wordsetz chaim - constant...

WORDS from Etz Chaim A On the Web @ www.etzchaim-portland.org

WordsfromEtz Chaim

A

Purim / March Edition 2017

In This Issue...

Our Israel Travellers Return! (Photos & More Start on 15)

Purim Festivities Planned March 11th; Details Page 3

And Please, Join Us At Etz Chaim For Minyan, Shabbos & Special

Events — Details Inside!


WordsFrom The Rabbi

March 12th. Pay attention — it is crucial to hear every word.

When Haman’s name is mentioned, twirl graggers (noisemakers) or stamp your feet to eradicate his evil name. Tell your kids that Purim is the only time when it’s a mitzvah to make noise! The Megillah is read from a handwritten parchment scroll, using an age-old tune.

2. Give to the Needy (Matanot LaEvyonim). One of Purim’s primary themes is Jewish unity. Haman tried to kill us all. We were all in danger together, so we celebrate together, too. Hence, on Purim day we place special emphasis on caring for the less fortunate.

Give money or food to at least two needy people during the daylight hours of Purim, March 12th. Place two coins in a charity box earmarked for the poor. On Purim, we give a donation to whoever asks.

3. Send Food Gifts to Friends (Mishloach Manot). On Purim we emphasize the importance of friendship and community by sending gifts of food to friends.

On Purim day, March 12, send a package containing at least two different ready-to-eat food items and/or beverages (e.g., pastry, fruit, beverage) to at least one Jewish acquaintance during the daylight hours of Purim. It is preferable that the gifts be delivered via a third party. Children, in addition to sending their own gifts of food to their friends, make enthusiastic messengers.

4. Feast! During the course of Purim day, March 12, gather your family, maybe invite a guest or two, and celebrate with a festive Purim meal. Traditionally, this meal begins before sundown and lasts well into the evening. The table should be festively bedecked with a nice tablecloth and candles.

Wash for bread or challah, and enjoy a meal featuring meat, wine and plenty of Jewish songs, words of Torah and joyous Purim spirit. Sing, drink, laugh, have fun together.

The Story of Purim in a Nutshell

The Persian empire of the 4th century BCE extended over 127 lands, and all the Jews were its subjects. When King Ahasuerus had his wife, Queen Vashti, executed for failing to follow his orders, he orchestrated a beauty pageant to find a new queen. A Jewish girl, Esther, found favor in his eyes and became the new queen — though she refused to divulge the identity of her nationality.

Meanwhile, the anti-Semitic Haman was appointed prime minister of the empire. Mordechai, the leader of the Jews (and Esther’s cousin), defied the king’s orders and refused to bow to Haman. Haman was incensed, and convinced the king to issue a decree ordering the extermination of all the Jews on the 13th of Adar — a date chosen by a lottery Haman made (hence the name Purim, meaning“lots”).

Mordechai galvanized all the Jews, convincing them to repent, to fast and to pray to G-d. Meanwhile, Esther asked the king and Haman to join her for a feast. At the feast, Esther revealed to the king her Jewish identity. Haman was hanged, Mordechai was appointed prime minister in his stead, and a new decree was issued granting the Jews the right to defend themselves against their enemies.

On the 13th of Adar the Jews mobilized and killed many of their enemies. On the 14th of Adar they rested and celebrated

How We Celebrate

1. Hear the Megillah. Head to your synagogue to hear the whole Megillah. The Megillah, a.k.a. “The Book of Esther,” is the scroll that tells the Purim story. Listen to the public reading twice if you can… once on Purim night, and again on Purim day. This year, that’s Saturday night, March 11 and Sunday day,


Purim? We Got The Whole Megillah Saturday

March 11th At Etz Chaim!

The 8th Annual Etz Chaim Purim party is will be held Saturday evening, 11th March from 7 to 10 p.m. Among other activities, the Tricky Britches will be performing and the Purim spiel will take place at 8, entitled, Dr. Zeuss meets Shakespeare. We hear it will be a short meeting as organizers prom-ise less than a half hour. The evening will also include a wine tasting hosted by Brian Dorsk and a costume parade across the bimah prior to the spiel with prizes for the best costumes. If you enjoy food, you can make your own ice cream Sundae and try our light party snack foods, hamantaschen and more. All are welcome to this free event, though we will put out a box for do-nations. Hope to see everyone for this fun, festive holiday!


Regular Services At Etz ChaimEveryone is welcome to join us for regular services held at Etz Chaim all year round:

—Shabbat Morning — Saturdays at 9.30.Followed by Portland’s best Oneg.

—Evening Minyan every Monday at 5.

—Monthly Family Kabbalat Shabbat Service on the 2nd Friday of April & May. A prominent topical speaker will be part of each service and is included within the hour. NOTE: Due to Purim, there will be NO Friday evening ser-vice in March!


Etz Chaim Synagogue267 Congress St., Portland, Maine

04101Phone (207) 773-2339

[email protected]

Bulletin Edited By:Ted Fleischaker & Ivan Howard

WordsaboutContributing

Recent DonationsIn Memory of Don Finegold

Scott and Alise Koocher

Howard Kaplan

Linda Abramson

Jackie Robinov

Diane Sturman

Arlyne Sacks

Dr. Barry and Lori Saltz

Arthur Burton, Michael Sacks

Gerald and Selma Cope

Edith Pagelson

The Lunder Foundation

Randall Patkin

Susan Isenman

Helen Isenman

Martha and Steve Turner.

In Honor of Rabbi Berenson’s Wedding to Sindee Gozansky

Helen Isenman

Susan Isenman,

Teri Berenson

Steve and Lisa Schiffman

In appreciation to Rabbi Berenson

East End Lofts

Stan and Doris Pollack

Dr. Jeff and Paula Finegold

Seth Rigoletti and Gillian Schair

Speedy Recovery to Maria Glaser

Helen Isenman

Susan Isenman

Rabbi Berenson and Sindee Gozansky.

Kiddush Fund

Marshall and Amy TinkleSteve and Lisa Schiffman Irwin and Susan Singer.To donate, contact Rabbi Berenson. Info below left.

Etz Chaim, formerly an Orthodox congregation, is now an egalitarian, unaffiliated synagogue enjoying a resurgence in membership. All are welcome to attend weekly services on Monday Evenings and Saturday mornings, as well as once-a-month on Friday eve-nings, and for special holidays throughout the year.

Lifecycle ceremonies such as bar/bas mitzvahs, wed-dings, funerals, baby naming, and vow renewals all take place here. Contact us if you would like us to host your special event.

Etz Chaim is located in the Downtown Portland His-toric District, on the peninsula at the foot of Mun-joy Hill. The neighborhood housed so many Jewish families at the turn of the twentieth century, that it was commonly referred to as “Jerusalem of the North.”

Established in 1921, Etz Chaim is celebrating its 96th year of continuous service to Jews in Greater Portland and beyond.

Wordsabout Etz Chaim

WordsFrom The Kitchen

There was a lot I had to learn when Ivan & I moved to Portland in mid-2015 (Hard to believe it’s been almost two years!) but one of the fastest lessons I got was that, in my Midwest mind-set steaks, roasts and beef were not up to the quality I loved from Indiana, but there was a myriad of seafood which I’d never before seen in my kitchen or even on a shelf, in a cooler or laid out on ice as they do so well at Harbor Fish Market in Portland or at Dock’s Seafood in SoPo.

Allow me to say that I am aware many readers do keep Kosher and while I personally do not (and despite the fact that some-one told me at least one rabbi claimed Lobsters and Shrimp, being God’s gifts to Maine were Kosher here) I will be trying to stick to the rules and offering a seafood recipe which works with either salmon or swordfish — the latter of which I have had a very liberal education about recently. (Not kosher? Who knew?)

I will say even some experts are not sure of Swordfish’s kashrut status. In fact, The Jerusalem Post published an article (you can find it in it’s entirety at www.jpost.com/Magazine/Features/Ko-sher-conundrums) about that fact a few years back.

Let me say that 95% of what I have learned about cooking seafood has been handed to me in recipes and friends’ kitch-ens since coming to Maine. I cannot remember my usually culinarily helpful Grandma Gertrude ever offering anything “seafood” but salmon or tuna croquettes (both made with canned fish) or those fish sticks which are often more filler than fish and live in the grocery’s freezer aisle by the pizza.

As a child I can never remember mom making more than a bland oven-baked-to-death piece of fish and rarely even that as dad much enjoyed his steaks, burgers and lamb chops.

But the above being said, fish and seafood do make it to our Shabbos table here often, now that we have relocated to Maine, and two of our favourites, are salmon and that pesky swordfish. I am constantly amazed at the Kashrut rules and reasons for them, so actually preparing to do this piece got me doing some research. And what I’ve found is to most folks today (including our rabbi), swordfish is not considered Kosher... but it was not always so.

The Jerusalem Post wrote about a series of dinners a few years back where they served items which are kosher, but about which some would argue the point. In it they note, “There are still controversies regarding Zivotofsky and Greenspan’s efforts (the folks hosting the dinners), with the most emotional issue being the swordfish.

“For at least 350 years, the swordfish was treated as kosher and eaten by Jews in Mediterranean countries and later the U.S.

“In 1951, Rabbi Moshe Tendler ruled it unkosher, because scientists at the time thought swordfish had scales as juveniles

but not as adults, and for fish to be kosher, they must have fins and scales. The Chief Rabbinate here and the Conservative movement in the U.S. never accepted the ruling, which created schisms.

“We have examined them on several occasions in different places and they have always had scales,” said Zivotofsky, who urged partic-ipants at last Thursday’s meal to consider whether to eat the fish. At the meal, a 300-page source book was distributed, which contains Rabbi Tendler’s explanations and several articles and letters validat-ing the swordfish as kosher...”

So is Swordfish Kosher or not? Just like those lobsters many Maine friends eat, all this writer can say is to do what your research and conscience allow, but whatever you do, get the freshest and cleanest seafood you can. In Maine that’s an easy task for which we can be thankful. And the recipe I offer will work just fine on salmon and, for that matter, just about any fish you’d like, so Kashrut is up to you.

Key to making it work, regardless what you put it on: fish should not be overcooked. The biggest source of unhappiness with fish is it cooks fast and many cooks fail to realize and take it out of the oven or broiler before it becomes the consistency of stone and as dry as that desert we wandered for 40 years. You can always, as Ivan says, add a bit more cooking, but you cannot reverse the process, so do be vigilant and do not overcook!

The recipe for our fish topping is incredibly easy: One cup may-onnaise (or half cup mayo and half cup sour cream, but use the full fat one...the no or low fat just won’t come out right) combined with capers to taste, a couple spoons full of the caper brine and either some salt & pepper (go easy on the salt as capers are salty!) or a table spoon of this wonderful seasoning called Borsari which in Portland, Whole Foods stocks. It’s dried seasoning so it’s by the meat area on a shelf. I like several of their blends, but usually use the black label “original” one with sea salt, garlic, basil, rosemary, black pepper and just a touch of nutmeg.

For my recipe, mix the ingredients together, let sit a minute for the flavour to meld and then spread on your choice of fish before you bake or broil to taste. We usually bake ours at 400 for 5-7 minutes, flip it over and coat the other side with more of the sauce before returning it to the oven. If you want a brown bubbly topping as in our photo, switch the stove to broil for a couple minutes just before you take it out and you are done.

Whatever fish you pick, this goes well with peas or carmelized car-rots, which I’ve discussed before, but are just carrots put in a baking dish then covered with butter and Stonewall Kitchen’s orange carrot marmalade. I melt the butter, mix in the marmalade then pour the mix on the carrots before baking 45 minutes to an hour for it all to become nice and deliciously sticky.

Add some potatoes (those are our cheesy mash in one photo and Ivan’s version of a recipe we found online in the other. It’s at http://boredomtherapy.com/right-way-to-bake-a-potato/?shr=true&as=6044164971084&pas=1&bdk=b6044164971084 In either case, you’ll have a perfect Shabbos dinner when you finish and you won’t need to spend all day in the kitchen. Add a challah from your fave bakery and maybe a pie from Two Fat Cats Bakery and you are ready to enjoy!

Oh, and I bet you are wondering: It’s Purim, so where are the recipes for hamantaschen? Well, there are a ton of great ones, but this is one thing I find others make better than I. Standard Baking


informs they will have Hamantaschen this year as will Two Fat Cats, so grab a few or check out Nosher (http://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/15-mouthwater-ing-hamantaschen-recipes-for-purim/?utm_source=My-JewishLearning+Newsletter&utm_campaign=f3dae1457c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_02_27&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3c-de7e0300-f3dae1457c-28487393) and try one of their 15 recipes. Of course, you could always join us at Etz Chaim on the 11th for the Purim party and enjoy some there, too!


It’s A Winter

Wonderland...Our historic 1921 Etz Chaim building at the top of India Street is welcoming in any and all seasons, but especially so in Winter, when lights shine brightly through the windows and even on the coldest, snowiest day, a warm welcome awaits beyond the door. Come visit for a service, a performance or to see one of the art shows, but most important stop in soon and spend some time at your historic shul.


B’nai Mitzvah at Etz ChaimAre you planning for an upcoming Bar or Bat Mitzvah for your son or daughter? What bet-ter location to hold it than the beautiful and

historic Etz Chaim Synagogue?

There are still several dates open and avail-able for 2017 and 2018. Whether you are

working with a tutor or would like to have Rabbi Berenson tutor your child, consider re-serving a date for your big day. You can reach Rabbi Berenson by phone at 329-9854 or by

e-mail at [email protected].


WordsFrom Our President

It has been another notably successful and eventful year at Etz Chaim and we thank you for your participation and support!

At high holidays this year, I highlighted what we have accomplished as a congregation and house of worship and appealed to the close to 300 people in attendance to contribute as they see fit to our annual dues. Thank you so much to all of you have made a voluntary dues contribution. We greatly appreciate and count on your support.

With Rabbi Berenson now a full time paid Rabbi who performs life cycle events for congregants of all ages and conducts services every Saturday and Monday as well as the second Friday night of each month (September to June), and with the building ren-ovations now complete, we are here to serve you.

As you know, the congregation gener-ates its income from the generous support of our friends and members. The Syna-gogue relies on your generosity to donate whatever you feel is appropriate. We do not dictate what dues are, but rather ask you to evaluate what Etz Chaim means to you and to our Jewish Community.

Etz Chaim Synagogue provides religious services covering a wide spectrum of Jewish observance and practice.

Some of our services, though fully egalitarian, are in the Orthodox tradition, substantially in Hebrew. Other services are in the liberal Jewish spirit, substantially in English, as a welcoming and inclusive worship experience for many of our interfaith members. In English or in Hebrew, we are thinking and learning about the same Jewish teachings, traditions and prayers

as well as celebrating holidays together. Providing different presentations and interpretations of the same teachings allows us to serve a wider community.

Please consider supporting our mission if you haven’t already done so by sending a check to Etz Chaim Syn-agogue at 267 Congress Street, Portland, Maine 04101.If you would like to fill out a membership form please request one with your check and we will be glad to send you one.

We appreciate your support so that we may continue to expand our religious services and provide a warm and inclusive sanctuary for individuals and families who wish to assemble, learn and pray in a welcoming Jewish house of worship.B’shalom,

Marshall Tinkle


While You Are Here...We have several shows now on display at Etz Chaim, so do not miss seeing any of them when you come for minyan, Shabbos services or Onegs. From more intimate paintings to wonderful landscapes, sculptures and more, Nancy Davidson and her crew make sure that it’s all happening in the halls and on the walls. Be sure to take time to have a look next time you visit Etz Chaim. Or make a special trip just to see the art. The museum is open every day but Saturday.

Maine Jewish Museum267 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101 (207) 773-2339

Monday - Friday 10am-2pm + Sundays 1pm - 5pm or by appointment mainejewishmuseum.org

Maine Jewish Museum Presents

Exhibitions: March 9, 2017 - April 30, 2017Opening Reception: March 9, 2017, 5pm-7pm

First Friday Art Walk: April 7, 5pm-8pm

Nancy Davidson, Curator

Life: Some Assembly Required

Scaintings by Mirlea SaksFineberg Community Room

Randy Fein: Forty Years in Maine

Finding Her Way with ClaySpiegel Gallery

Jan Pieter van Voorst van Beest

Photographs of PortlandThird Floor Gallery


Families Turn Out En Masse To Mark Etz Chaim’s First-Ever

Children’s ShabbosThe Torah speaks to us of keeping our faith “from generation to generation” and at Etz Chaim we brought that full-circle recently with the first in what’s hoped will become regular “family worship” Shabbos services for our youngest generation. Over a dozen young members came with their mothers, fathers and grandparents to light Shabbos candles, say blessings over challah and grape juice and enjoy a pizza and cookies supper afterwards. Each participant got to take home his or her own pair of Shabbos candle holders and everyone — young and not-so-young — had a great time welcoming the Shabbos Queen at our first children’s service.


All Aboard For IsraelLast month Rabbi Berenson led an interfaith group of 23 people on an action packed trip to Israel. The tour included overnight stays in Tel Aviv, Northern Israel and Jerusalem. It even included a wedding at the Kotel (West-ern Wall) of Rabbi Berenson and Sindee Go-zansky. We think a great time was had by all!

It Wasn’t All Bus & Taxi!While our group did float and have fun at the Dead Sea, we did not take a traditional cruise... unless, of course, you count the one we took on these “ships of the desert”. Camel riding is not for everyone, but from the look of things, it suited our tour’s participants (at least most of them) pretty well.

Rabbi Moshe Wilansky and King Wein-stein as they first climb aboard.

Fun with camels…Left to right are Nancy Spiegel, Beth Van Gorden, Paula Adelman and Carla Marcus.


It Wasn’t All Bus & Taxi!

Sindee Gozansky and Rachael Alfond shortly after boarding their camel.

Roz Siegel and Gary Koocher as they begin their journey by camel.


Food, Glorious Food!Nothing like a bit of desert air and a lot of miles to increase the appetite, so our group had a special tent dinner in Israel. Shown dining al fresco above are, left to right, Carla Marcus, Deb and Emily Osswald, King Weinstein, John Ponzetti and Harlan Baker. While in the photo below are, left to right, Elizabeth Watson, Beth Van Gorden, Prudence Kraft, Nancy Spiegel,Roz Siegel, Gary Koocher and Rachael Alfond.


I Do!With good planning any group can go to Israel, ride camels, soak in the Dead Sea and so on, but not many can be witnesses as their rabbi gets married. Congrats to Gary and Sindee on becoming husband & wife at the Werstern Wall!


And A Few More From Our Album...


Challah and wine wecomed our group’s Shabbos in Israel (and what a Challah it was!). Also on the agenda were visits to a Halvah bar in the open air market of Machane Yehuda in Jerusalem, an amaz-

ing olive bar at Machane Yehuda, a Lamb kebab dinner at a restaurant in Tel Aviv, a bakery on the street in old Jaffa and, above, a Palestinian baker wearing a message T-shirt. It was a fast, fun and busy ten day tour!

wordsetz chaim - constant...

Documents