It’s sad to say that in recent weeks the request for meals from MESH which supples meals to the food insecure population off Montclair has risen from 30 to 50 per week.
Today’s team of Co-chairs Aileen Grossberg and Lynne Kurzweil, ably assisted by faithful volunteer Susan Rosenblatt, valiantly produced 50 tasty, filling meals. Our wonderful custodian Carlos helped us leave the kitchen as spotless as it was when we began.
April flowers bring May flowers like the beautiful irises at Presby Garden and flowering trees that grace Montclair streets and front yards. Short Story Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month as well as a plethora of other daily, weekly and monthly celebrations of special interests from the ridiculous to the sublime all occur in May.
You might not know it, but it’s also Jewish American Heritage Month. Every year since 2006, May has been recognized in Congress, by the president and by public institutions as a time to celebrate and educate about Jewish American history and achievement. Continue reading
As our tables groan under the weight of the Passover feast; as we loosen our belts around our bellies bursting with matzah balls, gefilte fish and brisket; as we issue the invitation that all who are hungry are welcome at our table, let us truly remember the hungry.
Mazon: a Jewish response to hunger has created a virtual Hunger Museum replete with exhibits, a cafe and soon to open restaurant: https://hungermuseum.org.
At a recent kiddush, I was called over by the father of a young boy. Uh, Oh … what’s the problem? I thought. Does he want to know about an allergen or is the food too spicy like the time I served jalepeno cream cheese with the bagels? Did the child eat something his father didn’t want him to?
“What’s in the ravioli?” he asked. Continue reading
If you’ve ever pushed a stroller up a curb cut or used a ramp to avoid stairs or needed an extra wide door to navigate with a wheelchair, you probably have Judith Heumann to thank. Judith Heumann , who passed away just a few weeks ago, was one of the people instrumental in getting Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 signed into law. This act gave accommodations to people with disabilities and changed thousands of lives for the better- not only those with disabilities.
It is Women’s History Month, a good time to recall Judith Heumann’s accomplishments along with other outstanding Jewish women who made the world a better place or proved that women were brave and strong and bold like the Maccabees. Continue reading
Pie Crust Hamantaschen
Try some homemade hamantaschen for Purim this year. There are several hacks available to create hamantaschen with as few as two-yes, TWO- ingredients. Continue reading
Before February- Heart Month- runs away from us, let’s look at some Jewish love stories. Love can hurt or heal, challenge or comfort, uplift or oppress. But it’s all around us.
The following list is a mix of fiction and non-fiction. Most are in the Lampert Library’s collection. Continue reading
They came from everywhere: California, Mexico, Florida, Chile, Israel, and New Jersey and more. They were in all shapes and sizes- some long and thin; others squat and round. Some with no blemishes and others showed a bit of age. Their colors were like a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, purple, blue as well as tan, brown , black, and white. Continue reading
It was crunch time in the Shomrei kitchen on Tuesday night as Chef Aileen Grossberg ably assisted by Susan Rosenblatt, Alex Kent and teen Jaden prepared a meal that crunched.
Many thanks to Erin Berman for taking total charge of last week’s kiddush including set up and clean up. She was ably helped on Shabbat by volunteers Lou Hammerman, Sharon Harwich and the Gold family – Amanda, Benjamin, and Abigail – who saw a need and offered their help.
We all live with the contemporary saying “If you see something, say something.”
Let’s apply it to kiddush. “If you see a need to help, help out.”
And don’t forget to plan ahead if you can and use Sign Up Genius on the volunteer page.