We celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life in just a few days. His relationship with the Jewish community was marked by his friendship with Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. When King asked the Rabbi if he had found time to pray, Heschel famously answered that he “felt his legs were praying” as he stood with King and walked with King in the marches of the mid 1960s.
It may have been dreary outside but in the Shomrei kitchen the atmosphere was warm and cheery. Chef Aileen Grossberg planned a hearty, comforting meal of chopped vegetable salad( tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, carrots celery, and olives with a light dressing of vinegar and oil), glazed meatloaf, and rice with corn and peas. Each dinner included an Italian roll a container of applesauce, a trio of sweets, a breakfast bar and water.
Here are some new, fairly simple recipes to kick start your new year. Resolve to try something different at least every few weeks. It’ll take some of the boredom away from that nightly menu planning and meal preparation. Continue reading
Come for services and stay for kiddush. Continue reading
Chanukah around the world is an eight night series of videos presented by the JDC. While these videos are clearly meant to tug on your heartstrings and encourage contributions to the JDC, the segments are also entertaining and inspirational. They introduce some embattled, isolated or emerging Jewish communities around the world. Although the segments air daily at 7 p.m., by typing “a great miracle happened here” Chanukah JDC 2022 into your search engine, you will be able to see all the segments on YouTube. Continue reading
It was a busy, busy day in Shomrei’s kitchen as Aileen Grossberg and Rhonda Silver prepared 25 hearty takeaway meals for MESH’s new indoor site at the former Office Restaurant.
Aileen was able to fill in for Shirley Grill, who was sidelined by COVID. But we MESHIES are always ready to do a quick pivot.
In addition to recommending books and calling your attention to informative websites, I like to share information from the greater library world.
The following information is from the latest issue of Bookmark, the publication of the New Jersey Association of School Librarians: If you or someone you know has a problem accessing print for educational or pleasure reading, you are eligible to use the resources of the New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center (TBBC). Formerly called the Library for the Blind and Handicapped, the library recognizes that there are many reasons for readers having difficulty with print: a visual disability, an intellectual disability, a processing problem, a physical problem holding a print book, or simply needing larger print. Continue reading
On a pre-Thanksgiving Tuesday, the Carol Starr Mesh Cafe delivered a hearty multi course meal with the promise of the holiday to come. Unfortunately, technical difficulties prevented many pictures of the meal. Continue reading
What’s sweeter than a new baby? Shomrei welcomed 4 day old Esther Hirsch to the congregation with an in-house catered kiddush on Shabbat, November 19.
Babies come when they are ready so the kiddush volunteers didn’t find out about Esther’s birth until late Wednesday afternoon. We did a quick pivot, abandoning the planned kiddush menu, and substituting a custom menu requested by Esther’s parents, Josh Hirsch and Jenny Leon. Continue reading
Hanukkah is less than a month away. That means that Jewish Book Month is in full swing. Established in Boston almost a century ago by Fanny Goldstein, a librarian at the Boston Public Library, Jewish Book Month began with book displays to encourage books as Hanukkah gifts. Continue reading