Food: It's How We Connect

CHRONICLETHE A PUBLICATION OF CONGREGATION NEVEH SHALOM Food: It's How We Connect ISSUE NO. 4 MARCH/APRIL 2020 Harvesting Joy Rabbi's Corner By Rabbi David Kosak ome of my favorite writers are The history of a culture can thus food historians such as Mark be told powerfully by the accom- Kurlansky, who tells the story panying history of that culture’s of civilizations in books such cuisine. How were foodstuffs as Cod and Salt. Then, on my grown? Were they imported? Sshort list of cookbooks are a handful What customs surrounded com- which transcend their category, unfold- munal meals? Future historians ing culture and teaching enduring les- will undoubtedly explore Oreos sons of what it means to be human. and Pringles to describe contem- porary America just as much as One of those is Patience Gray’s 1986 they will analyze those nature-lov- masterwork, Honey from a Weed. It was ing Portlanders who raise chickens a life-changing book for me, recounting and vegetables in their yards. the years she and “the sculptor” spent “fasting and feasting in Tuscany, Catalo- Our Jewish food ways also paint nia, the Cyclades and Apulia.” Much of a vivid picture of how our ances- that world may have disappeared, as tors lived. It is fascinating to know modernity and consumer society have that many of our recipes go back reached even the hardscrabble places of to Talmudic or even Biblical times. which she wrote. Yet what is particularly instructive about Judaism and food is how I’d like to propose that the moral foun- Yet some of the wisdom she relays is we wedded morality to cuisine. dation of Jewish food culture, outlined timeless and counterintuitive to our above, has been supported and transmit- world of overconsumption. “Poverty The Torah enjoins us to care for the ted in a most unusual manner—through rather than wealth gives the good things downtrodden, the hungry, and the our proscribed blessings of enjoyment of life their true significance. Home- poor. It established multiple forms of over bread, wine and produce. According made bread rubbed with garlic and agricultural assistance, such as peah, to our spiritual understandings, all food, sprinkled with olive oil, shared—with a shikh’chah, and leket, which ensured like the earth itself, belongs to God. By flask of wine—between working people that the corners of the fields were left reciting a blessing, we are transferring can be more convivial than any feast.” for the indigent, along with forgotten ownership out of the divine realm and sheaves of grain and produce that fell into the human. That’s the Talmudic ex- This is not romanticization of those who during harvesting. planation for why we sayHamotzi before are impoverished—for during this time, indulging in a little challah. she and her husband had as little as the Torah and Rabbinic law set up systems locals. Rather, it was a discovery of the of taxation, such as a tithe for the poor, So it’s hardly accidental that for Jews, abundance found in simple things and ma’aser oni. And in the modest towns our food ways and morality are intrin- the gratitude that wells up in response. and cities of antiquity, Jews created a sically linked. What we have doesn’t Food, you see, is primal. It touches us in mobile food pantry, known as the tam- belong to us—not totally. When even a the deepest places. chui. Those who didn’t have food suffi- gefilte fish belongs to the Holy One, our cient for the day could utilize it. Families need to share what we have with others It is doubtful that humans would have who might have a bit more food would becomes clear. sung, composed poetry, or developed supplement it from a different program. the plastic arts if we had not first tamed The Mishnah even established a poverty It’s probably true that many Jews don’t fire and transformed previously ined- line. People whose income fell below it understand that this is the underlying ible food into high calorie meals. That were eligible for the full range of social reason for reciting blessings over food. bought us time each day for creativity. supports. Still, this is how culture works—values Continued on page 4 Page 2 | The Chronicle www.nevehshalom.org The Bread of Affliction Rabbi's Corner and Connection By Rabbi Eve Posen s many of you know, for the differences between halal and the last four years our CNS kosher meat, to explore the differ- community has been a part ent ways each religion approaches of the Abrahamic Thanks- communal meals, and to look for giving service and meal in caterers and businesses who would Aconjunction with Westminster Presby- join us as partners, knowing that terian Church and the Muslim Educa- breaking bread together is how we tional Trust. The concept came about learn about each other. Food builds from one of Westminster’s parishioners, community. Dr. Ameen Ramzy. The idea is a simple one: we come together as brothers and As a rabbi, I am often amazed at sisters of the faiths that originated with how much of my professional life Abraham, we take part in a short ser- revolves around knowing who has vice with reflections from each faith on what food allergies or making sure the specific theme, and then we break enough sustenance is provided at bread together. every program and event. And can you guess the topic of the feedback I receive most "We must stand up to injustice often after programs? Yes, everywhere, we must build it’s the food. Food builds community. bridges in support of one another, and only when we do As we make our way closer to the world. “They tried to oppress us, we two significant Jewish holidays, successfully rose up and resisted, now that are we all able to eat and Purim and Passover (or if we re- let us all eat.” That is to say, our work be sustained." fer to them by their respective in this world is to fight for justice, and foods, “hamantaschen” and we’re acknowledging that fight by com- “matzah”), I’m sure we’ll be re- ing together communally. While the service itself is a wonderful minded of the humorously generic Jew- opportunity for outreach and connec- ish holiday formula, “they tried to kill us, “Let all who are hungry come and eat” tion among congregants, as leaders of we survived, let’s eat.” And truthfully, doesn’t just apply to Passover; it is our different faiths, we’ve actually learned that usually does tell part of the story creed. We must stand up to injustice so much about each other through the of our holidays. However, Rabbi Jonah everywhere, we must build bridges in planning and implementation process. Pesner of the Religious Action Center support of one another, and only when Just the preparation for the dinner alone reframed these words in a way that I be- we do that are we all able to eat and be offered opportunities to teach about lieve better contextualizes our work in sustained. Help Us: Access To Food Should Not Be An Affliction Each month, a diverse group of Neveh well stocked. Your help for this is most mushrooms (5 4-oz cans); Pasta sauce Shalom members come together to cook appreciated. Food can be dropped off at (10 24-oz jars); Artichoke hearts (any); for Outside In (more on page 10). These the front office. Tomato paste (20 6-oz cans); Tomato meals provide tremendous comfort to sauce (30 15-oz cans); Elbow macaroni the teens who receive them. Tuna fish (22 5-oz or 9 12-oz cans); (4 pounds); Penne or other pasta (4 Black beans (20 15-oz cans); Enchilada pounds); Brownie mixes (12 boxes); Head chef Rick Botney regularly needs sauce (5 19-oz cans or 4 28-oz cans); Aluminum pans (up to 40 pans: 12x16 the following items to keep the kitchen Diced green chiles (20 4-oz cans); Sliced or 12x20 size). Page 3 | The Chronicle www.nevehshalom.org Dreamy Food Cantor's Corner By Cantor Eyal Bitton once had a dream. It may not be as spite the apparent silliness of significant as Dr. Martin Luther King, this dream, I was witnessing Jr's, but let me tell you about it. It’s a something special: the great real dream. Honestly. I am not mak- beauty of the Jewish people ing this up. and the great beauty of the I land of Israel. The land of Is- In my dream, I found myself floating rael was, to me, beautiful, above the Judean desert, just outside Je- and, yes, even sweet and de- rusalem. If you’ve ever been to Hebrew licious! University on Mount Scopus, you’ve probably seen this view. These desert In reality, besides the land of hills are speckled around the desert. It’s Israel itself being beautiful breathtaking to see their natural beau- (and delicious), the food of ty and to know that the eyes of Biblical Israel is just phenomenal. It’s kings and prophets were witness to the one of the highlights of any same sight. trip to Israel. Beyond the food itself, what it repre- sents is a beautiful "Israel’s Jewish population is a commentary on the far greater mix of Ashkenazi, Jewish people. And that demographic reality is reflect- Sephardi, and Mizrachi than In America, if you ask some- ed in their food. Before the Shema on America's Jewish population.

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