Focus on Bellevue

Acura of Bellevue B11 Mary Frimer/John L. Scott B18

Barrier Motors B12 Minor & James Medical B14
BMW of Bellevue B11 oh Chocolate B20
Bellevue Club B12 overlake Hospital Medical Center B16
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Ben Bridge B17 Sky High Sports B13
Caddell’s Laser & Electrolysis Clinic B20 temple B’nai torah B17
College Placement Consultants B18 temple De Hirsch Sinai B17
Crossroads B19 temple De Hirsch Sinai/
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Evergreen Speech & Hearing Clinic B19 United Insurance Brokers, Inc. B11
Fireworks B20 University Book Store B13
Frans Chocolates B27 Uwajimaya B11
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Jewish Day School B19 Warren Libman, DDS B18

Photo by Colin Walker, Bellevue Parks & Community Services

Celebrate Hanukkah
Alpenland Deli B3 Jewish Family Service B10
Bader Martin, PS B6 Macys B5
Chefshop.com B3 Marqueen Hotel/Inn at Queen Anne B10
w to D o?
’ s a J e
What
Clutch B3 Phil Smart Mercedes Benz B10
H
QFC B28 BER 25t M
Congregation Beth Shalom B5 on DECE e B9
Cynthia Williams/Quorum B10 Secular Jewish Circle B4 ep e r to ry theatr
Book-It R B9
Dermatology Associates B24 Swifty Printing B24 e Lake
Bin on th B9
Ewing & Clark, Inc. B6 top ten toys B5 ragon
Snappy D B9
Consulate General of Israel B6 University Village B2 Hotel
Sorrento
J. C. Wright Fine Food Sales Company B4 Zatz Bagels B8
 B 2 jtnews n friday,
celebrate hanukkah
december 11, 2009

The hands-down favorite

Israelis from different North African countries argue about their preferred sfinj techniques

Melody Amsel- cold, t he conversation

Arieli turned hot and heavy.
Special to JTNews T he word sf i nj, so
strange to Western ears,
One cold, drizzly is evidently Mugrabi, the

Dear Friends Hanuk kah morning,

our bus slowly wound
Judeo-Arabic dialect still
spoken among Moroccan

of JTNews, its way toward the far-

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thest reaches of Jeru-
salem. As it emptied
out, a couple of elderly
women drew together,
for both warmth and
warm conversat ion.
After dwelling on their
children and grand-
ch i ld ren, t heir ta l k
touched on Ha nu k-
kah goodies. When I
caught the word “sfinj,” my ears perked
up. I moved in closer to hear.
Sfinj (which rhymes with fringe), are
the North African Jews’ answer to Ash-
kenazi potato latkes and Israeli jelly
doughnuts. Like these two treats that
commemorate Hanukkah’s miracle, sfinj
are fried in oil. Like jelly doughnuts, sfinj
are leavened. But here all resemblance
ends. Whether coaxed into plump pil-
lows or crowned with rings of decorative
holes, sfinj never contain jelly. Moreover,
whipped up flour, yeast, a bit of sugar, and
a splash of water, sfinj are far less sweet
and far lighter than most other tradi-
tional Hanukkah treats.
JT News_Menorah Ad.pdf 12/8/09
Although all sfinj are as light as air,
sfinj recipes vary widely.
“I fr y my sf inj in ex t ra-hot oil,”
announced one bus passenger, “to keep
them extra light.”
“Try making them with soda water
instead,” observed her neighbor dryly,
“and they’ll be even lighter.”
At this, a bevy of women sitting across
the way joined the fray.
“In Algeria, we made ours with milk,”
said one.
“We Tunisians add orange juice,”
replied another.
As each woman revealed her sfinj
secrets, feelings ran high. Despite the
11:26:43 AM
Jews. Although its mean-
ing, as well as its culinary
origins, has been lost over
time, these doughnuts
remain popular eating.
Who eats sfinj? Anyone
blessed to light Hanukkah
candles alongside North
African family members,
friends, or co-workers.
Jaqueline Alon, born
in Casablanca, Morocco,
learned the fine art of pastry making
at her mother’s k nee. A lthough she
has spent most of her life in Israel, she
still devotes long hours creating tradi-
tional Moroccan sweets. Her family and
friends enjoy an ever-changing assort-
ment of homemade almond macaroons,
elaborate piped pastries, nut-covered
crescents, honeyed whorls, miniature
marzipan morsels, along with anise, cin-
namon, and date delights.
“In Jewish-Moroccan homes, every-
thing revolves around food,” she told me.
“Everything. And sfinj are everyone’s
u Page 8B

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We Need You
Now More
Than Ever.

Lighting up the Festival of
Lights
At Hanukkah, lighting up the tzedakah stairway
Edmon J. Rodman
JTA World News Service
LOS ANGELES (JTA) — What lights
the Festival of Lights? What really ignites
the eight days, turning them into a hot
winter glow?
Is it the oil, the candles, the songs, the
latkes, the gifts?
What would you give for an answer?
It’s dark and I am walking to Canter’s,
a famous Los Angeles delicatessen, to buy
a half-dozen bagels. I see by the blue and
white cookies in their bakery window
that it’s Hanukkah.
Near the entrance, seated on a crate, is
a guy who appears to be homeless. Is this
his home?
As I pass he holds out a paper cup and
shakes it. Coins jingle.
“Any spare change?” he asks.
It’s an exchange that happens daily
in big cities and small, at the Mobil sta-
tion, outside the Piggly Wiggly, in the
mall parking lot, outside the restaurant.
No matter where or how high up you live,
it happens. It’s happened to me in Bev-
erly Hills.
The question is always same: “Do you
have any change?” Yet our responses
vary.
At Hanukkah time or anytime — on
the street, at your door, in the mail or
online — there are many ways you can
respond to requests for tzedakah.
Maimonides, the inf luential 12th-
century Jewish philosopher, wrote that
there are “eight degrees of tzedakah, each
higher than the next.” That is, eight dis-
tinct, clarifying ways you can respond to
human need. The degrees are like steps
progressively rising; kind of an early
stairway to heaven.
Proverbs tell us that a “mitzvah is a
lamp.” On Hanukkah we can light up the
nights with giving. Consider each step of
the tzedakah stairway a candle that is lit
each night; each light is an act of giving
tzedakah, of doing justice in the world.
The lowest level is giving like a Grinch,
too little and with a cheapster attitude,
as when a panhandler is in your face and
you feel put out.
“Do I look like a sucker?” you wonder.
“Isn’t there an agency for this?” you think.
So you flip him a dime.
The countering Jewish idea in play
here is from Devarim (Deuteronomy):
“Give to him readily,” it says, “and have
no regrets.”
friday, december 11, 2009 n jtnews
celebrate hanukkah
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The second step is the sunny side of
the first — still giving too little, but with
a smile. Like when a condolence card
comes around at work and you pull a five
out of your wallet when it’s full of 20s.
Devarim also tells us when considering
the needy, “do not harden your heart and
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The third step is giving as much as is
needed, but waiting until someone asks.
A tough standard, as most of us don’t
give until we are approached. The idea
here is to cut down on the humiliation for
the asker.
Today, when institutions do much of
the asking, the concept updates to what Supporting Food Artisans since 1999
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having your tzedekah labeled “This gift
brought to you by...”
This uneven equation allows for cor-
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B 4 jtnews
emily’s corner
n friday, december 11, 2009

The best part of Hanukkah

Spending time with family includes making a fun (and easy) strudel
or two, is surprisingly easy and uses fresh
fruit, so it’s actually good for you.
It is the traditional strudel recipe, you
know the one that you stretch and stretch
until you can read a newspaper through
the dough? I know you’re thinking, “Oy!
Emily Moore My grandmother made that, or my great
JTNews grandmother (or someone’s great grand-
Columnist mother) and I could never do it myself!”
Well, I have done it with many com-
What’s the best thing about Hanuk- pletely novice, non-cooking groups and
kah? In my house growing up it was not only is it very fun, it’s actually easy —
always the cookies: Sugar cookies rolled and you get a beat-your-aggressions-out
out and cut with menorah and stars of kneading session besides!
David, iced with blue and white pow- The only “unusual” ingredient you may
dered-sugar icing, A grand mess and not have on hand is a couple handfuls of
wonderfully fun. bread crumbs; just throw last week’s chal-
But what about some new traditions lah in the food processor and voila! Bread
in Hanukkah treats? Over the years as crumbs! You can fill the strudel with any
a chef, I have collected great recipes for fruit you have around, add nuts, cinna-
easy and absolutely delicious sweets. This mon, jam, roll it up, cut in half and bake!
year, I’d like to share with you one of my This is a great project to do with kids
favorites for Hanukkah. It takes an hour because it’s fascinating, uses hands and
1 egg, beaten, to brush on top
Sugar to sprinkle on top (about 1/2 cup)
First, make the dough. Sift the flour into a
medium-sized mixing bowl, or put the sifted
flour into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add
bodies and is somewhat messy! Have fun! the egg, oil and warm water and mix together
until the dough holds together. If it’s sticky,
Strudel for Hanukkah add more flour, a tablespoon at a time. Now
the fun workout part begins! Take the dough
For the dough: out of the bowl and throw it hard down on the
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour counter or table. If it sticks, put a little flour
1 egg, slightly beaten down.
1 Tbs. vegetable oil Repeat this about 300 times. That’s right! You
2/3 cup warm water get a great workout with your kids, the
For the filling: neighbor kids and friends while you knead
4 to 5 cups peeled apples, pears, persim- the dough by throwing it hard (you should
mons, grapes hear it sap/thump each time) down onto the
3/4 cup jam counter. (This is a great family or family/friends
2 tsp. ground cinnamon event — doing it yourself, especially the
Sugar to taste stretching, is almost not possible and half as
1 cup chopped toasted nuts (optional) much fun.) When the throwing/kneading is
1/2 cup flour done, put the dough back into the bowl, cover
For stretching and rolling: it with a towel and let it rest for 1/2 hour to
An old tablecloth stretched over a dining room an hour while you make the filling.
or kitchen table (at least 4’x4’) Peel and core the hard fruits (persimmon, too)
Flour to sprinkle on the cloth (about 1/2 cup) and mix with the remaining ingredients except
1 cup bread crumbs, dry or fresh the jam. Let sit while you stretch the dough.
3/4 cup oil, melted butter or margarine On the tablecloth that covers your table, roll the

Chanukah
Greetings
to the community!

Linda Jacobs
& Associates
College Placement
J.C. Wright Sales Co.
Services proudly continues to support the Jewish community
206-323-8902
with the largest selection of
Hanukkah kosher ethnic foods
in the Pacific NW with
Greetings a high level of Personal Service.
Best wishes to our friends and customers
from all of us at J.C. Wright

from the staff of Happy Chanukah!

JTNews
Questions or comments, please contact:
Chris McPherren
J. C. Wright Sales
ph # 253-395-8799
fax # 253-395-8836

9OUDONTHAVETOBEATRADITIONAL*EW
TOSHAREIN*EWISHTRADITIONS
fine foods
*OINUSINCELEBRATING
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 friday, december 11, 2009 n jtnews
emily’s corner
B 5

dough out as far as you can in a circle
or square or rectangle. When it is
about 15 to 18 inches round (or long)
gather everyone around the table. All
at once, (or about) everyone picks up
the dough with their hands knuckles
up (Very important!). Begin very
gently stretching the dough by
moving your knuckles out and in and
moving the dough in a circle around
the table (be sure you all decide which
direction you will be stretching, right
or left, before you start!). You will see
thin spots develop as you stretch:
pass by them with your knuckles to
avoid tearing. If a tear develops, put
the dough down and pinch it together;
don’t worry about it too much because you
will be rolling the dough up and each tear will
get covered.
When the dough is about 4 or 5 feet long, and
about 4 feet wide, put it down on the table
and brush it gently all over with the oil or
melted butter or margarine. Sprinkle the entire
thing with the bread crumbs, then put the
filling over two-thirds of the dough, leaving
the remaining third uncovered. Dot the filling
with the jam.
NorwichNuts/Creative Commons from the freezer so you can have them
Starting at the side that is covered with filling,
pull out one 2-inch length of dough the whole
length of the strudel and put it on top of the
filling, all the way down. Now the fun part:
Pick up the tablecloth on that side and lift it
gently along the length of the strudel to make
the strudel roll up, over and over on itself,
enclosing the filling, As you continue to gently
lift the cloth and nudge the roll over and over,
the strudel rolls up till all the filling is enclosed Edmonds Community College.
and you have a long, long roll of strudel sitting
on the cloth!
Brush the entire thing with well-
beaten egg, sprinkle with sugar and
cut with a serrated knife into three
equal lengths. Place them next to
each other on one or two greased
cookie sheets and bake at 350º for
40 minutes to an hour, depending on
the oven. When the fruit is bubbling
and the strudel is golden to mahogany
brown, your strudel is done!
Let it cool till it’s just warm and serve
with vanilla ice cream. You can freeze
any of the logs before baking and put
them in a 325º oven to bake directly
any time during the Hanukkah season.
And have a very, very happy Hanukkah!
Emily Moore is a local chef with 30 years
experience in her field, including 13 years
in local and regional restaurants. Her
business, Emily’s Kitchen, provides culinary
services to all facets of the food industry
and catering to the Jewish community. She
also currently teaches culinary arts at
Festival t Page 3B
called “lishkat chasha’im,” literally a
“chamber of secrets,” where the giver
could leave money and the poor would
receive it without shame.
A tzedakah box, or pushke, is a related
idea. Pick up a box from your favorite
Jewish charity, or make one yourself, and
join the righteous ranks of the famous
unknown.
The highest level, “exceeded by none,”
Maimonides tells us, is self-sufficiency as
a result of outright gifts, loans, partner-
ships or “finding employment.” At a time
when every dollar for the poor is debated,
Maimonides reminds us to “strengthen”
the poor.
In many cities, Jewish free loan soci-
eties, Jewish vocational service agen-
cies and international agencies such as
ORT help move people toward self-suf-
ficiency. Handicraft workshops for the
needy elderly and disabled such as Yad
LaKashish in Jerusalem beautifully keep
this concept alive.

happy hanukkah!

O Bagels for the holiday weekend

O Seattle’s best bagels Keeping Healthy Play Alive
O Gift certificates
O Wholesale Lots of traditionaL toys!
O Every Friday’s a Challah-day Fun Toys • Educational Toys • Creative Toys
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Congregation Beth Shalom

iracle of Light H Annual Hanukkah Party

2009
M anuk
Join in
the festivities! kah Party
Thursday,
December 17
6:30 – 9:00pm
Dinner
6:30 – 7:30pm
Talent Show
7:30 – 8:30pm

• Music by the Klez Katz and Seattle Jewish Chorale

• Community Candle Lighting
• Festival Meal by Eric Gorbman • Talent Show!

Members: $5/person • Non-members: $10/person • Free to kids 3 and under

Pre-register and pre-pay by e-mailing marjiecogan@bethshalomseattle.org
or calling 206-524-0075

This year’s Hanukkah Party and Dinner are made possible in part
by a generous donation from David Baumgarten
in memory of Ann Baumgarten z”l

Congregation Beth Shalom

6800 35th Ave NE, Seattle 98115 • 206-524-0075 • www.bethshalomseattle.org
B 6 jtnews n
the jewish internet
friday, december 11, 2009

A rockin’ Hanukkah eve

Eight music sites for eight Hanukkah nights
Mark Mietkiewicz
Special to JTNews
Hanukkah is here and that means
so are a whole slew of traditional holi-
day songs. For those of you who’d like to
brush up on the classics while learning a
few new ones that will have Bubbe doing
a double take, I now present eight music
sites for eight Hanukkah nights.
Night No. 1: Start with what must be the
largest collection of free Hanukkah music
on the web. IsraelNationalNews.com’s
Jukebox has well over 10 hours of holiday
tunes with everything from the familiar to
the obscure. Go to bit.ly/chanuk13, click
on Holiday Songs and scroll down for the
Hanukkah songs (and Rosh Hashanah, Tu
B’Shevat, Purim, Passover and others).
Night No. 2: The Jewish National &
University Library in Jerusalem has put
together a marvelous Web site which pre-
serves the sounds and songs of Jewish com-
munities from around the world. There are
five versions for the menorah candle light-
ing ceremony (Ashkenazi, Carlebach-
style, Hungarian, Algerian and Sephardic)
with other Hanukkah songs from Alge-
ria, France, Turkey, Italy and the lovely
“Ir Kleyne Likhtelekh” (Oh, you little can-
dles) in Yiddish. (bit.ly/chanuk1) All files
are available in mp3 format, which can be
downloaded and played on an iPod.
Night No. 3: Tonight it’s time for some-
thing different. Reggae Hanukkah mixes
Caribbean rhythms, traditional Ghana-
ian dance drumming, Middle Eastern
instruments “to batteries of Brazilian and
Latin percussion as samba meets mambo
for some salsa on their latkes.” Although
many of the songs are new, you’ll recog-
nize familiar melodies peeking through
the reggae “Maoz Tzur” and “Hanukkah,
Skanukah.” You can preview excerpts
from the entire album online. (bit.ly/
chanuk3) and listen to three longer cuts
here. (bit.ly/chanuk4)
Night No. 4: It wouldn’t be Hanukkah
without Adam Sandler’s modern clas-
sic “The Hanukkah Song,” in which he
reminds the world about prominent Jews
in movies, music and sports. In the pro-
cess, he devises some interesting rhymes
for the word Hanukkah: “Put on that yar-
mulke / It’s time for Hanukkah / Two-
time Oscar winner / Dustin Hoffmonica /
Celebrates Hanukkah.” (bit.ly/chanuk6)
Sandler’s written a couple of sequels with
lyrics that aren’t always as gentle as “I
Have a Little Dreidel.”
Night No. 5: One of the most famous
pieces of music associated with the holi-
day is G.F. Handel’s “Judas Maccabeus.”
The oratorio celebrates the victories of
the ancient Jewish loyalists against their
pagan foes. Eliezer Segal examines how
one of Handel’s themes, “See the Con-
quering Hero Comes,” has been adopted
by Jews as a Hanukkah melody. Accord-
ing to Segal, the irony is that when Handel
composed Judas Maccabeus, he was more
concerned that it become a “pageant of
English patriotism rather than a source of
Jewish national pride.” The tune will play
as you enter the Web site. (bit.ly/chanuk7)
Night No. 6: A few years ago, the
gifted wordsmith Tom Lehrer composed
another seasonal favorite. “I’m spend-
ing Hanukkah in Santa Monica / Wear-
ing sandals, lighting candles by the sea.”
Now someone has added amusing photos
and posted a not-to-be-missed video on
YouTube. (bit.ly/chanuk8) For an encore,
enjoy a suave rendition by Brandeis Uni-
versity’s Jewish a cappella group, Jewish
Fella A Cappella. (bit.ly/chanuk9)
Night No. 7: They’re classics in Israel
and they can be in your home, too. If you
can read Hebrew, I think you’ll appreci-
ate the Chagim Web site. You’ll find the
lyrics to over 27 Hebrew Hanukkah songs
including “Ner Li” (I have a flame), “Levi-
vot” (Latkes) and “Nes Hanukkah” (Mira-
cle of Hanukkah). (bit.ly/chanuk10)
Night No. 8: Everybody’s favorite little
dreidel is, of course, made of clay. But if
you want to have a new dreidel to sing
about, look no further than the Hava
Nashira Jewish Songleader’s Resource.
(bit.ly/chanuk11) There are dozens of
modern variations of the classic, includ-
ing:
I have a little dreidel,
I made it out of glue

Wishing you and your family The baby tried to spin it,
And now she’s spinning too.

a Happy Hanukkah! I have a little dreidel,

Made from a CD-ROM.
It helped me launch a start-up
!cmw gc Called DreidelSpin-dot-com!
I had a little dreidel,
I made it out of clay,
Said a Kabbalistic blessing,
And it got up and walked away

Mark Mietkiewicz is a Toronto-based

Web site producer who writes, lectures
and teaches about the Jewish Internet. He
can be contacted at highway@rogers.com.

Happy Hannukah from

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My favorite holiday
Celebrating Hanukkah with a little poetry and a lot of family
Masada Siegel
and Stefanie Zweig
JTNews Columnists
Generations is an across-the-world e-mail
conversation between 30-something
writer Masada Siegel and 70-something
author Stefanie Zweig.
From: Stefanie Zweig
Sat., December 20, 2008 12:30 p.m.
Subject: Happy Hanukkah
Dear Masada,
A happy Hanukkah for you and the
family. On the first day we are treating
ourselves to Cats. I have seen the musical
in London and New York, but I love cats
and I love T. S. Eliot’s verses. And I don’t
mind the music, so what can happen?
Do you give each other presents? We can
never find an end and pretend that it is
Christmas and light candles only one
night. But, at least, we sing “Maos Zur.”
My brother once wrote it for me in Latin
letters, because I can’t read Hebrew. Have
a good time, a great big Hanukkah hug
from Stefanie
From: Masada Siegel
Mon., December 22, 2008 5:38 p.m.
Subject: Re: Happy Hanukkah
Hey Stefanie!
Happy Hanukkah! My favorite holi-
day! There is a quote I saw at the museum
in Jerusalem: “Instead of cursing the
darkness, light a candle!” I lit a few can-
Connections Co-chairs
Lisa Katsman & Lois Fuhr
Ac\ROg8O\cO`g! ’10:30am ~ 1pm
RSVP www.JewishInSeattle.org/Connections
friday, december 11, 2009 n jtnews
generations
B 7
dles this week, celebrated my birthday
with my parents and loads of friends and
also with my students, one of them even
got me a gift.
My sister Audrey and her husband Gabe
and the kids are coming to visit. I can’t
wait. It will be fun to celebrate Hanuk-
kah with my niece Talya and nephew Alex,
who is beyond mischievous!
So funny you saw Cats in London. I did
too! I had friends who worked at the the-
ater. For one of the shows I had an amaz-
ing seat in the audience and once I sat in
rafters above, not exactly legal or safe —
but fun!
Gifts for Hanukkah? It all gets wrapped
in with my birthday. Thankfully, we are
not a stuff family. Mostly, I ask for ski
trips or airline mileage points to go some-
where. Wishing you a happy Hanukkah.
Keep smiling! Courtesy Masada Siegel
Masada Masada with her nephew Alex on the ice.
From: Stefanie Zweig best of the good. Only swim in water, not and bring with you a heart that watches
Wed., Dec 24, 2008 12:57 p.m. through life. And be suspicious of people and receives (Wordsworth). Nothing in
Subject: Re: Happy Hanukkah who open their mouths too wide or have this letter is of importance except the first
Dear Masada, to climb mountains to built schools. sentence. Much Happiness, Health and
We had a most happy Hanukkah with You see, I am a very matter-of-fact lady. Wisdom wishes. Stefanie
heaps of presents and the little boy (16 I reserve the nights for dreams and days
months) playing contentedly with all for keeping alive and at work. I hold it From: Stefanie Zweig
the ribbons and wrapping paper. Many with Kipling: if you can fill the minute December 26, 2008 2:03 p.m.
happy returns for your birthday. How with 60 seconds worth of distance run, Dear Masada,
old are you? How old would you like to then yours is the world. If you want to We had a good Christmas, yesterday
be? If there is a too large a gap I advise look the whole poem up, its title is “IF.” with Cats, which was loud, exciting, and
you to do something about it. For 2009, And now, enough of science and of art. beautiful and for me a meeting with my
the year we hope to meet, I wish you the Close up those barren leaves. Come forth old friend T.S. Eliot. I must have come
Join us at the newly renovated Hyatt Regency
Bellevue for the Jewish Federation’s annual
women’s brunch and...
with Alina Gerlovin Spaulding
a dynamic, young Soviet
émigré now living the
American dream.
Her story is our story.
B 8 jtnews n friday,
celebrate hanukkah
december 11, 2009

Generations t Page 7B
across his verses when I was 10 — they
were published in 1939 for the first time.
No wonder I was unpopular at school.
Being Jewish and well-read is nothing for
children bred in Kenya who are strong in
the arms, but weak in the head. Have a
good time. Love, Stefanie
From: Masada Siegel
Friday, December 26, 2008
Hey Stefanie!
I’m still smiling about your last e-mail…
and your lovely wishes! It’s hectic here in
a fun way. Audrey and the family arrived.
I absolutely love them all so much! Today,
my 8-year-old nephew Alex and I are going
ice skating. I used to train four hours a
day, so we are going to have a blast.
We all lit the Hanukkah candles as a
family for the past two nights and sang.
It was so beautiful, I wish I could bottle
up the feeling, and every time I am sad,
I would just open it up and take some of
the magic out!
Just like you see T.S. Eliot as your
friend, people who read your work see
you the same way — how cool is that? I’m
glad you liked Cats and had fun in all the
color and craziness. If Mama Mia comes
to Germany, go see it. It’s fantastic, a real
feel-good, fun show!
Life is funny. You found yourself
unpopular at school because you were
in a place with different values. Now you
find yourself so popular that the world
over reads your words, and strangers
stand outside your door so they can talk
to you! There is a lesson somewhere in
there that I am sure will inspire people.
Keep enjoying yourself!
Lots of love,
Masada
p.s. I am booking my flight to Germany
shortly..... :)
Sfinj t Page 2B
favorite, hands down.”
Sfinj are not just reserved for the Fes-
tival of Lights either. Jaqueline prepares
them year-round, for Brit Milah, B’nai
Mitvzah, Moroccan pre-nuptial henna
rituals, weddings, Mimouna festivities,
even post-nuptial breakfasts — and any-
time in between.
By the time I reached my destination, I
too was inspired. With Jaqueline’s recipe
in hand, by tonight, I’ll be enjoying sfinj
by Hanukkah candlelight.
Jaqueline’s Sfinj
1-1/2 envelopes “fast action” dried yeast
2 Tbs. sugar
4-5 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. salt
3–3-1/2 cups water
Oil for frying
Granulated sugar, maple syrup, or honey
(optional)
Combine yeast, sugar, and flour in a large bowl.
Mix well. Gradually add just enough water to
make a soft dough that is easily gathered into
a ball. Knead the dough for about 15 minutes,
stopping while it is still sticky to the touch.
Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel or
plastic wrap. Place in a warm place for one
to two hours, until dough doubles in size.
Punch down. With water-moistened hands,
form walnut-sized balls of dough.
Alternately, punch a hole in the center of each
with your finger. Fold each ring of dough
outward, thus enlarging the holes and creating
decorative “crowns.”
In a frying pan, heat oil to very high heat, then
lower it slightly. Deep-fry the sfinj on both
sides in small batches. When golden brown,
remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on
absorbent paper. Serve immediately, either
dusted with sugar, gilded with honey or maple
syrup, or plain, as is.

Hanukkah Greetings to the Community

from
Richard & Tricia
Jonah, David & Gabe Rosenblatt Johnson Family
Fruchter Jackie, Gary, Josh & Joseph

Happy HanukkaH!
from our family to yours Happy Hanukkah!
Dave Mintz
Dan & Elaine Mintz
Tessa & Jacob to all our friends
Rob & patti Mintz & family
Hailey & Ryan
Gina & paul Benezra
Benjamin Scott, Karen & Matan
Lucile Wasserman Michelson

Hanukkah
Greetings!

Hanukkah Greetings!
Frances roGers to our relatives and friends
Jimmy, Zoey &
sabina roGers
Dean, Gwenn, Happy Hanukkah
Linda & micHaeL morGan from
Todd morGan & wendy Lawrence
Robert & Andrea
& oLiver Polik Liz Gorman and Joel Paisner
Joel Erlitz & Andrea Selig meLissa, marTy,
arieLLa & sasHa neLson
Joshua & Sam Natalie and Noah Paisner

A Great Miracle Hanukkah Greetings!

Happened There
Hanukkah Greetings!

Warmest wishes to everyone

Nate & Judy Ross
Bobbi & Alexis
Chamberlin Laurie Boguch
Jennifer, Joel, Sharon Boguch
Linda & David Stahl Donald & Max Shifrin ben & oscar Janet Boguch
& Family Neil Ross Magalnick Kelby Fletcher & Kalen
 friday, december 11, 2009 n jtnews
community calendar
B 9

december 11 – 24, 2009

The JTNews calendar presents a selection of ongoing events in
the Jewish community. For a complete listing of events, or to
add your event to the JTNews calendar, visit www.jtnews.net.
Calendar events must be submitted no later than 10 days
before publication.
Ongoing
Friday
■■9:30-10:30 a.m. – SJCC Tot Shabbat
Dana Weiner at 206-232-7115, ext. 237
Parents with children ages infant-3 celebrate Shabbat with
challah, live music, singing, and dancing in the JCC’s foyer.
Free. At the Stroum Jewish Community Center, 3801 E Mercer
Way, Mercer Island.
■■11 a.m.-12 p.m. – Tots Welcoming Shabbat
425-603-9677 or www.templebnaitorah.org
This Temple B’nai Torah program for kids ages infant-5
includes songs, stories, candle lighting, challah, and open
play. Free. At Temple B’nai Torah, 15727 NE 4th St.,
Bellevue.
■■12:30-3:30 p.m. – Drop-in Mah Jongg
Roni Antebi at 206-232-7115 ext. 269
A friendly game of Mah Jongg. Free for members, $2 for guests.
At the Stroum JCC, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
■■12:30-3:30 p.m. – Bridge Group
Roni Antebi at 206-232-7115, ext. 269
Prior bridge playing experience necessary. Coffee and tea
provided. Bring a brown bag lunch. Free for members, $2
for non-members. At the Stroum JCC, 3801 E Mercer Way,
Mercer Island.
Saturday
■■9-10:30 a.m. – Temple B’nai Torah Adult Torah Study
425-603-9677
A discussion of each week’s parshah. No experience needed.
At the Temple B’nai Torah youth room, 15727 NE 4th St.,
Bellevue.
■■9:45 a.m. – BCMH Youth Services
Julie Greene at 206-721-0970 or julie@bcmhseattle.org
Bikur Cholim-Machzikay Hadath Congregation has something
for all ages: Teen minyan, Yavneh program, Junior minyan,
Torah Tots, Mommy and Me, and Navi class. Starting times
vary. At Congregation Bikur Cholim-Machzikay Hadath, 5145
S Morgan St., Seattle.
■■10 a.m. – Morning Youth Program
206-722-5500 or www.ezrabessaroth.net
Congregation Ezra Bessaroth’s full-service Shabbat morning
youth program focuses on tefillah, the weekly parshah and
the congregation’s unique customs in a creative and fun
environment. For infant to 5th grade. At Congregation Ezra
Bessaroth, 5217 S Brandon St., Seattle.
■■10:45 a.m.-12 p.m. – Herzl Mishpacha Minyan
206-232-8555 or www.herzl-ner-tamid.org
A Shabbat morning service at Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative
Congregation that meets twice a month and features songs,
stories and treats for 2- to 5-year-olds and their families. Meets
first and third Shabbat of the month. At Herzl-Ner Tamid Con-
servative Congregation, 3700 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
■■5 p.m. – The Ramchal’s Derech Hashem, Portal from the
Ari to Modernity
Rabbi Harry Zeitlin at 206-524-9740 or
hlzeitlin@comcast.net
This is the earliest systematic and reliable explanation of
Kabbalah, which is grounded in tradition and comprehen-
sible to contemporary, educated Jews. At Congregation Beth
Ha’Ari Beit Midrash, 5508 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.
■■6:30 p.m. – Avot Ubanim
Rabbi Yehuda Bresler at 206-722-8289
A class where children can learn alongside their parents.
Refreshments and prizes at each session. At the Seattle Kollel,
5305 52nd Ave. S, Seattle.
Sunday
■■9 a.m. – Shabbat in Practice
Marilyn Leibert at 206-722-8289 or info@seattlekollel.org
An ongoing course taught by Rabbi Yehoshua Pinkus on the
Abridged Book of Jewish Law, known as the Kitzur Shulchan
Aruch. Free. At the Seattle Kollel, 5305 52nd Ave. S,
Seattle.
■■9 a.m. – Advanced Talmud for Men
Marilyn Leibert at 206-722-8289 or info@seattlekollel.org
A chance for men to study the intricacies of a classic Talmudic
text and examine the basic commentaries that bring forth its
understandings. Taught by Rabbi Avrohom David. At the
Seattle Kollel, 5305 52nd Ave. S, Seattle.
■■9 a.m. – Intermediate Halachah
Marilyn Leibert at 206-722-8289 or info@seattlekollel.org
Designed for students who want to learn comprehensive,
in-depth, every day Halachah. Taught by Rabbi Yeshoshua
Pinkus. At the Seattle Kollel, 5305 52nd Ave. S, Seattle.
u Page 9B

Get Ready for a New Year

25 This Friday Night

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- Jul 11,
Jun 9
10% Off Tickets 80 wines by the glass.
if you purchase before Dec. 31 Code: jtnews
Based on availability, limit 4 tickets per person
1, 3 & 6 oz. pours.
on December 25th 206.216.0833 www.book-it.org
small plates.
on Lake Washington at Carillon Point, Kirkland
large plates. Reservations: 425.803.5595
binonthelake.com
share plates.

See what we have in store

for you this holiday season
Daily Happy Hour n 4–6 p.m. & 9–close
Saturday & Sunday Brunch n 7 a.m.–2 p.m.
Afternoon Tea begins Friday, 11/27 n Fireside Room
Daily from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. n $35/person
900 M adison street Reservations: 206.343.6156
206.622.6400 Christmas Eve Dinner n Thursday, 12/24
sixteen See our web site 5–10 p.m. n Hunt Club
for more events Christmas Day n Friday, 12/25 n 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
www.hotelsorrento.coM Hunt Club & Fireside Room n $60/person
Reservations: www.opentable.com or 206.343.6156
New Year’s Eve n Thursday, 12/31 n 9 p.m.–1 a.m.
Overton Berry in the Fireside Room
B10 jtnews n
community calendar
friday, december 11, 2009

Ongoing t Page 9B
■■10 a.m. – Mitzvot: The Fabric of Jewish
Living
206-722-8289 or info@seattlekollel.org
An ongoing course about the philosophical
underpinnings and practical implications of
the 613 mitzvot. Free. Part of the Seattle Kollel’s
“Breakfast Club,” offering bagels, lox and
cream cheese, Starbucks coffee and Krispy
Kreme Donuts. At the Seattle Kollel, 5305
52nd Ave. S, Seattle.
■■10:15 a.m. – Sunday Torah Study
Carol Benedick at 206-524-0075
Weekly study group. At Congregation Beth
Shalom, 6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.
■■10:30 a.m. – Intermediate/Advanced
Prayerbook Hebrew
Alysa Rosen at 206-525-0915, ext. 210 or
alysa@templebetham.org
This course focuses on developing a basic
Hebrew vocabulary necessary for understand-
ing the Siddur. At Temple Beth Am, 2632 NE
80th St., Seattle.
■■1–4 p.m. – Shalom Bayit Warehouse
Volunteer Work Party
Rachel at 425-558-1894 or
shalombayit@ncjwseattle.org
Help organize donated items for survivors of
domestic violence and their children. This
event takes place every second or third Sunday.
Call for exact dates and location.
■■7:15 p.m. – Beginners’ Talmud
Marilyn Leibert at 206-722-8289 or
info@seattlekollel.org
This course will walk the novice through the
basic learning skills to begin to learn Talmud.
At Seattle Kollel, 5305 52nd Ave. S, Seattle.
■■7:30-10:30 p.m. – He’Ari Israeli Dancing
Ellie at 206-232-3560 or tiaellie1@yahoo.com
or israelidanceseattle.com
Seattle’s oldest Israeli dance session. Couples
and singles welcome. Call for schedule
changes. Cost is $6. At Danceland Ballroom,
327 NE 91st St., Seattle.
Monday
■■10 a.m.–2 p.m. – JCC Seniors Group
Roni 206-232-7115, ext. 269
The Stroum JCC’s Seniors Group meets on
Mondays and Thursdays for activities and
celebrations. At the Stroum JCC, 3801 E Mercer
Way, Mercer Island.
■■10 a.m. – Jewish Mommy and Me
Giti Fredman at 206-935-4035 or
info@seattlekollel.org
Giti Fredman leads a weekly playgroup for
Jewish moms and young children. Sponsored
by the Seattle Kollel. At the Hiawatha
Community Center, 2700 California Ave. SW,
West Seattle.
■■4:30–6:30 p.m. – Modern Conversational
Hebrew
Sharron Lerner at 206-547-3914, ext. 3 or
slerner@kadima.org or www.kadima.org
Kadima Reconstructionist Community offers
conversational Hebrew classes for students
in the 3rd–7th grades. Open to non-members.
At Kadima, 12353 8th Ave. NE, Seattle.
■■7 p.m. – CSA Monday Night Classes
info@shevetachim.com
Weekly class taught by Rabbi Yechezkel
Kornfeld on topics in practical halachah. At
Congregation Shevet Achim, 5017 90th Ave.
SE, Mercer Island.
■■7-8 p.m. – Ein Yaakov in English
Joseph N. Trachtman at 206-412-5985 or
tracht@accommotrac.com
Ein Yaakov has been studied since its publica-
tion in 1516 by those desiring an introduction
to the Talmud through its stories. Free. At
Congregation Shaarei Tefilah-Lubavitch, 6250
43rd Ave. NE, Seattle.
■■7:30 p.m. – Torah Scroll Class for Men
eastsidechabad@earthlink.net
Shemer Berkowitz, a professional Ba’al Koreh,
will teach students to become their own Torah
readers by learning the cantillation marks and
becoming familiar with the secret of Torah
reading. At the Eastside Torah Center, 1837
156th Ave. NE, #303, Bellevue.
■■7:45-8:45 p.m. – For Women Only
206-527-1411
Rabbi Levitin offers classic commentaries on
the weekly parshah, Rashi, Rambam and Or
HaChaim. At Congregation Shaarei Tefilah,
6250 43rd Ave. NE, Seattle.
■■8-10 p.m. – Women’s Israeli Dance Class
Ruth Fast at 206-725-0930
Learn Israeli dance steps in an all-female
environment. At the Lakewood/Seward Park
Community Club, corner of 50th Ave. S and
Angeline St., Seattle.
■■8:30 p.m. – Iyun (in-depth) class in
Tehillim
info@seattlekollel.org
Class led by Rebbetzin Shirley Edelstone and
sponsored by the Seattle Kollel. For women
only. Free. Location provided upon RSVP.
■■8:30 p.m. – Talmud in Hebrew
Rabbi Farkash at rabbifarkash@earthlink.net
An in-depth Talmud class in Hebrew for men
taught by Rabbi Mordechai Farkash. At the
Eastside Torah Center, 1837 156th Ave. NE,
Suite 303, Bellevue.
■■8:30 p.m. – Talmud, Yeshiva-Style
eastsidechabad@earthlink.net
This class tackles sections of ritual, civil and
criminal law. Be prepared for lively discussion,
debate and analysis. Students must be able to
read Hebrew and should have had some
experience with in-text Torah study. At the
Eastside Torah Center, 1837 156th Ave. NE,
#303, Bellevue.
Tuesday
■■9:45 a.m. – Bringing Baby Home
Marjorie Schnyder at 206-861-3146 or
familylife@jfsseattle.org
A hands-on, interactive parenting and relation-
ships class, based on the findings of Drs. John
and Julie Gottman and the Relationship
Research Institute. $150. At Jewish Family
Service, 1601 16th Ave., Seattle.
■■11 a.m.-12 p.m. – Mommy and Me
Program
Nechama Farkash at 425-427-1654
A chance for parents and kids to explore the
child’s world through story, song, cooking,
crafts and circle time. At a private address.
Call for location.
■■12 p.m. – Torah in Sneakers with Rabbi
Borodin
Carol Benedick at 206-524-0075 or
carolbenedick@bethshalomseattle.org or
www.bethshalomseattle.org
Power walk with the rabbi while discussing
the Torah portion and other topics. Meet at
Congregation Beth Shalom, 6800 35th Ave.
NE, Seattle.
■■12 p.m. – Torah for Women
Rochie Farkash at 206-383-8441 or
eastsidechabad@earthlink.net
Rochie Farkash leads a group of Eastside
women in a discussion of the weekly Torah
portion. At Starbucks (backroom), Bellevue
Galleria, Bellevue.
■■7 p.m. – Crash Course in Hebrew Reading
Level 2
info@seattlekollel.org
Five-week course taught by Rabbi Dovid
Fredman. At the Seattle Kollel, 5305 52nd
Ave. S, Seattle.
■■7 p.m. – Teen Center
Ari Hoffman at thehoffather@aol.com
Video games, game tables, food, and fun for
high school students. Hosted by NCSY. At the
Stroum JCC, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer
Island.
u Page 20B

Cynthia Williams hanukkah greetingS

Call 206-769-7140
to all our friends and customers
Happy Hanukkah!
Associate Broker, EcoBroker
Quorum—Laurelhurst, Inc.
Phil Smart Mercedes-Benz
cwilliams@quorumseattle.com
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Office 206-522-7003 Serving the Jewish community for 50 years!
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Opening windows to Israel
How Microsoft expanded its reach outside of U.S. borders
Erez Ben-Ari
JTNews Correspondent
One sunny day, nearly 20 years ago,
an Israeli engineer by the name of Yaron
Shamir, working at Microsoft’s campus
in Redmond, decided it was finally time
to go back to Israel. His boss at the time
was not too thrilled about the decision,
but Shamir had made up his mind. So
Shamir’s boss made him a tempting offer:
“Why don’t you start up a new develop-
ment center over there, so we can at least
keep you around?” Shamir recalls the
supervisor as saying.
The boss, of course, was Bill Gates, and
Yaron answered that he would. Shortly
after, Shamir landed in Haifa and joined
forces with Avi Nathan, another software
engineer. They rented some office space
and started to fish around for more local
talent.
Until then, Microsoft had concen-
trated its entire development activity in
the U.S. Early on, Shamir had to work
hard to get his new recruits interest-
ing projects. His team produced the fax
tool included with Windows 95, pieces of
IBM’s OS/2 operating system — parts of
Happy
ah
Hanukk
Acura
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robert Friedman
robfriedman@acuraofbellevue.com
425-644-3000 x.1108
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friday, december 11, 2009 n jtnews 11
focus on bellevue
B
By 2006, Shamir had retired and
Nathan had taken his place as gen-
eral manager of the Haifa develop-
ment center, when a dramatic change
occurred. Moshe Lichtman, who held a
key role at the Redmond campus, decided
he wanted to relocate back to Israel and
initiated a multitude of development
projects at a newly built development
center in Herzliya. He populated the site
with many new hires, as well as employ-
ees from several acquisitions Microsoft
made over the previous decade.
One of the key challenges facing the
engineers in Israel is the need to work
in tight cooperation with the Redmond
headquarters. Thanks to modern net-
working, a lot can be accomplished using
e-mail and video conferencing, and
there’s less need for employees to travel
the 7,000 miles between Israel and Wash-
ington.
Courtesy Erez Ben-Ari There are, however, other hoops to
Microsoft’s offices in Haifa, Israel. jump through. One, of course, is the
time difference. Israel’s workday starts at
which were outsourced to Microsoft for companies to speed up their Internet about midnight in Redmond, and when
development — among others. access, eventually ballooned into a 200- Washingtonians step into the office at 9
In 1995, one modest product, Micro- person team that had increased the scope
soft Proxy Server, software used by large and capabilities of the product. u Page 17B
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B12 jtnews n
m.o.t.: member of the tribe
friday, december 11, 2009
Lawyer’s memoir reflects on commitment to tribal rights
Also: Seattle jazz trumpeter on making it in New York
Diana
Brement
JTNews
Columnist
“People urged me to write the book
— specifically my wife,” says Bellevue
resident Alvin Ziontz of his memoir,
A Lawyer in Indian Country. Seventy-
eight-years old when he started in 2006,
he remembers thinking, “I’d better get
busy.”
He’d always told stories about work-
ing with Native Americans, but writing
gave him the opportunity “to flesh it out,”
especially for those who know little about
these tribes. And after nearly three years
of “painfully long” rewriting and revis-
ing required by University of Washington
Press, the book was released this year.
Al spent the better part of a long career
in tribal work, work he fell into some-
what by accident as a junior lawyer work-
ing in a West Seattle storefront office in
the 1960s.
As he tells it, serendipity often played
a role in his life. The Chicago native
struggled through law school and had
started graduate school when he was
drafted during the Korean War. The Army
brought him to California, making it easy
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to move to Seattle — where he’d worked
one summer — when the war ended.
He struggled again as a junior lawyer
with a boss who was often absent, but that
first, serendipitous, Indian job led to the
long career he details in the book.
After he retired, he spent a decade
as a professional photographer until an
increasingly bad back led him to real
retirement.
He’s always tended to view his life
through a historical lens, appreciating
his working-class pedigree and the very
different life he made for himself in the
Northwest.
The tribes are “recovering from
[years of] historical damage,” but in
their work for environmental preser-
vation, tribes have really led the way
for the rest of society. “The natural
environment is their sustenance and
they are very, very protective of it —
and it’s all to our benefit,” he says.
“I never lose sight or awareness of my
roots,” Al says.
The book “has brought Chicago back
into my consciousness,” as several high
school classmates have read it and con-
tacted him.
“It’s very nice,” he says, to have an old
part of your existence “come back to life.”
With the writing habit fully ingrained,
he started another project once the book
was complete. It’s a journal — not for
publication — a reflection on “living in
the red zone, after age 70, when death is
approaching.” Shortly after starting, his
wife Lenore (Lennie) was diagnosed with
ovarian cancer, “and it became a journal
focused on her.”
After a “terrifically hard” surgery, che-
motherapy and recuperation, “she came
out of it and made a dramatic recovery,”
and writing has shifted back to him.
Now, he says, “I’m currently writing on
the subject of decrepitude.”
Active at the Stroum Jewish Commu-
nity Center, Al is president of the active
seniors club, arranging programs and
conducting two round-table discussions
each month. He and Lennie also spend
time with their four grown children and
five grandchildren, all in the area. Courtesy Tatum Greenblatt
Native American tribes are making Trumpet player Tatum Greenblatt will
progress, he reflects, but, “there’s still return to Seattle later this month for
room for improvement…. I would first like several performances.
to see healthy Indian communities.”
The tribes are “recovering from [years
of] historical damage,” but in their work for fessional music career in New York since
environmental preservation, tribes have he was 18.
really led the way for the rest of society. “I’ve kind of been playing my whole
“The natural environment is their sus- life,” he explains.
tenance and they are very, very protective Growing up in a musical household,
of it — and it’s all to our benefit,” he says. a toddler’s natural instinct to hit things
••• with sticks had him playing his brother’s
Born and raised in Seattle, Tatum drums at an early age.
Greenblatt, a 2000 graduate of Garfield
High School, has been carving out a pro- u Page 13B
The management
and staff of
Barrier Motors
wish our friends
and customers a
Happy Hanukkah.
www.barriermotors.com
Representing Mercedes-Benz • Porsche • Audi • Volvo

M.O.T. t Page 12B
His father, saxophonist Dan Green–
blatt, is a professional musician and
Tatum calls his mom, Karyn Cline “an
avid fan” of all kinds of music.
Having a professional parent didn’t
guarantee he’d become a musician, but
his parents did insist that music be part
of his education. He started trumpet at
Madrona Elementary after a friend left
town and left his horn with Tatum. He
had an affinity for the instrument, and
playing well became its own reward. That
“turned into a long line of opportunities
that were rewarding and fun,” he says.
It did help that Dad could seek out
the best teachers and could help during
“times of frustration and confusion.”
At 12, he says, he remembers decid-
ing, “I’m going to move to New York and
do this for the rest of my life.”
He attended the New School for Jazz
and Contemporary Music. The college
years were “advantageous” for transition-
ing into life in the Big Apple, but playing
professionally “is an old-school, word-of-
friday, december 11, 2009 n jtnews 13
m.o.t.: member of the tribe
B
mouth business,” even in the digital age. Eastsiders looking
“Everybody has a Web site, everyone has for last-minute
a CD… but what it really comes down to Hanukkah Judaica
is so-and-so who has a gig and vouches either for their own
for you.” celebration or as a
After college he played exclusively gift can check out
for a year — “a dismal existence” — then some options at the
returned to school, getting a Master’s Common Folk home
from Juilliard in 2008. Now he plays often, décor store, which
“with about 20 different groups.” recently moved to
When we spoke, he was rehearsing for Bellevue and has
the on-stage band for the musical Hair. been ranked as one
His parents are also in New York now, of the top five Best
his dad working at the New School, Tat- of Western Wash-
um’s alma mater, and his mom study- ington gift stores.
ing film. They are located at
“It’s nice to have your mom cook 15600 NE 8th St. in
dinner for you once in a while,” he the Crossroads
observes. shopping center.
Tatum sneaks back to Seattle for two
shows this month. He plays with Jay
Thomas at Tula’s on Dec. 23, and his own
Here and Now Quintet appears at the
Triple Door on Dec. 26. Both shows fea-
ture quintet member and another former
Seattleite, Ben Roseth. For more informa-
tion, visit myspace.com/tatumgreenblatt. Courtesy Common Folk
Focus on Bellevue

Lights, dreidels... gifts?
To give or not to give? The real question is how to make
gifts meaningful
Natasha Rosenstock
Special to JTNews
To give or not to give, that is the ques-
tion. To give what? In this case, two
things: A meaningful Hanukkah experi-
ence, and gifts each night of the festival.
Don’t worry, JTNews hasn’t become
like department stores who advertise for
Christmas in October.
However, while it may be a bit late for
this year, I do think it is useful to start dis-
cussing Hanukkah one month before the
festival. That’s because I’m talking about
planning ahead of time for a meaningful
holiday, rather than simply getting a head
start on shopping for gifts.
In case you are tempted to blame
yourself for the perpetuation of cele-
brating Hanukkah in competition with
Christmas, let me provide some histori-
cal context and tell you it’s not your fault.
In fact, your synagogue may have told you
to do it.
Dianne C. Ashton is the Director of
American Studies at Rowan University
in Glassboro, N.J., and the author of an
upcoming book, The American Chanukah.
“Hanukkah festivals for children in
the synagogue started in the 1870s in the
Reform congregations and they were very
definitely trying to find ways for Jewish
children to be as interested in their reli-
friday, december 11, 2009 n jtnews 15
celebrate hanukkah
B
Zach Robin, a 6th grader at
the Jewish Day School of
Metropolitan Seattle in
Bellevue, holds up December
of the TIPS Partnership
calendar, which features his
a lesson about spending wisely. They can artwork. The partnership, a
decide if they want to spend their Hanuk- coalition of Jewish Federa-
kah gelt on a toy for themselves, some- tions in Tucson, Phoenix and
thing else, or pool it with their siblings Seattle with the Israeli
for one larger item everyone can enjoy communities of Kiryat
together. Malachi and the Hof
• Before kids receive new gifts for Ashkelon region, opened the
Hanukkah, have them go through their contest up to Jewish 5th and
toys and determine what they no longer 6th graders to create artwork
play with so they can donate those items. based on an environmental
They will recognize that part of receiv- theme. JDS student Noa
ing gifts is also to give to children who are Dunn has her artwork in the
less fortunate. calendar and three other
• Use that time of year to collect the students also received
money from the tzedekah boxes around recognition.
your house and have your children help
u Page 16B Courtesy JDS
Focus on Bellevue

DELIGHT IN
gion like churches were doing with Chris-
tian kids,” Ashton says. “And then the
Conservative movement picked up on it
— not just the presents but the concern
for Jewish children remaining interested
THE SEASON
in Judaism and enlivened by it in Decem-
ber, so Hanukkah festivals became one
way to promote that.” EXPERIENCE The Bellevue Collection
So what to do when your own syna- this season. Discover new stores,
gogue might be encouraging you to cel- exciting places to dine and exhilarating
ebrate Hanukkah in competition with nightlife. Be enchanted by Snowflake
Christmas? Your children are bombarded
Lane’s dazzling lights and holiday music.
with media messages promoting the gift-
Make your adventure complete with a
giving spirit of the season, and they may
also be receiving gifts from well-mean-
Shop & Stay package from either of our
ing relatives. two luxury hotels.
Rabbi Sandy Rubenstein is the direc-
tor of Jewish Chaplaincy Services at the So many reasons to make The Bellevue
Jewish Social Service Agency in Rock- Collection your holiday tradition.
ville, Md. She has advice for families
struggling with these issues: “If gifts are
emphasized, how can we think about
them in a different way? There are ways BELLEVUE SQUARE BELLEVUE PLACE
to bring in new meaning to the holiday,” LINCOLN SQUARE
she says. “You can do things that are not
about giving gifts, but lighting candles, Bet ween NE 4th and NE 10 th,
and talk about ways to rededicate our- Bellevue, Washing ton 425.454.8 096
selves to what’s important to us. We can w w w.bellevuecollection.com
light candles for justice or peace or talk
about what brings light into my life and
your life and what are the places that
need light in this world?”
She says parents should ask them-
selves, “If you don’t want gifts to be dom-
inant, how do you create meaning in the
holiday so it’s not about kids feeling bad
about Christmas?”
I spoke to a number of moms who have
either dismissed the gift-giving culture
and only give the traditional gelt, or per-
haps started out giving one gift each night
and then moved away from that.
Here are some of their ideas to bring
meaning back into the festival and cut
down on the emphasis on Christmas-
style consumerism.
PULSE OF THE
NEW NORTHWEST
• Give your kids $1 for each candle,
each night. At the end of eight nights,
they’ll receive $36.
• Use Hanukkah gelt to teach your kids
B jtnews n
16 focus on bellevue
friday, december 11, 2009
Gift Pressure t Page 15B
make the decision about where to donate
the money. Let them physically donate
the money themselves and/or see the
effects of their donation.
• If you do feel pressure to give your
kids some type of gift every night, spread
out the giving among yourself and other
relatives.
• Gifts can be items you would have
bought your children anyway, like new
school clothes, pajamas or books.
• Do not try to compete with Christ-
mas. Tell your children it is okay for
others to celebrate their own holiday
their way and for you to celebrate your
holiday another way.
Happy Hanukkah!
Natasha Rosenstock is a writer living in
Potomac, Md. You can visit her at
www.natasharosenstock.com. This piece
originally appeared in the Washington
Jewish Week.
Focus on Bellevue
Thinking of giving?
Here are a few charities, local and worldwide, that could use your help. This list is by no
means close to exhaustive, nor should it represent any preference on behalf of JTNews,
but all are intended to directly help families in need. Find more at www.jtnews.net.
Jewish Family Service (in Seattle and Spokane): It’s no secret that donations are
down and need is up. More families than ever before, many of them Jewish, are visiting
the food bank and not making ends meet. Having children bring in non-perishable food
is a direct way of showing tzedakah in action. Bringing in cash doesn’t hurt, either.
Heifer International: Small donations to this international organization purchase
small animals for families in developing countries, giving them a means for income and
food. Visit www.heifer.org for information on what your donation gets a family.
One Warm Coat: It’s cold outside, and that old coat in the back of your closet is doing
nothing but harvesting dust mites. Put it to use by donating it to One Warm Coat. If
they’re not doing a drive in your neighborhood, start one of your own. Visit www.one-
warmcoat.org for more information.

Microsoft t Page 11B
a.m., most of the employees in Israel are
on their way home. Add to that the Israeli
weekend, which is Friday-Saturday, it can
be a challenge to arrange a direct dialog.
Many employees have no choice but to
get up really early or stay at the office past
dinnertime.
Another, sometimes more amusing
hurdle, is the language barrier. While
every employee in Israel speaks good
English, things can still get confusing.
Dan Herzog, a senior engineer from the
IAG team in Redmond, for example, faces
frequent confusion.
“I was born in the U.S., and I don’t
speak a word of Hebrew, but with a classic
Hebrew name like Herzog, many Israe-
lis assume I’m one of them,” he says. “I’ve
even had to deal with people who refused
to believe I can’t speak the language.”
Drory Ben Menachem, who works on
user experience design with the Israel
office, shares a similar, but more compli-
cated story.
“Quite often, my English e-mails are
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have an Israeli name,” says Ben Men-
achem. “As the son of Israeli parents
and younger sibling to two brothers —
all of whom speak Hebrew fluently — it
is a point of embarrassment for me that
my Hebrew language skills are so poor.
So, whereas others might respond with
a simple ‘English, please’ e-mail, I will
spend minutes/hours wracking my brain
to decipher the Hebrew — and some-
times resort to online translators (or a
call to my brothers) for help with words
I’m stuck on.”
On the Israeli side, there are more
challenges. Though the offices in Israel
are considered quite large by Israeli stan-
dards, it’s not quite like the tens of thou-
sands of people working in Redmond,
and some Israelis find it hard to com-
prehend and deal with the necessary
administrative framework involved —
this despite their country’s infamous
red tape-laden bureaucracy. For exam-
ple, Microsoft’s Information Technology
group works hard to set certain standards
to govern such practices as hardware and
Focus on Bellevue
… together!
Bellevue Sanctuary
3850 - 156th Ave SE
(425) 454-5085
friday, december 11, 2009
software purchases, and these standards
help improve budget management. If an
employee needs a new computer, he or
she may find more administrative dif-
ficulties in doing so, because the com-
puters sold in Israel might not meet the
standards or regulations set by the U.S.-
based IT group.
Naturally, with hundreds of engineers
working at the Israeli sites, one of the con-
sequences is a lot of migrations back and
forth. Dozens of Israeli engineers have
relocated to Redmond throughout the
years, and a few Americans have relo-
cated to Israel as well.
One of them is David Cross, a prod-
uct unit manager in Haifa, who moved
to Israel two years ago. Cross realized
that despite the easy access to technol-
ogy, relationships are still based on face-
to-face contact. Without that pre-existing
physical contact, he says, it’s difficult to
build and develop those relationships.
Cross travels to the United States fre-
quently, but it’s still challenging on a
daily basis.
“However,” Cross says, “this has some
Celebrate Chanukah with
Temple B’nai Torah
We have Chanukah activities for every
generation. Visit www.templebnaitorah.org
for more information
Rabbi James Mirel
Cantor David Serkin-Poole
Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg
n jtnews 17
focus on bellevue
B
upsides, too. In Israel, we work from
Sunday to Thursday, and so Sunday is a
great work day. We hardly get any e-mails
from the U.S. on Sunday, and that gives
me a chance to get a lot of things done.”
Following the establishment of the site
in Herzliya, in a few short years Micro-
soft’s Israel workforce has grown sig-
nificantly, with more growth planned.
Current projects include Headlight, a
web-based advertising tool that offers
zoomable information within a lim-
ited space, and HiTouchy, a multi-touch
screen implementation developed in
a week by just four engineers. Accord-
ing to Lichtman, the Israeli center con-
ducts leading research in many areas
from e-commerce to mobile services, all
of which he believes will make global
impacts in the coming years.
“Becoming the crown jewel of the
software industry in Israel is a long-
term aspiration of ours,” Lichtman says.
“Thanks to the innovative culture of the
center, coupled with its areas of focus, we
have attracted top talent from Israel and
abroad.”
15727 Northeast 4th
Bellevue, WA 98008
425.603.9677
B18 jtnews n
celebrate hanukkah
friday, december 11, 2009

Lighting up enthusiasm
ists. It wasn’t until rabbinic times that receive the kinds of “little, yucky pres-
the whole miracle-of-oil thing came to ents” that Jacobs received when she was

for the holiday

Figuring out how to celebrate Hanukkah
Lisa Keys
JTA World News Service
NEW YORK (JTA) — I’ll admit it: Hanuk-
kah is a holiday I’ve approached with dimin-
ishing enthusiasm over the years. I’m not
into latkes; I prefer egg rolls. Dreidel’s not
nearly as fun as Scrabble. And as the holiday
approaches, so, too, does our loaded debate:
Are we giving gifts this year or what?
It wasn’t always this way. Growing up
in a nonobservant-but-you-have-to-go-
to-Sunday-school household, Hanukkah
was a pretty awesome holiday that was on
par — scratch that, better — than Christ-
mas. I remember the excitement build-
ing in the air as my mom hung a “Happy
Hanukkah” banner in the window next
to the blue “helping hand” sign that sig-
nified crazy people do not live within.
(Anyone remember those?)
We lit the menorah every night. The
extended family would have a party at my
grandparents’ place. And then there were
the presents: 16 blue-wrapped boxes,
divided into two piles — eight gifts for me,
eight for my sister. Every night we made
an exciting choice: Which gift should
we open tonight? Sometimes the boxes
contained the practical, like pajamas or
slippers, two great passions of my mom.
Sometimes they were just pure fun, like
games or stuffed animals.
As we got older, things changed, of
course. Multiple gifts were rolled into a
single one. The family Hanukkah gath-
ering dissolved. Once I was living on
my own, I’d probably find my way to a
menorah once or twice over the holiday.
Hanukkah was more or less uneventful —
it became downright complicated when
my husband Julian entered the picture.
His family didn’t exchange g if ts
during the holiday; to him, presents
weren’t part of the Hanukkah equation.
But I’d feel slighted because I thought it
was meaningful for spouses to exchange
a gift or two. He’d be insistent that we
light the menorah; I’d feel weird because
we rarely, if ever, lit Shabbat candles —
and Judaism considers that a much more
significant holiday.
Now that we’re parents, the situation
seems more pressing, as I’d like for our
young son Leon to look forward to Hanuk-
kah the same way I did. Or do I? Am I just
teaching him to love Hanukkah because,
hey, who doesn’t love getting presents?
And if we’re strict about the menorah but
completely lax about Shabbat candles,
are we sending the wrong message? How
exactly should we be celebrating Hanuk-
kah, anyway?
Of course, we’re not the only ones con-
fused. Even the story of Hanukkah has its
variations: The book of 1 Maccabees por-
trays Hanukkah as a military victory over
an evil king; 2 Maccabees sees it as a vic-
tory of pious Jews over the assimilation-
light, so to speak. Given that we Jews can’t
even agree on a spelling for the holiday —
Hanukkah? Hanukah? Chanukah — it’s
no wonder that a shroud of mystery sur-
rounds its celebration.
I’ve come to realize, however, that my
approach is all wrong.
“The interesting thing about Hanuk-
kah is that it’s had different defini-
tions in different years,” said Rabbi Brad
Hirschfield, the president of CLAL, a plu-
ralistic Jewish think tank. “In every gen-
eration Hanukkah has been a celebration
of overcoming whatever the biggest chal-
lenge the Jewish people were facing.”
In fact, the rabbi said my questioning
was appropriate.
“It’s in the spirit of the day,” he told me.
“Asking new questions, celebrating new
answers, knowing how that’s always been.”
Hirschfield pooh-poohed my hang-
ups, starting with concerns about light-
ing candles on Hanukkah while often
skipping the ritual on Shabbat.
“To be able to perform one mitzvah is a
tremendously exciting thing,” he told me.
Meredith Jacobs, the Jewish mama
maven and founder of the Web site Mod-
ernJewishMom.com, has some excel-
lent ideas, too. In the Jacobs household in
Potomac, Md., each night of Hanukkah
has a different theme. One night is game
night; the kids (Sophie, 12, and Joel, 10)
receive board games and the family plays
them together. One night is all about
homemade presents, another is tzedakah
night, when in lieu of receiving gifts, her
kids give one to those in need.
One night she declares as “old-fash-
ioned Hanukkah night” in which her kids
growing up, like socks or pajamas. (Per-
haps her mom and mine are related?)
Jacobs says she also heeds her moth-
er’s advice to “make the house smell like
yontif.” For Jacobs, that means latkes and
brisket — even though, she concedes,
brisket is not considered a “traditional”
Hanukkah food.
“I try and make the house feel and
smell a little different,” she told me, “so it
feels exciting and like a holiday.”
That got me thinking. I typically make
rugelach this time of year — they’re fun
to make, they’re a perfect party food and,
packed into a Chinese takeout container,
they make great gifts. Inadvertently, I
realized, rugelach had evolved into my
family’s Hanukkah food. It may not be a
canonical choice, but it’s a tradition that’s
become as real in my household as a Pass-
over seder and Friday-night pizza.
The more I thought about it, the more I
understood that we were forging a family
Hanukkah, after all. I started thinking
about all the moments of triumph this
year and how they were worthy of cele-
bration.
“There are more ways of celebrating
Hanukkah than people who want to [cel-
ebrate it],” Hirschfield told me. “The only
wrong way to celebrate this holiday is
effectively not to celebrate it at all.”
And so, my rocky relationship with
Hanukkah is on the mend. We’re still
not sure exactly how we’ll celebrate this
year, but I can tell you this: There will be
love and gifts and rugelach. We’ll light
the menorah, we’ll eat some egg rolls and
we’ll take it from there.

Focus on Bellevue

Hanukkah Greetings! Part of the Temple De Hirsch Sinai Family

Jennifer Rosen Meade Preschool
Warren J. Libman,
Bellevue 425-453-1308

D.D.S., M.S.D.
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 friday, december 11, 2009 n jtnews 19
jewish on earth
B
Hanukkah: lighting a look back
Where are our earth-friendly tipping points?

Martin
Westerman
JTNews
Columnist
Once again, Hanukkah candles pro-
vide us warm oases of light in the winter
dark ness, leading us into enjoyable
Jewish spaces — and into our yiddishe
neshamot (Jewish souls).
“The idea of struggling with God defines
us,” says Rabbi Anson Laytner of Seattle
congregation Kol HaNeshamah. “People
of other faiths might look askance at the
idea, but it is our destiny. And, according
to our tradition, as Jacob wrestled with
the Angel, even if we end up wounded in
some way, we are blessed for having wres-
tled with the divine, rather than meekly
accepting all we have been taught as
‘God’s truth.’ What a unique idea!”
Jews have survived for centuries using
this idea. We have pushed beyond what
others told us is possible, because we know
that our present situations may not work
out, and a new future must be created. We
must forge ahead, envisioning new possi-
bilities, thinking and acting “outside the
box.” It’s that idea we must apply to today’s
environmental challenges.
I once saw a poster of the Earth, with
the caption, “Where else do you plan to
live?” With nowhere else to go, faced with
overwhelming greenhouse gas emis-
sions, and air, land and water pollution;
with climate change deniers, the com-
fortably ignorant and the overwhelmed
on all sides, how can we work ourselves
out of this jam?
Our own people are stuck with the
crowd, for example:
• The wealthy Jewish businessman
who erects a 17,000-square-foot house
that’s “bigger than his brother’s,” rather
than conserve resources and build green,
• The Lubavitcher rabbi who’s less
interested in eliminating food-service
waste at his numerous, weekly Chabad
House meals than in finding a kosher
sandwich supplier for Jewish students,
• The young Jewish mother who drives
her children five blocks from home to the
bus stop, rather than let them walk in
fresh morning air, free of exhaust fumes
from her car.
Biblically, one could view these exam-
ples as another in the Almighty’s cycles
of hardening hearts before great histor-
ical shifts: Hardening Pharaoh’s before
the Exodus; Sodom and Gemorah’s before
their destruction; the Hebrews’ before their
return to Zion from Babylonian diaspora.
Usually, great resistance builds before great
change occurs, for good, and for ill. Mal-
colm Gladwell gives wonderful secular
examples in his book, The Tipping Point.
Each of our example people could get
what they wanted without so burdening
the planet: kosher food and waste-free
foodservice; a big house and “greener
than his brother’s”; mobility and fresh air.
The questions are, where is our “earth-
friendly” behavioral tipping point, and
how do we reach it?
Do we push people to change behav-
ior, through education, incentives and
policymaking? Do we force people to
adjust, by building changes into their
daily lives, through product manufacture
and regulations? Or do both?
“We cannot retreat to the convenience
of being overwhelmed,” says American
Jewish World Service President Ruth
Messinger. As Pirke Avot (1:17) says, “It is
not the study that is essential, but rather
the action.”
With this column, I complete my first
year of writing “Jewish on Earth.” In this
past year, I wonder how many of you have
changed your behavior, or taken some
new “green” step? W hat incentive(s)
would prompt you to take one, or many
more? Something financial, something
ethical, something exciting, punitive
and/or emotional?
I wouldn’t ask these questions, or write
this column, if we all lived in harmony
with nature, and built sustainability into
everything we do and use. But we don’t.
So here I write and ask.
There are two places where science
and religion intersect:
1. Guessing how the world began, and
2. Guessing how it will end.
Since the dawn of history, humans
have created my t hs to ex plain t he
unknown, generally centered around
the actions of all-powerful beings. These
myths coalesce into God-centered belief
systems and religions. You can find an
enjoyable survey of them in Kenneth C.
Davis’ Don’t Know Much About Mythol-
ogy, including the conjecture that the
Hebrews’ singular god originated with
Pharaoh Akhnaten in the 1320s BCE.
It is a tribute to our resilience that over
the intervening three millenia, as Hebrews,
then Israelites, then Jews, we have devel-
oped Yiddishe koppen (brains) and nesh-
amot that rarely take things at face value,
and strive to change them for the better.
And we have been blessed for our efforts.
Now, as we warm our souls with
Hanukkah and Shabbos lights, I suggest
asking ourselves a new question: What
can make being “green” effortless? How
can we, as Gandhi said, “Be the change
you want to see in the world”? Some-
times, you can get the hard things done
by making it easy for yourself.
Author and teacher Martin Westerman
writes and consults on sustainable living.
He can be contacted with questions at
artartart@seanet.com.

Focus on Bellevue
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B20 jtnews n
community calendar
friday, december 11, 2009
Ongoing t Page 10B
■■7 p.m. – Living a Meaningful Jewish Life:
From Social Justice to Sexuality
Jacob at jacob@hilleluw.org
This year-long class for people new to Judaism
as well as for Jewish young adults who are
interested in deepening their knowledge of
Jewish life will cover the Jewish calendar,
lifecycles, theology and prayer and will
emphasize the deeper meaning behind Jewish
practice. At UW Hillel, 4745 17th Ave. NE,
Seattle.
■■7 - 9:15 p.m. – Living Judaism - The Basics
with Mary Potter
Kris Klippel at 206-524-0075 or
krisklippel@bethshalomseattle.org or
www.bethshalomseattle.org
An introduction to Judaism for Jews looking
to deepen their knowledge, non-Jewish
partners of Jews, and conversion students. The
tuition for this weekly class includes a
year-long Hebrew course. At Congregation
Beth Shalom, 6800 35th Ave NE, Seattle.
■■7 p.m. – Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings
Eve M. Ruff at 206-461-3240 or
emruff@jfsseattle.org
Meeting for anyone who has stopped or would
like to stop drinking. At Jewish Family Service,
1601 16th Ave., Seattle.
■■7 p.m. – Hebrew Level I
Carol Benedick at 206-524-0075 or
carolbenedick@bethshalomseattle.org or
www.bethshalomseattle.org
Learn the Alef Bet and become familiar with
the basic vocabulary of the Siddur. Cost is
$250. Discounts available for members and
early birds (by 9/16). Call to pre-register or
visit www.bethshalomseattle.org. At Congre-
gation Beth Shalom, 6800 35th Ave. NE,
Seattle.
■■7 p.m. – Hebrew II (Biblical) with Elizabeth
Fagin
Carol Benedick at 206-524-0075 or
carolbenedick@bethshalomseattle.org or
www.bethshalomseattle.org
Learn the building blocks of basic biblical
Hebrew. Cost is $250. Discounts available
for members. At Congregation Beth Shalom,
6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.
■■7 p.m. – Hebrew III (Biblical) with Mark
Solomon
Carol Benedick at 206-524-0075 or
carolbenedick@bethshalomseattle.org or
www.bethshalomseattle.org
Designed for students who already have some
foundation in basic Hebrew grammar
(including Pa’al/Qal verbs), this class focuses
on remaining verb forms and translating the
Joseph story. Cost is $250. Discounts available
for members. At Congregation Beth Shalom,
6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.
■■7 p.m. – Hebrew IV (Prayerbook)-
Unlocking the Siddur with Beth Huppin
Carol Benedick at 206-524-0075 or
carolbenedick@bethshalomseattle.org or
www.bethshalomseattle.org
For students with basic Hebrew grammar/
vocabulary, this class will focus on understand-
ing Siddur Hebrew. Cost is $250. Discounts
available for members. At Congregation Beth
Shalom, 6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.
■■7 - 8:30 p.m. – Intermediate Conversational
Hebrew
Janine Rosenbaum at 206-760-7812
Focus on Bellevue
A course for students with some Hebrew
background interested in expanding their
conversational skills and understanding the
basic principles of Hebrew grammar. $65 plus
materials. At Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative
Congregation, 3700 E Mercer Way, Mercer
Island.
■■7:15 p.m. – SoulQuest: The Journey
Through Life, Death, and Beyond
206-290-6301
A six-week course about Jewish perspectives
on death and the afterlife. Led by Rabbi Elazar
Bogomilsky. Cost is $60. Offered through the
Jewish Learning Institute. At Mercer View
Community Center, 8236 SE 24th St., Mercer
Island.
■■7:15 p.m. – The Mishna and its Sages
Marilyn Leibert at 206-722-8289 or
info@seattlekollel.org
Learn about the Mishna and the Talmud, the
books that are the backbone of Jewish tradition,
faith and history. $25. At the Seattle Kollel,
5305 52nd Ave. S, Seattle.
■■7:15 p.m. – How to Learn Rashi
Marilyn Leibert at 206-722-8289
This course will unveil some of the beautiful
simplicity and complexity of Rashi’s com-
mentary for the layman. $25. At the Seattle
Kollel, 5305 52nd Ave. S, Seattle.
■■7:30 p.m. – Why Be Jewish?
Melanie Berman at 206-232-8555 or
melanie@h-nt.org
This class explores what is distinctive about
Judaism and the Jewish people. At Herzl-Ner
Tamid, 3700 E Mercer Island Way, Mercer
Island.
■■7:30 p.m. – Parshah class
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425-427-1654 or
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Rabbi Berry leads an in-depth Parshah class.
At Chabad of Issaquah, 24121 SE Black Nugget
Rd., Issaquah.
■■7:30 p.m. – Weekly Round Table Kabbalah
Class
eastsidechabad@earthlink.net
Men and women join together to explore the
mystical teachings of the Kabbalah. At a private
home.
■■7:45 p.m. – Mystical Understanding of the
Hebrew Alphabet
Dovid Fredman at 206-251-4063 or
rabbifredman@seattlekollel.org
Discover the mystifying depth and beauty of
the Hebrew letters. Free. At Seattle Kollel,
5305 52nd Ave. S, Seattle.
■■8:30 p.m. – End of Life Issues and the
Beyond
Marilyn Leibert at 206-722-8289 or
info@seattlekollel.org
This series addresses the halachic questions
of end of life issues and explores customs of
Jewish burial, mourning rituals, the secrets of
Kaddish and a perspective of the world to
come. $25. At Seattle Kollel, 5305 52nd Ave.
S, Seattle.
8:30 p.m. – Soul Diet
Marilyn Leibert at 206-722-8289 or
info@seattlekollel.org
The Soul Diet is a no-holds-barred approach
to restricting the invasion of pseudo-wisdom
that is shaping core values and causing a
general state of confusion in the minds of
many. $25. At the Seattle Kollel, 5305 52nd
Ave. S, Seattle.
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Wednesday
■■11 a.m.-12 p.m. – Torah with a Twist
206-938-4852
Women learn Torah with Rabbi Ephraim
Schwartz of the Seattle Kollel at this weekly
class. At a Mercer Island location. Call for
directions.
■■11:45 a.m. – Talmud Berachot
Rabbi Yehoshua Pinkus at 206-718-2887 or
rabbipinkus@seattlekollel.org
Interactive discussion and study session of the
Talmud Berachot. Hosted by the Seattle Kollel.
Free. At Tullys Westlake Center, 1601 5th
Ave., Seattle.
■■ 1:30 p.m. – Book Club at the Stroum
JCC
Roni Antebi at 206-232-7115, ext. 269
Book discussions the first Wednesday of every
month. At the Stroum JCC, 3801 E Mercer
Way, Mercer Island.
■■3 p.m. – The Mother’s Circle
Marjorie Schnyder at 206-461-3240,
ext. 3146
A program for moms from other backgrounds
raising Jewish kids to get support, learn about
Jewish rituals, practices and values, and get
connected to the Jewish community.
Sponsored by Jewish Family Service. Every
other Wednesday. At Whole Foods Market,
1026 NE 64th St., Seattle.
■■7–9 p.m. – Teen Lounge for Middle
Schoolers
Ari at 206-295-5888
Foosball, ping-pong, pool, basketball, arcade
games and optional classes. At the Yavneh
building at Congregation Bikur Cholim-
Machzikay Hadath, 5145 S Morgan St.,
Seattle.
■■7 p.m. – Beginning Israeli Dancing for
Adults with Rhona Feldman
Carol Benedick at 206-524-0075
Older teens and all experience levels are
welcome. $40 for a five-session punch card.
Discount for members. At Congregation Beth
Shalom, 6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.
■■7 p.m. – Wisdom for Women 14+
Rabbi Bresler at 206-331-8767 or
info@seattlekollel.org
Jewish Women ages 14 and up are invited to
take part in an afternoon of thought-provoking
learning, wisdom, and ideas from the Torah.
At the Seattle Kollel, 5305 52nd Ave. S,
Seattle.
■■7-10 p.m. – Parsha and Poker
info@h-nt.org
A look at the Torah portion of the week
followed by a friendly game of poker with
proceeds going to tzedakah. Led by Rabbi
Josh Hearshen. At Herzl-Ner Tamid, 3700 E
Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
■■7:15 p.m. – The Jewish Journey
206-722-8289 or info@seattlekollel.org
This two-year comprehensive program guides
students through the historical, philosophical
and mystical wonders of Judaism’s 3,500-year
heritage. Cost is $360, plus a $36 registration
fee. At the Seattle Kollel, 5305 52nd Ave. S,
Seattle.
■■7:30 p.m. – Parshas Hashavuah
eastsidechabad@earthlink.net
This class provides a general overview of the
Torah portion of the week accompanied by
Midrashic commentaries, philosophical
insight, and practical lessons. At the Eastside
friday, december 11, 2009
community calendar
Torah Center, 1837 156th Ave. NE #303,
Bellevue.
■■8:15 p.m. – God, the Universe, and Me
Marilyn Leibert at 206-722-8289 or
info@seattlekollel.org
Rebbetzin Shirley Edelstone leads a class
addressing questions about God and free will.
$25. At the Seattle Kollel, 5305 52nd Ave. S,
Seattle.
Thursday
■■9:30-10:30 a.m. – Women’s Talmud
Sasha Mail at 206-323-7933, ext. 301
Talmud study class for women led by Rivy
Poupko Kletenik. Free. At Seattle Hebrew
Academy, 1617 Interlaken Dr. E, Seattle.
■■12 p.m. – Rambam on Chumash for
Women
Marilyn Leibert at 206-722-8289
A discussion of foundational Jewish concepts
through the eyes of Nachmanides on Chumash
in the Book of Genesis, as well as an analysis
of key Rashis. Prerequisite: the ability to
recognize the Hebrew letters and a desire to
learn basic Hebrew grammar. For women
only. $25. Sponsored by the Seattle Kollel. At
a private home, Mercer Island.
■■6:50 p.m. – Introduction to Hebrew
Janine Rosenbaum at 206-760-7812
Helps students build fluency and comprehen-
sion of the prayers of the Friday evening
service. $50. At Herzl-Ner Tamid, 3700 E
Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
■■7 p.m. – Junior Teen Center
Ari Hoffman at thehoffather@aol.com
Video games, game tables, food, and fun for
middle schoolers. Hosted by NCSY. At the
n jtnews 21
B
Stroum JCC, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer
Island.
■■7 p.m. – Beginners Bridge Class
Roni Antebi at 206-232-7115, ext. 269 or
ronia@sjcc.org
An eight-week class to familiarize students
with the basic principles of bridge. $60/JCC
members, $70/non-members. At the Stroum
JCC, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
■■7:30 p.m. – Judaism: The Ultimate
Journey
info@h-nt.org
Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum leads a course called
“From Slavery to Freedom: Political Activism
and Personal Ethics in the Bible and the Age
of Democracy.” At Herzl-Ner Tamid, 3700 E
Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
■■8–10 p.m. – Teen Lounge for High
Schoolers
Ari at 206-295-5888
Foosball, ping-pong, pool, basketball, arcade
games and snacks. At the Yavneh building at
Congregation Bikur Cholim-Machzikay
Hadath, 5145 S Morgan St., Seattle.
■■8 p.m. – Beth Shalom Beit Midrash
Carol Benedick at 206-524-0075 or
carolbenedick@bethshalomseattle.org or
www.bethshalomseattle.org
Rabbi Stuart Light will teach Masechet
Berachot from the Mishnah. $5/class or 6
classes for $25. At Congregation Beth Shalom,
6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.
u Page 25B

Hanukkah Greetings! happy hanukkah!

to my friends & family Happy Hanukkah
& wishing you good health! The Eastern Family & Holiday Happiness
Sam & Sharon
Richard, Stacey, Joshua, Herb M. Bridge
Emily & Zachary

Happy Hanukkah!
and Family
David, Deena, Max & Isabelle
Frieda Sondland

HAPPY HANUKKAH! Happy Hanukkah!

The
Volchok
Families
Dita and Fred
Gerson Goldman & Family Appelbaum

Happy Hanukkah! Hanukkah Greetings!

Susan & Loki The Saran Family

Happy Hanukkah! HanukkaH GreetinGs! Happy HanukkaH!

Gerry and Sandra Ostroff

Joel, Leslie & Torry Ostroff
Tami, Ed, Yoni, Emma, Tova &
Stacy Schill Zachary Gelb Ralph & Marcelle
Ryan & Maddy Kubasta Adatto

Become a fan > jtnews

Tweet with us > jew_ish
B
22 jtnews
section
n friday, december 11, 2009

Jammed to the rafters

Stroum JCC’s annual Hanukkah party kicks it up a notch

Photos by Leyna Krow

Hanukkah Greetings!
Happy Hanukkah!
Natalie & Bob Malin
Lori Goldfarb, daughter & Samantha Rogel Jason & Betsy Schneier,
Keith, Linda, Alec & Kylie Goldfarb Ariel & Amanda
Melissa, Todd & Brandon Reninger Mildred Rosenbaum
Kevin Malin

hanukkah greetings!
Happy Hanukkah! Hanukkah
Hanukkah Greetings Greetings!
from
the Benardouts Aaron & Edith DichtEr
Bob & Sue
Stephen, Gina,
Joann goldman
Jessie, Mandy & Melissa Marisa & Lauren DichtEr
Dan, Cheryl, Candace
& David Becker robin,
Dick & Marilyn
arthur, susie, Brandon Brody
Max & Denielle Morgan
& Mackenzie goldman ZAMbrowSky

Happy Happy
Hanukkah!
Hanukkah!

Hanukkah Greetings! Happy Hanukkah!

Doug & Marcia Wiviott Larry & Shelley Stephen, Robin, Emily
David Wiviott & Christin Denning Seth, Josh and & Sara Boehler
Stephanie, Tony & Tori Harris Danielle Bensussen Louise Kornreich
Lindsay, Barry & Elle O'Neil
Rainier Overseas Movers
 friday, december 11, 2009 n jtnews 23
section
B
The rabbi made olive oil, the kids painted dreidels, and everyone ate latkes. The Pajama Jam, a
Hanukkah party put on by the Stroum Jewish Community Center and the Jewish Federation of
Greater Seattle’s PJ Library on Dec. 6, filled the JCC’s gym with families that played games and
created art activities. More than one kid went home covered in fake tattoos and paint on her face
on this otherwise freezing December afternoon.

Dear Friends of JTNews,

Honorary Because JTNews hits home & warms your heart like no other

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B24 jtnews n
celebrate hanukkah
friday, december 11, 2009

New kids’ books hitting the shelves at Hanukkah

Penny Schwartz
JTA World News Service
BOSTON (JTA) — From all corners
of the globe, to under the sea and above
the skies, a new crop of children’s books
for Hanukkah takes readers on a world-
wide spin with delightful and informa-
tive books for kids of all ages.
Hanukkah Around the World
Tami Lehman-Wilzig, illustrated by Vicki
Wehrman
Kar-Ben; $16.95 hardcover; $7.95 paper;
ages 8-11
Move over latkes, make room for pre-
cipizi. And sufganiyot, debla cookies and
burmuelos. These are among the tradi-
tional sweets eaten in Jewish homes from
Italy to Israel, Tunisia and Turkey during
the eight-day Festival of Lights. Recipes
for the treats are featured in Hanukkah
Around the World by Israeli-American
children’s writer Tami Lehman-Wilzig.
The illustrated travelogue takes young
readers to eight faraway places around
the globe.
First stop, the Israeli city of Modi’in,
the ancient biblical home of the Macca-
bees where the Hanukkah story began
2,000 years ago. Today the city comes
alive to celebrate its beloved holiday
with a relay race to Jerusalem and eight
days of kid-friendly festivities, Lehman-
Wilzig writes in an e-mail from her home
in Israel.
Each of t he eight cities featured
includes a short fictional story that high-
lights local customs, historical notes,
current events and easy-to-follow reci-
pes. Back pages include Hanukkah pot-
pourri from other locales and a glossary.
The custom that most impressed Leh-
man-Wilzig was in Turin, where a custom
connects the summertime observance of
Tisha B’Av, commemorating the ancient
destruction of the Temple, with Hanukkah,
recalling the rededication of the Temple.
“It’s a wonderful way to close the circle
and is a custom to be cherished,” she writes.
Menorah Under the Sea
Esther Susan Heller
Kar-Ben, $17.95; ages 4-8
Menorah Under the Sea is a photo essay-
style book that follows the explorations of
David Ginsburg, a marine ecologist from
Los Angeles who takes readers on an
adventure to McMurdo station in Antarc-
tica. The journal-like narrative describes
how Ginsburg and his research partner,
who arrived in Antarctica on the first night
of Hanukkah, use rubber dry suits to
emerge under the treacherous waters.
While collecting sea urchins and star-
fish for his research, Ginsburg is inspired
suddenly to create a menorah on the sea
floor using the neon-like sea urchins and
starfish. Captured on film, and repro-
duced in the book, the glowing meno-
rah is a sparkling and inspiring wonder.
Notes at the book’s end explain that sea
urchins are invertebrates and have no
central nervous system. During Gins-
burg’s menorah assembly, readers are
reassured that no animals were harmed.
The Rabbi and the Twenty-Nine Witches
Marilyn Hirsh
Marshall Cavendish, $17.99; ages 4-9
This is a re-publication of a Jewish
children’s classic, by the late Marilyn
Hirsh, an internationally acclaimed,
award-winning artist and writer. Hirsh
brings a light-hearted touch to this old
legend from the Talmud about a cave full
of witches, frightened villagers, the full
moon and a wise rabbi. Her whimsical
black-and-white line illustrations, with
blue throughout, will delight readers;
even the wicked witches are more slap-
stick than frightening.
Hirsh, who died of cancer in 1988,
was a consummate professional and
a uniquely talented artist, recalls the
noted children’s writer David Adler, who
worked with Hirsh while he was an editor
at the Jewish Publication Society. Adler
recalls that in the early 1980s, though
she was ill and hospitalized, Hirsh illus-
trated the JPS’s 50th anniversary edition
of The Adventures of K’ton Ton, the clas-
sic Jewish children’s series by Sadie Rose
Weilerstein.
The Amazing Menorah of Mazeltown
Hal Dresner and Joy Fate, illustrated by
Neil Shapiro
Red Rock Press, $16.95; ages 4-8
When Molly and Max find an old,
grimy menorah in their father’s junk
shop, they discover the power of the
menorah to transform their dreary town
in the dark days of winter.
Happy Hanukkah, Corduroy
Based on the character created by Don
Freeman, illustrated by Lisa McCue
Viking, $5.99; ages 6 months to 3 years
The popular, cuddly bear of the clas-
sic Don Freeman books enlists the help
of his animal friends to celebrate Hanuk-
kah, lighting the menorah, eating latkes,
singing, and playing dreidel.
A Chanukah Present for Me!
Lily Karr, illustrated by Jill McDonald
Scholastic, $6.99; ages 6 months to 3 years
This brightly colored board book
is packaged as a gift. Each two-board
spread features a Hanukkah tradition
with large format words and collage illus-
trations. There are latkes, dreidels, choc-
olate gelt or coins, fried doughnuts and, of
course, colorful candles in a menorah. In
the end, a smiling family celebrates.

Chag Sameach!
Wishing the Jewish Community
a Happy Hanukkah
from your friends at
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Calendar t Page 20B
Candle Lighting Times
12/11/09 3:59 p.m.
12/18/09 4:01 p.m.
12/25/09 4:04 p.m.
1/1/09 4:10 p.m.
December
Friday 11
■■5:30 p.m. – Hanukkah Community Shabbat
Dinner
Rabbi Mordechai Farkash at 425-957-7860
or eastsidechabad@gmail.com or
www.chabadbellevue.org
All are welcome to attend the Eastside Torah
center’s annual Hanukkah Shabbat dinner.
The menu will feature fish, roasted chicken,
salad, kugel, challah, vegetables, and dessert.
RSVP required. $25/adults, $15/children ages
4 to 12. At the Eastside Torah Center, 1837
156th Ave. NE, top floor, Bellevue.
Saturday 12
■■6:45 - 8:45 p.m. – NYHS Men’s Basketball
vs. Highland Prep
Melissa Rivkin at 206-232-5272 or
mrivkin@nyhs.net
Cheer on the NYHS Varsity Boys as they play
Highland Prep. At the Seattle Hebrew
Academy’s Ari Grashin Gym, 1617 Interlaken
Dr. E, Seattle.
■■7:30 p.m. – Peter Pan Returns
www.sjcc.org
A family musical production by the SJCC
Center Stage Theater that picks up where the
original story of Peter Pan left off. At the Stroum
JCC, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
■■9 p.m. – Moishe House Hanukkah Party
kibbutznik@ravennakibbutz.org
Food, dancing, dreidel, games, and a white
elephant gift exchange hosted by Moishe
House Seattle. At Ravenna Kibbutz House
Gimel, 6211 23rd Ave. NE, Seattle.
■■9 p.m. – JSU Formal Casino Night
Ari Hoffman at thehoffather@aol.com
A fundraising event for the Jewish Student
Union. Play blackjack, poker, roulette, craps,
and dreidel. Cost is $25 if in formal attire, $35
if dressed casually. At Sodo Pop , 2424 1st
Ave. S, Seattle.
sunday 13
■■11 a.m. – Double Chai Fundraiser
Brunch
Marjie Cogan at 206-524-0075
Beth Shalom’s annual fundraiser. RSVP
requested. At Congregation Beth Shalom,
6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.
■■11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. – All Seniors Hanukkah
Celebration
Helaine Goldstein at 425-885-7323
The Active Seniors Club invites all seniors to
a Hanukkah celebration. Cost is $1 for
members, $2 for non-members. RSVP
requested. At the Stroum JCC, 3801 E Mercer
Way, Mercer Island.
■■12 p.m. – The Big Spin
A Hanukkah party to benefit Seattle Children’s
Hospital featuring a performance of Hanukkah
songs by Chris Ballew of The Presidents of
the United States of America. Cost is $18 per
person. At the Museum of History and Industry,
2700 24th Ave. E, Seattle.
■■2:30 p.m. – Peter Pan Returns
www.sjcc.org
A family musical production by the SJCC
Center Stage Theater that picks up where the
original story of Peter Pan left off. At the Stroum
JCC, 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island.
■■3 p.m. – Shaarei Tikvah: A Hanukkah
Celebration for People of All Abilities
A community-wide non-denominational
celebration for persons with developmental
disabilities or persistent mental illness, their
families and friends. At Temple B’nai Torah,
friday, december 11, 2009
15727 NE 4th St., Bellevue.
■■5 p.m. – Hanukkah Party
Alysa Rosen at 206-525-0915, ext. 210 or
rsvp@templebetham.org
Temple Beth Am’s Hanukkah celebration. At
Temple Beth Am, 2632 NE 80th St., Seattle.
■■5:30 p.m. – Giant Candy Menorah
Hanukkah party including the construction
of a 10-foot-tall menorah out of candy. Hosted
by Chabad of the Central Cascades. At Blakely
Hall, 2550 NE Park Dr., Issaquah.
■■6:30 p.m. – Hanukkah at Redmond Town
Center
Rabbi Mordechai Farkash at 425-957-7860
or eastsidechabad@gmail.com or
www.chabadbellevue.org
An outdoor menorah lighting, Hanukkah songs
and treats. At Redmond Town Center.
monday 14
■■6:30 p.m. – Hanukkah at Crossroads
Mall
Rabbi Mordechai Farkash at 425-957-7860
or eastsidechabad@gmail.com or
www.chabadbellevue.org
Chabad Hebrew School students perform
traditional holiday songs. At Crossroads Mall,
Bellevue.
■■7:30 p.m. –The Unknown History of
Hanukkah
info@shevetachim.com
A two-part class on the history of Hanukkah
led by Rabbi Yechezkel Kornfeld. Free. At
Northwest Yeshiva High School, 5017 90th
Ave. SE, Mercer Island.
wednesday 16
■■5:30 p.m. – Lamplighter Dinner
Tammy Nguyen at 206-523-9766
Menachem Mendel Seattle Cheder’s annual
Lamplighter Dinner. This year’s event will
honor Rabbi and Mrs. Yechezkel and Devorah
Kornfeld. At Herban Feast, 3200 1st Ave. S,
Ste 100, Seattle.
n jtnews 25
section
B
■■7 p.m. – Iran-Israel-U.S.: Resolving the
Nuclear Impasse
A community conference sponsored by local
Jewish groups and peace organizations will
explore ways of resolving the Iranian nuclear
crisis through negotiation rather than force.
At Town Hall, 1119 8th Ave., Seattle.
thursday 17
■■6 p.m. – Hanukkah on Wheels
Rabbi Mordechai Farkash at 425-957-7860
or eastsidechabad@gmail.com or
www.chabadbellevue.org
Holiday skating party with Chabad. RSVP
requested. At Skate King of Bellevue, 1837
156th Ave. NE, Top Floor, Bellevue.
■■6:30 p.m. –Miracle of Light Hanukkah
Party
Carol Benedick at 206-524-0075 or
carolbenedick@bethshalomseattle.org or
www.bethshalomseattle.org
Community candle lighting, a talent show,
music by Klez Katz, and dinner by Eric
Gorbman. Cost is $10/person. Member
discount available. At Congregation Beth
Shalom, 6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle.
■■8 p.m. – Hot Hanukkah Night
www.h-nt.org/nextgen
NextGen, Herzl-Ner Tamid’s young adult
group, will celebrate Hanukkah with a
menorah lighting, hot drinks and a dessert
potluck. Cost is $10. Location provided upon
RSVP.
thursday 24
■■9:30 p.m. – Latkepalooza
www.hilleluw.org
Jewish Christmas Eve party hosted by Jconnect
and the Jewish Federation’s Young Leadership
Division. Cost is $15 in advance, $20 at the
door. At the Triple Door, 216 Union St.,
Seattle.

Looking for the perfect Chanukah gift?

Hanukkah Greetings
Who’s Minding the Store? Washington State
Jewish Family Six-Generation Celebration
Histories for
any home!

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The Feldhammers
Allan, Lynn, Family Trees 206 679 7918
Family Storyboards
Matthew & David www.SeattlePremises.com
Purchase your Family Business Storyboard or Family Tree — Contact Lori at 206-774-2277 or e-mail info@wsjhs.org

Hanukkah Greetings!
HanukkaH GreetinGs
to all our friends and family
Rita Rosen
Chag Sameach! Judy and KRiJn de Jonge
Bob & Becky Minsky sasKia and anneKe
Kevin Minsky & Natasha Sacouman Rosalie & Joe Kosher
stan and Michele Rosen
Caryn & Gary Weiss leslie and JacK Cary & Cathy Kosher
Abbi Evanna & Adina Natali Lance & Logan
MiMi and nathan goldbeRg Lonnie & Michele Kosher
Wendi Neuman
sadie & Matilda Zakary Louis &
Alexandra Rachel
& Daniela Talya Sabrina Rose

Happy HanuKKaH!
Hanukkah Greetings!
Kevin, Debbi,
Samantha & Jake Albert M. and Toby Franco
Halela & Conrad
B26 jtnews n
celebrate hanukkah
friday, december 11, 2009

Eight nights of apps

iPhone programs put Hanukkah in the palm of your hand

Rachel Freedenberg
J. Weekly of Northern California
On the road during Hanukkah and
feel the need to light candles? There’s an
app for that.
Lost all your dreidels and want to play
a quick game? There’s an app for that.
Need to know how many days you
have left to buy Hanukkah presents?
There’s an app for that, too.
Hanukkah-themed applications have
been a presence in Apple’s iTunes App
Store almost since its inception, and with
the holiday beginning Dec. 11, a number
of new applications have cropped up to
help iPhone and iPod Touch users meld
technology with the ancient holiday.
When Apple debuted the App Store in
July 2008, it contained 500 applications
(known as apps) that could be down-
loaded and installed on an iPhone or iPod
Touch. Earlier this month, the company
announced that it had just surpassed
100,000 apps and 2 billion downloads.
Jewish developers have pounced on
the ability to bring a little Yiddishkeit to
the handheld devices, and today there
are dozens of Jewish-themed apps avail-
able at the store.
Some of them are obvious: Siddur, iTal-
mud, Hebrew Date. An app called Mikvah
shows users the nearest mikvah and pro-
vides a checklist of pre-mikvah prepara-
tions. The Los Angeles–based Kabbalah
Centre International Players still spin a dreidel (or virtual
sells the Dialing God dreidel, in this case), but now they can
app, featuring Kab- choose between playing “traditional,”
balistic meditations “Vegas” or “turbo” style.
and blessings. For example, in “Vegas,” to make the
Then there are the game go faster, every time a player rolls a
more off beat apps. shin (put one in), the value of shin
ParveOMeter counts increases by one. The ante also increases
dow n t he wa it i ng by one every round.
time between eating Users can also set a specific number of
dairy and meat; iCh- rounds or increase the bankroll. Super
arity allows one to Dreidel allows for up to eight players.
deposit virtual coins “A friend of mine and I sat down at his
into a virtual kitchen table with a dreidel and we played
tzedakah box; and if and played and played,” Howard said.
you’re wonder i ng “The funny thing about the traditional
whether mahi-mahi version is that it almost never ends. When
is OK to eat, down- you’re playing the electronic version …
load Kosher Fish. there’s actually a winner instead of it
And then there are Courtesy J. Weekly going on forever.”
t he hol iday-based Jeff Howard shows off Super Dreidel, the app he developed The other benefit to the virtual game is
apps: Megillas Esther with business partner Richard Barry. that it avoids many of the game’s pitfalls.
for Purim, several “The dreidel never falls off the table,”
Omer-counting apps and numerous Pass- Howard, creator of a Hanukkah-themed Howard said. “It never hits gelt and the kids
over apps, including Haggadot and a app called Super Dreidel. shout, ‘That was no fair. I should respin.’”
game called Find the Matzah. Howard, a Los Angeles–based screen- The application took about three
But when it comes to Jewish holidays, w riter who describes himself as an months to complete, and after passing
Hanukkah has a clear monopoly on the “enthusiastic nerd,” came up with the Apple’s strict vetting process, it was released
App Store. From iDreidel to DaysTo Hanuk- idea for Super Dreidel shortly after to the App Store earlier this month.
kah to Mobile Menorah, there’s an app for Hanukkah last year. He joined forces with Super Dreidel retails in the App Store
everything you might need for the holiday another tech-obsessed friend, Richard for 99 cents. Thirty percent of each pur-
— except maybe one that makes latkes. Barry, and the two hired a programmer in chase goes to Apple, so Howard isn’t
“All the kids in my family are always New Hampshire to write the program. expecting to get rich off the app.
grabbing at my iPhone, so I figured they Super Dreidel provides unique varia- “When you do something that’s mainly
should play a Jewish game,” said Jeff tions on the ancient spin-and-win game. directed at the Jewish community [rather

Happy HanukkaH!
from the Hanukkah Greetings!
altaras Family Hanukkah Greetings!
Dave & sandra
Jeff, Darcy,
Courtney & mike
Stan & Iantha SIDELL
Gary, June, Jake, Zoe,
aly, trevor & Jordan
Dean, Gigi, Jordan & Justen
Mark, Leslie, Leah & Hannah
Scott, Pam, Sydney & Emma
Hanukkah Greetings!
Brooke & Ben Pariser

Sara Kaplan
David Kaplan & Susan Devan
Sydney Kaplan
Elisa and Zeb Haradon Daniel & Miriam Barnett
and their cats, Miya & Blake

Hanukkah Greetings!
“Momzer” and Mikey

Hanukkah Greetings! To our dear friends

Helen & Manny Lott

Sandra, Gerald, Joel, Leslie & Torry Ostroff
Sharon & Martin Lott Michael, Evelyn & Aviad
Jordan & Andrea Lott Benzikry
Jeremy, Elicia, Jossalyn & Micah Lott
Tami, Ed, Yoni, Emma, Tova & Zachary Gelb Tamar Benzikry Stern & Ronnie Stern

Al & Ruth Sanft

Brina & Louie
Happy Happy Hanukkah!
Mark & Nettie Cohodas
Hanukkah! Samantha & Ben
Richard & Barrie Galanti Alice & Art
Sam, Oliver & Rachel Ada
Siegal
SANFT FAMILY

than at a vast audience], you figure you’re
not going to sell millions and millions,”
he said. “It was mainly just for fun and to
do something Jewish for the iPhone.”
While Howard created his app for
kicks, iPhone apps mean business for
29-year-old Ronnie Schwartz of Web con-
struction firm RustyBrick.
The company, based in Suffern, N.Y.,
mostly creates medium-sized Web appli-
cations for its clients. But it has also cre-
ated more than 50 iPhone apps, many of
which are Jewish-themed.
Schwartz and his twin brother, Barry,
own RustyBrick — and happen to be
Orthodox Jews. The first app they created
was Siddur: For $9.99, users can have
every prayer they could possibly need at
their fingertips, day or night, no matter
where they are — although some of the
functions were programmed to be lim-
ited on Shabbat.
After the success of Siddur, the brothers
decided to create a series of free holiday-
themed apps that would get their name out
there, and hopefully translate into down-
loads of Siddur. The closest holiday was
Hanukkah, and so Menorah was born.
The app has several functions: It
allows for a virtual menorah lighting,
tells users what day of Hanukkah it is and
provides the necessary blessings, along
with audio done by artist Mo Kiss, a
friend of Ronnie Schwartz.
“These were original recordings just
This Hanukkah
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for the app,” Schwartz said. “I didn’t like
what was available on the Web. It was old-
school stuff — this is a little more hip for
the iPhone crowd.”
As chief technology officer of Rusty-
Brick, which employs about 15 people,
Schwartz is the main developer for its
iPhone apps. He’s been programming since
he was 13, and it took him no more than
four days to write the Menorah program
that came out in late November 2008.
An update was released this past July to
fix a bug that occurred after the iPhone
operating system was updated to version 3.0.
Thus far, Menorah has been down-
loaded about 30,000 times. Schwartz
thinks it appeals to those who don’t own a
menorah or who have never lit one before,
or travelers who are away for the holiday
and don’t have access to their menorah.
RustyBrick has had its share of run-ins
with Apple over its apps — such as a fea-
ture on Siddur that would add Hebrew
dates to the iCal calendar program on the
device. Apple didn’t like that, so Schwartz
had to remove the function.
There haven’t been any quibbles with
Apple over Menorah — the worst he’s had
to deal with, Schwartz said, were some
overly nasty reviews.
“With Menorah we got a bunch of anti-
Semitic reviews, because you used to be
able to review without owning the app, so
people would put up anything,” he said.
“But Apple removed them within a month.”
friday, december 11, 2009
celebrate hanukkah
Schwartz is well versed in the halachah
of the iPhone. RustyBrick has received
requests to create apps such as a machzor
and zemirot, which would only be useful
on Shabbat or holy days, when the use of
devices such as an iPhone is prohibited,
but Schwartz refuses.
“Our rabbis won’t let us,” he said.
When it comes to Menorah, though,
things get a bit hazy.
“Halachically the requirement [for
More Hanukkah games
Super Dreidel and Menorah aren’t the
only Hanukkah-themed apps available
for your iPhone or iPod Touch. Here are
some other apps to enhance the Festival
of Lights. (For reviews of the apps, visit
the iTunes App Store.)
DaysTo Hanukkah (99 cents): Dis-
plays the number of days left until the
first night of Hanukkah.
Hanukkah Match (free): A Memory-
style game that has users match Hanuk-
kah and other Judaica items (including
dreidels, gelt and Torahs). The faster you
match, the higher the score — and users
can compete for high scores with other
users worldwide.
A Dreidel Game (99 cents): A basic
dreidel game for two players.
Mobile Menorah (99 cents): Light the
shamash with your finger and drag it to
The Holiday
Favorite
Giving is as delicious as receiving.
n jtnews 27
B
lighting Hanuk kah candles] is oil,”
Schwartz said. “The rabbis said, ‘Okay,
anything that’s physical light’ — after
that it’s questionable if you’re allowed to
use electric ones with filament bulbs.
“Bottom line, though, the mitzvah is
not necessarily the lighting of it — it’s to
spread the miracle,” he noted. “If you
open this app and show it to someone else,
that’s the mitzvah right there. If you have
nothing else, it’s better than nothing.”
the other candles to light them. Has a pro-
grammable “burn rate.”
Dreidel Tap (free): Tap the falling
dreidels with your finger while avoiding
the burning candles. Compete for high
scores with other users.
MyMenorah ($4.99): A menorah-light-
ing app with live flame animation and a
video of candles being lit. Comes in Eng-
lish, French and Russian.
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206.682.0168
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206.528.9969
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425.453.1698
franschocolates.com
B28 jtnews n
celebrate hanukkah
friday, december 11, 2009

Bedouin women weave tradition, economics together

Handmade gifts that benefit both their creators and the beneficiaries

Jo-Ann Mort the women to work from their homes.

JTA World News Service
LAKIYA, Israel (JTA) — Every April, the
sheep in Israel’s southern Negev are sheared
by their Bedouin herders, beginning a pro-
cess that ends with the production of hefty
rugs woven by women from this Bedouin
village using a 4,000-year-old technique.
Though the method is old, the women
who run the project are part of a new gen-
eration of Bedouin women whose work is
empowering women who for millennia
were denied social and economic oppor-
tunities in their conservative society.
At Lakiya Negev Weaving, a project of
Sidreh — a nonprofit Bedouin women’s
organization supported by Shatil, the
grass-roots Israeli arm of the New Israel
Fund — everyone involved in the produc-
tion of the rugs, pillows and wall hang-
ings is a woman, from shepherd to weaver
to manager.
The group’s showroom is situated at
the entrance to the town of Lakiya, just
off the main highway and a few minutes’
drive from Beersheva.
It wasn’t always in so prominent a
location.
The group’s first building, established
shortly after the group was created in 1991,
was burned to the ground and its money
stolen before the weavers could be paid.
“I think we were a threat to the men,”
says Hala Abushareb, a Bedouin woman
in her mid-20s who runs the showroom.
“But now the daughters see that their
A Bedouin woman dyes wool for the Lakiya weaving project in the Negev.
mothers are useful. When women are
oppressed, men see it. It’s okay when
women get paid. A woman pays money to
send her daughter to school and to uni-
versity when she didn’t go herself and
now the attitude is different.”
Abushareb has a degree in Middle
Eastern Studies from Ben-Gurion Univer-
sity in Beersheva.
Israel’s Bedouin population numbers
roughly 160,000, with the vast majority in
the Negev. Bedouin women, who used to
work in agriculture and weave tents for
shelter, are still in transition in a society
that is undergoing dramatic change.
Thomas A. Schmidt
Once agricultural nomads, Bedouin in
Israel are increasingly adopting lifestyles
similar to those of other Israelis — build-
ing permanent homes, working in non-
agricultural jobs, sending their children
to school and living in established towns
or the Bedouin city of Rahat, about 20
minutes north of Beersheva. Some have
made these adjustments willingly; others
have clashed with the Israeli government
over grazing rights, land use and politics.
Despite t hese cha nges, Bedouin
women are still mostly discouraged from
working outside the home. Lakiya Negev
Weaving has been successful by enabling
No longer weaving tents since most
families live in homes made of adobe,
stone or corrugated tin, the women of
Lakiya Negev Weaving keep the ancient
Bedouin tradition of weaving alive by cre-
ating carpets and other items. As a condi-
tion of their employment, the women also
must agree to take part in educational
seminars on women’s health.
The organization employs about 70
women, down from a high of 150 when the
economy was stronger. Last year the women
produced 64 carpets, some of which ended
up in Israel’s fanciest neighborhoods. At the
European Union’s headquarters in Tel Aviv,
a room called Lakiya is filled with rugs
made by the women.
After the sheared wool is cut from
sheep, the puffs are spun into raw wool by
hand on a wooden spindle, then dipped
into huge boiling vats of dye before being
placed in the sun to dry. The women take
the wool and weave it on a hand-made
loom, leaning over it on their knees as the
wool is held up across two cinderblocks.
The rugs feature either the five tradi-
tional Bedouin colors — black, deep green,
dark red, white and dark blue — or contem-
porary weaves from a palette of 35 colors.
The showroom near Lakiya’s entrance
doubles as a meeting place for the women,
who often come with daughters in tow.
“It’s also a social meeting,” Abushareb
says. “The women enjoy it. They work a
few hours a day, every woman on her own
schedule.”

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2/$1 Kedem Tea
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3.8 - 4.5 oz.
79¢ 4.99 Streit's Chanukah
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Manischewitz Matzo Streit's Deluxe
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French Fingerling or
2746 NE 45th
Ruby Gold 1.5 lb. Bag Pineapple Leeks Seattle, WA 98105
Phone 206-523-5160
2/$7
With Advantage Card
2/$6
With Advantage Card
1.79lb.
With Advantage Card

All Prices Good With Advantage Card, December 11th - December 24th, 2009