Odds & Ends

The opinions expressed on this webpage represent those of the individual authors and, unless clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of TBS This summer zombie blockbuster is the greatest piece of cinematic propaganda for Israel since ‘Exodus.’ So how come one version censors references to the Jewish state? By Jordan Hoffman - June 20, 2013, 9:28 am - The Times of IsraelNEW YORK — “Go to Israel!” orders the half-mad CIA agent offering key plot breadcrumbs from behind bars in “World War Z,” the $200 million behemoth action picture (and would-be franchise) from Brad Pitt and Paramount Pictures, (very) loosely based on Max Brooks’s bestseller. Pitt is a UN specialist (his exact function is a little vague) on the hunt for Patient Zero in the zombie plague that has turned the world’s major cities into war zones of frenetically paced, flesh-chomping zombies. His ordeal takes…

The opinions expressed on this webpage represent those of the individual authors and, unless clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of TBS Dear Kehilla Leader,This fall, United Synagogue celebrates a remarkable milestone – our Centennial year. Tocelebrate the occasion, we’re hosting a gathering in Baltimore unlike any in recent memory.Dubbed the Conversation of the Century, the USCJ Centennial will bring together everyone whocares about the Conservative Jewish future – renowned thinkers, congregational leaders,professionals, clergy, performers, and more – for several days of learning, sharing, andinspiration designed to rethink and revitalize North American synagogue life.As this landmark event approaches, and as we come to the end of our fiscal year, I’d like toreport to you on the work we’ve been doing over the past year and how it affects you, our mostimportant stakeholders.Because USCJ is at such a major turning point, we also asked some of…

The opinions expressed on this webpage represent those of the individual authors and, unless clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of TBS Jewish women protested kosher meat prices on Lower East Side May 15, 1902 Full imageNew York Times, May 17, 1902. On May 15, 1902, Jewish housewives on the Lower East Side poured into the streets, breaking windows and throwing meat. The women were protesting a jump in the price of kosher meat from 12 to 18 cents a pound. Food prices were often a source of contention for Jewish immigrant communities in New York. The May 1902 boycott highlighted the ability of Jewish women to organize and coordinate a movement throughout the boroughs. The event made headlines across the city, with some newspapers cheering on the women and others condemning them. In early May of 1902, as the price of kosher meat rose,…

The opinions expressed on this webpage represent those of the individual authors and, unless clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of TBS Herzl’s Mistake Israel & the real reason for anti-Semitism. by Rabbi Benjamin Blech Jews founded the modern state of Israel 65 years ago. For many people, this event proves the remarkable prophetic proficiency of Theodore Herzl, the visionary who dared to dream that those who were exiled for almost 2000 years would reclaim the land of their ancestors. And surely the remarkable story of Jewish resurrection after the Holocaust lends considerable weight to the prescient abilities of the founder of the Zionist movement. But contemporary history forces us to acknowledge that Theodore Herzl made one major miscalculation. It is a mistake we need to acknowledge, even as we rejoice in our present day celebrations of independence. What motivated Herzl to devote his life…

The opinions expressed on this webpage represent those of the individual authors and, unless clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of TBS Gonen Ginat Israel Hayom - Friday, March 8, 2013 Who do you think you are? That afternoon, I was standing at a Jerusalem shtiebel (a small, informal synagogue) waiting for a quorum to gather for public prayer so I could say the Mourner's Kaddish prayer. We were already a full quorum of 10 men, but nine of them were haredi, and it was clear to them that I — a guy with the knitted kipah — didn't count. When I told the story to one of my relatives who lives in Jerusalem, he responded that I shouldn't complain. "They don't count you just because you wear a knitted kipah. Me, they don't count twice, because I am also Sephardi." This is a relatively…

The opinions expressed on this webpage represent those of the individual authors and, unless clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of TBS The Kitniyot Dilemma May Ashkenazim eat rice and legumes on Pesach? by Professor David Golinkin Every spring, Ashkenazic Jews ask: since kitniyot (legumes) and rice are not chametz, why can’t we eat them on Pesach? In this brief summary of a Hebrew responsum adopted by the Law Committee of the Rabbinical Assembly of Israel in 1989, Rabbi David Golinkin explains how and why we can change this Ashkenazic custom. Most of the Tannaim (rabbis who lived ca. 70- 220 CE) ruled that only five species of grain, including wheat and barley, may be used to bake matzah. When mixed with water, those grains ferment and become chametz (which is prohibited on Passover by the Torah) if not baked within 18 minutes. They further…

The opinions expressed on this webpage represent those of the individual authors and, unless clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of TBS Generation of '48 proves too racy for Israeli stamps Why does the Philatelic Service fear photos of women in shorts? By Ofer Aderet | Feb.13, 2013 | Haaretz Yehudit Ayalon, one of Kibbutz Ma'agan Michael's founders, was very happy to receive a request several weeks ago from the postal service's Philatelic Service. She was informed that soon a new stamp would be issued to honor "100 years of industry in Israel" and was asked whether she might have old photographs from the Ayalon Institute, where she worked when she was young. Ayalon, now 88, is exactly the person to turn to in this matter. She is named after the institute that was a secret ammunition factory that operated until the State of Israel…

The opinions expressed on this webpage represent those of the individual authors and, unless clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of TBSThis Matzo Isn’t a Mitzvah.Gluten-free matzo seems to offer deliverance for people with celiac disease and similar ailments. But this unleavened bread isn’t kosher for Seders.By Stephanie Butnick - April 4, 2012Stephanie Butnick is an associate editor at Tablet Magazine and the editor of Jewcy.com.Gluten-free matzo-style squares are not for sacramental purposes.Eating matzo on Passover is a mitzvah. But it’s not easy for everyone: People who suffer from celiac disease or other ailments that render them unable to eat gluten—found in wheat and other grains, and their derivatives—can’t eat matzo.Enter Yehuda Gluten Free Matzo, made with tapioca starch, potato starch, potato flour, pressed palm oil, natural vinegar, egg yolks, honey, and salt. It’s a significant development for the gluten-free set, since it carries the…

The opinions expressed on this webpage represent those of the individual authors and, unless clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of TBSAfter a kosher-certifying agency deemed quinoa, the South American grain-like seed, Passover-compliant, it’s become a darling of the Passover table. But now rabbis are having doubts.By Leah Koenig - April 13, 2011 Leah Koenig is the author of The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook.Quinoa. In 1999, a humble South American foodstuff took an unlikely seat at the Passover table. The Star-K, one of the country’s leading kosher certifying agencies, proclaimed quinoa—the starchy seed that is a darling of natural food lovers—to be kosher for Passover. Despite its fluffy, grain-like appearance, quinoa was designated a member of the goosefoot species, a cousin to beets, and completely unrelated to the five forbidden chametz grains: wheat, spelt, oats, rye, and barley. Furthermore, the Star-K deemed quinoa not kitniyot (literally…