily occurrence. Second take some time to upgrade your Hebrew reading skills, and study the prayers. Through education you will gain a deeper appreciation of prayer. You will also discover how prayer can enrich your life. Finally, start going to services. If daily or weekly is too much, try it monthly. You will unveil the rich spiritual legacy of your ancestors. More importantly, regular prayer will open up your spiritual consciousness.

Start talking, you will find G-d is listening. A Rabbi David Eliezrie is rabbi at Congregation Beth Meir HaCohen/Chabad. His email is rabbi@ocjewish.com

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Jlife

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LIFESTYLE

RECENTLY, NEXTGEN, A program of Jewish Federation & Family Services, hosted 120 young adults at The OC Philanthropy Event at a stunning private home in Pelican Hill, overlooking the ocean. NextGen also convened at The Center Club for Macher’s Mark Social Hour, where young professionals schmoozed and participated in a delicious beer tasting! Then over 25 families gathered together for a Shalom Family Shabbat dinner at Sweet Shade Park. Shalom Family is a program of the NextGen department which builds connections amongst families with young children. For more information about NextGen and Shalom Family, please email nextgen@jffs.org.

TOP LEFT: Shira Greenbaum, Shadi Rafailzadeh, Jeremy Guzik & Lena Bakman TOP RIGHT: Heather Rosenthal, Dax Holt, Skylar & Adam Robles MIDDLE LEFT: Bria Cavanagh, Micha Newman, Gal Spiv & Shani Newman MIDDLE RIGHT: Alexandra Mars & Gregg Applefield BOTTOM RIGHT: Shayna Shaham, Marla Katz & Jamie Stroj

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF JACKIE MENTER OF JEWISH FEDERATION & FAMILY SERVICES

Orange Jews

LIFESTYLE

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Uniqueness Lost in Prayer I think that this one-sided conversation I am going to have with you is far too complex to limit our religious assimilation down to the beautiful melodies that I grew up singing. However, I was having a beer/cider with one of my favorite rabbis in the community. We tend to discuss American Judaism on the nerdiest of levels. As I was on a rant – typical behavior on my part – I spewed something out, “American Jews, like myself, sometimes battle between the Reform, Reconstructionist and Conservative movements. I assure you much of it has to do with our love for catchy Debbie Friedman tunes and summer camp memories. The problem is that I feel like I’m at a rock concert when I go to some synagogues and therefore prefer more conservative shuls for prayer because I am not looking for a camp environment within brick and mortar.”

Then it dawned on me. For many of my friends and I, we find it “strange” seeing these cantors strumming their guitars in

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Goldilocks to find a synagogue that is “just right” (in regards to prayer). Another caveat, this is not a commentary on any person or persons within these movements and none is “better” than another.

It sparks my curiosity to know if this shift in prayer has in any way shaped the use of the label “Just Jewish” for millennials. Is it because our places of worship are great, but do not offer a unique experience, unlike any other in the area? Many of us go to a specific place because we like the rabbi or the cantor, but how many of us have been to multiple venues? I speak personally when I say the thing that sets these places of worship apart, for me, is the sermon delivered by the rabbi, typically not the service itself.

If it all starts to look the same, does it matter that it stemmed from historically different rationales? Why is it that prayer is not drawing our OC community to synagogues, and does that matter when we are drawn in by such great community?

Prayer has changed within the past 30 years. Yes, it has changed since the beginning of Judaism, but prayer has changed rapidly and is continuing to change. As the rate of interfaith marriage and assimilation rise and synagogue membership is on the decline, I think it is imperative that our Jewish community questions if the way we pray and how we value prayer has any role in these major shifts for OC’s Jewish community.

Her music shaped my Jewish views of prayer.

the middle of a Rosh Hashanah service or on Yom Kippur. Even as a kid, my Reform synagogue limited the amount of instrumentals. However, at camp I sang Friedman’s tunes and still find myself gravitating towards those tunes on any given day. In many ways, her music shaped my Jewish views of prayer. As I have hit adulthood, many of the Conservative synagogues have become similar in practice to the Reform and Reconstructionist. It seems as though the older I get, the more similar they seem – the way we pray is not so different from one place to the next.

Now, I don’t need letters explaining to me the differences in religious movements and history of each movement’s founding. I know what they are – I promise. However, if you’re in search of a stark difference in prayer, you’re almost required to attend a more traditional/Orthodox place of worship. Here you have the ability to identify clear differences between other movements.

This meshing makes it harder for this

RACHEL SCHIFF

is an English teacher who graduated from Cal State Fullerton.

She was president of Hillel, a representative of World Union of Jewish Students and a YLD intern. Currently, she is a Master’s degree student in American Studies with emphasis on Jews in America.

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| JANUARY 2015 57

LIFESTYLE FRIDAYS 10:00 AM Men’s Club at the JCC Merage JCC FRIDAY, JAN. 2 9:00 AM Mah Jongg Card Presale Begins Merage JCC

SENIORS

CALENDAR JANUARY 2015

7:00 PM Drop-in Mah Jongg Merage JCC

MONDAYS 9:00 AM Gentle Yogalates & Meditation Merage JCC

TUESDAYS 10:30 AM The View for Women of All Ages Merage JCC

10:00 AM News & Views Merage JCC 10:00 AM Tai Chi/ Jack Finkelstein Ezra AAFC 10:30 AM Stretching/Al Talberg Ezra AAFC 11:00 AM Various Lecture Topics Ezra AAFC 11:30 AM Drop-in Bridge Merage JCC

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WEDNESDAYS & FRIDAYS 8:45 AM Gentle Yoga Merage JCC THURSDAYS 10:30 AM Drop-in Mah Jongg Merage JCC 9:30 AM Keeping Fit/ Mel Grossman Ezra AAFC 10:30 AM Various Lecture Topics Ezra AAFC

Jlife

TUESDAYS, JAN. 2 – FEB. 24 10:00 AM TO NOON Intermediate Bridge Merage JCC MONDAYS, JAN. 5 - 23 9:00 – 10:15 AM Gentle Yogalates and Meditation Merage JCC TUESDAYS, JAN. 6 - 27 9:30 – 11:30 AM Learn to Play Bridge – 1 Merage JCC WEDNESDAYS, JAN. 7, 14, 21 & FEB. 4 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM Health & Wellness Talks for Women Merage JCC THURSDAY, JAN. 8 NOON - 2:00 PM Younger Next Week Inspiring Talk & Luncheon on Health & Wellness Merage JCC THURSDAY JAN. 8 9:30 AM Keeping Fit/ Mel Grossman Ezra AAFC THURSDAY JAN. 8 & 15 9:30 AM Keeping Fit/ Mel Grossman Ezra AAFC WEDNESDAY, JAN. 14 11:00 AM “Writing for Reminiscences” Marilyn Silverstein Temple Beth Tikvah TUESDAY, JAN. 20 7:00 PM Men’s Wine Tasting Merage JCC

FRIDAYS, JAN. 23 - FEB. 13 NOON TO 1:30 PM iPhone Tops & Secrets Merage JCC SUNDAY JAN. 25 1:30 – 4:00 PM Poker League Merage JCC TUESDAY, JAN. 27 10:00 AM Books & Bagels “The Harem Midwife” by Roberta Rich Merage JCC THURSDAY, JAN. 29 9:30 AM Tai Chi/ Jack Finklestein Ezra AAFC 10:00 AM Hawaiian Dance Group Ezra AAFC

10:15 AM Stretching/ Al Talberg Ezra AAFC FRIDAY, JAN. 30 5:00 PM Last day to register for the Mah Jongg Tournament Merage JCC The Merage Jewish Community Center is located at 1 Federation Way Suite 200, Irvine, (949) 435-3400 x 303. For reservations please contact Geri Dorman, Prime Time Adult Director at: gerid@jccoc.org.

The Ezra Center is located at Temple Beth Emet on Monday & Thursday 1770 W. Cerritos, Anaheim, (714) 776-1103 and Temple Beth Tikvah on Wednesday 1600 N. Acacia, (714) 871-3535.

Temple Bat Yahm is located at 1011 Camelback St., Newport Beach, (949) 854-8854.

For reservations please contact Sandy Bursten at: sandybee1@cox.net.

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Jlife

| JANUARY 2015 59

LIFESTYLE

ORANGE COUNTY’S JEWISH HISTORY Art Gronsky, Owner of the Balboa Pavilion

BY DALIA TAFT

BLOGOSPHERE Jlife wants to acknowledge some of the interesting blogs related to the Jewish community. Enjoy!

JEWLICIOUS This site is great because it supports Israel through cool arty and video stuff. You will find tons of interesting gems. www.jewlicious.com

Arthur (Art) Gronsky was born Sept. 25, 1920 in South Pasadena to Roy and Ida Gronsky (nee Weingart), who had both been born in Texas to Eastern European Jewish immigrants. When he was eight, the family of seven moved to a beach house on the Balboa Peninsula, and it was here that Gronsky began his lifelong love of fishing. After attending UC Berkeley, where he was active in the Jewish fraternity Zeta Beta Tau, Gronsky served as a machinist during WWII and then settled back in Balboa. His family purchased the badly deteriorated Balboa Pavilion in 1947, renovated the building, and operated it until 1960. A boater and businessman, Gronsky worked hard to preserve Newport’s history, and when he passed away in 2007, he was described as having “helped shape this coastal town.” Photo: Balboa Pavilion, Newport Beach, early 1950s. Inset: UC Berkeley Yearbook, 1942

Dalia Taft, archivist of the Orange County Jewish Historical Society, a Connect 2 People Initiative of Jewish Federation & Family Services, highlights images from the archives every month. For more information, please visit www.jewishorangecounty.org/historical. You can also contact Dalia at historical@jffs.org or at (949) 435-3484, ext. 167.

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TORAH MUSINGS This periodical focuses on multiple areas of interest, including: Textual Studies – halakhah (Jewish law), hashkafah (Jewish thought), history and parshanut (biblical commentary).

It’s very interesting and understandable to those with limited Jewish education. www.torahmusings.com THE JEW AND THE CARROT A Jewish site devoted to food and environment and all kinds of fun randomness. blogs.forward.com/the-jewand-the-carrot/

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Jlife

| JANUARY 2015 61

LIFESTYLE

They can not walk freely among us on our day of rest.

LIVIN’ IN THE HOOD

A cloud of distrust encircles the neighborhood.

BY ANDREA SIMANTOV

UNTIL I MOVED here, East Jerusalem had only meant border patrols, checkpoints, suspicion, hostility and danger. My new street boasted two synagogues, a ritual bath, three hairdressers and a branch of a large supermarket chain. My living room overlooks the Old City walls and the bus to the center of town takes a whopping 15 minutes. The only clear and present danger seemed, at first, to be the forty-year old pipes in the bathroom backing up on me without warning.

This isn’t to say that I was completely 62 JANUARY 2015 |

Jlife

unaware that we lived in a ‘mixed’ area; in fact, the first Friday morning I shopped for Shabbat, I was surprised to find that I was among only a handful of Jews in the local market. The place was packed with Arab Muslims, Christian Missionaries and UN personnel, but among the Jews, I was the only ‘anglo.’ The others were Russians, French Moroccans and Ethiopians.

Still, from the moment we moved to Armon HaNatziv, we felt we’d made a good choice. It was affordable, in walking distance to both the center of town and the Western Wall, is gaining

popularity with young couples, and is a place where, after 20 years in Israel, I’d be forced to speak in Hebrew. Win-win.

But suddenly things aren’t feeling so Woodstock around here. The formerly bucolic Arab villages that encircle my road have turned ominous and a cloud of distrust hangs heavily over the streets, parks and promenades that pepper the local landscape. As always, Adnan at the meat counter greets me with a smile and asks after my family and health. I answer and ask about him and his. But something has changed, barely perceptible, but we both feel it in the way we hold our shoulders or try to control the tightness in our jaws. The murderers who butchered four rabbis at prayer the week before came from his village, Jabel Mukaber. I want to ask if he knew them? Did he approve?

Does he feel the same loathing for me and the family he asks about even though he smiles and greets me so warmly? The army has destroyed the homes of the terrorists, deported the wife of one of the murderers, and restricts movement of the villagers over the Jewish sabbath so they can not walk freely among us on our day of rest. At the bottom of the hill, police sit in cruisers both day and night at the entrance to Zur Bahar, hotbed of the latest riots. I do not ask Adnan what he is thinking nor does he ask me. I imagine that he wants to know if I approve of home demolition or collective punishment. Knowing that my answers would not please him, I still wonder if he could kill me without remorse. After all, the Har Nof killers knew their victims and had worked among them for years.

There is a pall in the ‘hood; streets empty now of Arab and Jewish women enjoying power walks or lazily pushing strollers on a beautiful, sunny morning. Life continues. In the distance, I hear a siren blare. A New York-born Andrea Simantov is a mother of six who moved to Jerusalem in 1995. She frequently lectures on the complexity and magic of life in Jerusalem and can be contacted at andreasimantov@gmail.com.

LIFESTYLE

ate families are not near by. The MoHo is a family itself.”

MoHo’s very exciting news is that it has decided to expand its creative brainpower from the residents to the community. The MoHo residents believe that their house is, and should be, whatever the community wants it to be.

They have decided to establish a community board to help host events to better reach the Jewish community. This also means more innovative experiences for Jewish young adults that reach a larger portion of the community.

The MoHo board is comprised of community members who come to events, and share in the vision of what MoHo can do in O.C. The residents want MoHo to be built by the community and the board’s goals are the following:

ALL ABOARD THE MOISHE HOUSE! New House, More Brains, One Community

BY ADAM CHESTER

MOISHE HOUSE ORANGE County (MoHo) is the definition of community for Jewish adults in their twenties living in O.C. With residents living in the house who are zealous about a vibrant community, and members who are fervid about attending MoHo events, excitement pours into and out of this unique Costa Mesa home.

The majority of our community who frequent MoHo are already aware of the many benefits associated with the free programs run by this grassroots non-profit: opportunities to foster meaningful relationships with

like-minded peers, a venue to attend events where expressing creativity and engendering Jewish identity is commonplace and the warm feeling of having a “home away from home.”

In fact, “some of the most active, involved members are people who moved to Orange County from a different city, because they had heard about MoHo in their home town, and were looking to connect,” said current resident Ron Benporat. “This house offers the opportunity to open the doors for community members, especially when immedi-

1. More original and diverse events. The residents have particular interests, but board members bring their own experiences and passions to the creation of new programs as well. This can lead to new and unique ideas.

2. MoHo’s vision, and that of its board, is to bring passionate people together to create something wonderful.

3. Friends. MoHo exists so community members can initiate friendships and have others to rely on.

4. Increase the quality of events, not simply raise attendance.

“Our peers are capable of directly influencing and creating the events they want to see,” said resident Sarah Van Zanten.

“MoHo events have always been community centered. Through the new board, this effect will only intensify.”

MoHo is always open. If you are interested in coming to an event, or joining the Moishe House board, contact MoisheHouseOC@ gmail.com. A Adam Chester graduated from UCSD with a degree in Clinical Psychology and is the NextGen Outreach & Engagement Coordinator at JFFS.

Jlife

| JANUARY 2015 63

LIFESTYLE

A great sandwich can be layered in deliciousness.

MISSION DELICATESSEN A Tour of Three of Orange County’s Delis.

BY DVORAH LEWIS

AFTER QUEUING UP the Mission Impossible music, which only I could hear, I set out to lock and load my tummy with a few of the best of Orange County’s delis.

First stop, OC Kosher Market & Deli where I inhaled a sandwich piled high with freshly cut layers of pastrami. The market also offers food from all over the world, so I couldn’t help but grab a bag of Bamba for dessert.

The market is situated next to a few Asianinfluenced restaurants as well as a karaoke bar, making this location the perfect place 64 JANUARY 2015 |

Jlife

for a first date. Who could say no to a kosher dinner and karaoke? Not me!

Next stop, Benjies Deli, which made me feel like I stepped into a time machine. The restaurant has preserved its classic retro atmosphere from when it first opened in 1967. After regretfully passing over the various Jewish items on the menu (matzoh ball soup, knish, and kasha), I became fixated on “Benjies Special”: a hot sandwich made of pastrami, coleslaw, and a thousand island dressing. With a sandwich named

after the restaurant, it had to be good. And it was. Even though I was stuffed to the kishkes, I wanted to order another! Benjies not only offers deli sandwiches but also sells black & white cookies flown in from New York. A major portion of Benjies’ customers are people who have been coming to the restaurant for years — both Jewish and nonJewish. It seems like a great place for when it’s time to meet your beau’s family?

Last on my list was C4: The Cure for the Common located in downtown Santa Ana. When I first walked into C4, I thought I had the wrong address. Nope, this 1920’s themed-deli not only specializes in meat and cheese, but also in wines and beers. Bottles are shelved along the walls and accompanied by signs encouraging customers to grab a bottle to go. The Reuben sandwich I tried was just as scrumptious as the first two delis; however, what I enjoyed the most about C4 was seeing a bunch of guys unashamedly drink their bottomless mimosas. The restaurant not only offers weekend brunch but also has something happening each night of the week. One that I can’t wait to attend is Trivia Night every Tuesday. If you’re looking for a night on the town, C4 is the place to be!

There you have it. There are places to enjoy a pastrami sandwich, or any deli sandwich for that matter, that will fit almost every facet of your life. Mission Accomplished. A Dvorah Lewis is pursuing her Master’s in Library & Information Science with a specialization in Archival Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Jlife

| JANUARY 2015 65

Advertising Index

59 Allan Silverman

55 Dr. Ivar Roth

11 Avarelle Real Estate

33 Gourmet Detective

7 Bureau of Jewish Education

10 Gratz College

59 Bubbe and Zayde’s Place 30 Burch, Coulston & Shepard, LLP

66 JANUARY 2015 |

59 Harbor Lawn 41 Heating & Air 9 Heritage Pointe

41 Callahan & Blaine

27 Heritage Pointe At Home

51 Cemetary Plot

51 Jason Novack Realtor

14 Chapman University Rodger’s Center

24 Jewish Community Center

15 Chapman University Rodger’s Center

25 Jewish Community Center

3 Congregation Beth Jacob

13 Jewish Federation and Family Services

3 Congregation Beth Jacob

11 Jewish Federation and Family Services

10 Congregation B’nai Tzedek

46 Jewish Federation and Family Services

19 Dr. Hilary Buff

47 Jewish Federation and Family Services

Jlife

61 Jewish Federation and Family Services 45 Klein Financial 39 Laguna Playhouse 45 L’Dor V’Dor

23 SD Opera 33 Sherri Primes 19 Solomon’s Bakery 19 Soul Mates Unlimited

6 Pacific Symphony

33 South Coast Repatory Theater

65 Parenting Magazine

54 24 Carrots

2 Phil Roy Productions

68 Tarbut V’Torah

19 Marconi Auto Museum

4 Temple Bat Yahm

51 Marni Scheftz Luxury Travel 51 Michael Rubinstein Attorney at Law 29 Mortensen & Reinheimer PC 31 Mortensen & Reinheimer PC

5 Temple Bat Yahm 11 Temple Beth El 6 Temple Beth Tikvah 51 Torah with Liora 67 Tustin Ranch 41 University Synagogue

51 OC Helicopter

59 Visiting Angels

61 Rock Doctor

61 Zounds Audio

Jlife

| JANUARY 2015 67

ORANGE COUNTY’S JEWISH YOUTH & PARENTS Family Fitness Tips Join Forces & Strengthen Bonds Saying Goodbye Tackling those Tough Topics

Kids Get Fit! Get a Jump on a Healthy Life

JANUARY 2015

G IN LL W LL RO O FA EN NOR F PRESCHOOL FOR CHILDREN AGES 26 Olam Programs • Ages 2-6 years old • Choice of two, three or five day classes • Half-day program: 8:30 to 12:00 • Full-day program: 8:30 to 2:30 • Full-day Plus: 8:30 to 5:30 • Early Care: 7:30-8:30 am

Extra-Curricular Activities These activities are available in addition to our Montessori curriculum. The instructors come to Olam once a week for families who are interested in additional programming.

• Gymnastics with Mr. Dean • Webby Dance • Play Ball • Summer Camp

“The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.”

— Maria Montessori www.olamjewishmontessori.com info@olamjewishmontessori.com 3900 Michelson Drive · Irvine, CA 92612

Call for a tour! (949) 786-5230 2

3

a peek inside january 2015

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FAMILY FITNESS TIPS

MAKE A SPLASH

SUPER SHABBOS FUN

Building strong hearts and minds together.

Check out all the great programs Merage JCC has to offer.

Learn about your heritage with games, stories and more.

also inside!

Editor’s Note 06 For January calendar events please visit: www.ocjewishlife.com

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SAYING GOODBYE

CALORIE COUNTDOWN

A little help with a very tough topic.

Calories count for some of your favorite snacks.

World Class Care Just Around the Corner!

Irvine Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics 949.559.0674 Pediatric Dentistry Child, Teen & Adult Orthodontics

SHAUL YEHEZKEL, DMD, BOARD CERTIFIED 4902 Irvine Center Dr., Ste. 111 Irvine, CA 92604 ipdodry@yahoo.com www.irvinepdo.com

Music Lessons

• We provide lessons for many instruments including Piano, Violin, Cello, Guitar, and Saxophone.

• Lesson range from 30-60 minute lessons for all student levels.

• We teach music theory, performance, and other great musical techniques for young musicians.

Make your occasion unforgettable with the thrill of air combat action!

MITZVAH AT THE SPEED OF SOUND! 714-937-1511 | www.flightdeck.com 1650 S. Sinclair St., Anaheim, CA

• Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Weddings, Meetings & More • Eight different teambuilding activities available • See and hear all the action in the Officers Club • Rooms available for off-site meetings • Food & beverage included • Personalized dog tags and award certificates • The only facility like it in the world!

• Groups up to 90 people

GET IN TOUcH wITH yOUr INNEr TOP GUN! 5

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EDITOR’S NOTE

kiddish

PUBLISHER ORANGE COUNTY JEWISH LIFE EDITOR IN CHIEF TRACEY ARMSTRONG GORSKY, MBA CREATIVE DIRECTOR RACHEL BELLINSKY COPYEDITOR JOSH NAMM CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AUDRA MARTIN, SUE PENN, M. ED., HANNAH SCHOENBAUM ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES DIANE BENAROYA (SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE) MARTIN STEIN (SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE) EDITORIAL

F

itness is one of the most important parts of our lives, yet many times it falls at the bottom of our priority list. We move, move, move through life from one task to another just trying to fit everything in. At the end

of the day, many times we are just too pooped to add another task (like working out) to our plate. However, it is at exactly these times that we really need our family members to help motivate us.

(949) 230-0581

TARMSTRONG24@GMAIL.COM ADVERTISING (949) 812-1891

SALES@OCJEWISHLIFE.COM ART

ART@OCJEWISHLIFE.COM

Today, we are faced with a nationwide child obesity epidemic. Daily activities such as walking to school, physical education classes, after school activities, chores and general playing have been replaced with a sedentary lifestyle in front of the TV and computer. In addition, unhealthy food has

ORANGE COUNTY JEWISH LIFE AND KIDDISH IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY ORANGE COUNTY JEWISH LIFE, LLC 1 FEDERATION WAY, IRVINE, CA 92603

become much more prominent and accessible. It’s time to once again get kids (and the whole family) active! How about a nice walk on the beach? A quiet walk or run can help shed stress and tension on even the toughest day. And when you have the people you love to share it with … well then that makes it even better!

— Tracey Armstrong Gorsky, Editor in Chief

Editor Tracey Armstrong Gorsky is the managing editor for JLife and former editor and writer for Making Waves, Pet Product News, Veterinary Practice News and Surfing Magazine. She brings over ten years of writing and editing experience to Kiddish magazine and holds a Masters in Business Administration.

OCJL is published monthly by Orange County Jewish Life, LLC. Subscription rate is $24 for one year (12 issues).

Send subscription requests to OCJL, 5665 Oberlin Dr., Ste. 204, San Diego, CA 92121. Orange County Jewish Life is a free and open forum for the expression of opinions. The opinions expressed herein are solely the opinion of the author and in no way reflect the opinions of the publishers, staff or advertisers. Orange County Jewish Life is not responsible for the accuracy of any and all information within advertisements.

Orange County Jewish Life reserves the right to edit all submitted materials, including press releases, letters, articles and calendar listings for brevity and clarity. OCJL is not legally responsible for the accuracy of calendar or directory listings, nor is it responsible for possible postponements, cancellations or changes in venue. Manuscripts, letters, documents and photographs sent to OCJL become the physical property of the publication, which is not responsible for the return of such material. Orange County Jewish Life is a member of the American Jewish Press Association and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

All contents © 2014 Orange County Jewish Life.

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JANUARY 2015

Family Fitness Tips Building strong hearts and minds together.

BY TRACEY ARMSTRONG GORSKY

Just getting outside is the first fun step.

family activity every weekend. We live in one of the most beautiful counties in the world for day hikes so get outside and enjoy.

Get Moving–Walk or Bicycle If the sun is shining and you’ve got an hour, try walking or biking to the grocery store. If you can ride your bikes to school that’s even better. This is a great way to make it an automatic part of your daily routine.

Keep Track Track everyone’s mileage or steps with a pedometer, and try to add more distance every week. Use a family exercise log or colorful stickers to track your progress. Put your log or chart on

E

xercise is very important.

We all know that it helps us live longer, lowers heart risks, helps control weight and lowers our stress levels.

If we didn’t exercise we might just blow our tops. However, did you know that

the refrigerator as a reminder to keep up to work toward. Plus, it’s a perfect way

the good effort together.

to share some laughs and create great

Whistle While You Work

memories. Here are some fun ways to make exercise an automatic part of your family life.

Make Time to Play Set aside 30 minutes, three times

Set aside time for household chores and do them together as a family. Play music as you clean, and take turns choosing favorite songs or creating specific “Cool Cleaning” playlists. Sharing

exercising as a family can have even more

a week, to do fun exercises as a family.

music together as a family will be just

benefits than going at it alone? Fitness

Make it a part of your after-school or

another added benefit to this “chore”

activities can help create and strengthen

after-dinner routine. Turn off that T.V.

turned fun “cleaning dance party.” Grab

family bonds and gives us a common goal

and get moving. Also, plan at least one

that broom and boogie. ✿

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JANUARY 2015

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Make A Splash Check out all the great programs Merage JCC has to offer.

BY SUE PENN

program that meets you or your child’s

Dive into fitness.

specific needs. They will make every effort to accommodate requests for new classes.

For more information please visit:

www.jccoc.org/aquatics/swim-lessons.

WAVES Swim Team WAVES swimming uses a progressive age group program in which the swimmer is instructed and developed in physical, mental and emotional levels in a systematic fashion. An emphasis on fun and family for the younger swimmers develops into a gradual increase in commitment over a period of years.

Swim Lessons at the J Swim lessons are offered day and evening in the Merage JCC Aquatics

WAVES offers competitive and noncompetitive tracks for swimmers to follow once they finish with swim lessons.

Center. Instructors will work with you or your children to create an individualized

For the latest Merage JCC WAVES info, go to www.jccwaves.org.

Aquatics Center Facelift After 11 years, it was time for a remodel so the JCCOC Aquatics Center Pool closed it doors for a little “holiday makeover.” We are excited to announce that it will be re-opening its doors on January (weather permitting) and will be ready for some “wave makers.”

Pool hours & information Monday - Thursday 5:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Friday 5:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Saturday 7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Sunday 7:45 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

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JANUARY 2015

Soccer is a great way to get in shape and make friends at the same time.

BEND IT! JCC Recreational Futsal League Feb. 22 - April 5, 2015 5 & 6 years old: Sundays, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.

7 & 8 years old: Sundays, 2:30 - 4:00 p.m.

Teen Pick-Up/ Drop-In Sports Minors under the age of 18 can get Teen Certification and use the Merage JCC fitness facilities without being accompanied by an adult. JCC teens who have received their Teen Certification

The JCC Recreational Futsal program is a

for the fitness center can drop in and get

unique opportunity for younger players

their game on at one of the weekly pick up

to begin to develop their soccer skills

sessions. It’s fun and it’s free!

in a fun, game-oriented, environment.

This program will help children improve motor and ball skills and boost their self-

Pick-Up Basketball, Ages 13-17 Wednesday nights, 6-9 p.m.

confidence using fun-packed, small-sided

Teen players have first priority in our

games. Futsal is one of the best options

JCC Wednesday night pick-up basketball

for player development and for improving

games. No charge. JCC Members only;

speed of play, technical skills, decision-

must show badge at fitness desk.

making and fitness. Each session consists

For more information about youth fitness

of a practice followed by a game.

programs at the Merage JCC, please contact

Location: Merage JCC

the JCC Fitness desk at (949) 435-3400 ext.

Contact: Eddie Priesand

283 or Eddie Priesand, Sports & Recreation

Phone: (949) 435-2400 ext 104

Director at eddiep@jccoc.org. ✿

Email: eddiep@jccoc.org

Youth Basketball Stay Tuned for More Info on the Spring Youth Basketball League, Grades K-8 Date: April 5 – May 31 (no games over Spring Break) Location: Gymnasium, Merage JCC

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CANDLELIGHTING IN JERUSALEM: 4:07 P.M.

Share something good that someone did for you this week.

WEEK IN REVIEW

‫כט( מצרים‬:‫)מז‬.

• All of ‫’פרעה‬s servants going with ‫ יוסף‬and his family to bury ‫ה( יעקב‬:‫)נ‬.

• ‫ יוסף‬giving an oath to his father to bury him in

Act out these scenes with friends and family.

PARSHA SKIT ideas

DOWN 1. Gather (49:33) 3. Grave (50:5) 5. Heaven (49:25) 7. Stone (49:24)

ACROSS 2. Horesemen (50:9) 4. Head (48:17) 5. Dwell (49:13) 6. Wine (49:12)

Complete the crossword by translating each English word into Hebrew. Use the parsha reference for help.

CROSSWORD

A good ear: When someone is speaking, do not talk until he/she is finished.

MIDDAH OF THE MONTH

I am in ‫ספר דברים‬. I discuss the roles of judges and officers. The ‫ מצוה‬of ‫ תרומה‬is also discussed. Towards the end of the ‫פרשה‬, the details of ‫ עגלה ערופה‬is given.

wHAT PARSHA AM I?

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Find the bold italic words on this sheet.

The unused letters spell a secret message!

WORD FIND

‫ יעקב‬lived in ‫ מצרים‬for 17 years before he died at the age of 147. Before he died, he had ‫ יוסף‬take an oath to bury him in ‫מערת המכפלה‬. ‫ יעקב‬gave a bracha to ‫’יוסף‬s two sons, ‫אפרים‬ and ‫מנשה‬. ‫ יעקב‬put his right hand on ‫אפרים‬, the younger child, and said the younger one will become greater than the older. ‫ יעקב‬told ‫ יוסף‬that '‫ ה‬will be with him and will bring him back to the land of his fathers. ‫ יעקב‬blessed all his children. When ‫ יעקב‬died, ‫ יוסף‬had him embalmed. ‫ מצרים‬wept over his death for 70 days and ‫ יוסף‬received permission from ‫ פרעה‬to bury him in ‫מערת המכפלה‬. All of ‫’פרעה‬s servants went with ‫ יוסף‬and his brothers to bury ‫יעקב‬. ‫ יוסף‬told his brothers that everything that happened was from '‫ה‬.

Before ‫ יוסף‬died at the age of 110, he asked that his bones be brought out of ‫מצרים‬. !‫חזק! חזק! ונתחזק‬

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Visit www.thefamousabba.com/chinuch-podcasts for this week’s Chinuch Podcast! Hear from a new speaker each week.

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‫א ב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט י כ ל מ נ ס ע פ צ ק ר ש ת‬

‫כ‬ + ‫כ‬

The number of days ‫ מצרים‬mourned after ‫’יעקב‬s death?

‫גמטריא‬

• The lights went off in your shul for 2 hours.

• The ball your brother threw hit you in the head.

Can you judge these situations favorably?

FAMINE

‫אבות‬

‫אברהם‬

‫דן את כל האדם לכף זכות‬

CREATION 1st of 5

Which one is different? (Hint: ‫)ספר בראשית‬

spot the difference

• Defrosting ice cream at room temperature.

• Reheating soup that had cooled.

• Placing cooked challah on the cholent pot.

The ‫ מלאכה‬of cooking food on ‫ שבת‬is called ‫בישול‬.

Are the following items considered ‫?בישול‬

shabbos

(Hint: ‫)העץ ועל פרי העץ‬

IISRAN

(scramble)

ERGPA

LOVEI

WORD CMRLESAB

SUPER SHABBOS SHEET ‫י“ב טבת תשע“ה‬ ‫פרשת ויחי‬

PLANTING JEWISH ROOTS. CULTIVATING HERITAGE. GROWING FUTURE LEADERS.

Now Enrolling Kindergarten 2015 A rich learning experience that includes: • Engaging Academic Rigor and Social Emotional Learning

• Affordable Tuition

• Dynamic Torah Education and Hebrew Immersion

• Partnering with Families & Open Communication

• Small StudentTeacher Ratio & Individualized Learning

• Instilling Pride and Connection to Jewish Heritage

• Before and After School Care Available

For a tour or more information, contact us: Tammy Keces or Robin Elcott 949-478-6818 info@irvinehebrewday.org 3880 Michelson Drive, Irvine, CA 92612 Online registration is available at www.irvinehebrewday.org 11

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JANUARY 2015

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Saying Goodbye A little help with a very tough topic.

BY SUE PENN

There is nothing like the bonds we make with our pets.

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enerally, when your child asks you a question about death, it follows the loss of someone or some animal

who was part of your life. Not only is it difficult to discuss death with your children at any time, it is much more complicated when dealing with your own emotional upheaval or loss. Are you sure what happens after death? How do you tell your children that these are just your beliefs and that you are not sure? How do you discuss the topic without creating anxiety or insecurity?

Recently, I visited a beloved aunt who I hadn’t seen for a few years.

Unfortunately, at 86 she is no longer the vibrant and empathetic woman I have loved all my life. Her mental functioning has deteriorated, she has withered away physically and is now just an empty

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JANUARY 2015

Our furry friends really do become family.

shell. She is no longer aware of her

to hide your sadness, vulnerability and

surroundings and there is a bright yellow

uncertainty from your children, as we are

DNR on the refrigerator in her daughter’s

all human. As much as death is a part of

home where she is living. My aunt has

life, so is our lack of uniformity of beliefs

grown older amongst her family. They

about death. When discussing death

watched her age and loved and cared

with your children, share your beliefs,

for her as it gradually happened. They

share your sadness and vulnerability, and

have treated her with the same dignity

encourage them to talk about and own

and respect she modeled for them. They

their feelings. Let them learn that time

are now prepared for her passing. It will

brings about some healing and a new

be sad to say goodbye forever, but she is

reality that allows us to move on.

already gone. This will be another stage of the lifecycle.

It is important for our children

Dedicated with love to my great aunt Irene, who taught me all I know about bearing human suffering with dignity

to understand that death is a natural

and grace and treating everyone with

part of any lifecycle. Hopefully by the

kindness. ✿

time the death occurs, the lifecycle has been completed. Unfortunately that’s not always the case and we sometimes have to have tough and emotionally difficult conversations. It’s important not

Sue Penn is the mother of three, Director of Congregational Learning at University Synagogue, president of Jewish Reconstructionist Educators of North America and a member of the Jewish Educators Assembly.

IT’S IMPORTANT NOT TO HIDE YOUR SADNESS, VULNERABILITY AND UNCERTAINTY FROM YOUR CHILDREN, AS WE ARE ALL HUMAN.

Calorie Countdown

Do you know how many calories are in some of your favorite snacks? Sometimes just being aware of the number can help you reach for better choices. Take a guess and see if you are close!

BANANA

YOGURT

FRUIT ROLL UP

APPLE

STRING CHEESE

ORANGE 105 CALORIES in a medium banana

116 CALORIES in a medium apple

70 CALORIES in a tube of “GoGurt”

80 CALORIES in a stick of string cheese

140 CALORIES in a regular fruit roll up

62 CALORIES in a medium orange 14

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