CHai-lights - Pacific Community of Cultural Jews

CHai-lights
JANUARY 2015
Pacific Community of Cultural Jews
Orange County, CA 562/592-0999
[email protected], http://www.pccjews.org
Volume XIX No4
GUESTS $5.00
DON'T FORGET TO BRING YOUR NON-PERISHABLE FOOD DONATION
JANUARY 2015
PAGE 2
CHAI-LIGHTS
PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE
Hello Everyone!
Wow! A New Year! Doesn't it seem like we
were just so worried about Y2K?? Time seems
to go so quickly. But, take a moment to think
of all you have experienced in the last 15 years
and you'll see how full your life really is.
Saturday, January 10th, 5:00 PM
DINE OUT
(see Page 3)
NOTE TIME CHANGE!
Sunday, January 10th 7:00 PM
GAME NIGHT
at the home of
Harriet Strichartz
(see Page 1)
Tuesday, January 20th, 7:30 PM
Pacific Community welcomed new members,
and enjoyed many good times together. We finished the year with our annual Chanukah
Party. As always, we ate lots of good food and
lots of fun. We hope our guests and prospective members will join us again in the New
Year.
Last year we had such a successful Game
Night, we are doing it again on Jan. 10th. You
can see more information in this Chai-Lights. It
will be a fun evening.
I want to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy
2015!
Leslie
HAPPY
FILM CLUB
at the home of
Shirley Spiegel
(see Page 3)
Friday, January 30th 7:30 PM
THE PHILOSOPHERS' CAFE
at the home of
Di Bunin
(see page 3)
NEW YEAR!!!
JANUARY 2015
PC FILM CLUB
Tuesday January 20th at 7:30 PM
at the home of
PAGE 3
CHAI-LIGHTS
Shirley Spiegel
"HAVA NAGILA"
It is instantly recognizable - musical shorthand
for anything Jewish, a happy party tune that you
dance to at weddings, bar mitzvahs and even at
Major League Baseball games. It conjures up
wistful smiles, memories of generations
past...and no shortage of eye rolling. But as
audiences will discover in Hava Nagila (The
Movie), the song is much more than a tale of
Jewish kitsch and bad bar mitzvah fashions. It
carries with it an entire constellation of history,
values and hopes for the future.
Please RSVP by January 17th
to
Di Bunin, 714/962-9140, [email protected]
THE PHILOSOPHERS' CAFE
(Our Friendly Discussion Group)
Friday, January 30th
at 7:30 PM
DINE OUT
Saturday, January 10th
5:00 PM
NOTE TIME CHANGE!
4470 Katella Ave
Los Alamitos, CA 90720
CONTINUE ON TO GAME NITE!
(See page 1)
Contact Karen Knecht by Jan. 7th
[email protected]
714/739-1366
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Ruth Shapin
Diana Bunin
1/11
1/20
At the home of
Di Bunin
Topic provided by:
Sima and Milt Bernstein
RSVP by January 26th
714/962-9140
[email protected]
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Leslie & Jerry Zwick 1/31
JANUARY 2015
CHAI-LIGHTS
PAGE 4
JANUARY 2015
CHAI-LIGHTS
PAGE 5
SNOW
By Greta Singer
Hearing about the enormous snow storm in Buffalo, NY a few weeks ago, made me nostalgic for the
winters and snows when I was a girl in Brooklyn in the 40's and 50's. We kids began to look for snow
soon after Halloween.
We all had warm clothes and sleds waiting, since last winter, for it to snow again. Usually the first snow
storm came after Thanksgiving. Although it happened every year, the city was never ready for it. There
weren't enough snow plows to clean all the streets. Many smaller streets were left to fend for themselves. People were inconvenienced. Men who had cars and driveways and sidewalks had to rush out to
dig them out and clean them off and shovel the snow. Every year there were stories of youngish men
having heart attacks while shoveling.
Many years the schools had to be closed for a "snow day". Only the kids were thrilled with no school
and the prospect of a day out in the snow.
We left home bundled up to our eyes, pulling out American Flyer sleds. (We had never heard of Orson
Welles' sled "Rosebud"). The younger kids would slide around on the streets near home. But the big
kids, ten and up, would drag our sleds to the Brooklyn Museum. Behind the big museum building, was
the world's greatest sledding hill. Up and down we would go for hours. There were rules about not purposely sliding into someone's sled. We slid down on our bellies. We tried to slide down sitting up and
steering the sled with our feet on the bar in front. We yelled and ran around thrilled to be free and sliding downhill at what we thought were extravagant speeds.
Later in the day, we would drag ourselves home, wet and tired with frozen fingers and toes. Waiting for
us at home were our stay-at-home mothers or those forced to stay at home for the day because of the
snowstorm. There would be hot homemade pea soup. Our hands and feet would start to itch while they
defrosted. On the whole, a fabulous day!
I feel sorry for my grandkids here who can never go sledding at home. They never come home with
their cheeks red and hands and noses frozen. They are missing what I remember as a big part of my
childhood. Around here you have to "go to the snow" to have a similar experience. And, of course, you
have to go with grown-ups and not be "free" the way we were there on the museum hill.
Some Brooklyn Trivia
The Brooklyn Bridge was erected in 1883 and the Williamburg Bridge in 1903 which catalyzed a Jewish
exodus from the Lower East Side. By 1930, more than 40% of New York City`s Jews lived in Brooklyn.
The bagel originated in Poland and arrived in New York City in the 1880`s in the hands of Eastern
European Jews. In the early 1900`s the Bagel Bakers Local 338 was formed which established standards
for bagel production.
In Dec. 1951 a dispute arose between the members of the Bagel trade union and the Bagel Bakers assn.
which led to the closing of 32 out of 34 of the city`s bagel bakeries. As a result sales of lox dropped
nearly 50%.
Coney Island Bagels and Bialys, the oldest kosher bagel shop in N.Y. was set to close in 2011 until two
Muslim businessmen, Peerzada Shah and Zafaryah Ali, bought the store & promised to keep it kosher
JANUARY 2015
CHAI-LIGHTS
PAGE 6
Tikkun Olam
(Fourth in the series)
by
William Selfridge & Lawrence Machtinger, M.D
Tikkun olam, the Hebrew phrase which means "repairing the world" (or "healing the
world"), is a dictate that is part of our Jewish tradition and forms the moral compass of everyday life. This phrase can be thought of as addressing actions which are external to ourselves.
To “heal the world”, however, can also be directed at healing oneself from within. The
American Heart Association reports that nearly 70% of American adults are either overweight
or obese. Being overweight or obese puts you at a higher risk for chronic diseases, such as,
heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, gallstones
and cancer1. In the spring of 2013, Kaiser Permanente, one of the nation`s largest not-forprofit health plans, serving approximately 9.5 million members, published an article in their inhouse journal offering life style changes which address these chronic diseases. These chronic
diseases often go hand-in-hand and are strongly linked to lifestyle, especially dietary choices2.
Of all the diets recommended over the last few decades to turn the tide of these chronic illnesses, the best, but perhaps least common, may be those that are plant-based.
Concerns about the rising cost of health care are being voiced nation-wide. The article emphasized the need to make lifestyle changes through diet to address these concerns. Healthy
eating may be best achieved with a plant-based diet, which is defined as a regimen that encourages whole, plant-based foods and discourages meats, dairy products, and eggs as well
as all refined and processed foods. A case study in the journal article2 was presented as an
example of the potential health benefits of such a diet. Research shows that plant-based diets
are cost-effective, low-risk interventions that may lower body mass index, blood pressure, and
cholesterol levels. They may also reduce the number of medications needed to treat chronic
diseases and lower ischemic heart disease mortality rates. Physicians were encouraged to
recommend a plant-based diet to all their patients, especially those with high blood pressure,
diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or obesity.
Kaiser`s advice, as offered in the article has the potential to not only reduce healthcare costs
but truly “heal the world”, our own personal world. Every person and parent should meet the
challenge of changing their lifestyle for the better and embrace our Jewish tradition of tikkum
olam.
AUTHORS: Dr. L Machtinger is a pathologist and an animal rights activist. W. Selfridge is a retired engineer (BS & MBA)
and a recently-awarded, MS in Nutrition and Health Education.
REFERENCES:
1
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Health. What Are the Health Risks of
Overweight and Obesity?
2
The Permanente Journal, Tuso, Phillip J. M.D., et al. (2013). Nutritional Update for Physicians: Plant-Based Diets
JANUARY 2015
CHAI-LIGHTS
PAGE 7
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
THE CHAILIGHTS IS NOW FEATURING A COLUMN WITH A NEW RECIPE EACH MONTH. IT WOULD BE
DELIGHTFUL TO GET JEWISH ONES, BUT THIS IS NOT LIMITED TO THOSE. IF YOU HAVE ONE YOU'D LIKE
TO SHARE, PLEASE SEND IT TO: ALICE SELFRIDGE AT [email protected].
_____________________________________________________________
BAKED PUMPKIN PIE OATMEAL
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
·
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin purée
·
½ cup brown sugar
·
2 large eggs
·
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
·
½ tsp salt
·
¾ tsp baking powder
·
½ tsp vanilla extract
·
1½ cups milk
·
2½ cups dry old-fashioned oats
Instructions
1.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, brown
sugar, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking powder until smooth. Whisk in the milk
(and yogurt if using).
2.
Mix the dry oats into the pumpkin mixture. Coat an 8×8 (or similar sized) baking dish with
non-stick spray. Pour in the pumpkin oat mixture. Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven
for 45 minutes, removing the foil after the first 30 minutes.
3.
Serve hot right out of the oven or refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be eaten cold or reheated. Top with milk, maple syrup, whipped cream, or nuts.
WANT AN ELEGANT AND MEANINGFUL WAY TO COMMEMORATE AN EVENT OR HONOR
SOMEONE?
HOW ABOUT CONSIDERING MAKING A DONATION TO THE PACIFIC COMMUNITY OF CULTURAL JEWS? WE
WILL CERTAINLY PUT YOUR MONEY TO GOOD USE AND WILL NOTIFY THE PARTY IN WHOSE HONOR YOU ARE
DONATING THAT YOU HAVE DONE SO. TO MAKE YOUR DONATION, SEND A NOTE THAT EXPLAINS FOR
WHAT/WHOM YOU ARE DONATING AND THEIR CONTACT DETAILS, ALONG WITH YOUR CHECK, MADE OUT TO
PACIFIC COMMUNITY OF CULTURAL JEWS. ADDRESS IT TO: BRYON BARON, 1141 TULAROSA AVE.
ORANGE, CA 92866
JANUARY 2015
PAGE 8
CHAI-LIGHTS
OFFICERS
President:
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer:
Membership:
Hospitality:
Program Coordinators:
Publicity:
2014-2015
Leslie Zwick
Lee Jacobi `
Sylvia Rothman
Bryon Baron
Alice Selfridge
Zishia Kerr
Suzy Baron
Nancy Okamoto
Diana Bunin
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Committee and board positions:
SHJ Representative:
Board Members At Large:
Newsletter Editor
Lee Jacobi
Dan Goldberg
Greta Singer
Shirley Spiegel
Karen Knecht
Bernice Stein
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Good & Welfare/Sunshine
Alice Selfridge:
Madrikha :
Karen Knecht
[email protected]
Web Master:
Bill Selfridge
[email protected]
.
[email protected]
Chai-Lights
21152 Lockhaven Circle
Huntington Beach, CA 92646
Chai-Lights is published monthly by the
Pacific Community of Cultural Jews, Orange County, CA
Phone:562/592-0999 E-mail: [email protected],
http://www.pccjews.org
An annual (hardcopy) subscription may be purchased for $18.00.
to cover printing and mailing
For an electronic copy, please provide your e-mail address
Editor: Bernice Stein [email protected]
Affiliated with The Society for Humanistic Judaism and
The Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations