Shul News & Notes
Why Do Jews Eat Gefilte Fish At The Passover Seder?
When Jews gather around the table for the Passover Seder, the ritual meal will likely begin with an oval-shaped appetizer, often mounted on a single leaf of lettuce or a bed of parsley, and crowned with a boiled carrot medallion. Meet gefilte fish, a culinary connection to the shtetls, the ancestral towns of many Jews of Eastern European origin.
“Gefilte” means “stuffed” in Yiddish, and originally the forcemeat was stuffed into whole fish, such as pike or carp. Today, the fish is usually deboned, chopped and/or ground and mixed with matza meal, onion, eggs and seasonings, then shaped into oval balls that are poached in fish stock. Over generations, gefilte fish has picked up flavors and versions as Jews have wandered the world. In Poland, gefilte fish is sweet; in Lithuania, it is peppery. In modern Brooklyn, gefilte fish can be found made with sustainably-raised fish, quinoa and micro arugula, and served with a global array of flavors: Asian (with soy or teriyaki sauce); Moroccan (with turmeric and chickpeas); Mexican (with jalapeños), and Indian (with mangoes and tamarind).
Like many ethnic foods, gefilte fish arose out of poverty and need. It was first created by Ashkenazi Jews (Jews of European origin), who relied on it to feed their families. In Jewish lore, fish is a symbol of fertility, and a sign of the coming of the Messiah, who, according to legend, will come in the form of a great fish from the sea.
Like the Maxwell House Haggadah, gefilte fish is the stuff of Jewish legend that Jews carry with them from one generation to the next.
[Excerpted from an article by Kimberly Winston and Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service]
Coming Up, A Purim Imagining You’ve Never Heard Before
Whether you call it a Purim Party, a Purim Carnival, or a Purim Palooza, it’s going to be a celebration to remember. Yes, Rabbi Gadi will read the Megillah, and everybody will be encouraged to hoot and holler and twirl gregors whenever Haman’s name is mentioned. And yes, we will feast on Phil Goldman’s famous hamantaschen. But something extra is in store for you this year — an old-fashioned Purimshpiel will tell a Purim story, the likes of which you’ve never heard before. Funny? Mostly. Corny? Definitely.
Dust off your Purim costumes, or scramble something together from your closet. Come prepared to be part of the Purimshpiel cast. Scripts will be distributed, and all players will be encouraged to overact. This is your chance. Next stop: Broadway.
It all starts on Thursday, March 21, at 4 p.m. From newborns to superseniors, all are welcome. Come for the Megillah, come for the noise, come for the costumes, come for the hamantaschen, come for the shpiel, come for the fun. See you there. Don’t be late.
The Siddur Workshop
A New Workshop: Be better organized according to the Jewish prayer book
Rabbi Gadi has begun a new series focused on the Siddur. In this workshop, participants will delve into the structure and philosophy of the Siddur, and explore how it can help each person organize his or her life.
“Moving from confusion to order is a sign of maturity and responsibility. It is also the price of freedom. We give up our random, spontaneous, aimlessness existence for a purposeful and well-organized life. The Siddur is the Jewish organizer. It accompanies us closely from the minute we awake to the minute we fall asleep, throughout all the seasons of our lives. The siddur offers us the wisdom to cope with any situation, simple or overwhelming.
The first secret to organization is to compartmentalize. The Siddur does it well for us. It recognizes that the calendar is the wheel that turns the world, picking up the natural rhythm of creation and dividing our schedule accordingly. The day is divided to 3, the week is divided to 7, the year is divided to 4.
The siddur is designed to remind us to be always mindful — of God and of our fellow humans. It is the assistant we all need in our busy schedules. When we are organized, we can react better to life’s curvatures. The Siddur prepares us for each spiritual and physical activity, recognizing our needs and helping us gather our thoughts. Ultimately, good organization can lead to a peaceful existence — personally and nationally. A just organization and division of resources is the basis for peace in the world.” – Rabbi Gadi Capela
David Berson at The Men’s Club
Shul Member To Talk About New Book; Lunch Follows Program
Shul member David Berson will be the guest speaker at a Men’s Club program, to be held Sunday, Feb. 17, at 11 a.m., followed by lunch. All members and guests are invited. David Berson, well-known captain of “The Glory” in Greenport Harbor, has written a new book about celestial navigation, recently released by Skyhorse Publishing. Berson has been pursuing the discipline for more than 40 years, practicing what he knows, and teaching others the techniques and skills sailors use to find their way without GPS. His book, Celestial Navigation, uses clear and concise language to show the reader where he or she is at any given time of day. Following the talk and a lively Q&A, the Men’s Club will provide lunch for all.
Basically Baroque
Basically Baroque To Perform In Synagogue’s
‘Great Music Sunday’ Series, March 10
Program Includes Works From The German, French And
Italian Baroque periods
Basically Baroque, a quartet of local professional musicians, will perform in the fourth annual Great Music Sunday concert, to be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 10, in the community room of Congregation Tifereth Israel, the synagogue on Fourth Street in Greenport.
The Great Music Sunday series, a popular cultural offering on the North Fork, brings professionally trained musicians to local audiences. This year’s program will include works by JS Bach, Loeillet, Quantz and Vivaldi, which covers compositions from the German, French and Italian Baroque periods. A lively question and answer session following the concert provides an opportunity for audience members to get to know the musicians and to learn how music has influenced their lives.
The members of the quartet met here on the North Fork in 1995 through their shared interest in Baroque music, and have been performing together since that time. The quartet’s appearances are eagerly anticipated events with local audiences. Members of the quartet are Linda Betjeman, keyboard; Bill Packard, flute; Dan Skabeikis, violin; and Jeannie Woelker, cello.
The Great Music Sunday series is sponsored by Congregation Tifereth Israel. The community room at the synagogue is accessible to the handicapped. There is no charge for the concert, but a free-will offering would be appreciated.
The synagogue is located at 519 Fourth Street in Greenport, immediately south of the intersection of Fourth and Front Streets. The synagogue is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more information about the concert, please call the synagogue at 631-477-0232.
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