Shalom from TBD Religious School

Shabbat newsletter compiled by
Gal Kessler Rohs, Education Director
We are engaging in a good amount of cleaning lately, and not only following the health current affairs, and not only with Lysol and the like type products! 

Traditional Jews prior to Passover typically clean their homes from chametz, or unleavened bread, in commemoration of our ancestors in Egypt who’s bread did not rise in time for them to flee from Pharaonic slavery. A custom for some is to sell chametz, for others to burn it, while others may follow Rabbi Lachtman ’s teaching, to donate chametz and beyond to those in need. Progressive Jews may symbolically parallel the abstinence of unleavening products to habits or experiences they wish to rid of. As Passover is synonymous for the holiday of Spring and rebirth, those chametz ridding experiences are exchanged with better endeavors we envision for ourselves and our community. 

The rabbinical authorities at the Western Wall, or Kotel, too, engage in the cleaning of the holiest site in Judaism at this time. Wailing notes with prayers, oaths, and laments are extracted from the crevices of the ancient stone, bagged, and buried in Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives, in a specified orthodox funeral service. This year marked an additional cleaning procedure for the Wall, given the COVID-19 health related directives. Observers at the kotel were rabbinically instructed not to congregate or form a miniyan for prayer around the kotel, not to physically contact the wall, embrace, nor kiss it. Lamenting traditions of 2000 years at the divine site in Judaism ceased as the world shut down.

The directed cleaning, be it metaphoric, or Lysol related has changed our mundane daily living. Perhaps it has shocked us, caused a head or a heart ache, slowed us down, or allowed us to explore ourselves differently by developing new hidden talents. The phenomena has halted our rat-race customs cold turkey, enforced us to engage deeper with our nuclear family, taken us temporarily and physically away from some of our loved ones, and made us think more of those vulnerable who need us. We have called this a lockdown, a finding shelter, trended a hashtag of #StayHome, learned about graphing and flattening of curves, and followed medical professionals' updates more than we normally would. Indeed, our hearts' pace has skipped a beat, or two.  

Where is this taking us? What have we learned about ourselves? And society? Have we gotten closer to our inner selves and our neighbors? Are we heading into a more advanced digital epoch? Have we better learned to live with uncertainty? Or need we clarify those answers once we are liberated? We’ll know, I guess, next year. Next year, in Jerusalem! 

Shabbat Shalom,
- Gal Kessler Rohs, Education Director
The utopia of "next year in Jerusalem!"
As the final moment in the Seder, it’s emotionally significant, and it finishes the Seder’s journey from a reminder of the suffering of the past (and present) to hopes for wholeness and freedom for all in the future.

Traditionally, saying “next year in Jerusalem” was just a wish for Jews — because there was no such thing as a Jewish Jerusalem or a Jewish state. So the Seder closed with the wish for all Jews to be able to return to the homeland, just as they did after leaving Egypt. Since the creation of Israel, however, the meaning of the phrase has changed — any Jew who says “next year in Jerusalem” can actually travel to Jerusalem for Passover next year.

Many Jews who believe strongly in the importance of a Jewish state see “next year in Jerusalem” as an expression of the need to protect Jerusalem and Israel as they exist today. Others think of the “Jerusalem” mentioned in the Seder as more of an ideal of what Jerusalem and Israel could be — for them, “next year in Jerusalem” is a prayer that Israel will move closer to that ideal. Or “Jerusalem” could just be a symbol of utopia more generally, and “next year in Jerusalem” could be a resolution to bring peace and health to Earth in the coming year.

(image depicts our students holding the flag of Israel in advocacy of "next year in Jerusalem" together with Rabbi Lachtman .
Shout out to our caring committee!
Passover at TBD will be celebrated tonight via Zoom, and some of us will sing “Ma Nishtana Halaila Hazeh” (what is different tonight)?

We think about the virtual family and digital togetherness we have created, but also those who are not tech savvy, or are vulnerable. 

This image presents the president of our temple board in the midst of providing a taste of Passover to those who are needy, and especially vulnerable during this time. We thank our president, Michael Adelman , along with those others in our TBD caring committee who have reached out to those who need us in this time.
Maztah ball soup recipe
2 tablespoons rendered chicken fat
4 large eggs
1/4 cup chicken broth or water
3 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup matzo meal

Put the chicken fat, eggs, broth or water, 2 teaspoons salt, freshly ground pepper, the ginger and the nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl. Stir well with a wooden spoon, then add the matzo meal and stir just until mixed. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight.

Bring a large pot of water with the remaining teaspoon of salt to a boil. Set a small bowl of cold water next to your work space. Dip your hands in the water, then form matzo balls about the size of small walnuts. Drop the matzo balls into the boiling water, then cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until al dente.

Serve with chicken soup.

Note: There are two ways that one can render the fat. The first way is to take the fat off the chicken and melt it down in a frying pan with onions. The second and easiest method is to make chicken soup (using the skin), then cool and refrigerate the soup overnight, and spoon off the fat that accumulates on top.

(image depicts our religious school students who made Matzah ball soup with food enrichment specialist Lindy Bornstein ).
Matzah Brei in 2 mins prep and 5 mins cooking time (totaling 7 mins!)
Rabbi Lachtman ’s recipe for Matzah Brei in 2 minutes prep and 5 minutes cook time, totaling 7 minutes total:

Ingredients:
4 pieces matzo
1/2 cup water
4 eggs
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, break the matzo into 1-inch pieces. Bring the water to a boil and pour over the matzos. Quickly toss the matzo, then drain off any excess. In a bowl, beat the  eggs  with a fork. Mix the eggs,  salt  and  pepper  into the matzo. Over high heat, heat the  butter  and oil in a large saute pan. Add the matzo and fry until crisp. Flip over to fry the other side, breaking into pieces as it cooks. Serve with  #Maple  syrup, or preserves.
Useful Resources, links and resources
  • Click here for joining our virtual Seder and Shabbat service tonight starting at 6pm
  • From the Jewish Federation San Gabriel of Pomona Valleys related to COVID-19 here
  • The good news: the world is on its way to recovery, with just over 66% still to go. Better news, China is over 91% recovered. Live updates here.
  • Click here for the latest JLife magazine, and Gal's authored article on Jewish camps
  • The hierarchy of mental health needs
  • The 10 plagues family fun activity (see our own made teddy bear affected by the plague of hail!)
  • Scientists in Israel likely to announce they developed corona virus vaccine
  • A message from our temple president, Michael Adelman, about the Corona Virus
  • How to use Zoom
  • Free educational resources for distant learning
"May your matzah balls float, and your matzah stay crispy"~Rabbi Lachtman