These days of Zoom -
The rabbi is trying to come up with things to keep people engaged, of course - so we are having services via Zoom, and holiday observances via Zoom (the first are reasonably good, the second have been uneven). Over the year, we've added monthly Havdalah events (Saturday night short 'end of Shabbat' service, followed by a demonstration of lecture by a congregant on - something or other (most recently: a night of demonstrating how to make really good latkes, and the next one was a discussion of aspects of kabbalistic thinking involving the Ten Sephirot).
We also have zoom committee meetings, zoom book club meetings, and soon, zoom yoga.
One thing he has started is a little thirty minute Zoom thing on Wednesday nights, very casual, where he'll bring up a single 'thought' which we talk about for about ten minutes, and the rest of the time is purely social. Usually only about 5 to 10 people log in, and the social part is the real draw, especially since wines and mixed drinks seem to be involved.
I am PRETTY sure this is due to feedback on the services, which are pretty tightly timed, with little interpersonal interaction - and, seriously, a LOT of Jews go to services more for the personal interaction than for the 'service'!
At any rate, the board is too quiet, so I thought I would add a thread on the social topic stuff, just for no reason at all. Also I don't log in every week.
This is the explanation post.
Random Rabbi stuff
Random Rabbi stuff
History is the fiction we invent to persuade ourselves that events are knowable and that life has order and direction. That's why events are always reinterpreted when values change. We need new versions of history to allow for our current prejudices.
Re: Random Rabbi stuff
OK - this week, similarities and differences between the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashana) and the secular New Year (tonight).
Differences: definitely not the same 'tone'. RH is somber but uplifting, and is overall a rather serious Holy Day, involving extremely lengthy services, plus listening to the shofar (ram's horn) blown about a hundred times. It also lasts two days. Not a party.
Similarities: there is a certain element of making plans to improve your life in the coming year - so 'resolutions' are a similarity.
Also we finally all remembered that YES, there IS a tradition of eating 'lucky foods' for a 'sweet new year'!
The classic for RH is of course apples and honey (also honey cake, apple cake, apple tarts, pie...).
And I picked up a recipe for Hoppin' John, which is traditional for secular New Year around here.
And then we told a couple of jokes, admired the rabbi's new baby, and Mark told us the recipe for the mixed drink he had made, his own concoction.
Because I have them, I will post a recipe for honey cake, and another for Hopping John:
Differences: definitely not the same 'tone'. RH is somber but uplifting, and is overall a rather serious Holy Day, involving extremely lengthy services, plus listening to the shofar (ram's horn) blown about a hundred times. It also lasts two days. Not a party.
Similarities: there is a certain element of making plans to improve your life in the coming year - so 'resolutions' are a similarity.
Also we finally all remembered that YES, there IS a tradition of eating 'lucky foods' for a 'sweet new year'!
The classic for RH is of course apples and honey (also honey cake, apple cake, apple tarts, pie...).
And I picked up a recipe for Hoppin' John, which is traditional for secular New Year around here.
And then we told a couple of jokes, admired the rabbi's new baby, and Mark told us the recipe for the mixed drink he had made, his own concoction.
Because I have them, I will post a recipe for honey cake, and another for Hopping John:
History is the fiction we invent to persuade ourselves that events are knowable and that life has order and direction. That's why events are always reinterpreted when values change. We need new versions of history to allow for our current prejudices.
Re: Random Rabbi stuff
Honey Cake
Sylvia Plutchok (via Rusti Klein)
My father’s mother got this recipe from her mother. It was passed down to my father’s oldest sister, who gave it to my mother, Sylvia, who gave it to me.
Ingredients
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
6 ounces honey (preferably a dark, rich variety)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1/2 cup warm black coffee
1¾ cups unsifted all-purpose flour
Optional: raisins (mix into batter); slivered almonds (sprinkled on top before baking)
Directions
Oil and line loaf pan with waxed paper or line with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Beat eggs, and add sugar slowly, continuing to beat.
Add oil and honey (also slowly) to mix, continuing to beat.
Mix cinnamon, cloves, ginger and vanilla in a small bowl, then add this to the egg/sugar/spice mix.
Add lemon extract.
Add baking soda/coffee.
Fold in flour by hand.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or until done. Cool in pan several hours before removing loaf.
Serves: Cut to your preference, approximately 12 slices.
rusti is my friend, and chairperson of the cookbook committee. We have just spent nine months producing a cookbook as a fundraising effort by the Temple Sisterhood. It is in final form and going to press probably next week, which is merely three months LATE (we had planned to have it out in October).
It is called 'Eat and Be Satisfied' and is a 'real book', with a Library of Congress number and everything. If anybody wants to buy a copy, let me know and I'll let you know how to get one (they are $18, with $5 for shipping, so $23 total).
The recipes are kosher/kosher style recipes, and there are over 170 recipes in the book - it is a chunky papercover book, with a spiral binding.
Sylvia Plutchok (via Rusti Klein)
My father’s mother got this recipe from her mother. It was passed down to my father’s oldest sister, who gave it to my mother, Sylvia, who gave it to me.
Ingredients
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
6 ounces honey (preferably a dark, rich variety)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1/2 cup warm black coffee
1¾ cups unsifted all-purpose flour
Optional: raisins (mix into batter); slivered almonds (sprinkled on top before baking)
Directions
Oil and line loaf pan with waxed paper or line with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Beat eggs, and add sugar slowly, continuing to beat.
Add oil and honey (also slowly) to mix, continuing to beat.
Mix cinnamon, cloves, ginger and vanilla in a small bowl, then add this to the egg/sugar/spice mix.
Add lemon extract.
Add baking soda/coffee.
Fold in flour by hand.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or until done. Cool in pan several hours before removing loaf.
Serves: Cut to your preference, approximately 12 slices.
rusti is my friend, and chairperson of the cookbook committee. We have just spent nine months producing a cookbook as a fundraising effort by the Temple Sisterhood. It is in final form and going to press probably next week, which is merely three months LATE (we had planned to have it out in October).
It is called 'Eat and Be Satisfied' and is a 'real book', with a Library of Congress number and everything. If anybody wants to buy a copy, let me know and I'll let you know how to get one (they are $18, with $5 for shipping, so $23 total).
The recipes are kosher/kosher style recipes, and there are over 170 recipes in the book - it is a chunky papercover book, with a spiral binding.
History is the fiction we invent to persuade ourselves that events are knowable and that life has order and direction. That's why events are always reinterpreted when values change. We need new versions of history to allow for our current prejudices.
Re: Random Rabbi stuff
Vegan Hoppin John recipe adapted very slightly from Tori Avey's kitchen website
The woman in the synagogue mentioned she used a vegan recipe, so here's the most reasonable one I found.
Non-vegan recipes may add ham hocks or bacon.
2 cups dried black eyed peas
8 oz sliced mushrooms
3 tbsp olive oil divided
4 whole carrots peeled and roughly chopped
2 celery stalks roughly chopped
1 whole onion roughly chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
15 oz diced fire roasted tomatoes 1 can
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp chili powder
2 cups vegetable stock low sodium ok
Salt to taste
Instructions
Soak black eyed peas overnight, then drain, rinse and set aside.
In a medium to large pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over high (don't burn it!).
Add the mushrooms in a single layer and let them sear undisturbed for 2-3 minutes until they begin to turn golden on the searing side. Stir continuously for another 1-2 minutes until the mushrooms are golden throughout. Reduce heat to medium.
Add carrots, celery and onion along with the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil. Cook until vegetables are soft and translucent (about 7-10 minutes), then add garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
Add fire roasted tomatoes, smoked paprika, turmeric, cayenne, chili powder, vegetable stock and soaked black eyed peas to the pan, stir to blend. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, then cover and cook for 25 -30 minutes until the beans are just tender - don't overcook them or they will get mushy. Remove the lid and continue to cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Season with salt to taste.
Usually served over rice and garnished with green onions or scallions.
The woman in the synagogue mentioned she used a vegan recipe, so here's the most reasonable one I found.
Non-vegan recipes may add ham hocks or bacon.
2 cups dried black eyed peas
8 oz sliced mushrooms
3 tbsp olive oil divided
4 whole carrots peeled and roughly chopped
2 celery stalks roughly chopped
1 whole onion roughly chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
15 oz diced fire roasted tomatoes 1 can
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp chili powder
2 cups vegetable stock low sodium ok
Salt to taste
Instructions
Soak black eyed peas overnight, then drain, rinse and set aside.
In a medium to large pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over high (don't burn it!).
Add the mushrooms in a single layer and let them sear undisturbed for 2-3 minutes until they begin to turn golden on the searing side. Stir continuously for another 1-2 minutes until the mushrooms are golden throughout. Reduce heat to medium.
Add carrots, celery and onion along with the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil. Cook until vegetables are soft and translucent (about 7-10 minutes), then add garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
Add fire roasted tomatoes, smoked paprika, turmeric, cayenne, chili powder, vegetable stock and soaked black eyed peas to the pan, stir to blend. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, then cover and cook for 25 -30 minutes until the beans are just tender - don't overcook them or they will get mushy. Remove the lid and continue to cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Season with salt to taste.
Usually served over rice and garnished with green onions or scallions.
History is the fiction we invent to persuade ourselves that events are knowable and that life has order and direction. That's why events are always reinterpreted when values change. We need new versions of history to allow for our current prejudices.