Blog

Torah Tikkun

March 31, 2016 by Clare Kinberg

Rabbi Druin sewing the AARC torah, March 29, 2016. Photo by Stephanie Rowden

According to Rabbi Moshe Druin, of “Sofer on Site,” our Torah is between 200 and 250 years old; it has many distinctive letters that associate its scribe with the Maharal of Prague, Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel. It will be challenging and fun to look for corroboration of this interesting information. Rabbi Druin speculated that this Torah came to the U.S. from Europe before WWII. Dave Nelson, who was there when Rabbi Druin opened the Torah, was particularly impressed with the age of the scroll, and with the fact that, if properly cared for, how the torah can be used indefinitely, connecting us with Jews past and future.

Rabbi Druin unfurls the whole torah to begin work. Photo by Dave Nelson

Rabbi Druin points to another distinctive embellishment to the letter pey in the AARC torah. — Rabbi Druin points to a distinctive embellishment to the letter pey in the AARC torah.

In addition to the special lettering associated with Czechoslovakia of a period 200 or so years ago, Rabbi Druin said that the varying sizes of the 52 pieces of parchment and their unusual height of almost 4 feet were also an indication of the age of the torah. More on this topic in an upcoming blog post.

Rabbi Druin points to a distinctive lamed in the AARC torah. Photo by Stephanie Rowden

Several people were able to observe and talk with Rabbi Druin as he worked. Jack Edelstein, who arranged for Rabbi Druin to do the repair, was interested to find that our Torah is much lighter than most of its size because the parchment is not coated with a certain material that torahs are typically coated with, and that the poles that the scroll is attached to are not the original ones; they are a few inches shorter than they should be, which is partially what accounts for the crinkliness of the top and especially bottom of the scroll. Evelyn Neuhaus and Mike Ehmann, Clare Kinberg, Dave Nelson, Danny Steinmetz, and Stephanie Rowden also watched as Rabbi Druin worked. Evelyn says she felt a closer connection to the Torah after learning so much about it and having so many of its details pointed out.

Evelyn looks on as Rabbi Druin repairs the torah. Photo by Stephanie Rowden

Now that Rabbi Druin mended and stitched all the parchments that needed it, we should be able to enjoy Hagba–the display of the Torah to the Congregation after it’s read–without stress!

Come see a sofer at work, fixing our Torah

March 23, 2016 by Margo Schlanger

AARC’s Torah is old and much-loved. In fact, it seems to be over 200 years old. In recent years, it’s gotten a bit unstable; there are a number of tears in the scroll, and the stitching at the edges is coming unraveled. Hagba–the display of the Torah to the Congregation, after it is read–has gotten a little too exciting.

So we’re pleased to say that Rabbi Moshe Druin, of Sofer On Site, will be visiting us on Tuesday, March 29, to fix all the stitching/tears. He’ll work at the JCC, and you’re invited to come and watch. Kids and adults–come by at 2:30 or 3. Sofer on Site frequently does community events for Torah restorations.

Also, if you are able to be there for a bit and take some pictures, please let me know (email me at margo.schlanger@gmail.com).

Friendship scroll

March 22, 2016 by Clare Kinberg

By Barbara Boyk Rust

scroll image — Come hear the Megillah read Friday March 25 at the JCC and see this beautiful scroll up close

One of the joys of friendship is sharing each other’s interests, perspectives, and experiences. For me, one of the joys of being friends with an artist is the beauty that I learn about, enjoy, and benefit from that I would not be likely to encounter otherwise. Spiritual teachings claim beauty as the perfection of love and that rings true to me.

When Idelle Hammond-Sass called me several years ago and told me about the beautiful megillah scroll she saw at the Jewish Community Center of West Bloomfield, Michigan I was so taken with her verbal description alone that I welcomed her invitation to share the cost with her for purchasing it.

The scroll is on heavy paper and every segment is adorned with colorful renderings evocative of the spirit of Purim. The artwork is a party unto itself. It was created by Israeli artist Enya Keshet, and Idelle was drawn to the designs which reminded her of Persian miniatures. She was fascinated by the embellishment, so rare in most Judaica, but allowed on a Purim scroll.

Purim has long been a special holiday for me in light of another significant friendship in my life. Many of you knew Nancy Denenberg, of blessed memory. Nancy and I together created high holiday services, Shabbat retreats, and celebrations round the entire sacred cycle. We were also involved in spiriting prayer circles for healing and life cycle transitions over the years of our friendship, from her move to Ann Arbor in the late 1980’s until her death in 2006.

Nancy had a drive to make Jewish meaning in her life relevant to the immediacy of her understanding of loving and healing and sharing in community. She had practiced yoga for many years; later moving into work with Feldenkreis Method, a technique created by an Israeli physicist. She had a strong affinity for dance and became adept at Middle Eastern beledi, belly dance, fostering for herself and others more direct contact with Middle Eastern traditions. These are a few of the many ways Nancy intentionally cultivated Jewish spiritual means to endow her life with beauty, healing, art and creativity.

photo of Nancy Dennenberg — Nancy Denenberg in beledi regalia.

On more than one Purim, Nancy donned her full regalia for belly dancing, and brought others from her troupe to the Hav celebration. Some years ago The Ann Arbor News featured a picture of her leading our costume parade.

For my part, this scroll is a remembrance of friendship, of beauty, of sharing in community. It is a way to offer the power of this artist’s rendering into the annual cycle of our congregation’s celebration of this holiday that asks us to marry the opposites: Haman and Mordechai, forces of good and forces of evil. May we each have a chance to dance our beauty and our joy with the rhythm of blessing and celebration for years to come.

Rebukes and Sacred Disagreements

March 22, 2016 by Clare Kinberg

By Carol Lessure

w-hillel-shammai-1423642404 I started Sunday off with a nasty argument with Jon, my life partner, over something relatively unimportant. We were coping with daylight savings time, a mysterious rash on the face of our eldest son, while the younger one was late for religious school. I was trying to get us out the door because I planned to attend a Sunday morning text study. So I left in a huff, not feeling very kindly towards Jon. [Read more…] about Rebukes and Sacred Disagreements

AARC Purim Questions and Answers

March 17, 2016 by Clare Kinberg

Come welcome Shabbat and have some Purim fun

Are we reading the Megillah/Scroll of Esther? Yes! This year, the AARC will be reading the Megillah, the scroll of Esther, during the 4th Friday Shabbat service, on March 25 beginning at 6:30 pm. Rabbi Michael Strassfeld will lead us in Shabbat songs and members of the congregation and the rabbi will chant and read an abbreviated version of the Whole Megillah, primarily in English. You won’t want to miss being part of the beautiful, creative and fun costumes of kids, members and service leaders alike. Plus you will be thrilled by the Band’s scoring of the evening.

Will there be a Tot Shabbat beforehand like usual? Yes! There will be a Tot Shabbat from 5:45 to 6:15 preceding the service.

Will we have a potluck afterward service? Yes, but with a Purim twist! We’ll be serving Middle Eastern food, and we need you to bring salads, some little kid friendly dishes, and desserts! Nutfree, please. Potluck at 8 pm.

Will there be a Purimshpiel? A special addition to the evening will be “All the World’s a Stage” a brief, family-friendly Purimshpiel (play) presented during the potluck dinner by the post-Bnei Mitzvah group while we munch away on home-made hamantaschen.

Speaking of Hamantaschen…. You can make them at home, or join the baking fun at the Lessure/Engelbert’s on March 19, 3-6pm. Get the full deal here and rsvp.

Should I come in costume? Yes! Not required of course, but so much fun. Need ideas? See Rachel’s blog on that!

What should I bring? Come, one and all. Bring a friend, a generously portioned vegetarian, nut-free, potluck dish (salad, kid-friendly main dish, or dessert), come in costume or grab a mask at the JCC, come ready to laugh and sing. Come for the service, stay for the Purimshpiel.

Should I bring the household items I have bought for the Welcome baskets? Yes! Read about it here. Sign up here.

Is this evening appropriate for young children? This family friendly service will be fun, entertaining, less formal, and certainly more noisy than a traditional Friday night service. That said, it is great if parents remain mindful of their children’s participation during the service, the potluck and the Purimshpiel. Please let me know (ckinberg@gmail.com) if your kids need childcare or pizza before the service.

The Just City/Mincha/Farewell to Rabbi Michael

March 15, 2016 by Margo Schlanger

Michael Strassfeld photo — Rabbi Michael Strassfeld

March 25 to 26 is our year’s last Shabbaton with Rabbi Michael Strassfeld, who has visited us from New York and led terrific services and events. He and we will be busy this last weekend: Our Fourth Friday March 25 will be our community’s Purim celebration–Megillah reading, dinner theatre, shtick, etc. More details here and here. Please join us!

For March 26, we’ll focus on Shabbat. At 3 pm, Rabbi Michael will lead text study on the topic of the “Just City.”

He writes: “What makes for a ‘just city’ according to Jewish tradition? What is the overall responsibility of its citizens to those who are in need? Is there a limit to that responsibility? How do you balance legitimate self-interest with helping the poor? How do you navigate endless needs and issues of fraud? What institutions are necessary for a just city? We will look at rabbinical and biblical texts to help us explore these questions.”

And we’ll conclude with a Mincha service at 4 pm (sharp — it’s a short service), followed by seudah shlishit (shabbat snack). Rabbi Michael, Erica Ackerman, and Debbie Zivan will read Torah. All are welcome, at the JCC. PLEASE RSVP, here. (We need to make minyan, and estimate food.)

Please join us for this discussion, and to say farewell to Rabbi Michael and thank him for his time with us.

Purim Costume Dos! Purim Costume Don’ts!

March 10, 2016 by Clare Kinberg

by Rachel Baron Singer

Rachel Baron Singer Punk Rock Queen Vashti

With Purim fast approaching, it’s time to start thinking about costume Dos and Don’ts! Friday March 25 Megillah/Scroll of Esther reading at the JCC is an all-family costume affair. Here are some tips to get ready for the festivities:

Do: Have fun mixing classic Purim characters with more modern themes and trends. Steampunk Queen Esther. Grunge Rock Mordecai. Kylo Ren Haman. The possibilities are endless!
Don’t: Use cultures as costumes. If a culture isn’t yours, it’s not appropriate for a costume! Native Americans, Roma, and other groups often have to endure seeing watered-down versions of their customs and traditions disrespectfully packaged into costumes; let’s not contribute to these transgressions during our celebrations.
Do: Get crafty! Homemade Purim costumes are simple and enjoyable to make. Superhero paper plate masks are easy to construct and homemade face paint is a snap. You would be surprised at what you can whip up with a few household items or cheap dollar store finds!
Don’t: Use genders as costumes. It’s totally fine to costume yourself as a character or figure whose place on the gender spectrum is different than your own, but please don’t simply dress in drag as a cheap “gender swap” gag. We want Purim to be welcoming and safe to Jews of all genders!
Do: Get in the Purim spirit even if costumes aren’t your thing. You can always join in the fun by simply wearing bright colors, some flashy scarves, strings of beads, or a silly hat. It’s Purim—be ridiculous!
Don’t: Wear blackface or any racialized makeup. Unless, of course…JUST KIDDING! NEVER EVER DO THIS!
Do: Have fun with whatever you choose to wear. Chag Purim Sameach!
Debbie Field begins her reign as co-chair

Rabbi-Candidate Shabbaton

March 6, 2016 by Margo Schlanger

We are happy to welcome rabbi-candidate Shelley Goldman for a Shabbaton on March 11-13 — this coming weekend!

This is an excellent opportunity to get to know Shelley better and to show her, and her partner Kieran Kiley, all that our community has to offer. Non-members are very welcome, but we particularly urge members to come to at least one event.

There are five open-to-all events scheduled for the weekend. In order to facilitate planning and set up, we ask that you RSVP to let us know which of these events you will attend. The link is here. In fact, if you’re an AARC member, there’s a column in the RSVP to let us know you’re not coming to anything.

1. Friday, 5:45-6:15 pm: Tot Shabbat, with preschoolers and their parents, JCC
2. Friday, 6:30 pm: Kabbalat Shabbat and Potluck, JCC
3. Saturday, 10:00 am – 12 Noon: Shabbat Morning service (with Torah service), JCC
4. Saturday, 7:00 – 8:30 pm: Family-friendly Havdalah with wine & desserts (provided by AARC) at the home of Caroline Richardson and Paul Resnick. (If you don’t have trouble walking, please park in the VA parking lot across the street and 50 yards to the west.)
5. Sunday, 10:30 – 11:30 am: Adult learning session on “Love Your Neighbor As Yourself: The Art of Tochecha (Rebuke),” JCC

Here is what our hard-working rabbinic search committee said about Shelley in their letter of February 12:

“After graduating from Oberlin in 2003, she worked in social justice and community organizing jobs for several years at a number of organizations, including Jews for Racial and Economic Justice and the LGBT Community Center in New York. Since enrolling at RRC in 2010, Shelley has worked as a rabbinic intern and student rabbi at a number of congregations, while continuing to do human rights and organizing work. She also has found time to study the leadership of sacred chant with Rabbi Shefa Gold. In the encounters we have had, and in our conversations with those who have worked with her, we have found Shelley’s combination of activism, intellectualism, and spirituality extremely impressive, and we were taken by her thoughtfulness and maturity.”

This is an exciting time of change for AARC and we need the enthusiastic participation of the whole community to make the weekend a success. We hope that each member will attend at least one of the events; the search committee and Board will be asking for your feedback in the days that follow.

B’Shalom

Margo Schlanger and Debbie Field
AARC Board Chairs

Dish for a Cold Winter Evening

March 3, 2016 by Clare Kinberg

Rena's Basch's Veggie Barley Bake — Rena’s Basch’s Veggie Barley Bake

Veggie Barley Bake: A Rena Basch Recipe

Once upon a time, my friend Beth–a charming book club hostess–served this dish for dinner on a cold winter evening, and I went nuts for it. I think of barley as a wonderful hearty and healthy grain, but it’s rarely served except as part of a beef barley soup. Barley has a rich nutlike flavor and an appealing chewy, pasta-like consistency. It’s quite versatile; you can use it as a breakfast cereal, as a substitute for rice in pilafs and risottos, in cold salads, and in hot soups and stews. Or in this casserole-like dish.

Beth said she loves serving this dish which she found in a very old, dog-eared cookbook; the kids eat it, it’s healthy with barley and lots of veggies, but it tastes like lasagna. What’s not to love about that? You can use whatever combination of veggies suits your fancy or your leftovers. You just need approximately 10 cups of chopped vegetables in all. If you have bits of different vegetables leftover in the refrigerator or freezer, this recipe is perfect for cleaning them up.

As I mentioned I went a little nuts for this dish, and have made many variations. Here are some versions:

The Book Club Selection: green beans and sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed, no need to pre-cook)
Locavorious This & That: As many of you know, I own and operate a locally grown frozen produce CSA, so I’m always trying to help folks use the frozen vegetables that come as part of their share. Some recipes call for a cup of this, or a cup of that. This recipe can use up all those leftover cups of this and that. For example: 16 oz frozen summer squash, (or ~ 4 cups fresh), ½ bag of frozen broccoli florets, ½ bag frozen green beans, a handful of red peppers and some leftover snap peas or shelled peas.
Another favorite: 16 oz frozen cauliflower florets (or ~ 4 cups fresh), 2 cups blanched greens such as kale or chard, and sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed) or more carrots

The Veggie Barley Bake Formula

2 tbsp oil

2 cloves minced garlic

1 onion, chopped

2 average carrots, sliced

9 – 10 cups chopped frozen or fresh vegetables

3/4 cup barley

15 oz frozen stewed tomatoes, thawed + ½ cup water *or* 1 1/2 cups tomato broth *or* 15 oz can of diced tomatoes plus a little water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp. oregano

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in large heavy skillet and sauté garlic and onion until softened, 3 -5 minutes. Add remaining vegetables and sauté, stirring a few times, for 5 minutes. If using all fresh vegetables, may want to add a little cooking time here, maybe 3 extra minutes. Add barley, tomatoes/tomato broth, and seasonings; bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Transfer contents of the skillet to a shallow 4 quart casserole; stir in 1 cup of the cheese. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Veggies and barley should be tender. If not, cover and cook longer. Top casserole with remaining cup of shredded cheese if desired and return to oven uncovered for about 10 minutes.

More reasons to love barley: It’s good for you! It’s tasty! It’s full of fiber and nutrients! It can be used to make beer! Nice place to read up on barley’s health benefits is here.

Purim Gifts: Welcome Baskets for Refugee Families

February 25, 2016 by Clare Kinberg

welcome basket AARC Beit Sefer teacher Sharon Alvandi is a student in the UMich Jewish Communal Leadership Program, and an intern at Jewish Family Service learning to work with refugee families. Sharon has been very inspired by our AARC congregation, particularly the ways that the Beit Sefer students, parents and other community members come together to share learning and activities, investing in the character of the children. Through her work with JFS, Sharon is organizing a way for us to practice the mitzvot of Purim, giving gifts of tasty treats to one another/mishloach manot, and gifts to the poor/mattanot le-evyonim (for more about how these two mitzvot are related see this). Sharon writes:

There are many reasons to celebrate Purim and sort through a narrative that’s truly unlike any other in Jewish scripture. On Purim- the holiday of “lots”- we celebrate more than simply the idea of chance. When we listen to Esther’s story, we collectively celebrate character, resolve, and integrity. By presenting her true self–her Jewish self–to king Ahasuerus to appeal for the fate of the Jewish people of Shushan (present day Susa, Iran), Esther is a model of advocacy for herself and others. As a developing social worker, this story helps me think about what it takes to act in a way that integrates all parts of who I am.

Purim also commemorates what it means to survive genocide or the threat of genocide. Each day when I work at JFS, I have the opportunity to observe the strength of character of the clients and the meticulous work of the case managers to serve a community of refugees in making the best choices in their first days in the U.S.

JFS has resettled over 350 refugees since 2009. Countries range from Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Iran, Syria, and Burma. JFS is set to resettle 150 individuals by October 1, 2016. AARC can help with the resettlement of families by joining with JFS to assemble and donate Welcome Baskets for refugee families in Washtenaw County. We can do more than discuss violence that is taking place abroad. We can welcome those in our community who have found refuge in a new place. This Purim, we can help make a space of comfort for their true selves.

Sharon has put together a list of personal care and household items the new families need upon arrival to set up their new homes. Check with this registry to see what is needed. We ask that you buy these items new and when you have, check off the registry. We will assemble the Welcome Baskets some time during the Purim Shabbaton March 25-27.