Chag Urim Same’ach! Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Posted by the Rebbetzin in Holidays, Jews.Tags: hanukkah, light to the nations, or l'goyim
add a comment
A friend posted this comment on this blog post. I think it’s a lovely sentiment to remember that this is a holiday the almost all Jews around the world celebrate, whatever their affiliation or lack of affiliation, beliefs or lack of beliefs, religious or secular. For this week, let’s put aside our differences and stop the hatred and vitrol amongst ourselves. Let these candles we light unify us and strengthen us as K’lal Yisrael – a whole People, and let us be a Light to all Peoples and Nations.
“This evening, as we go to light out menorahs, in the window, for all to see, we must remember that the world is constantly looking as us Jews. Even if you don’t believe that G-d is watching every move you make, because G-d is just not your thing, who can deny that countless beings walking this Earth would love for us to fail and or disappear altogether. Many gleam with excitement as we sling mud at each other, for it makes their jobs that much easier. May the unifying act of lighting our candles bring us closer to one another and solidify our role as a light unto the nations. Chanukah sameach! Happy Chanukah!”
Protected: “God Was in this Place, and I, i Did Not Know it” Sunday, December 11, 2011
Posted by the Rebbetzin in Uncategorized.Enter your password to view comments.
Gifts for the Jew Who Has Everything Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Posted by the Rebbetzin in Casa Caruso.Tags: hanukkah, random gifts, shopping
3 comments
First of all, I am FINALLY, sort of, recovering from the havoc that was the chagim. Ack.
Gotta love CafePress. Found these a while ago, and just posting now because, well, I’ve been “on a break” [gratuitous 'Friends' reference.] I posted this a long time ago on an old blog, and thought I’d resurrect this because I’m Hanukkah shopping early this year.
What to wear for Purim:
The shirt my husband thinks I should get:
The shirt I should have worn when we lived in Monsey:
Gotta love this one (although for Ima and FrumeSarah it can switch it to “My Mom Knows More Talmud Than Your Mom”):
What Mr. EK is getting for Hanukkah:
Random Hilarious Shirt:
(This is a play on “Dolce & Gabbana,” a couple of Italian designers who make very trendy [expensive] clothing. I just thought this was hilarious.)
Thoughts During the 9 Days Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Posted by the Rebbetzin in Faith.Tags: 9 days, middos, quotes
2 comments
I saved this quote from my friend, Ruchi Koval, who posted this as her FB status a while ago, and thought it was appropriate during this time. Oh and by the way, Ruchi, meet Melissa and Jessica, and M&J meet Ruchi. Check out each other’s blogs – I have a feeling you’ll like each other :-)
While I do not ‘mourn’ in the traditional way, I often reflect on how I can be a better person and work on my middos during this time. This quote spoke to me.
“Every now and then, try to do a mitzvah that no one knows about except you and God. God has many ways of bringing about respect – you don’t need to tell others about it. They will find themselves respecting you without knowing why. (From a class by Mrs. Miriam Barkin.)”
The Four Sons . . . of “Glee”???? Thursday, April 14, 2011
Posted by the Rebbetzin in Faith, Pesach.Tags: 4 sons, Glee, karpas
1 comment so far
From the Forward – food for thought!
One seder tradition we have is for karpas, we put out a bazillion different kinds of karpas with different dips to nosh on while we forge ahead with the seder. Usually alleviates ‘cranky-child-syndrome’ that is common to many seders :-)
What are YOUR seder traditions?
Out Loud and Proud Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Posted by the Rebbetzin in Jews, Judaism.Tags: Out Loud and Proud, Punk Torah, Reform Judaism
7 comments
I’ve decided to obnoxiously co-opt the phrase “Out, Loud and Proud” to describe how I’m currently feeling about the Jewish denomination with which I’ve consciously chosen to affiliate.
I’m proud of the strides our movement has made in the last decade to look back at our history and learn from it, and move forward. I’m proud of the work in social justice we do, and how we’ve embraced the idea of Community Organizing and applied it to our own communities, AND the communities in which we live.
Yet, this Punk Torah post is spot-on. For so long we’ve allowed much of our constituency to affiliate on the basis of “I don’t do much, so I’m Reform.” We ought to be promoting and encouraging the opposite: “I’m Reform because I’m an active, thinking Jew, and I choose THIS life.” We ought to be educating our members to the highest degree, in order to BE thinking, active Jews, rather than Jewish by default.
For so long I’ve heard so many of our members who make educated, conscious choices apologize for the way they live their Jewish lives. There is this sense that our way is not authentic or valid.
It’s time to change this. It’s time to embrace who we are and why we do what we do. It’s time to confront those who affiliate by default and inspire them to affiliate by choice.
This is our 21st century challenge. Let’s take it and run with it.
Let the Cooking Madness Begin Sunday, April 3, 2011
Posted by the Rebbetzin in Food, Holidays, Pesach.Tags: momma rocks, pesach madness
1 comment so far
Out comes the big soup pot, a gazillion foil pans in different sizes, a Costco-sized container of potato flour, a new mop and sponges and a huge bucket, and Cranky Momma appears. MUST be time to clean and cook for Pesach!
I have found that an excellent method for reducing stress while cooking for the holidays is to make sure that the cooking wine is up to acceptable drinking standards, and continuously monitoring its quality :-)
Be Happy! It’s Adar (the first one) Friday, February 4, 2011
Posted by the Rebbetzin in Uncategorized.add a comment
Today is Rosh Chodesh Adar 1 – Purim is in Adar 2 this year. I sincerely hope that spring arrives early – a it would be a nice shalach manos from Mother Nature ;-)
After This Weekend, How Can I NOT Post? Monday, January 10, 2011
Posted by the Rebbetzin in politics, religion, WTF?.Tags: Arizona, debbie friedman, madness, prayer
1 comment so far
A weekend filled with loss and sadness.
The Jewish people have lost one of their bright lights, Debbie Friedman, zichronah livracha. So many were profoundly influenced by her music and her neshamah. She leaves us a beautiful yerushah (inheritance), and in my opinion is single-handedly responsible for making prayer meaningful again to many Jews who had otherwise left this part of our faith. Here is a “behind the music” video of Debbie. Please watch, especially if you are unfamiliar with her contributions.
Unspeakable madness in Arizona. I find it disgusting that THIS is what it takes to get people to finally start talking about the damaging effects of violent rhetoric (on all sides, people, on all sides). I also find frustrating the rush to blame someone, anyone, anything for senseless violence. Senseless violence is just that: SENSELESS. Yes, we need to reign in angry, vitriolic commentary. Yes, it should be more difficult for the mentally ill and people who have criminal records to acquire firearms. Yes, of course we should be providing better social services for the mentally ill. None of these things taken on their own, however, are to blame. It is a confluence of all of these . . . and none of these. Sometimes sh#*t just happens. Really.
Truly Highbrow Shabbes Table Conversation Monday, January 3, 2011
Posted by the Rebbetzin in Casa Caruso, EK Kinder.3 comments
Sometimes here at Casa Caruso we like to play a little game we call “Random Torah Triva” where Josh comes up with whatever pops into his head to ask the kids. Here’s how our very shabbesdik triva went last night:
ABBA: “Ok, who was Moshe’s father in law?”
KIDS: Silent Stares.
ME: “Oh, COME ON. 7+ years of day school education?????”
ASHER: “Some Midianite guy?”
———————————————————————–
ABBA: “Where did Moshe and Tzipporah meet?”
ASHER: “Up your butt.”
—hysterical laughter ensues—
LEV: “By a well. All the great love stories in the Torah happened at a well.”
ME: “Aw, that’s very sweet!”
LEV: “Yep, I’m pretty sweet.”
ASHER: “Yeah, but I’m AWESOME.”
————————————————————————
ABBA: “Where did the story of Yonah take place?”
ASHER: “In the water?”
LEV: “WAIT I know this . . . wait . . . wait . . .”
SHAYNA: “Up the whale’s butt!”
————————————————————————-
Dinner is not recoverable. Good night.
