Answer: You are right that these grains are not amongst the foods we are required to avoid for the eight days of Passover. The grains we are forbidden to eat (or use in any way) during Pesakh are: wheat, barley, spelt, rye and oats. Of course, flour made from wheat is nowadays produced under rabbinic supervision so that it does not come in contact with water, which causes it to leaven, and from this flour, matzah and matzah-products (farfel, etc) are made.

Ashkenazic rabbis added corn, rice, millet and legumes to the list of forbidden foods on the grounds that they could be confused with the forbidden grains. These foods are permitted in Sefardic practice. Today, none of us are likely to mistake a grain of corn or rice or a bean for a grain of the forbidden foods, so many Ashkenazi Jews now eat these foods despite the traditional objection.
As for grains like quinoa and faro, there can be no objection to eating them during Pesakh, because they are clearly not on the list of forbidden foods, and there is no reason to expand the list. This will make Passover more manageable, especially for vegetarians (quinoa is a good source of protein, unusual in a grain).

I actually think that eating faro on Pesakh is appropriate: the bad guy in the Exodus narrative is, after all, Pharaoh.

Products made from grain or those that might contain some leavening agent require a hekhsher, or certificate of rabbinic supervision, to be useable during Pesakh. Things like coffee, tea, spices, sugar, salt, honey, fresh fruits and vegetables and juices and even frozen fruits and vegetables and juices (as long as no other ingredients are added) do not require a hekhsher, although many such products are marketed with one (to appeal to those who are very strict in their observance or to those who can be persuaded to pay extra for a hekhsher when it is not actually required!)

Derekh Agav (By the way): there are a lot of customs about foods permitted or not during Pesakh, based on experiences in the places where our ancestors came from in Europe. For example, the Jews who came to Winnipeg in the late 19th or early 20th century brought with them a prohibition against eating cabbage during Passover. Some research in the 1950s revealed that over the winter in Poland, people protected cabbages from worms by pasting the outer leaves together with a flour-and-water paste, which indeed made the cabbages unacceptable during Pesakh. Since we do not store cabbages that way anymore, even Winnipeg Jews now eat cabbage during Pesakh.

You can buy this delicious holiday children’s book by clicking this link (affiliate link, a small percentage of your purchase will benefit JFC!)

I attended the pot-luck dinner this past Shabbat, and had a great time. I’d encourage you all to attend the next one. Guess what was on the menu? let see if you’ll know what I made (and yes, this time, I did actually make something without cheating!).

Next date to put on your calendars is Feb 17, 2012.

Last Shabbat, the service was led by the Temple’s Youth Group. It was a huge successs and this was the sentiment shared by all who expressed something about it after the service  (including the Rabbi and Cantor).

This is what Leslie, our Religious School Director wrote in particular:

People had the nicest things to say.  I especially want to thank Sierra for preparing a d’var Torah, Andrew for helping to coordinate the service, and Jeremy for organizing the music.

Everyone else involved made the service inclusive for all to see what great things can happen when teenagers put their efforts together!  This was a presentation comprising close to 15 members and that is not an easy thing to pull off.  I think the use of the stage was wonderful, too.  Our three guitarists rocked the house! Maybe next time we can plug in (electric guitars) and use some funky lighting.

For those who could not make it to JFC that night, we missed you and hope you can be there to help plan and execute the next Rock Shabbat (which is scheduled for Friday February 10th, 2012 mark your calendar!).

It was such a special night for JFC and I was happy that long-time members with no children in tow made it out to join us, too.  That is an additional sign that this kind of thing is exciting for one and all.  Actually, there was not an empty seat in the sanctuary.  And thanks, too, for those who came out in pajamas.

The grade 4-6 pizza/game board event was also so much fun.  The kids were wild with excitement.  Thanks for your help with that, as well.  With over 30 participants and parent volunteers… the whole building came alive.  I very much enjoyed playing circle games with these kids on the floor of the garden room while the Youth Group had their final rehearsal.  It felt like summer camp all over again.

Thanks again and shavua tov (a good week to all)!!!!

“When a person eats and drinks in celebration of a festival, he is obligated to feed converts, orphans, widows, and others who are destitute and poor. In contrast, a person who locks the gates of his courtyard and eats and drinks with his children and his wife, without feeding the poor and the embittered, is not indulging in rejoicing associated with a mitzvah, but rather the rejoicing of his gut … This rejoicing is a disgrace…”

(Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Sh’vitat Yom Tov 6:18)

Sukkot is the Jewish/Biblical harvest festival.

Tishah B’Av, which means the “Ninth of Av”, refers to a traditional day of mourning the destruction of both ancient Temples in Jerusalem. In contrast to Orthodoxy, Reform Judaism has never assigned a central religious role to the ancient Temple. Therefore, mourning the destruction of the Temple in such an elaborate fashion did not seem meaningful. More recently, in Reform Judaism Tishah B’Av has been transformed into a day to remember many Jewish tragedies that have occurred throughout history.

This year, Tisha b’Av occurs on the 9th of August – Av, August, both on the 9th of the month, those are just coincidences of course. But they strike me as such. Traditionally for me, August is a month when I am rushing to prepare for the back-to-school months, that are always hectic, as a for a lot of parents.

Pausing and slowing down to reflect on Jewish history is a good thing.

Some of my friends observe the fast of Tisha b’Av very seriously. I honor and respect that, although I personally never fast. But I do take seriously the ambiance that surrounds the sad holiday, and I am impressed by the message it displays. Because the Temple was destroyed not only once, but twice, and because traditionally the explanation for these destructions lay in the hatred that was tearing up the Jewish people, I always find it interesting to think about the crisis that are still dividing us, as a people and as a nation.

I am very eager to work towards reconciliation when conflicts arise. Such resolution is a difficult endeavor, but it is definitely worth working on.

In this spirit, I invite everyone to reflect and find the areas where division and disagreement are susceptible to destroy something that we deeply care for. And to join in to find healthy ways to resolve.

May the places we love always be rebuilt when they crumble.

To learn more about Tisha B’Av

I am happy to chant those verses again, especially that in the meantime I have practiced learning trope and had many opportunities to chant again, not that it is becoming easier, but with practice, it always feels less intimidating and stressful!

I love this parshah anyway. So when I dropped that same son to Eisner camp yesterday, I couldn’t pass on taking a picture that I was sure wouldn’t be a very good one (I didn’t have my glasses on, what was I thinking?!) but that will make my memories even more vivid.

parshat Chukat - Numbers 19:1 - 22:1

Join us on Friday July 1, at 7:30 pm at Jewish Family Congregation and hear me chant the torah portion! All are welcome to our shabbat services.

An agricultural festival

Shavuot is coming! This year, the festival that concludes the time of Passover will start at sundown on June 7th, 2011 and last for two days.

The holiday has so many names, one being Z’man Matan Torateinu, Time of the Giving of the Torah, and I am mentioning it, because this year I am for the first time, working on learning how to chant the Ten Commandments!

This is a very exciting time of the year, when we celebrate maturity, especially with our religious school students who completed a new cycle and will present their thoughts about their Jewish identity. I hope to see you there!

Image via Wikipedia

Reading the Megillah

is to be done at least in a minyan (quorum of ten) but it is preferable that a person should go the synagogue where all the people have assembled to hear the reading together.

This coming together to hear the reading is opposite Haman’s claim that the Jews are ‘scattered and dispersed’. We unite in the synagogue to hear the Megillah reading.

Mishloach Manot,

the sending of food presents to our friends and neighbors

It generates good will towards each other. The more one can send to as many friends, the more he cements bonds of good will that will make him a valued person in the community and not just one person out there. In addition, the people who receive the food stuff feel honored by the gifts. This type of unity is in the heart. Not only do men send presents to their friends and women to their friends, but children are encouraged to send food presents to their friends as well. This adds to the greater unity amongst us.

Matanot L’Evyonim is giving alms to people in need.

Nothing is as bad as being an indigent person who must beg for his necessities. When we go out of our way to help our impoverish brethren, we show them that we as individuals care. We do not leave their plight to some cold-hearted institution to help them, but rather we seek them out and send them money. This brightens their hearts and makes them feel part of the community; they are cared for and they know it. This is an example of unity by bringing people into the community who feel totally left out.

The festive meal (Mishtah) also, we are instructed not to make it just a family affair, but rather to invite others into our houses. We open our doors and tell others to come join us for there is no comparison of joy and happiness when we are alone to that of when we are with others. In fact the more people who join us, the greater is the simcha and joy of the Purim feast.

Source: The Jewish Magazine, edition 2007

Related articles

• Mishloach Manot (thejc.com)
• The Whole Megillah (bejewish.wordpress.com)
• Turning Purim on its head with social action instead of drunkenness (jta.org)
• Purim 2011: What You Need To Know (huffingtonpost.com)

Shabbat Shirah is the shabbat of songs. The weekly torah portion includes Exodus chapter 15 when Moses started to sing with the children of Israel, a shir l’adonai, a song of praise to the Eternel.

It is JFC’s tradition to hold a Michamokhathon on Shabbat Shirah, singing Mi Chamokha on as many different tunes as we can imagine (and actually sing).

So will you be with us next time?

See last year’s post about Mi Chamokha