Kudos to the Lampert Library

At the 59th annual conference of the Association of Jewish Libraries held in San Diego this week, the Alan Lampert Memorial Library of Congregation Shomrei Emunah received accreditation from the SSCPL division of the Association. Accreditation means that the library has done a self-study and meets the Association’s standard for an effective library. Continue reading

Shabbat in Lille, France

We spent the last four Shabbatot doing it “my way” surrounded by the side of our family that we rarely see, our younger daughter and her family who live in the northern French city of Lille.

We arrived early Friday morning jet lagged and wanting nothing more than a shower and a nap. But it was already mid-afternoon when we walked into the house. While my daughter is not observant, when I am visiting we always do Shabbat, lighting candles and eating hopefully homebaked hallah.

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Is It Passover Yet?

We can’t ignore it any longer: Passover is less than a week away. If you are looking for a new Haggadah, check out the selection in the library. You may still be able to order one of the new family-oriented Haggadot. Or try downloading from the internet. There are many contemporary Haggadot just waiting for you.   The call number on the spine of library books is 262.5.

If Passover is almost upon us, it means that soon you – or someone you know – will be cooking up a storm. As I’ve gotten older, my Passover mantra has become KISS- Keep It Simple, Stupid. No more multi-step preparation with exotic ingredients no matter how delicious the dish sounds. Continue reading

MESH Report April 9, 2024

The sun shone brightly and spirits were high as our energetic volunteers prepared 50 take-away meals for our MESH guests. Working hard on chopping were Rabbi Julie and her sons Ilan and Rafael.  Always willing volunteer Susan Rosenblatt filled little cups with tartar sauce while Carole Rothman wrapped Italian rolls. Alex Kent got the main course ready for the oven. Continue reading

Leftovers

Some people hate leftovers. What’s tasty about dried-out day-old meatloaf sitting in a pool of congealed gray gravy? Or is there anything worse than leftover pasta, turning brown at the edges?

On the other hand, that meatloaf can make a hearty sandwich or maybe even be mixed into that day-old pasta and both will have been given a second chance.

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