Israel stories: Cinema Esther in Tel Aviv

Inaugurated at the end of the 1930s, the former Cinema Esther on Dizengoff square was changed into a booutique hotel following financial troubles in the 1990s. Its main structure - part of a Bauhaus complex in the area - was maintained as the material memories of the place, including movie posters, old chairs and original projectors.

The cinema was owned by Esther and Moses Nathaniel that made aliyah to Eretz Yisroel in 1924. The idea of opening this cultural institution was presented as follows by Moses Nathaniel: "Whilst the best of our young are holding on to their "ploughshares and swords" to defend against a wanton enemy, I decided to be amongst the builders and add a building in our country, so that our enemy will know, that we will surely build...and also that our people may know that this is imperative to encourage and to be encouraged in deeds of creativity...Therefore, this building will also be used as a place for skilled and cultured inspiration and will be visited by the citizens of our beloved city, who persist in the building of our country".

'The Stuff of Jews'

What happened with the material culture of the Jews mostly living in Central and Eastern Europe, but also in the North of Afrca, during and after Shoah? What happened with their former properties, cemeteries and material memories in those places emptied on purpose of their Jewish population? After so many years, those and the children of those who survived then terrible times should consider themselves lucky to still be alive, but old memories and stories about those memories are still persistent and many questions are left unanswered, maybe for ever. These very interesting topics were discussed at the end of March at a workshop organised by the Center for Research on Antisemitism, Technical University in Berlin, sponsored by the Volkswagen Foundation: 'The Stuff of Jews: Political Economics and Jewish Material Culture, 1945-Present'.

Approaching the fact and stories from Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Germany, Algeria and North of Africa in general, from an academic perspective, the interventions, held by academics from Europe, US and Israel outlined various aspects of the post-Shoah Jewish life. Interesting information were shared about the situation of Jewish properties in places where Jews were no more - synagogues and cemeteries, the difficult and sometimes controversial aspects of the restitution process, or the struggle to maintain Jewish memories in places where Jewish identity continues to be under threat, many years after most Jews left (such as the North of Africa). 

Each academic story brough some new fragments of history of the complicated histories of Jewish communities in these lands. Often following opportunitistic reasons and without a constant reliance of laws, the states after the end of the war made tremendous efforts, with some successes, to appropriate Jewish goods and properties, either at the community or individual level. Very often, they considered these properties as their own goods and unfortunately, many consider to keep them till today. There are many nuances, of course, and each situation should be considered individually. In some places, especially in Poland, organisations - supported by the state - were create in order to help the preservation of the Jewish heritage. Although Jews left for decades, their memories can still be included as part of the material memories. 

However, memories about these small things that may make your identity, as childhood toys or old furniture or even that chair that you loved as a kid...all these are gone for good and they may be lay somewhere in an Antique shop, after those who took over the Jewish properties did not need them any more. But what really maters is to stay alive and start writing beautiful stories about those lost toys that you left in the old country. This is also part of our destiny, probably. 

What is your karpas?

Source: joyofkosher.com

Pesach is a very interesting holiday and shows the diversity of traditions and customs among the Jewish communities all over the world. The more I start reading and thinking about it, the more I discover how many things can be said and explored about this holiday, more than ever know. Due to different minhagim and the different chumre we took upon ouselves as individuals or families, we are more inclined to spend the time with our owns and there are not too many occasions to learn too much from these traditions. 

The Arizal said that on Pesach we should be machmir on chumrot and we need to daven and pray to be strong enough to avoid being lenient and chas v'shalom ingest by accident any kind of chometz. 

While trying to read out more about these traditions, I discovered for instance a couple of days ago some interesting stories and interpretations about the karpas. According to my minhag, we always had as karpas the parsley, but apparently not everyone agrees with that. The Talmud Yerushalmi seems to mention parsley, but some say that in fact it is about celery. Some may use onions, or radishes or carrots. Some may also use parsley with a small or bigger piece of cooked potato. It is also important that what you use for karpas is not the same veggie used as maror. The fix rule that it should be something to which the ha'adama bracha is said. No wonder if someone wants to use banana then... if this is their minhag...why not...? It is said that one chasid went to the Belzer Rav with a beautiful cucumber as a present for using it for karpas and was disappointed that his gift was refused because the Rav reminded him that using cucumber was not the minhag of his hasidim.

Because it is unclear whether the eating of karpas requires a bracha ahrona, one should only eat a small piece, less than a kezayit (according to Rashba). Rambam said though that it should be eaten one kezayit and that it should dip it into salt water. Some also dip into vinegar or charoset. Most also do not recline when eating karpas. 

But what is actually karpas? There are many interpretations: either it recall the fancy coat that Yaakov Avinu gate to Yosef and which lead to slavery (some fine linen may be referred as karpas); or the symbol of the flourishing of the Jewish life before the Egyptian slavery.  If the letters are mixes, you can have either parech - hard labor - or samech perech - 600,000 suffered in backbreaking labor. The presence of the karpas in the logic of the seder is also subject of interpretations, either as an appetizer aimed to not make you starve before the real food is coming, or as an occasion for the children to start asking questions.

Tonight, we will go around the table, enjoying your own minhagim and family stories, so much connected with the history of the Jewish people. But there is always time to learn more and share our traditions, as part of the common history we are all part thereof.

Hag Sameah!

 

What about some soft matza?

Source: jewishboston.com

Although Sefer Shmot (12:18) mentions explicitly that 'all Jews should eat matza the first night of Pesach' there is no explanation about how to make it and the descriptions of how matza should look like are only a few. In Sever Dvarim (16:3) it is said that matza should be 'lehem oni', poor man's bread or the bread of affliction.

In the Shulhan Aruch (OC 459:2) we have some indications about the preparation time: from the moment the flour and water touch, if it is not continously worked, it takes the time of an average person to walk a mil from the dough and become chametz. Generally, this time was set in our modern time at 18 minutes. The batter should be as dry as possible, with an average of half kilo flour for half cup of water.

On Pesach, the different traditions abound and it touches upon the matza too. For the Askenazim, the matza should always look thin and hard, and this goes also for most of the Sephardim too. However, for the Yemeni, Syrian and also some Iraqi Jews, matza looks thick and soft. The Yemenite women are baking, almost daily, 3 thicker matzot of the thickness of an adult finger From the moment the flour and the water meet, it is continously baked either within 5-6 minutes or less than 3 minutes for some. When it is not made daily, they prepare in advance and freeze it. 

Modern Yemenites call their matza 'lechem' (bread). At the first sight, they may look the same, except that the recipe contains different ingredients, in the case of pita yeast, oil and various flavourings. 

Although I never had the chance to try one, and most probably will prefer to do it outside the chagim, one day I hope will be able not only to taste it, but also to learn how to bake it. 

As usual, if in doubt if you should use it - and you never had it before, because not tradition - ask your local orthodox rav for clarifications!

Kashering wood and silver for Pesach

It is again that time of the year when the stress is at its highest. In order to be free, we need to get rid of what it keeps us slaves, isn't it? This year, I decided to take it easier, meaning that I did not start the preparations shortly after Purim but I started to get crazy two weeks after Pesach and planned chaotically my redeem. 

Every year, it is something new to learn and some improvements to do. 

For instance, this year, I wanted to find out more about how the kashering for Pesach is rightly done in the case of wood and silver. As usual, the final opinion should be made in direct consultation with your Orthodox Rabbi, and the following article is only my own reflection and experience about the process. 

Before kashering, the utensils should be scrubbed clean and left unused for 24 hours. 

The kashering process should be done in order to reverse the changes that affected the utensils during their use. According to Avodah Zarah 75b, taste is removed from the vessel the same way it was put in. For instance, utensils used directly in the fire must be kashered through the fire (procedure called libun), as burning will absorbe the taste. 

Utensils that can be damaged by boiling water or burning fire cannot be kashered. The same applies to vessels with handles glued on. The utensils with wooden or bone handles and without crevices can be kashered. All the rust should be removed before kashering as particles of food and chometz can be trapped between the rust and the utensil. 

The utensils should be dropped one by one in the boiling water (procedure called hagala). You should make sure that the water is boiling when the cutlery is placed. You should leave them till the water bubble. 

After, rinse them in cold water. The pot used for kashering should not be used 24 hours before the start of the process. Some do have a special kashering pot not used for anything else during the year. 

In general, it is not possible to use dairy cutlery for meat and vice-versa, but if the utensils were kashered for Pesach, this change it is possible. However, according to Orach Chayyim (451:17) it is customary not to kasher and use utensils used for kneading of dough. 

According to the Askenazi customs, I am following now, everything that was used during the year cannot be brought on the Pesach table unless was kashered. This applies as well to kiddush cups or candlesticks. However, leniences applies and, for instance, it is enough to only pour water over them, boiling them not being necessary.

On Erev Pesach, as chometz is still permitted, even within 24 hours of use a pot still can be kashered. On the other hand, according to Orach Chayyim (452:1), kashering should be completed before 10 o'clock in the morning of the 14th of Nisan.

Generally, I prefer to use for Pesach completely new things, especially plastic cutlery and paper cups and plates trying to separate completely from the chometz kitchen. This year, I wanted also to prepare some wooden tops and silver cutlery and realized that I don't know too much about how to do it properly.

Here are my findings.

Kashering wood

Wood is a relatively old new material for the Jewish kitchen. Due its porous nature, it may complicate a bit the kashering. If the wood do have cracks that may collect chometz, it is better either to cover it or to just find out something else to use. For the big butchering factories or shops, the surfaces of wood couters is usually carefully protected, including by sanding the surface. 

Wood cannot undergo libun (heating the utensils to extreme temperatures). Usually, it is preferred the kashering for wooden utensils with a smooth structure. Rabbi Joseph Caro recommends to clean everything well and to cover the surface or the top with paper or a cloth. 

An Orthodox rav should be asked about the right kashering method for specific wooden utensils. 

Kashering silver

The silver cutlery should be carefully cleaned, rinced and polished 24 hours before kashering, in a boiling pot. After boiling, rinse them in cold water. It can be done also for various types of antique silver. For specific pieces of silver, ask your local rav. The same process is followed in the case of gold, copper, steel and aluminium cutlery or kitchen wares. 

That's all with the writing for now!

Hard work is still waiting for me!!

Sources

OU Pesach Kashering 2015

Chabad guidance

Ohr Somayach guidelines

Aish resources

Passover kitchen cleaning for Sephardim