COMMUNITY FOCUS 7A July 2012
The mitzvah of food
The only kosher restaurant in the area By Sarah Ida Tedesco
I
n the Sarasota, Bradenton and Venice area there is just one kosher restaurant – The Teahouse at Asian Arts and Décor on Fruitville Road in Sarasota. Hannah Gibbons is the owner of this restaurant and offers more than just food to her customers. Hannah offers Jews who follow the laws of kashrut the ability to dine out with their family Sarah Ida Tedesco and friends. For her, making this restaurant kosher was more than just a spiritual decision; it was an act of community service. Hannah Gibbons believes that giving this community a kosher dining facility was something this area has needed for quite some time. Asian Arts and Décor was originally owned by Sharon Lee but was later bought by Gibbons. The heart and soul that has been put into both the store and the restaurant amazes customers. Creating a kosher kitchen in a home is one thing, but creating a completely kosher business is another. Hannah needed to study all the laws of kashrut and make sure that she was giving her kosher customers a place they could trust when dining out. The laws of kashrut are long and detailed. They include many rules that changed the way Hannah conducted not only her business but her everyday life. Since transforming her restaurant’s kitchen into a kosher space, Hannah has become Shomer Shabbos. This commitment is one that I find admirable. The laws of kashrut go far beyond
banning the mixing of milk with meat. To have her restaurant be compatible with modern Orthodox Judaism, Hannah needed to dispose of every piece of tableware she had in her restaurant. Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz, Director of Chabad Lubavitch of Sarasota & Manatee Counties, joined in on the process of approving the restaurant for kosher certification. Rabbi Steinmetz helped Hannah in this process by torching the oven that the restaurant uses. This process ensures that the oven will not contaminate the food being served to Hannah’s customers. The entire kitchen was cleaned and a completely new set of tableware was purchased. Making a business kosher is not an easy task. Hannah, with the help of others, successfully accomplished this task. The Teahouse at Asian Arts and Décor is now the only kosher restaurant in our area. Asian culture and cuisine have many ties to Jewish culture. Not only will customers enjoy a kosher meal out, they will have the opportunity to learn about the JewishAsian culture through merchandise found at Asian Arts and Décor. The restaurant has received numerous rave reviews and is doing well for a small Asian diner. Rabbi Steinmetz stated, “The food was yummy and fresh,” when speaking about his experience dining at the restaurant. For the first time, kosher Jews in Sarasota and Manatee counties can experience eating out while feeling at ease. The Teahouse at Asian Arts and Décor is located at 5437 Fruitville Road in Sarasota. To schedule a time to receive Mah Jongg lessons while enjoying Asian cuisine, please call the restaurant at 941.343.9727.
SENIOR WISHES TO PURCHASE
Home Improvement Contractor Co., LLC
Precious metals Time pieces Coins Jewelry Antiques
Please call Marc at 941.321.0707
Low prices on custom painting $99 chimney cleaning special Limited time only
941-320-1043 kotecki@usa.com Licensed & Insured
Jewish Heritage Video Collection
The Jewish Heritage Video Collection consists of 203 videos. It is open and available to the entire community as it was at the JCC. It is housed at the Goldie Feldman Academy at the Temple Beth Sholom (TBS) Idelson Adult Library. The videos may be circulated at no charge for up to three weeks and then renewed if necessary. A complete list is available on the TBS website. Visit www.templebethsholomfl.org, click Education, and then Library to see the categories and descriptions. Call 941.379.0429 for an appointment or to reserve videos.
July 2012
7A
Non-traditional students receive NCJW scholarships
illie Fisher and Bee Volk, two Vicki Moore, Venice – The Herof the organizers of the first mine Silver Memorial Scholarship NCJW (National Council of presented by Howard Silver and Jewish Women) scholarship awards 12 Greta Silver years ago, watched with pride as each of Jason Harris, Sarasota – Yanowitz Family Scholarship presented by the scholarship recipients received their Sandy Kuskin $1,000 award. This annual event highAppreciation to Eve Pokornicky lights NCJW’s mission to improve the lives of families by encouraging adults and her committee – Cecile Alexander, Marcia DuBrin, Marge Ellin, Ann to pursue or continue their education. Goldstein, Sandy Kuskin, Marian Moss, The recipients include: Danielle Sheppard, Sarasota – Marge Rome and Carol Weissfeld – for NCJW Sarasota Manatee Section reviewing applications and organizing Scholarship presented by Marcia the event. For information about upcoming Dubrin Stephanie Boynton, North Port, events or volunteer opportunities, call Irina Ioshpe, Bradenton and Linda NCJW’s 24-hour answering service at Loffer, Venice – Helen Schuster- 941.342.1855. man and Albert Samuel Morrison Women’s Scholarship presented by Debbie Morrison Marcella Lacy, Bradenton – Ruth Rolfe Scholarship presented by Cecile Alexander Mary Elizabeth Schrowang, Caroline Zucker (speaker), Charlene Harris (for her Sarasota – Publix Supermarson, Jason), Stephanie Boynton, Marcella Lacy, Danielle Sheppard, Vicki Moore, Eve Pokornicky, Chair kets Charities Scholarship
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Temple Sinai
Connect with us, Grow with us, Celebrate with us… July Happenings Services, Supper and Schmooze: 4th Friday of the summer months, casual dinner follows services. Call 924-1802 for info about the 27th. Shabbat Services:
Fridays at 6:00 PM, preceded at 5:15 by a Welcome Reception Saturdays at 10:00 AM for Service and Study “Unpacking Judaism” class with Reb Ari Shapiro Wednesdays at 2:00 PM. Call 966-7778.
Rabbi Geoffrey Huntting Chazzan Cliff Abramson Sue Huntting, Religious School Director 922-9322 Laura Freedman, Early Childhood Director 926-9462 Andrea Eiffert, Youth Group Director 924-1802
4631 S. Lockwood Ridge Road (off Proctor between Beneva and Swift)
941-924-1802
Sarasota, FL 34231
Templesinai-sarasota.org
Jewish Museum of Florida NAOMI ALEXANDER
T hru September 30, 2012
English artist Naomi Alexander, ROI, records the last remnants of Jewish heritage in Lithuania today. Alexander traveled the country depicting her impressions of the people and their communities. The Museum adds photographs, artifacts and stories from Floridian Jews whose origins are from Lithuania.
Once Upon a Time in LITHUANIA & the Florida Connection
Organized by the London Jewish Cultural Centre in association with the Ben Uri Gallery, the London Jewish Museum of Art.
Local Sponsors: Sarita, Jimmy & Lidia Resnick and Deborah & Bruce Kaye in memory of Sonia & Nochim Golomb.
MEL FINKELSTEIN: PICTURING THE MAN BEHIND THE CAMERA Thru October 14, 2012 Mel Finkelstein & Kim Novak, gelatin silver print, 1960.
Kitchen interior, Zeizmariai, detail, oil on wood, 2003.
Featuring a lifetime of work by acclaimed photojournalist Mel Finkelstein, these images from the 1950s-1980s focus on iconic symbols of our cultural past, from presidents to performers, giving a sense of this larger-than-life man and his world of time, place and celebrity.
Exhibit curated by Donna Wendler and Susan J. Geier and circulated by the Mel Finkelstein Family Trust. Partially sponsored by Congregation Beth Jacob
Also enjoy our core exhibit MOSAIC: Jewish Life in Florida, Museum Store & Bessie’s Bistro
The Museum is supported by individual contributions, foundations, memberships and grants from the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, Florida Arts Council, and National Endowment for the Arts; the Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners and its Cultural Affairs Council and Tourist Development Council; and the City of Miami Beach and its Cultural Arts Council.
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