Ethical Jewish Food Movement

Just so happens, that I got a call the other day from a lovely Denver Post reporter about the Jewish ethical food movement. She was looking for a statement from the JCC about why this is important to add to her piece about Rabbi Soloway and his work in Boulder. We talked for... maybe 30-40 minutes. :) We talked about how the ancient Jews agricultural laws guide us today. How we know now that letting land rest between planting helps the output and Judaism guides us in these things. We spoke about how impossible it is to get out of season produce in Israel and you really understand how food grows when and how it matches up to our calendar. Apples are harvested at Rosh Hashanah. Olives are picked and pressed and the oil is ready at Chanukah time. We spoke about how deeply Judaism and food and agriculture are linked. 10DAVIS-articleLargeAnd we talked about how my husband and I grew our own horseradish this year for the first time to have a piece of our garden on the Seder table. That's the part she mentions here, in her article. P.S. Here is our NYTimes article where she found out about how we got engaged. :) I believe that Judaism is about mindfulness and that extends to our food. When we say brachot over our food before we eat it, it bring a mindfulness about what we are going to ingest. When we seek out Kosher food, it brings a mindfulness to our lives that we can't bypass. We can't 'shovel' food in our mouths. We have to think about what and when we eat. And now, Dan and I have added an aspect. When we grow the food we eat, we add a mindfulness to the whole process. Your tomatoes aren't in season yet. Please G-d, we can't have a hail storm today! Everything was nearly ready! So I am thankful that she gave me an opportunity to speak about a topic I am passionate about. Get ready for many more garden posts this summer. Cruciferous vegetables are in the ground along with beets, carrots, radishes, peas, beans, turnips, and rutabegas. Maybe if it stops snowing the rest of our seedlings will hit the dirt soon. We are wishing everyone a Chag Pesach Sameach, Happy Passover. If you are looking for a last minute dessert for your seder, check our Kosher food blog, Kosher, She Eats for my Great-Grandmother's (Nanny) Passover Sponge Cake Recipe.

A Perfect Book of Psalms

Since my husband and I got married, we have been doing the merge of two homes dance. You know how this goes...I have a crockpot, you have a crockpot... my crockpot is newer... sell the old.I have a couch, you have a couch... your couch is nicer... sell mine.One thing that has been fun is the coming together of our books. Daniel doesn't have too many in his house (not for lack of having books, rather because most at boxed up at his parents' house) but I came with two bookshelves PLUS (not counting the work themed books I keep in my office at work).tehillimLNow I don't know how you organize books (I found out the other night that a friend and her husband do it by color... that's cool) but I do it by subject and author. I have a shelf of "authors I know/am related to," a shelf of old school books I still love, fiction, non-fiction, theatre... and Judaica. My Judaica shelf is exploding. I love collecting, not only interesting books, but also different types of prayerbooks and Torahs (chumashim), etc.I was recently gifted with a BEAUTIFUL book of Tehillim (psalms) to review for a friend in New York. He, Rabbi Chaim Miller, is an AMAZING man in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Not only is he warm and welcoming in his home but he is knowledgeable and fascinating. I feel pretty confident recommending any new book he comes out with. Rabbi Miller is part of the brains behind Kol Menachem. Here's a little about Kol Menachem from their website:

The critically acclaimed Kol Menachem series represents the very best in English judaica. Our books boast finely crafted bindings, award-winning typography and an unparalleled richness of content.Kol Menachem also believes that the quality of information must be matched by the quality of presentation. The use of stunning graphics, professional fonts, multiple commentaries, background material, diagrams and charts as well as insightful notes ensures a multifaceted and far-reaching learning experience in all our publications.The exceptional lucidity and intellectual rigor of Kol Menachem's presentations are thanks to the skilful pen of our chief editor, Rabbi Chaim Miller. Rabbi Miller's achievement as an international scholar is substantiated by the vast dissemination of his works as well as the acclaim and prestige they have won him amongst his colleagues and in the educational and religious communities in which his works circulate.

The thing about Kol Menachem is, it's not your grandpa's siddur. They look beautiful on your bookshelves but they also draw you deeper into the text once you crack it open. Looking for an easy to read, beautiful chumash (Torah)? Check out their version here.When Rabbi Miller asked me to review his new tehillim, I couldn't say no. I have a soft spot for tehillim. When I can't pray, when I can't find a way to communicate with G!d, I turn to the psalms. Years ago I learned that you "have" a psalm for each year. Many years, I found that "my" psalm was so accurate for what I was going through and what I needed at the time. Here's how you calculate: take your age (32) add one (making it 33) and that is your psalm for the year. Why? When you turn 32, you are going into your 33 year. Anyway, I love psalms. My issue is that my Hebrew is not good enough yet to read in lashon kodesh (the holy language) so I am always looking for options with a GOOD English translation and one that is easy to follow or pop over to the Hebrew when I can.Not only does the new Kol Menachem Tehillim have large print Hebrew AND English but it has something I have never seen in a book of psalms before. At the bottom of the page, just like in a chumash, it offers "Classic Questions" and "Toras Menachem." The Classic Questions offer insights and clarifications just as you would find in a chumash. Points that may seem unclear to an observer are clarified in a familiar place, at the bottom of the page. However, it is the Toras Menachem that is just fascinating. It is based on commentary from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson. If you read the forward, you learn that this task was not as easy as it sounds. Yes, the Rebbe (as Rabbi Schneerson is referred to) gave many speeches but he did not spend a lot of time on the psalms. Rabbi Miller and his team spent a long time reviewing the Rebbe's discourses, sermons, farbrengens, and other times psalms may have been mentioned. Rabbi Miller took the teachings from the Rebbe and shared these insights in a language we can understand.Like I said earlier, Kol Menachem books are not only interesting and educational but beautiful for your bookshelf. I highly recommend this volume. I know our home is richer for it.The details:Here is information about this volume of tehillim from Kol Menachem:

Tehillim (Book of Psalms) - The Schottenstein Edition Price: $39.99 The luxurious, hand-crafted Schottenstein Edition Tehillim, represents the very peak of English Judaica. World-class typography by an award-winning designer, with gold and red-wine highlights, makes each page of this classic a rich feast for the eyes. An exceptionally lucid, flowing translation, is adorned with fascinating insights culled from over 200 traditional commentaries. A special feature is the Toras Menachem, inspirational commentaries from the late Lubavitcher Rebbe on Tehillim which have never been published before in English. The hand tooled faux-leather cover and luscious cream paper makes this the ideal gift.6 1/2" x 9 1/4", 480 pages, ISBN: 978-1-934152-35-5

To purchase, either click anywhere in the description above or click here - Kol Menachem Tehillim.Here are some sample pages -Tehillimsample_pg39 Tehillimsample_pg38 Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book to review for free.

Mandy Patinkin at JFS Luncheon

I had the pleasure of listening to Mr. Patinkin speak at the Jewish Family Service luncheon here in Colorado. He was a joy to listen to and he sang a little bit of a song a the end in English and Yiddish. Here are my tweets from the event and the sound bite at the end. 

 

 

 

oops... break the bread to come back together

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mandy Patinkin Singing at JFS

 

Jewish Family Service of Colorado Video

A Shabbat of Peace For All

I am taking a moment out of my day to stop reading about the impeding war in Israel... to stop looking at pictures of dead and injured children on both sides... to stop drafting messages from my CEO to our community on what is going on in Israel...Why? (Other than the obvious answer of, that is all insanely depressing) To say to all of you... 

SHABBAT SHALOM

 Let this be a sabbath of peace. For the Israelis. For the Gazans and Palestinians. For my friends and family who are in target zones. For the  bitter armchair internet warriors who call people on the other side horrible names and accuse them of horrible acts. For each and every one of us. 

Helping the Victims of Hurricane Sandy - Tikkun Olam

There are many ways to help Hurricane Sandy victims. I wanted to share a post here from a friend on Facebook, Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz who runs Uri L'Tzedek (Awaken to Justice) - a Jewish organization committed to making this world a better place.This was posted today: November 2, 2012

If you are looking for opportunities for today to volunteer in NYC:1. There is a shelter on 192nd and Audobon (inside the public school) that needs volunteers.2. 200 East 5th street at 10:30am to distribute food and supplies. Bring dry food (granola bars, sandwiches, etc)3. The Mazel School is still requesting volunteers today at 2901 Brighton 6th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11235, and donations at http://www.donatemazel.com4. The Jewish Community Project and Chabad will be meeting at 1 PM today in front of Independence Plaza (310 Greenwich Street) to assist the elderly in those buildings. Please bring extra flashlights, water, batteries, and supplies, in case it is needed.
For Sunday:Uri L'Tzedek is joining with the Jewish Center and Ansche Chesed to visit the elderly on the UWS. Although they did not lose power, the hurricane was frightening and many regular visitors were unable to stop by this week. Come comfort these elderly members of our community by making packages at the Jewish Center and bringing them to the Jewish Home and to other members of the community.Sunday, November 4th at 10:30 am at the Jewish Center (131 West 86th Street, New York, NY 10024 ) and the program concludes at 1:30 pm. A light lunch will be served upon your return. This program is part of UJA-Federation of NY’s Jewish Social Action Month.Additionally, you can see more opportunities listed by Repair the World.
In addition, my organization - Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado - is collecting donations to give to our headquarters in NYC (Jewish Federations of North America). If you are, like me, not in NYC and can't volunteer, consider making a gift to help the Jewish communities recover in NYC. Go to http://jewi.sh/hurricanesandy to donate.
Lastly, a friend of mine who is from Denver... but who I met is Israel has been impacted. Her sister's home and Chabad house was washed away with nothing but the clothing on her back and one picture surviving. Her family is without a home and all their seforim (Jewish holy books) have been destroyed. If you want to make a donation specifically to only this family, read their story by clicking here then donate!
I hope everyone has a place to be for shabbat and that we move into next week with some joy!

How does our garden grow?

In March, a friend asked me if I would be interested in meeting a guy friend of hers. "He's a really nice guy and very cute," she told me. "Sure," I said, "send me a picture?" She did and man, was this guy cute.We spoke for the first time in the beginning of April (2012). Halfway through our first date, I texted my roommate, "This is the man I am going to marry."Our dating experience could have been typical... dinners out, movies, etc. But our romance was far from that. About our second or third date, I told him about the garden I was setting up. You see, that winter I had put my name on a list to get a community garden plot at Ekar Farm here in Denver. Ekar is a part of the Denver Urban Gardens movement but it is more than a community garden. There is also a farm that produced almost 6,500 pounds of organic produce and donated it to Jewish Family Service's Weinberg Food Pantry. They have honey bees and apple trees and it is quite a beautiful place... but it wasn't that beautiful on April 1st when I saw my overgrown plot for the first time. I started to think I was a little out of my league.But then I met this guy... or as he is referred to on this blog, Sweet Boyfriend. You see, I invited him to join me at the garden one Sunday (after our third date) to help me clear out the plot and turn over the soil.We went to the garden with another friend of mine and pulled weeds. We cleared the old radishes out of the plot and he hand tilled the soil. Then we put bat poop and earthworm 'castings' (it's a fancy word for poop) on the soil. We tilled that and watered and watered and watered.He showed me how to set up the garden and we put some seeds in the ground. A few of my favorite veggies... carrots, beans, beets... he smiled nicely and let me do it... even though it wasn't the right season.But as our garden began to grow, and it did begin to grow... because he put MORE seeds in and starter plants, so did our relationship. On Sundays we would go to the garden and water and pick. Most days of the week he would water... unless I managed to get out of the door on time or he was out of town. I was so proud of this little plot of land! I didn't want to 'break' it.We read about gardens, he was growing tomatoes out of pots on his back porch. AND he had a garden at his parents house... he was now master gardener of THREE gardens!And then something magical happened. Just as we saw the seeds begin to sprout, he took me to a very cute bar and told me he loved me and had known he loved me for a while. I couldn't help but tell him that I had loved him for a while as well.Our love had sprouted.We both traveled in and out of town. We started spending every second of every day that we had available together. Phone calls to parents were missed... friends forgot what we looked like. We were absorbing each other. And so were our plants.Our empty plot began to have tiny plants. My impatience led to many conversations with these little guys, begging them to grow big and give me delicious food... little did I know...Our little plants needed support and care. Sweet Boyfriend bought poles and netting... stepping stones and organic plant food. Every time I visited the garden, there were new surprises.Every time I looked at Sweet Boyfriend, the depth of love I felt for him surprised me. How could I love him so very much in just two months, three months?! While he and I both remained somewhat skeptical and trying to think critically... though he more than I (which you know if you know us). But there was a tug there that was undeniable. To think of life without him... I draw a blank.And then, we produced our first vegetable. His name was Bob and he was a Calabacita. It means squash in Spanish but it is an actual kind squash. I WAS SO PROUD! In fact, I took the opportunity to freak out my parents by sending them an email with the subject line: "Sweet Boyfriend and I are proud to announce..."Yes, they were mad at me when they opened the email and it said - "Our first squash named Bob!" :) Bob was incredibly delicious. We went on to eat many Bobs... son of Bob, tiny Bob, giant Bob... Bob is good.Yes, that is Bob in the picture. We had no idea what he was at first but to taste the fruits of our labor? To eat something that we had grown together? Incredible. We ate him on Fourth of July... which was the same day that we as a couple, for the first time, hosted people at Sweet Boyfriend's house for a BBQ.We continued to show the world that our relationship was bearing fruit (or vegetables... or Bobs as the case may be).And yes, our relationship continued to evolve and grow. We met each others families and best friends. We even flew to Ann Arbor, Michigan so I could meet Sweet Boyfriend's very best friend from college. We created Jewish traditions for Shabbat and Havdallah. We got tickets to our first High Holy Days together.And then yesterday, Thursday September, 27th, 2012... as our garden was in full bloom, Sweet Boyfriend... my best friend... asked me to marry him in our garden. The garden that we nurtured and helped grow. The garden that has now produced nearly 250 pounds of produce. And, as I promised so many friends... here is how he did it:We are currently sharing a car as his blew up prior to a camping trip. He needed it yesterday for work so he dropped me off at my job in the morning. He came to pick me up after work. We had talked about maybe working out that afternoon but first we HAD to stop by the garden. It had been a rainy and cool few days and with Yom Kippur, we hadn't been to the garden in a couple of days. He lured me there with the notion that our watermelon... yes we grew a watermelon!!! might be ready.That day I had forwarded him an email from the minyan (a lay led synagogue) that we had been attending, suggesting that we should join and do a couples membership. He told me "Whoa, lo0k you have to give me a night to think about this. Joining a synagogue as a couple is a big step. I mean, it says something, especially if we aren't even engaged!"I could kick myself! How could I do that?! Scaring off the Sweet Boyfriend is NOT a good idea!So we proceeded to the garden. I flitted around... picking zucchinis and patty-pans while Sweet Boyfriend is off in a corner. La la la... no worries in the world.Sweet Boyfriend says: "Babe! Come here! You have to see this!"I come running. Is it a awesome squash? A yellow patty-pan? I come running. Just as I get to him, he turns around, looks me in the eyes and says: "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."   I froze. Holy crap. That isn't a squash. That is a ring. A beautiful ring."Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," I said."Can I put this thing on your finger before I drop it in the dirt?" Sweet Boyfriend said.Of course. And though, after a touch of canoodling in the garden, I was ready to get back to picking... he informed me that it was all just a ruse to get me there. And there is champagne on ice at home. And we are going out to dinner.Whoa, can this man plan!When it was all said and done, he has been planning this for a while. He spoke to my father at break the fast after Yom Kippur, the day before, to get permission. His folks have seen and approved of the ring (and me).He became a diamond expert and purchased me a stone cut in a vintage style... to match my vintage style... and he proposed to me in the garden we grew together.  So I must tell you this, I promised him I would not use his name online. He is a phantom like that... but he is no longer Sweet Boyfriend and Sweet Fiancee seems so temporary. Since, to us, this is as good as permanent... May I introduce you to Sweet Husband? Whoa, that was weird to write. :)

New Facebook Marketing Tactic

I recently spoke at a Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) training session about social media with a dear friend and SM phenom, Shana Sisk. While we were talking through some tactics, I mentioned that Facebook has a new marketing tactic that I have found very useful. They are calling it "Promoted Posts." I did not realize until then that this hadn't been rolled out system-wide yet. I am very thankful that Facebook choose me and my business page - Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado - to test this new option. It really came in handy with the recent disasters that have struck Colorado (fires and the movie theatre shooting).When we were faced with these tragedies, the Jewish community mobilized and wanted to give back to our neighbors. The Federation opened funds for donations and we distributed the money to agencies on the ground. I found the promoted post option was incredibly useful to get the word out.How does it work? I wrote a post on the business page and it gave me the option to "promote" it. I decided to check it out so I spent $5 each on two posts. By promoting the post, you show up in more newsfeeds, not just people who have 'liked' your business or are a 'fan' of your page.  This broadens your reach and you end up with a higher rate of views. For example, on our two posts that we 'promoted,' we saw this:

  • Wildfire post
    • Organic: 1,131 views
    • Viral: 496 views
    • Paid: 989 views
    • Total: 2,006
  • Movie theatre shooting post
    • Organic: 801 views
    • Viral: 142 views
    • Paid: 2,068 views
    • Total: 2,884

Without the promotion, we usually average 1,000 views... clearly, the promotion helped the movie theatre shooting post do very well and it gave a nice boost to the wildfire post. Each of those cost me $5. It is set up just like traditional PPC or PPI advertising but it is in the stream of Facebook consciousness in your newsfeed. I highly recommend trying it out when it is rolled out to you.One of my favorite sites for social media information, HubSpot, posted this great blog about the new promoted posts. I found it very helpful and hope you do as well. Click here to read: Facebook Tests Promoted Posts in News Feeds of Non-Fans.Has this been rolled out to you yet? Have you tried it? Let me know! 

Religiously Observant Athletes

It is fascinating to hear the stories already coming out of the Olympics, especially regarding religiously observant athletes.In particular, the intersection of Ramadan and the Olympics this year.The Islamic calendar is a purely lunar one. What this means is, their months float around on the secular, Gregorian calendar. Thus the month in which they must fast, Ramadan, falls in different seasons. This can become an advantage when the days are short and so are the fasts.Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars are:

  1. Shahadah - the declaration of faith.
  2. Salat - praying five times a day.
  3. Zakat - giving charity.
  4. Sawm - fasting during Ramadan.
  5. Hajj - pilgrimage to Mecca.

To me, these five pillars are the 'biggies' in Islam, like we have our 'biggies' in Judaism. If I had to identify them, I would probably say they are: Fasting on Yom Kippur, lighting shabbat candles, saying the Sh'ma, giving tzedakah (charity), and remembering our journey out of Egypt (aka Passover). I think it's nice to have the five most important actions/ideals laid out for you like that.Anyway, back to Ramadan. So this year, the month long fast falls during the Olympics. Many athletes have had to make the decision to either fast and (most likely) have their performance suffer OR delay their fast. Muslims who observe Ramadan are allowed to eat before daybreak or after nightfall so many wake up before the sun to get some sustenance in... but that won't work for athletes who burn the calories so fast and need hydration.As a religiously observant Jew, I love learning how other religiously observant people in other religions struggle with and find the balance of their religion and the secular world. It's been fascinating reading!What are your thoughts on religious observance 'interfering' in secular life?The Hunger Games: Muslim Athletes Observe Ramadan at London OlympicsRamadan and the Olympics: to fast or not to fast?

Creating A Return On An Investment...

ROI - in business ROI stands for return on investment... And that is exactly what Lynn Schusterman got from the recent ROI Community Summit in Jerusalem, a return on her investment of the future of the Jewish people.From June 10-14, I attended this summit in Jerusalem with 150 other young Jewish innovators. Out of 600 applications, we were selected as connectors and creators, entrepreneurs and catalysts. From the United States, Israel, England, South Africa, Latvia, Brussels, Turkey, and even Uganda, we represented 30 countries. As a community, we descended on Jerusalem to sharpen our skills and pitch new projects or refine old ideas. I instantly connected with the local director of AIPAC in Dallas, an experiential journalist from London, an event promoter from NYC, a guy working to get the Israeli flag and a Torah on the moon, a woman running a speakeasy and kosher, organic, and locally grown restaurant from her Brooklyn home, a leader in the National Young Leadership Cabinet (NYLC) in Atlanta, and a Chabad rabbi. I also got to spend time with Boulder's very own Jonathan Lev, the executive director of the Boulder JCC. All I can say is, "yeah, that happened." Words seem so inadequate to express this experience.We spent five days connecting and creating. Part of the program was the opportunity to present a concept that you want to develop and then crowd-source it to get support, help developing it, and potentially funding. This year 50 ideas were posted to the site IdeaScale and for the first time, the world could vote for them. The top three ideas and their creators had the opportunity to pitch the idea to four celebrity judges. Danna Azrieli - chair of the Azrieli Foundation in Israel. Noa Tishby - actress, producer, model, and non-profit spokeswoman. Yossi Abramowitz - one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world in 2011 & 2012 according to the Jerusalem Post. President and co-founder of the Arava Power Company. Yossi Vardi - an Israeli high-tech entrepreneur.I highly encourage you to go to roisummit2012.ideascale.com and look at what came out of this conference. And yes, I did pitch an idea. One that my co-worker at the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado, Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez and I have been developing. It is called Tikkun Platoon. This is flash mob philanthropy, where collective identity meets collective responsibility to affect social change.  I hope that with the help of the ROI community, this dream will become a reality soon!The amazing thing about ROI is that it is not just a conference, it's a community. I am now a part of something big, with some 800 ROI'ers across the world, we have access to each other and our talents and microgrant funding for projects. The goal is that through a 1000 ROI'ers, we will reach 1 million people. And it is happening. You may be familiar with G-dcast.com, the weekly parsha videos online or Moshe House? These are both concepts born from ROI. Judging by the brilliance that was posted on IdeaScale, there will be many more.At the end of the day, though, my favorite moment happened on the last day. Lynn Schusterman, who made it possible for me to be at ROI, and I sat together after a morning session and we did our yarn crafts together and chatted. She, knitting a scarf for her grandchildren. I, crocheting a scarf for my friend. We discussed technology and yarn and knitting and the beauty of Colorado. And that is what ROI is about, finding people with similar interests and connecting... Even if there is an age difference.See my ROI profile at http://www.roicommunity.org/users/talia-davis-haykin

The Tichel vs Sheitel Situation

So you may remember... (and by that I mean you better remember :)) the blog I recently wrote about dressing as my friend Mel and wearing her tichel (scarf). If you haven't read it yet, that's ok... read it now. We will wait. I'm Wearing a Tichel!Okay, so my friend Mel had made the choice to only wear tichels after much consideration. Her husband is Sephardi and prefers scarves so that is the way she went... until we attended that wig sale... I walked into the town home to go play with wigs and up pops my friend Mel... but not my married friend Mel... the Mel I met 2 years ago before she got married. I was shocked. She had picked up a wig, carried it around, plopped it on her head and it was like seeing her real hair! I was so excited... and so was she.There is something indescribable about observing a mitzvah but also retaining your identity and personality. Wearing a scarf all day, I felt like I had a beacon on my head. I was proud to wear it but sometimes, I just wanted to blend in a bit more. Scarves have become a bit synonymous with cancer and I wondered if people thought I was a cancer patient. I didn't feel like I could move my head. It was weird. In the wigs I tried on, I could move freely and easily.It's all a choice and like I told Mel, Judaism is a journey, one that I am happy to be on with wonderful friends.Read Mel's post here about her sheitel journey: I'm Only Going To Say This Once