The Story of Purim is recorded in the Book of Esther.   When Mordechai, a Jewish member of the king’s court and relative of the Queen refused to bow down to Haman, the Grand Vizier to King Ahasuerus of Persia, he planned to kill all the Jews in the empire by hanging. Haman’s plans were foiled by…

Rabbi Amy and I have been working to introduce “Diversity of Judaism” into the Bshul curriculum.  Jews certainly don’t all look the same and depending on where we come from there are differences to our cooking ingredients and recipes.  This year in Bshul we have mostly focused on Ashkenazi (European decent) & Israeli recipes.  With my…

“Tikkun Olam” (“world repair”) in Judaism has come to connote social action.  The phrase is found in the Mishnah, a body of classical rabbinic teachings.   This concept is defined by acts of kindness performed to perfect or repair the world.  Bshul is partnering with Beth El’s “Food for Thought” social action committee.  This group is working…

Religious School Zayin and Chavarim students are teaming up to prepare and serve dinner to Family Promise of Southwestern Pennsylvania (FPSWPA).  FPSWA brings the community together in a local partnership to help families experiencing homelessness.  Families receive evening meals and overnight accommodations from local churches and spend daytime hours in Day Centers as they work…

Tu BiShvat is a minor Jewish Holiday occuring on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat, which in 2016 coincides with January 25th.   In Pittsburgh the cold abounds, but in Israel it is the season when the earliest blooming trees begin a new fruit bearing cycle. This holiday is also called “Rosh Hashanah La…

This past fall, the Zayin class baked rugelach for their Tikun Olam project, which involves preparing and serving dinner to Family Promise (a local shelter.)  Rugelach is a Jewish pastry of Ashkenazic origin.  Traditional rugelach are made in the form of a crescent by rolling a triangle of dough around a filling.  We used this recipe…

Hot pretzels are a favorite food of many people, and our Beth El Religious school students are no different.  To add a Jewish component to this popular snack, the STEAM Team rolled their pretzel dough into the shape of Mogan David before baking!  The dairy recipe (below) is adapted from the New Jewish Cookbook and…

Need to cook A LOT of latkes?  Want to actually eat latkes with your guests?  Try this tested and delicious oven method to fry your latkes. Prepare your latkes (I use Deb Moidel’s winning Latke Throwdown recipe) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Place 1/2 cup of oil on a cookie sheet with a lip.…

Sufganiyah (plural Sufganiyot) is a round jelly doughnut eaten in Israel and around the world on the Jewish Festival of Hanukkah. Jews have adopted the custom of eating fried foods to remember the miracle associated with the Temple oil.  After the army of Antiochus IV  had been driven from the Temple, the Maccabees discovered that almost…

With Hanukkah right around the corner I am sharing some of my holiday home decor, which creates a festive ambiance for the Festival of Lights. A fun tablecloth or silver table runner with themed centerpiece can get you started. Create a centerpiece by  fill a vase or hurricane glass with candy gelt or dreidles &…