Just in time for Thanksgiving, Fern Heinig, one of The Carol Starr Mesh Cafe’s most loyal chefs, offers this stunning salad with all the color and flavors of the season. And unlike many holiday foods, this dish could even be good for you. Continue reading
Author Archives: Aileen Grossberg
Reflections on the Act of Voting
When my family moved to Montclair in 1975 , the first things we did were to change our address in the voting records and get library cards. I don’t remember where we first voted. It may have been Watching School, the school our elder daughter would eventually attend.
But the last many years, voting took place at Edgemont Park. The park house had everything; plenty of parking, the pond sparkling in the November (or whatever month the election was) sun, and a calm presence as one approached the desk.
Kudos, for Helping with Rubin B’nai Mitzvah Kiddush
Many thanks to the many people who helped make Maya Rubin’s b’nai mitzvah so lovely. From Thursday evening through Saturday afternoon, helping hands chopped and cut, plattered and placed, washed and wiped and every kitchen task in between.
Toda Raba
Thank you to everyone who helped with the Sukkot kiddushes. The special Shabbat kiddush was a huge success with well over 100 people sharing a scrumptious meal together in our lovely sukkah on a perfect fall afternoon.
Kudos to Dale Russakoff who spearheaded the effort and to Suzanna Grobman and Katie Teladano who made it all work along with a superb crew of volunteer sous chefs who chatted and chopped from Thursday ‘til Saturday. Continue reading
MESH Report Oct 11, 2022
Aileen Grossberg and regular volunteer Susan Rosenblatt spent a beautiful sunny afternoon preparing 30 nutritious meals for our MESH guests. While we don’t serve them in person, we took as much care as if we did. Continue reading
For Rosh Hashanah and Beyond
With High Holidays so close, I’m happy to share with you some readings and links to deepen your understanding and appreciation of this solemn, but joyful, time in our Jewish year.
Ilana Kurshan is an American living in Israel. She is the mother of young children. This article featuring Eric Carle’s beloved story The Very Hungry Caterpillar, gives some very sage advice about how to handle the long services during the holidays and makes strong connections between Carle’s secular story and the story of creation. Kurshan is best known for If All the Seas Were Ink, her memoir about studying Talmud. She’s also the author of Why is This Night Different From All Other Nights: the four questions around the world and the translator of Meir Shalev’s A Snake, a Flood, a Hidden Baby: Bible stories for children. Continue reading
For Elul and Beyond
We are now in the month of Elul. What’s special about this last month of the Jewish spiritual year? According to Judaism Unbound ” It is a time of introspection. Time to stop and take a look back at the past year to see how we did. Where did we grow and how do we want to continue to build on that growth? Elul is a time of asking for forgiveness from others in ways we caused harm and offering forgiveness to people who have harmed us.”
Elul is the prelude to the main attraction and helps us get settled and in the mood as does the opening act or musical prelude to a show. Continue reading
A Welcoming Kiddush on Sept 10
Thank you to the outstanding help in preparing and cleaning up last Shabbat’s special kiddush honoring Rabbi Julie.
Led by Aileen Grossberg kudos go to food preparers Barbara Gollob, Beryl Hiller, Carol Katzman, Zen Lucey, and Lindsay Sag.
The clean up crew included Andy Ely, Rachel Kanter, and Rabbi Julie ably helped by our wonderful custodian Javier.
A special THANK YOU to Michael and Lindsey Sag, Andy Ely and Rachel Kanter, Matt Purdy and Dale Russakoff for sponsoring this kiddush. Continue reading
Kiddush Guest
I had just dropped off groceries for this week’s Shabbat kiddush when I saw a brown rabbit sitting on the lawn as if waiting. I’ve seen this rabbit before but never so close.
I wonder if the rabbit was waiting for kiddush, having heard about all the great salads we serve. Continue reading
From the kiddush coordinators
We are about to start a new year. We have a new rabbi, new congregants, new students and most of the COVID-19 restrictions have been loosened. We are almost back to normal.
That means that kiddushes will be almost like they used to be except for two things: Beryl and me.
Beryl has a full time job and I will have recently moved and anticipate being overwhelmed by all that has to be done in a new home as well as my other responsibilities as a professional librarian. Neither of us can coordinate kiddush every week as we did pre-COVID. Beryl and I will still coordinate special events like bnai mitzvot celebrations, yahrtzeits, and the like.
So we are asking for some of you to step up and join us as coordinators. Continue reading