xt7b8g8fjk80 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7b8g8fjk80/data/mets.xml Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass Kentucky Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass 2013-12 2014-01 Newspaper of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass, previously named the Central Kentucky Jewish Association and Central Kentucky Jewish Federation. Published ten times annually. The Federation seeks to bring Jewish community members together through holiday parties, lectures, Yiddish courses, meals, and other celebrations of Jewish heritage and culture. They also host fundraisers and provide financial assistance for Jews in need, both locally and around the world. This collection is part of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass records, 2016ms010. newsletters 2016ms010 English Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass Inc.  Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass records Jews -- Kentucky -- Lexington Jews -- History Shalom, December 2013/January 2014 text image Shalom, December 2013/January 2014 2013 2013-12 2014-01 2025 true xt7b8g8fjk80 section xt7b8g8fjk80 Secember 263 3/January 2014

 

 

Tzeason of Tzedakah

 

 

Wunteers-at catholic Actio Ceter Christmas Dinner

As the darkness of December descends
upon us, it is once again time for the
Jewish Community of Lexington to
light up December by volunteering

for Tzeason of Tzedekah. Tzeason of
Tzedakah has become an annual month
long event of volunteer opportunities
throughout the greater Lexington com-
munity. Originally, Tzeason of Tzedakah
started out as a program to give our
non—Jewish neighbors Christmas day
off to spend with their families. Over
the years, it has evolved into volun-
teering throughout the community

as well as collecting items for vari-

ous organizations. Last year, over 115
people volunteered at eleven different
volunteer opportunities filling over 130
”jobs” throughout the month of Decem-

ber. This figure does not include the
numerous doctors in our community
who volunteer to be on call or work
the emergency rooms and hospitals on
Christmas day so their co-workers can
celebrate Christmas with their families
as well as others who annually volun-
teer for organizations at this time of
year.

Along with sending out a general
request for volunteers, this year we are
asking the various Jewish community
organizations to ”sponsor” recruiting
volunteers to work at a particular event.
The response so far has been extraordi-
nary. Thanks to the positive responses

see Tzeason of Tzedakah, page 16

 

611 It “Wad
A)! 'uoifiugm

(llVd
abused 's'n

‘5101901d~uoN Paisanbau aoyuas afiueqo

Z0501? Ml ’uolfiuixa‘] ' Zn 91!"? 9908 90W) 0501
sseifianlg am to uogmapag qsgmaf

 

MW»

Newspaper of

OF THE BLUEGRASS
TEVET/fiHEVAT 5774

You may say I’m a dreamer,

but I’m not the only one.
Thoughts and strategies on moving our

eommunity forward

By Tamara Ohayon

On Facebook I recently posted the ques-
tion, “What excites YOU about being
Jewish?” The responses were interesting
because they were representative of the
people answering and also of the com—
mon ties within our local community.
This is a question we Lexington Jews
should be asking ourselves a lot more
often, it not daily. I also suspected that
those responding would be people who
are already thoughtful about their Jew-
ish identity.

In thinking about the results of the

W 2' 14W“ .

recent Pew study, A Portrait of Jewish
Americans, which was discussed in our
last issue of Shalom, and the vast range
of responses it has provoked, I see my
own ideas and approach to Jewish com—
munity planning coming full circle. 1
still find myself asking the same ques-
tion every day, ”How can I help people
harness that excitement and turn it into
something that others will appreciate
and engage in?" A lot of my time in

the past couple of years has been spent
reaching out to colleagues, talking with
friends and leaders locally, searching for

see Thoughts and Strategies, page 17

2013 Community Campaign

Ending

The 2013 campaign of the Jewish
Federation of the Bluegrass will end on
December 31. At this time, we still are
$50,000 short of where the campaign
was in 2012. In order to provide at least
the same programs and services that we
have provided in the current year, we
need your help. Our community is ag-
ing and because of that fact, we need to
better serve the growing aging popula—
tion. In addition, quite a few of our
most loyal and generous contributors
have passed away.

As you have read in Shalom and
other publications, the Pew Survey of
the American Jewish population has

reported on the growth of assimilation
and intermarriage and lack of connec-
tion our young people have to the Jew-
ish community. Our Federation Board is
in the process of trying to address this
issue locally. We know empirically that
we will need to expand our outreach ef—
forts with young people and re-address
program priorities in order to ensure
that we have a vibrant Jewish commu-
nity in the future. This will be a costly
endeavor. You have been generous in
the past and for that we are most grate-
ful. Now please dig deeper — even if you
have already made your commitment —
and help us build our future. 23

 

  

'iN THIS ISSUE "

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The P] Library is a national program offered

  

locally, which mails free, high—quality and

 

 

  

 

 

 

Director’s Message . ..... 3 . t J . h Md 1
, a e a r0 ria e ewrs c i ren’s iterature
JFS: At Your Servrce ............ 4 g pp .p . r .
. . - . . and musrc to familles on a monthly basrs.
U.K. Department for Jewrsh Studies Plans Israeli Film Festival ............. 4 A“ 1 h h M h h z 11 [PB d
, ami ies raisin [ewis c i rena es six mont s to ei l ears are we come to euro . is rou
Mussar: The Heart and Soul’s Everyday Path to Holiness ........ f .g g . . g y . p ,
_ . _ to offer your family, through our partnership with local donors and the Harold Grmspoon Foundation,
Jewrsh Family Life... ............................................................ 6 this Opportunity to explore the timeless can, values ofiudaism through books and music.
Sunday's are Cool (with our Sunday School) .................................... 6
Glass Bowls Pro'ect 6 Enroll your children or grandchildren today! Call US at 859-268-0672 or
] ..................................................................................... visit www.pjlibrary.com and visit our Lexington community page.
Ask A Rabbi ....... 7
Vodka & Latkes Party 8
ecember
Historic Sales: Over $1 Billion in UHS ISYBEI Bond Investments .............. 9 Join our Lexington Jewish community atTandoor Indian Cuisine fora vegetarian buffet on
_ , , Sunday, December 15‘ RSVP online at jewishlexingtonorg or by contacting the JFB office. \
Israel 21c: Israeli medical professronals 1O 7 r
One Book Jewish Lexington! 12 Thursday, January 9. 2014
Midwest Tri-Region Conference... 13 2335732Lig°5§fi§13§3fig€g§gt
Book Review u. 1 5 Food Sorting at God's Pantry, 1685 Jaggie Fox Way, Lexington
6.00 pm. followed by dinner out
B’tayavon 16
. Jan ar 2014
Ohavay Zion Synagogue 18
. ames 1'9 1‘
The Lexmgton Chapter of Hadassah 1 9 FOR COUPLES ONLY A9621 tO'Wsh” fl , ;
The LeXIngton Havurah 20 Check withTamara for moredetails, or stay updated on Facebook.
YBJ is a gathering of local Jewtsh adults, ages 21 to ‘40-ish” (about 45), who get together for social and educational events, and some holidays.
Temple Adath Israel m 21 Jom our mailing list1 Contact Tamara Ohayon at tamara@jewrshlexingtonorg, (859) 2680672, or find us on Facebook,
Around the Community ..... ..22

 

 

Shalom

Published ten times per year by the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass, Inc.
1050 Chinoe Rd., Suite 112, Lexington, KY 40502
Phone (859) 268-0672 - Fax (859) 2680775
email: shalom@jewishlexington.org

DECEMBER 201 3/JANUARY 2014, VOLUME XI, ISSUE 10
Michael Grossman, President
Judy Wortman, Executive Director
Tamara Ohayon, Marketing and Outreach Director
Mimi Kaufman, JFS Director
Lori Bernard, Coordinator of Informal Jewish Education
Kathie Kroot, Administrator

SHALOM EDITORIAL BOARD
David A.Wortman, Editor-in-Chief
Hanna Smith, Chairperson
Jane Chaput, Susan Cobin, Betty Nigoff

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Vivian Bitensky, Lisa Miller, Tamara Ohayon, Viva Sarah Press
LOCAL DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
Lowell and Betty Nigoff
Production Services by Georgetown News-Graphic

The editorial staff has the right to edit all articles submitted for publication in Shalom. Articles should not ex-
ceed 500 words. The appearance of any advertising in this publication does not represent either a kashruth
or any other endorsement on the part of the Federation or any other agency or organizations.

Opinions expressed in Shalom are not necessarily those of the Shalom editorial staff or the JFB or its con-
stituent organizations.
Shalom is partially supported by the advertisements appearing in the paper.

Copyright © 201 3, Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass. All rights reserved. For reprint permission contact
David Wortman, Editor-in—Chief, Shalom, at shalom@jewishlexingtonorg

2 | December 2013/January 2014 Shalom

   

 

 

 

   

SAVE THE DATE

Happy Hour

Thursday, March 6, 2014 | 5:30 p.m.
at Ohavay Zion Synagogue

     
    
  

For more information or to RSVP contact

n‘\ ’I‘litjlmrvisli I‘l‘tlt‘mlinniwamen‘s Judyatjtb@jewishlexington.org or

or: me BLUEGRASS Philanthropy (859) 268—0672.

If vnu a”: not in. civiug Icwiah \Nccltlv email and would like to, please

semi vnin nmnc muI entail ailiiiczz In Icumlininw-‘icwishlcxinglnn maJ

 

OF THE BLUEGRASS

H ‘ \\ 'l‘hcklmx’ish Fittit‘mtinn

Board Members

Jane Chaput Angie Ornstein
Executive Committee Susan Cobin Jenny Rice

Gail Cohen Kae Schennberg
Michael Grossman, President Jenn Garlin Pat Shraberg
Evalyn Block, Vice President David Feinberg Marty Solomon
Hanna Smith, Secretary Mickey Hernandez Paul Tillier
Gary Yarus, Treasurer Larry Kant Elissa Weinstein
Bob Grossman, At-Large Minna Katz-Brown Judy Worell
Seth Salomon,At-Large Amy Faust Mayer

 

- Shalom Deadline

Deadline for articles for the February Shalom is January 10.
Email articles to shalom@jewishlexington.org

[PB Annual Womenis Philanthropy- .

     

AA_r-ArA_..-t

t...

 ..............................

Director’s Message

Judy Wortman, Executive Director

 

Thoughts on our Jewish Community for the New Year

For the past several months, the Ameri-
can Jewish community has been reeling
as a result of learning about the find-
ings of the Pew Research Center’s 2013
Study — A Portrait of Jewish Americans.
Our own Jewish community has been
studying the findings and is beginning
to address our future direction based
on some of the alarming statistics about
which we have been reading. This new
information has reached us at a time
when the Federation Board is in the pro-
cess of developing its 2014 budget.

The bottom line of the budget is based
on the final tally of the cash raised in
the 2013 campaign, which ends on
December 31. A budget represents an
actualization of the planning process —

, what are the community’s priorities and
how are those priorities played out by

THE

the way that we spend the dollars raised
by community members? Too often, the
budget is constructed by looking at the
prior year and making small adjust-
ments at the margin —tweaking the lines
by a few dollars per line based on the
amount raised as compared to the prior
year. However, if the budget is a road-
map, then our spending should take us
in the direction that we want to travel.
Therefore, the 2014 budget should be

a reflection of the first steps of a long
range plan that addresses the question,
“Where do we want our Jewish com-
munity to be 10, 20 or 50 years from
now and how do we get there?” The
good news about the Pew Study is the
fact that Jews in America are completely
accepted — the Melting Pot dream has
been fulfilled. American Christians ac-
cept Jews as neighbors, friends, and as

lEXINGTON EALHARMONICH

MULMDWICMW

Give the

Gift of Music
with LexPhil’s

 

spouses. In fact, of the marriages that
have taken place since 2005, the inter-
marriage rate among non-Orthodox
Jews is 71%. In addition, of the Jew-
ish children born after 1980, only 68%
consider themselves Jewish by religion.
And of those young people who do not
consider themselves to be Jewish by
religion, only 42% have a strong sense
of belonging to the Jewish People and
only 36% feel a responsibility to care for
Jews in need, only 4% are members of
a synagogue or temple, and only 20%
have donated to a Jewish cause in the
past year.

Some of the implications of this are
clear. To create a budget with changes
only at the margin will not work. We
have an obligation to reach out to the
young adults in this community and

offer
them a
Judaism
that is
compel-
ling and relevant. In order to accomplish
this, we have to listen to their voices

and have them critically involved in the
plans for our future and in determining
how our dollars are to be spent. And
that has to begin immediately. In cen-
tral Kentucky, unlike larger American
cities, we cannot depend on the Ortho-
dox to keep us Jewish. The future is in
our own hands and the time to create a
vibrant Jewish future is now. 3)

 

Starting at $75, give the priceless gift of live music with LexPhil!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UK HEALIHCARE

ARGENTO, Valentino Dances

CHAPLlN. The Gcid Ri ish

GARBUUNSKA FOUNDAEON
MOZART, Symphony No, 35

‘
February l4, 20M March l4, 20M April i i, QCA May lo,2014
Love Gold Rush World Premiere Beethoven 9
Prerrrrnrrr Concert Partner. Concert Partner CENTRAL BANK Presented by the SAYKAL‘v’ DEBUSSY. Claire de Luna

GOLlJOV, Three Songs for Soprano
and Orchestra

RODRIGO, Concierio de Arariiuez
Pablo 3(3an Villegas, gr Iitor
MENDELSSOHN,
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Women’s r: hoirs from Asbury
University and Lafayette High
School with guest soloists
and narrator

ADAM SCHOENBERG
World Premiere
(Cor riposer-ln-Reslrier ice)

DVORAK, Cello C on“ ’
Narek Hairhnazaryan.

Jennifer Zetlan, Soprano
BEETHOVEN, Symphony No. 9

Kentucky Bach Choir, Lexington

Singers, Lexington Chamber
~..el‘ro Chorale and guest soloists

Pick 4 TICKET
Packages!

 
   

~.
I

859.233.4226 grit
www.lexphil.org Ill $.33?

Operating Suppon

Dunn
Imrurxva

l LEK'AnTs _"‘

 

 

 

  

JFS:

Mimi Kaufman, JFS Director

At Your Service

 

Solid em-
ployment
ultimately
helps people
live a life

of purpose,
achieve finan—
cial stability
and attain a

 

healthy lifestyle.

Finding and keeping a job is a skill set
that we all learn. We have most likely
learned it from our parents or teachers.
This article is aimed towards our young
adults who may be working in their first
jobs.

1. Work hard. Focus on your job and
what you are getting paid for. A
little bit of personal business may
be OK, but when it comes time to
making lay-off decisions and the
company has to choose, the most
productive employees will get to
keep the job.

2. Be on time. The workers who are
late to work, take a long lunch—
hour, use a ton of sick time, and /
or leave early every day, are not
going to win any points with the
boss. Be punctual and be there, in—
stead of making excuses for why
you can’t be at work.

3. Be a team player. The employees
who don’t get along well with
others, who gossip about other
workers, or who aren’t willing to
pitch in to help, aren’t going to be
appreciated.

4. Be flexible. Flexibility can be a
key component of keeping your
job. When the company needs
someone to change shifts, work
weekends, put in some overtime,
or work a different schedule,
think about volunteering if your
personal schedule permits.

5. Don’t complain. Nobody likes
complainers, no matter how
legitimate the complaints are. If
you don’t like your job, chances
are there are plenty of people who
would jump at the chance to get
it. When the job market is upside
down in the employer’s favor, be
careful about complaining.

4 | December 2013/January 2014 Shalom

6. Keep your thoughts to yourself.
Even if you hate your job, keep
it to yourself and your family Ur
close friends — do not post it on
Facebook because the wrong per-
son is probably going to see what
you posted. Employers do look
at Facebook, as you know. Keep
this in mind when searching for a
job and even after you are hired.
In addition remind yourself that
your personal life is just that, per-
sonal. Be careful not to mix it too
much with your professional life.

7. Be positive. A positive attitude can
be contagious just like a negative
one. The more you stay positive,
even if you are in a tough situa-
tion, the better you will be able to
manage.

8. Offer to help. One of the best ways
to get or keep job security is to
volunteer for new initiatives, offer
to help with projects, and take on
more responsibility. Of course,
keep in mind your personal
boundaries. In other words, guard
yourself from being taken advan-
tage of.

So, unfortunately in today’s world
where stories of layoffs are all too com-
mon and getting a new job can be tough,
these tips are helpful for even the more
seasoned professional to remember once
in awhile. You may find yourself mak-
ing a job work for you even when you
are not thrilled with it until you can find
another job.

The intemet is a valuable tool for job
searching. With that thought in mind,

I also wanted to send a reminder that
our office here at the Federation has two
computers, a printer, and a phone that
is free and open to the public to use. The
intention of the kind volunteers who
donated the equipment and time to set
it up is for us to have an ”internet cafe”
for those who do not hawe internet at
home. The Federation would be happy
to accommodate but, keep in mind we
are not offering tech support. Anyone
who would like to can use these com-
puters during our office hours. 33

 

U.K. Jewish Studies
Program Plans Israeli

Film Festival

The University of Kentucky Jewish
Studies Program is planning an Israeli
film festival for the 2014 spring semes-
ter, according to faculty member Dr.
T1kva Meroz-Aharoni. Below is infor—
mation about the first film:

NAME OF FILM: Sallah Shabati

DATE/TIME: Thursday, January 16,
2014, at 7:00 PM

LOCATION: U.K. Student Center

From IMDB about this film: ”The sharp,

often hilarious satire that became the
most successful film in Israeli history is
about new immigrants Sallah and his
family, who are left in a shack near their

First and third -

promised apartment and are abandoned
for months. A Yemenite Jewish family
that was flown to Israel during ’Op-
eration Magic Carpet’ — a clandestine
operation that flew 49,000 Yemenite
Jews to Israel the year after the state was
formed — is forced to move to a govern-
ment settlement camp. The patriarch of
the family, portrayed by Chaim Topol,
tries to make money and get better
housing, in a country that can barely
provide for its own and is in the midst
of absorbing hundreds of thousands of
Jewish refugees from Arab countries.”

Additional dates and film titles will be
announced soon. fi

lhejexm led

FTHF 8!.

@

 

 

tamara@jewishiexington.org

 

SALES iEAM NEEDED
FOR SHALOM NEWSPAPER!

The Jewish Federation is in need of new sales
associates to bring in advertising for Shalom.
Set your own hours-earn your commissions.

Contact Tamara Ohayon at the JFB office if you are interested in
joining our team. (859) 268-0672 or

OF THE BLUEGRASS

 

H i \\ The, Jewisl 1 ltdcration

 

  

.L.‘ ...

Mussar TheHeart and Soul’s Everyday

I... g g ' .. ,-.v ,

Path to Holiness

By Lisa Miller

Over the past thousand years, Jewish
spiritual seekers have compiled a great
body of teachings about the fact that
we are spiritual beings having a human
experience.

Called Mussar, which translates to
teachings or ethics, these teachings
about personal awareness are a map to
understanding that each of us is born
with a personal soul curriculum; our
purpose in these human bodies is to live
that curriculum with integrity

that then deepens and evolves the heart
and soul.

The question is intriguing about what
one’s individual soul curriculum could
possibly be. But the answers are easily
accessible when we acknowledge what
have been the consistent challenges
in‘our livesf’Th’ough 6hr cOntexts and
experiences change over months and
decades, there are always themes that
remain the same as we find ourselves
the common denominator in many
situations that tend to stir up a lot of
emotion in some way.

So Mussar practice invites us to pay
attention to our individual middot, soul
traits (also known as virtues), and to in-
volve the heart more than the intellect in
everyday living. Middot include: anger,
compassion, generosity, honor, humility,
patience, order, equanimity, simplicity,
enthusiasm, truth, moderation, loving-
kindness, responsibility, trust, and yirah
(awe).

Because each of us are living a very
specific and individualized curriculum
based on the middot, we are here to
grow in ourselves, no two curriculums
are exactly the same. From the depth of
the soul, we are born with a different
measure of each soul trait and it is up to
each one of us to cultivate and deepen
them as we grow into our lives.

It can be fascinating to note though, that
for people who seem to be complete
opposites, the paths toward growth,
balance, and happiness are surprisingly
similar. For example, a person who con-
sistently has a habit of giving too much
of her/ himself to others may be strug-
gling with the soul trait of generosity as
much as a person who is consistently,
habitually selfish and self-centered.

In both cases, extremes are harmful to
self and to others. The one perceived

as ungenerous or selfish doesn’t con-
sider how his/ her actions affect others,
or doesn't care. However, the overly
generous person also harms others
through the act of enabling—standing
in the way of someone else’s personal
empowerment by constantly coming to
the rescue.

(It’s funny that we tend to be so quick
to judge someone else’s ”obvious” '
inappropriate actions, but our personal
curriculums are so unique that no one
else’s should make sense to us.)

While the tendencies described here
seem like opposites, in each case the is—
sue of respecting others is the very same
main theme. In Mussar tradition, both
individuals can benefit deeply from the
very same practices of awareness con-
cerning the very same soul trait.

Either way, God’s presence is divinely
felt through the personal process of
opening the heart in order to connect
the soul inside to the life being lived.
While this is a very individual process,
we live our lives in the context of family,
community, and as world-citizens.

This draws a beautiful picture with each
of us vitally important to one other as
our own unique paths parallel, intersect,
and merge.

What doesn’t matter is age, socio-
economic background, experiences to
date. We are each born a holy soul and

‘ev‘rargn-

>71 J-"un .
i: agree 1;» 1’..9A:+‘
I W‘t;.3=m‘

v 1 arse; r"V.I_ ‘ «F d“ ." . .
, _
a x , z , ' » i

ix‘ii‘e'

can deepen this at any point and every
point in our lifetime. Daily experiences,
behaviors, and our relationship to oth-
ers provide the perfect classroom in
which to explore our curriculums. This
is the foundation of a good life-school
education.

struggles and triumphs become more
meaningful. And, we are never alone.

When Torah tells us: ”You shall be
holy,” this is all a big part of it, and it's
also an everyday path to holiness. x7

Lisa Miller is a Lexington community mem-
ber, and a student and teacher of the Mussar
Institute. She leads va’adim (study groups)
in Lexington and beyond. For more informa-
tion about Mussar and to learn how to culti-
vate your own middot, read Alan Morinis’s
Everyday Holiness, and visit www.Mussa-
rInstitute.org for accessible on-line

courses and retreats.

Like the basics, responding to life from
a place of heart and soul rather than
from the auto-pilot of the intellect, is the
foundation of everything else we learn.

So, the homework is always predictable:
to live with awareness from the inside
outward. As the personal curriculum
begins to become more obvious, our

 

rRead the newly released book, 7
The wanting

by Michael LaVigne

AND JOIN US FOR A
COMMUNITY-WIDE DISCUSSION

with Professor Tikva Meroz—Aharoni

Sunday, February 2, 2014
at 3:00 p.m.
at the Tates Creek Public Library in Lexington

  

Copies of The Wanting, or a Kindle version of the book, can be
purchased online or by contacting your local bookstore.

You are encouraged to purchase the
book online via the fundraiser Ama—
zon portal for either IFB, 025, or TAI.
Proceeds from your purchase will go to
the organization. Contact IFB, 028, or
TAI to learn how to use the fundraiser
portals.

One Book Jewish Lexington is a program of the
Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass in conjunction
with B’nai B’rith, The Lexington Havurah, the
Lexington Chapter of Hadassah, Ohavay Zion
Synagogue, and Temple Adath Israel.

 

Connecting the Iewish community
oflexington, one book a! a time.

k J

 

 

December 2013/January 2014 Shalom | 5

 

  

_ Jet/\wishi . Faunmih \ _\

 

 

Sundays are

Cool

http://www.challahcrumbs.com/Sunday—
School_Tomh% 20$tudy.php ?artId=474

Got a little bit of extra time? Chal-
lahCrumbs is taking your family to
Sunday school. This week we’re talking
about kindess, a simple act with untold
benefits.

Learn.
Micha 628

You have been told what is good and
what the Lord requires of you: to act
justly, to love kindness,

and to
walk
humbly
with
your
God.

I How
can
some-
one
love
kind—
ness?

0 What
is the last act of kindness that you
did? Remember, kindness comes in
all sizes: an act of kindness can be
reading your younger sister a book
or visiting the elderly (or anything in
between).

Ethics of our Fathers 1:2

The world stands on three things: on the
Torah, on the service (of Gad), and on

 

 

acts of loving-kindness.

0 Kindness makes it to the Top Three
of what the world stands on! Do you
agree that kindness is that important?

- Imagine you were asked to add a
fourth thing that the world stands on.
What would it be?

Mishlgi 14:21
He who is kind to the poor, happy is he.

0 How can acting kind to others make
you happy?

0 What
other good
deeds can
make you

happy?

Discuss:

It is inter—
esting to
point out
to your
kids that
kindness
comes in alt shapes and

sizes. The concept of chesed, or loving
kindness, is really given premium value
in Judaism. Talk to your kids about why
something so simpie as being kind is
really so important. Discuss ways to
add three acts of kindness to year home
each week — from simple ideas like tak-
ing turns talking at the dinner table to
larger ones like donating some of their
toys to a hospitai or shelter.

 

 

Create. family, parents included.

Make a Giant Family Kindness Star 1. Make your own star chart or down-

Chart! load one of gazillions there are on
line.

MATERIALS 2. Make sure every family member is on

0 Construction paper the chart.

0 Markers 3. For every act of kindness done, an-

0 Star Stickers

m

Most kids are quite familiar with star
charts. We use them for everything from
good behavior to brushing your teeth

to reading books. The fun with this star

4

other star goes up on the chart.

. When, as a family, you have reached

your goal — make sure the reward
celebrates the family as a whole. Have
a movie night at home, go bowling, or
make an ice cream party. Be creative
with your rewards! $1

chart is that it is for EVERYONE in the

 

 

Glass Bowls Project

  

 

A fun winter project for older children ages 7-10.
MATERIALS:

0 Glass bowl
0 Puffy paints
0 Glass paints

DIRECTIONS:

Clean bowl well with soap. Make sure it is dry before you start painting. Don’t
paint the bottom of the bowl because it will wear off quickly. Work on the outsides
of the bowl. Use puffy paints to make lines and designs around the bowl. Use glass
paints to draw inside those lines. This will give your bowl a stain—glass 100k.

 

 

 

If you have suggestions for topics you would like to see on this page, please contact Lori at lorz’@jewishlexington.org.

6 l December 2013flanuary 2014 Shalom

 Ask A Rabbi

Rabbi Sharon Cohen

 

:Aferv weeks ago, the FDA proposed

that transfats be removed from foods,
indicating that there-is no real safe limit to
the amount of trans-fat we can intake. New
York City Mayor Bloomberg took a lot of
flack last year for banning the sale of large
sized soda and sugary drinks. The Aflord—
able Care Act oflers a new emphasis on well—
ness and prevention, including provisions
for combating childhood obesity and for nu-
trition labeling. Looking at Jewish tradition,
weren’t the laws of Kashrut (keeping kosher)
created for health reasons and merely an an-
cient prescription for good health, much like
the steps our modern society has been taking
to foster healthier lioin g?

:From the earliest stages of our

history, Jews have understood the
patterns of Kashrut, the Jewish dietary
laws, to be at the very center of our
heritage. Historically, Jews have sac-
rificed their lives rather than desecrate
themselves with ”treif” (unkosher) food.
Some of our most stirring stories of Jew-
ish martyrdom center upon Jews who
chose to die with their dignity intact,
rather than abandon their commitment
to the laws of Kashrut. They could not
conceive of Judaism without Kashrut, as
the dietary laws were key to the entire
rhythm of Jewish living for them.

The foundation for the system of
Kashrut, the core of which has remained

Have a question?

leska rabbi

SPARE PARTS & EQUIPMENT

60 Years of Service

346 Richmond Avenue

Lexington, KY 40502-1458
(859) 266—2188 or Fax (859) 268-1877

Mitchell Barnes — Owner

 

unchanged for millennia, is found in the
Torah in the book of Leviticus (Parashat
Sh’mini). In it, we find an exhaustive list
of the animals deemed “kasher” — those
deemed appropriate to eat and those
which are not. For generations, and still
today, we have debated the merits of the
dietary laws and the intent of these lists
of foods. What reasons can we give for
kosher eating?

Throughout the ages, the system of
Kashrut has distinguished the Jewish
People from other peoples and kept us
united and connected. Keeping Kosher
has also been considered an exercise in
discipline as the various laws curb our
basic instinct for food by putting limits
upon what we can eat, how we prepare
and when we eat it, and the manner in
which we obtain our food. In the laws
concerning how we slaughter animals
and the mixing of milk and meat (com-
ing from the idea of not cooking an
animal in the very thing which sustains
it), we learn to be sensitive to the world
around us, In fact, some argue that

the highest form of Kashrut is actually
vegetarianism.

Many commentators questioned why
some animals could be eaten and oth-
ers not. They understood the laws of
Kashrut, especially concerning animals,
in a more spiritual sense: basically fol-

lowing the common phrase, “you are
what you eat.” In the ancient world,

it was believed that what you took

into your body not only affected you
physically, but, it had the potential to
influence how you acted and developed
spiritually. For instance, if you we were
to consume a bird of prey — a bird that
indiscriminately eats whatever it wants
with no regard for life — then you might
gain the characteristics of just such a
creature. In modern thinking, I may not
be worried that if I eat a fish that scav-
enges at the water’s bottom (catfish or
monkfish for example) I will turn into a
scavenger; however, keeping kosher can
sensitize me to the way in which certain
animals act in regard to food, and how I
might not want to associate myself with
those actions.

The concept of Kashrut as a system of
laws based on maintaining physical
health remains probably the most as-
sumed (and debated!) still today. We do
not find physical health a stated reason
in our Biblical text. However, if we fast-
forward to the Medieval period, we find
that, by that time, Jewish scholars did,
indeed, equate the laws of eating with
maintaining good health (however, not
to exclude other reasons). Maimonides,
the Rambam, the 12th century Spanish
philosopher par excellence, understood
eating and the laws of Kashrut to be

a prescrip—
tion given
by God, our
cosmic doc—
tor, in order
to ensure
the physical
health of the
Jewish Peo—
ple. Maimonides instructs us (Mishneh
Torah, Laws of Proper Behavior 3:2):

 

 

 

 

When a person eats or drinks or

has sex they should not consider
they are only doing these things for
enjoyment, so as to avoid the situ-
ation where they come to eat and
drink only what tastes good [liter-
ally ”sweet”] and have sex only for
pleasure. Rather, a person should
c