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Message From the Rabbi

The Jewish outreach and education network of Southern Arizona EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Rabbi Yossie Shemtov

On the path to... By Rabbi Yossie Shemtov

REBBETZIN

Chanie Shemtov OUTREACH DIRECTOR

Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Feigie Ceitlin Affiliates:

Congregation Young Israel Chabad at the University of Arizona, Chabad on River, Chabad of Oro Valley, Chabad of Sierra Vista, and Lamplighter Chabad Day School of Tucson

EDITOR

Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin COPY EDITORS

Suzanne Cummins Tzirel Lite CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Katherine Agranovich, Libby Herz, Menachem Posner,

Thomas Price, Nicole Raz PHOTOS

Taghian Abod, Michael Zaccaria, Thomas Veneklasen, Gerardo Viviers EDITORIAL INQUIRIES OR ADVERTISING

Phone: 520-955-9680 Email: info@ChabadTucson

Keeping Jewish is published in print periodically by Chabad Tucson and is distributed free in Tucson and around Southern Arizona. Chabad Tucson does not endorse any products or services reported about or advertised in Keeping Jewish unless specifically noted. The acceptance of advertising in Keeping Jewish does not constitute a recommendation, approval or other representation of quality of products or services, or the credibility of any claims made by advertisers including, but not limited to, the kashrus of advertised food products. The use of any products or services advertised in Keeping Jewish is solely at the user’s risk and Chabad Tucson accepts no responsibility or liability in connection therewith.

Note: “G-d” and “L-rd” are written with a hyphen instead of an “o”. This is one way we accord reverence to the sacred divine name. This also reminds us that, even as we seek G-d, He transcends any human effort to describe His reality.

Tucson is home to a few recovery treatment centers where people from around the country seek professional help for their addictions and traumas. I once had the opportunity to counsel two individuals in the same treatment facility on the same day. The encounter was especially interesting because it was evident that each had very different attitudes for battling their life challenges. The first one, as part of his therapy, was sitting with a pen and paper. He was busy writing down every personal shortcoming and every bad memory from the past. The second person was reading a book and using a pen to circle and underline positive words or sentences “to encourage me to continue on the path to recovery.”

It reminded me what the Rebbe once wrote: just as we should be aware of our negative traits, we must also celebrate and be appreciative of the positive in our lives. When my advice was sought, I recommended to the first resident that he follow the example of the second. Count your blessings while recognizing past failures, I told him. The resident loved that idea and said he was going to introduce that practice at the next group meeting. Like these individuals, world Jewry is currently in the midst of a period of reflection over the destruction of the first and second Holy Temples. While we mourn the still-ongoing exile, our focus is on the ultimate redemption with the coming of Moshiach. May that day come speedily in our days.

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ESSAY

Surfside strong

The tragic collapse highlighted Jewish unity and diversity By Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin We were left breathless upon hearing about the sudden collapse of the Champlain Tower South in the Miami suburb of Surfside, Florida, on Thursday, June 24. The crumbling of the 12-story beachfront condominium building was devastating to everyone—decedents and survivors, families and friends, and distal observers who watched the tragedy as it played before us on the media. There is something troubling, however, about initial reports which indicated that the complex was occupied significantly by “Orthodox Jews” who are heavily represented in the area. As the list of those confirmed dead and those missing became public, it became clear that although a large number of the occupants of Champlain Towers South were Jewish, they were not of any one type.

The Jewish community often faces generalizations as a monolithic kind of community—a sort of cabal of similar personalities who are all of like mind. But we are in fact a very diverse group e Di- in most places, including Surfside. The Jewish victims of the building collapse hailed from all over the globe: Venezuela, Pittsburgh, Long Island. Some were observant, some were not. Some were Ashkenazi (Jews of Central and Eastern European decent), and some were Sephardi (Jews of Muslim and North African countries). Back in 2007, I visited The Shul of Bal Harbour—the Chabad-Lubavitch synagogue that is the epicenter of the Surfside Jewish community. I was struck above all by the diversity of its members and the variety of its programs under the leadership of Rabbi Sholom D. Lipskar. There was a Sephardic service geared towards Latin-American Jews, and a be-

The aftermath of the Surfside condominium building collapse which occurred on June 24, 2021 * Photo: Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department

ginners’ service for people who have little prior Jewish knowledge but wish to be part of a community. There were classes in French, Hebrew, Spanish and Portugese. The Jewish people were exiled from our homeland in Israel nearly 2,000 years ago—a tragedy we formally mourn every year at Tisha B’Av, a fast day which will be observed this year at sunset on July 17, 2021, concluding at nightfall on Sunday, July 18. Despite millenia of persecution, expulsions and genocide, we have survived with a rich mosaic of cultures and traditions that make up the Jewish people. On a personal note, my paternal gran-

dparents immigrated from a village in Belarus, while my maternal grandparents hail from a town in Iraq. While they both believed in G-d and followed the Torah, their culture, language, foods and observances differed significantly. Their children—my parents—got married in Israel and then raised a family of nine children in Montreal, Canada. The makeup of our assorted community there very much reminded me of Surfside—if you can set aside the difference in terms of local weather. Yet none of that comes through when the beautiful diversity of the Surfside community—in level of ob-

servance, country of origin, language and culture—is inaccurately described in a single word as “Orthodox.” To all the victims, families and neighbors including the vibrant and diverse Jewish community of Surfside: my thoughts and prayers are with you in this time of unimaginable pain and tragedy. In the words of Rabbi Lipskar of Surfside, at times like these “The brain doesn’t work; the heart doesn’t work. It’s only the spirit that continues to have existence and continuity.” —Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin is the Outreach Director of Chabad Tucson

PROFILE

American journey

Holocaust ties influence a family of immigration attorneys in Tucson By Nicole Raz The immigration attorneys at Goldman & Goldman, PC can relate to their clients perhaps more than most other attorneys could. Gloria Goldman and her two children, both immigration attorneys, often see shadows of their own family’s story in those of their clients. “I talk to clients who came here to flee torture and suppression in their countries. And I tell them I was a refugee, and I connect with them,” said Goldman, 73. Her family history makes her compassionate for her clients, many of whom have also lost family members. When she was just six months old, Goldman and her parents came as refugees to the United States from Germany. It was 1949, and just three years earlier her mother, Esther Klein, was liberated from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Her father, Morris Klein, was also a Holocaust survivor. Her parents met in a displaced persons (DP) camp. Mo Goldman, Gloria Goldman’s son, said he sees a deep connection between his heritage and his work as an immigration attorney. “To me, it seems like we can use our own history as a catalyst to helping others and hopefully getting them to the goal of becoming a citizen of this country,” Mo, 46, said. Larissa Goldman, Gloria Goldman’s daughter, said she feels like she has a natural empathy and understanding of clients’ struggles.

“Because they may have been persecuted or experienced horrors as my grandparents did, it is rewarding to be able to help,

Gloria Goldman dances with her father Morris Klein dance at a wedding in 1953

and to get them out of bad situations,” said Larissa, 44. For Gloria Goldman, one of the legacies of the Holocaust was not having any family around while growing up, - no cousins, grandparents, aunts or uncles. Her parents were able to come to the United States because her father’s cousin, who was already in the U.S., sponsored their visas. But the families did not stay in contact for long after their arrival. Reflecting on her past, Gloria said her work as an immigration attorney has been very meaningful to her, “especially when you get the thank yous and comments

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Gloria Goldman at her office

about how you’ve changed people’s lives.” One of the people Gloria helped had a child who took her name! Gloria had done a pro-bono case revolving around the young girl who was being raised by undocumented immigrants. The young girl was a baby when the immigrants took her in after her mother was sent to prison. Gloria helped the couple to obtain their green cards and they ultimately adopted the child. Gloria explained, “When they adopted her, they told her she would have their last name, and if she wanted to change her first name, she could. And she changed her first name to mine...”

In a letter, the then-10-year-old Gloria wrote to Gloria Goldman: “Thank you thank you thank you and a million more thank yous for helping me stay with my parents and my brothers who love me a lot.” Despite their shared family history, each Goldman was drawn to immigration law for different reasons. Gloria Goldman was 40 when she decided to go to law school upon the encouragement of her husband, Dr. Michael V. Goldman, an orthodontist. “He thought it would be interesting, and I thought, ‘Well, let’s see if I can get in,’”

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After being a physical education teacher for nearly 16 years at Prince Elementary School in Tucson, she decided it was time for a change. Once again, it was Michael who suggested law school. And like her mother, Larissa gave it a shot. “I knew that it would only open doors at that point,” she said. Her family was excited at the idea of her becoming an immigration attorney and then joining the firm too, but she wasn’t convinced that would be the route she would take. “I told myself, I would go in with an open mind,” she said. “But as I learned more about law, I liked how immigration kind of combined a little bit of everything.” She likes that immigration law touches on areas of business law, family law, criminal law and, most of all, she likes that she can help people. Partner family. From left: Larissa Goldman, Mo Goldman and Gloria Goldman

she said. “And once you apply, then it’s a mission.” She went to the University of Arizona College of Law and graduated in 1990. She opened Gloria A. Goldman, PC in Tucson in 1991. She picked immigration as an area of focus given her own identity as an immigrant, and it was an area without much competition. “At the time, there were only a couple of other lawyers here that did it, so there was a great deal of need,” she said. She also found it interesting and learned the complicated system “step by step.”

“It’s a mess. And it’s a very hard mess to fix,” Goldman said of the immigration system.

“I enjoyed helping immigrants and I just felt like it was a good way to make a living and help people,” he said.

Gloria’s son Mo Goldman thought he was going to be a journalist. He studied journalism at Syracuse University but realized during his junior and senior years that the cut-throat field with limited job opportunities wasn’t for him.

After finishing law school at Hofstra University in 2000, he opened his own office in New York. But after a few years he moved to Arizona for a warmer, slowerpaced life, and “it was a natural fit to join in with my mom.”

He decided to follow his mother’s example and go to law school. He did some work in her office during some of his summer breaks and got a pretty good idea of what being an immigration attorney would be like.

Shortly thereafter, Gloria A. Goldman, PC became Goldman & Goldman, PC. Larissa Goldman was the last family member to join the law firm, graduating from Arizona State University in 2018.

“And doing it with my mom and brother was perfect for me at that point in my life,” she said. Gloria and Mo work out of an office in Tucson, while Larissa works out of an office in Phoenix. Goldman & Goldman also has a branch in Battery Park City in New York City -- though they don’t use it very often. Reflecting on her career, Gloria said she would have laughed if somebody were to have told her when her kids were young that she would end up being an immigration attorney with them. “It’s just a magical thing,” she said.

JUDAISM 101

What is Tisha B’Av? The saddest day on the Jewish calendar Tisha B’Av, the 9th day of the month of Av (July 17-18, 2021), is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, on which we fast, deprive ourselves and pray. It is the culmination of the Three Weeks, a period of time during which we mark the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

1. The Spies Returned With a Bad Report In the year 1313 BCE, the spies returned from the Promised Land of Israel with frightening reports, and the Israelites balked at the prospect of entering the land. They insisted that they would rather go back to Egypt than be slaughtered by the Canaanites. G‑d decreed that they would therefore wander in the desert for 40 years.

6. The Jews Were Banished From Spain In 1492, the Golden Age of Spain came to a close when Queen Isabella and her husband Ferdinand ordered that the Jews be banished from the land. The edict of expulsion was signed on March 31, 1492, and the Jews were given exactly four months to put their affairs in order and leave the country. The Hebrew date on which no Jew was allowed any longer to remain in the land where he had enjoyed welcome and prosperity? Oh, by now you know it—the 9th of Av.

2. Both Holy Temples Were Destroyed The First Temple was destroyed on the 9th of Av (423 BCE). Five centuries later (in 69 CE), as the Romans drew closer to the Second Temple, ready to torch it, the Jews were shocked to realize that their Second Temple was destroyed on the same day as the first.

7. Both World Wars Began Ready for just one more? World War II and the Holocaust, some historians opine,, was actually a long-drawn-out conclusion of World War I that began in 1914. And yes, amazingly enough, Germany declared war on Russia, effectively catapulting the First World War into motion, on the 9th of Av, Tisha b’Av.

3. The Battle at Betar Was Lost When the Jews rebelled against Roman rule, they believed that their leader, Simon bar Kochba, would fulfill their messianic longings. But their hopes were cruelly dashed in 133 CE as the Jewish rebels were brutally butchered in the final battle at Betar. The date of the massacre? Of course—the 9th of Av!

What do you make of all this? Jews see this as another confirmation of the deeply held conviction that history isn’t haphazard; events – even terrible ones – are part of a Divine plan and have spiritual meaning. The message of time is that everything has a rational purpose, even though we don’t understand it.

What Happened on 9 Av?

5. The Jews Were Expelled From England On this date in 1290, King Edward I of England issued an Edict of Expulsion, ordering the expulsion of all Jews from his territory.

4. The Romans Plowed the Beit Hamikdash One year after their conquest of Betar, the Romans plowed over the Temple Mount, our nation’s holiest site.

Before the Fast The fast begins this year on Shabbat, July 17, 2021 at sunset (7:30 PM) and concludes the following night on Sunday, July 18 at nightfall (7:58 PM).

On Shabbat, all public displays of mourning are strictly prohibited. On this day we eat, drink and rejoice as is customary— and even more so. There is an exception: It is forbidden to study Torah starting with Shabbat midday (aside for those sections of Torah which are permitted to be studied on Tisha B’Av such as about Jerusalem and the Holy Temples). As such, on this Shabbat we do not recite a chapter of Ethics of the Fathers, as is the custom in many communities on summertime Shabbat afternoons.

No mournful “separation meal” is conducted before the fast. Instead, shortly before sunset we partake of a sumptuous and joyous pre-fast meal. Care must be taken, however, that this meal ends before sunset. We sit on chairs of regular height and wear normal footwear until nightfall. Only washing, eating and drinking are prohibited starting with sunset. Havdalah is recited on Sunday night with the conclusion of the fast.

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curtain and the lights dimmed. Evening prayers are followed by the chanting of Eichah (Lamentations). In the evening prayers, the usual Shabbat night insertion, “Atah Chonantanu,” is included. The prayer “Vihi Noam” is omitted. Those who have not recited the evening prayers should say, before doing any activity that is forbidden on Shabbat, “Baruch hamavdil bein kodesh l’chol” (“Blessed is He who separates between the holy [day of Shabbat] and the mundane [weekday]”). Sometime on Saturday night (ideally right before the reading of Eicha), the havdalah candle is lit and the appropriate blessing recited. (We do not recite the blessing of the spices.) Immediately after havdalah, the “Barchu” passage is recited in the Saturday night Maariv prayer service, leather shoes are removed and replaced with nonleather footwear. Morning prayers are held without tallit and tefillin, since both are considered adornments. Most of the morning is occupied by the reading of Kinot, elegies marking the various tragedies that befell our people.

During the Fast During this time, we do not: - eat or drink - wear leather footwear - bathe or wash ourselves (washing only until the knuckle when mandated by halacha) - apply ointments or creams - engage in marital relations or any form of intimacy - sit on a normal-height chair until chat-

zot (the time when the sun has reached its apex) - study Torah (except for the “sad” parts that deal with the destruction of the Temples, etc.) - send gifts, or even greet one another (you may respond to greetings) - engage in outings, trips or similar pleasurable activities - wear fine, festive clothing Tisha B’Av evening services are held in the synagogue, where the ark (Aron Kodesh) has been stripped of its decorative

Work is permitted on Tisha B’Av, but it is discouraged. On this day, one’s focus should be on mourning and repentance. If one must work, it is preferable to begin after midday. It is customary to give extra charity on Tisha B’Av, as on every fast day.

clean the house and wash the floors after midday, in anticipation of the Redemption, which we await.

After the Fast When night falls, before breaking the fast, ritual netilat yadayim (hand-washing) is done, this time covering the entire hand with water, but without reciting the blessing. It is also customary to perform Kiddush Levanah at this point, celebrating the rebirth of the moon, and our hoped-for national rebirth. The havdalah is recited on Sunday night before eating—omitting the blessings on the spices and candle. When 9 Av is on Sunday, if possible, the havdalah wine or grape juice should be given to a child—younger than bar/bat mitzvah age—to drink. The Temple was set ablaze on the afternoon of the 9th of Av, and it burned through the 10th. Therefore, the restrictions of the Nine Days (such as not eating meat, swimming or laundering clothing) extend until midday of the 10th of Av. Even as we mourn, there is an element of joy and comfort on this holiday. Indeed, the reading of Eichah concludes with the verse “Restore us to You, O L‑rd, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old.” There is also a custom among many to use flimsy paperback Kinot booklets, hoping that they will not be needed the next year.

After midday, it is permissible to sit on chairs, and tallit and tefillin are worn during the afternoon prayer. In the synagogue, the ark’s curtain is restored to its place before the afternoon prayers.

It is no accident that Scripture refers to this day as a mo’ed, a holiday, and Tachanun (prayer of repentance) is not said. May the time soon come when we look back with the clarity of hindsight to see how all our suffering was but a prelude to happiness and goodness, with the coming of Moshiach. Amen!

Many communities have the custom to

For more, visit www.Chabad.org/144575

KOSHER

Meatless days

Plant-based products are in demand this Jewish month - and for some, year-round By Libby Herz The Impossible Burger. The Beyond Burger. The Lightlife Patty Burger. Meatless burgers have been all the rage in the vegetarian community and now, with the wide range of readily available delicious meat-like options, they are increasingly ubiquitous in kosher kitchens worldwide. This year, from July 10th through July 19th, Jews from around the world are going to be consuming a whole lot of meatless foods. This is because the nine days between July 10th and 19th are highly significant on the Jewish calendar as they correspond with the first nine days of the Hebrew month of Av. During this month, Jews mourn the destruction of the first and second Holy Temples, and the discontinuation of the sacrifices and wine libations. The loss of the Temples is commemorated by abstaining from eating meat and drinking wine during this time period, although meat and wine are still consumed on Shabbat or as part of a meal that celebrates a mitzvah such as a circumcision, bar mitzvah, or the completion of a tractate of the Talmud.

Exceptions aside, the Nine Days pose a distinct kosher challenge for meat eaters. Being that meat and poultry are off limits during this time, Jewish omnivores turn to fish and dairy as their main sources of protein. In fact, many kosher restaurants create special fish menus designed specifically for the Nine Days. And now that the plant-based meatsubstitute industry has exploded in the kosher world and many - although not all - of its products are certified kosher, these products deliver plenty of opportunities to spice things up in the kosher

kitchen. For some, balancing kosher and vegetarianism is already a daily activity. These kosher consumers appreciate the opportunity to incorporate cheese and dairy with foods that taste like meat. And for those who still haven’t tried these vegetarian options, the Nine Days is the perfect time to be brave and experiment in the kitchen. Members of the Jewish community in Tucson are seizing this opportunity to give meatless options a whirl by taking their first bite of an Impossible Burger. Joan Green and her husband Richard do not mix milk and meat as prescribed by Jewish law. “The plant-based ‘beef ’ allows us to do a modified lasagna,” Joan says. “We love the Beyond Burgers for making ‘cheeseburgers.’” Pam Zarte appreciates that the protein ingredients of the Beyond Burger are pea protein, rather than soy. “I really like the Beyond Burger products primarily because they taste so ... good,” she says. “The burgers are delicious and the breakfast ‘sausage’ is heaven.” She loves mixing up her kosher menu by cooking spaghetti and “meatballs” with Parmesan. Johanna Shlomovich, prefers the Impossible brand. “We are a vegan household,” she says. “The adults in the house are vegan, the children chose to eat whatever they want outside of the house. These products help make family meals more enjoyable for the non-vegan kids. We mostly use Impossible Meat since one of our children is highly allergic to peas and pea protein.” Going meatless is challenging for

some. “One of the hardest things for me to adopt when I became observant was keeping Basar v’Cholov (the separation of milk and meat),” says Aaron McKin-

ney. But by replacing meat servings with meat substitute products, he says, he still gets to enjoy the taste of his food. He has even seen the added benefit of in-

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like regular sausages -preferably on a pretzel bun. I generally prefer [real] meat but I do like eating ice cream after sausages, so I am happy they exist.” Still, some folks aren’t sold on the meatless meat and dairy combo. ”Cheeseburgers seem wrong!” says Irene Friedman. “I would eat a meatless cheeseburger if somebody served it to me, but would not make it that way myself.” Recipes abound for Impossible ground beef tacos, spaghetti sauce, Beyond patties and chilli, vegan Ruben sandwiches, Moroccan Stew, and more. “I have used the Impossible ground beef to make tacos and spaghetti sauce recipes,” says Lori Riegel, who is vegan. “I have also used Beyond patties to sub out for ground beef for things like chili in my Insta-Pot. There is a frozen vegan (plant-based) sliced corned beef product that I also buy occasionally to make vegan Ruben sandwiches.” Vegan options like Beyond Meat are in approximately 28,000 retail outlets across the United States with Beyond Meatballs now available at approximately 1,500 Kroger stores, 750 Target stores and 163 Giant Food stores. Meatless burgers can be found at Sprouts, Frys, Albertsons, Safeway, Bashas and Target. During the month of Av this year, you can join Jews all around the world by abstaining from meat and wine (with the expansion of Shabbat). You can start by biting into a bun and a meatless burger. creased heart health. Avi Rovinsky likes to have his dessert and eat it too. “Beyond Sausages aren’t bad,” he says. “I prepare and eat them

“If you compare meat to meat substitutes, there will always be differences,” notes Marty Johnston. “By enjoying these items without expectations or comparisons, they’ll be delicious food options.”

Beyond Beef Chipotle Quesadilla Created by Tastemade / BeyondMeat.com Serves: 4-6 Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 10 mins

INGREDIENTS 1 lb Beyond Beef 1-2 chipotle peppers, chopped 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon chili powder 5 cloves garlic, chopped 1 large red onion, ½ sliced, ½ chopped 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped 1 bunch cilantro, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped 8 large tortillas 3 cups shredded Colby jack cheese Corn Salsa: 2 limes, juiced 1 cup fresh corn Kosher salt, to taste Guacamole, for serving Crema, for serving Hot sauce, for serving

PREPARATION In a medium bowl, combine corn, lime juice, chopped red onion and half of the cilantro. Salt to taste and set aside. In a medium non-stick or cast iron pan, over medium-high heat, brown the Beyond Beef. Add the garlic, sliced red onion, jalapeno, bell pepper and saute until vegetables are browned on the edges and slightly softened. Add the cumin, chili powder, and chipotle peppers. Salt to taste and remove from heat. To build the Beyond Beef Chipotle Quesadilla, lay a tortilla into an oiled, non-stick or cast iron pan, top with 1/3 cup of cheese, 1/4 of the Beyond Beef mixture, 1/4 of the corn salsa, and 1/3 cup more cheese. Top with another tortilla and flip when the bottom tortilla is browned and crisp and the cheese is melted. Brown the other side and remove. Slice the Beyond Beef Chipotle Quesadilla into wedges and serve with guacamole, crema and hot sauce. Enjoy!

LOVE

Love worth celebrating

A couple stands under the chuppah 25 years (and 5 children) later By Katherine Agranovich Who would have thought that after 25 years of civil marriage, and five kids, I’d choose to celebrate my silver anniversary by having a chuppah, a Jewish marriage ceremony?

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It all started one year ago, as my husband Felix and I were celebrating our 24th wedding anniversary at a restaurant in Las Vegas. As we were enjoying our dessert of rich chocolate cake, my phone rang. “Happy Anniversary! Best of everything for many years to come,” my mom’s voice exclaimed. “So, what are you going to do next year for your 25th?” she asked before hanging up. “Let’s just go somewhere,” Felix suggested, answering the question. “Just the two of us. How about Paris?” My eyes lit up. I’ve always wanted to see Paris, and celebrating our big day at the top of the Eiffel Tower, watching the sun set over the sparkling lights of the city, would be a dream come true.

Vehicles line upat Chabad’s Drive-In Chanukah Celebration at the Gaslight Music Hall of Oro Valley, December 2020

But I surprised both myself and my husband by responding with something completely different—the opposite of what he’d suggested!

that moment, but suddenly there was this inner need—a deep craving that was definitely not coming from my socialist, atheistic, pre-programmed mind.

“What I’d really like to do is celebrate our day with people who matter to us, whom we love, cherish and adore. People who have been there for us for the past 25 years, guiding us, supporting us, and sharing our journey . . . Oh!” I exclaimed as I realized what I wanted. “I’d like for us to have a chuppah and invite our rabbis from Chabad of Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita and San Clemente. After all, they’ve contributed greatly to our religious unfolding and spiritual awakening, and I would like to acknowledge them for that.”

“A chuppah?” Felix glanced at me suspiciously. “Rabbis? Why? Besides, do you realize that if we invite all the rabbis, we have to serve kosher food? And we could care less about eating kosher, so why pay extra for that on top of everything else?”

I don’t know what came over me at

I had to admit that my logical and practical husband was right. Even though our family was, in many ways, spiritual (I had been known to meditate, eat organic, read New Age self-help books and occasionally attend High Holiday services at our local Chabad),we were in no way observant.

However, in my heart, I already knew that what I was proposing had to be. There was this profound sense of surety and knowing, a sign that my inspiration was coming directly from my neshamah, my eternal soul. I just needed to convey to my husband’s intellect—and my own— that when there is this deep sense of certainty, it is G‑d’s way of telling us what to do. And that it would be wise to listen. You see, when we originally got married 25 years ago, back in Soviet Russia, there were no religious weddings of any sort, especially for Jews. Judaism was considered a nationality, marked on the fifth line of your passport, something to be ashamed of and persecuted for. Our ceremony had been a civil one, like everyone else’s, conducted by a stern and se-

rious Communist Party official at city hall. The marriage license proved we were legally married, but it had nothing to do with spirituality. And now, so many years later, flourishing in America, we were free to make a conscious choice about how we wanted our wedding ceremony to be. And it felt more right than ever to invite G‑d into our celebration—and into our marriage. This chuppah ceremony would mean to us, Jewish refugees from the Soviet Union, so much more than just fulfilling another commandment in the Torah. It would symbolize our freedom in this country, where we are allowed to be who we really are, to be freely and fully self-expressed—not just as people and citizens, but as G‑dlike, Jewish-soul-pulsing hu-

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man beings. A year after that day in Vegas, on Sunday, January 5, 2014, following G‑d’s inspiration, and after much fun, planning, creating and praying, our “real” wedding happened, and it was as joyful as could be imagined. My heart pounded with excitement as I walked down the aisle toward my chuppah, which stood gracefully, like a glorious crown, rising majestically against a backdrop of topaz-blue sky and glistening, aquamarine ocean. The chuppah canopy was made of shimmery white tulle with gold Hebrew lettering, maroon-red roses entwining its poles. With each step, my heart filled with such joy, as if G‑d Himself was walking next to me, guiding, supporting and loving me, guarding my every step. And as I continued to walk toward my glowing husband waiting beneath our chuppah, my precious Mama and Papa, parentsin-law, five children, dear friends and sweet, greatly-adored rabbis all beamed with pride and joy. At some point I burst into blissful laughter, realizing that life, indeed, is worth celebrating. And that just as I used this event as an opportunity to consciously surrender to Him and to let Him in, I can choose to do the same in every moment, turning toward Him and allowing Him into every nuance of my life. And nothing feels greater, or more profoundly right, than walking down my human path, immersed in the brilliant light of my Creator. -- Dr. Katherine Agranovich is a hypnotherapist and holds a Ph.D. in Natural Health Studies. She and Felix live in Orange County, California with their five children. She is the author of “Tales of My Large, Loud, Spiritual Family.” This article first appeared on Chabad.org.

Tu B’Av The Jewish mini-holiday of love Our sages regarded the 15th of Av (this year on Shabbat, July 24, 2021) to be one of the two most auspicious days on the Jewish calendar (the other being Yom Kippur--Talmud, Taanit 26b). In ancient Israel, it was the custom that on this day “the daughters of Jerusalem would go out in borrowed linen garments (so as not to embarrass those without beautiful clothes of their own)... and dance in the vineyards” and single men would go there in the hopes of finding a wife (Talmud, Taanit 31a). No special observances or celebrations for the day are ordained by halacha (Torah law) or custom, other than the omission of the Tachanun (confession of sins) and similar portions from the daily prayers, as is the case with all festive dates. We are told that beginning on the 15th of Av, one should increase in the study of the Torah. At this time of the year, the nights begin to grow longer and “the night was created for study” (Talmud and Codes). Indeed, the 15th of Av is a mystery. As the “full moon” of the tragic month of Av, it is the festival of the future redemption, and thus a day whose essence, by definition, is unknowable to our unredeemed selves. Yet the unknowable is also ours to seek and explore. For more, visit: www.Chabad.org/15av

COMMUNITIES

Jerusalem of the Balkans

The Greek port city which kept Shabbat and the birthplace of the CEO of Pfizer By Thomas Price The Greek port city of Thessaloniki (or Salonica) played such a special role in Jewish history that it was referred to as La Madre de Israel (The Mother of Israel) and in English as “The Jerusalem of the Balkans.”

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There is evidence that Jews have lived in Thessaloniki since at least the first century of the common era. The community in ancient times was small. The Spanish Jewish travel writer Benjamin of Tudela wrote in 1170 that there were approximately 500 Jews there, all descended from the very early Romaniote settlement in the earliest years of Christian history.

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During the first centuries of the common era, the entire Mediterranean was “a Roman lake,” and like any port settled by Romans and engaged in maritime commerce, there was always at least a small Jewish community. Thessaloniki was, both then and now, an important commercial port, the natural capital of the Balkan peninsula, and the easiest way to ship goods in and out of the region. A key road, the Via Egnatia, connected Rome to Constantinople. Today it is the main shopping street of the city, and all along the length of this road you can see Roman arches, a great Byzantine basilica, and other tangible reminders of the importance of the city to the Roman and then to the Byzantine empires.

In the centuries prior to the Ottoman conquest in 1430, the commercial opportunities and existing Jewish communal infrastructure began to attract growing numbers of Jewish settlers from Italy and Austro-Hungary. By the time of the expulsion of the Jews from the Iberian peninsula, there were already three distinct groups in Thessaloniki’s Jewish community: the old Romaniotes and the new communities of Italians and Ashke-

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The gesture worked, by 1553, the Jewish population of Thessaloniki had grown from zero to 20,000. By 1613, the Jews represented no less than 68% of the city’s population. Even by the census of 1880, when the total population of Thessaloniki had climbed to 85,000, there were 50,000 Jews, 20,000 Muslims (in what was still an Ottoman city), and only 15,000 Christians. At its peak, the Jewish community of

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The White Tower in Thessaloniki, Greece * Photo: Gerardo Viviers

nazim. As expected, each group needed its own synagogue and its own communal institutions. When the Ottomans finally took Constantinople in 1453, they forcibly relocated most Balkan Jews to their new capital which they named Istanbul. Thus, the Ottoman census of 1478 records Thessaloniki’s Jewish population as zero. It didn’t take long for that to change - and dramatically.

In 1492, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand issued the Alhambra Decree expelling all Jews from Spain, and subsequently from other areas they either ruled or influenced, such as Sicily, Naples, Venice, Provence and Portugal. “This Spanish king must be a fool to get rid of the very people who are making him rich,” observed the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II and had luxurious boats, filled with good food and comfortable bedding, sent to invite all the Jews from the Iberian peninsula to come and settle in the

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Thessaloniki had no less than 73 synagogues, 14 yeshivas, and dozens of Talmud Torahs and Jewish schools of various kinds. They also had charitable institutions such as hospitals, orphanages, homes for the elderly, etc. Perhaps more remarkably, the Jewish community was so large and so powerful that the entire city – including the port on which its livelihood depended – was Shabbat-observant! The port facilities all closed an hour before sunset on Friday and did not re-open until Sunday morning. The same was true for banks and shops in the town. The main market for fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish was a giant structure with hundreds of stalls, built and named after the successful Jewish businessman Eli Modiano. The language spoken at this marketplace, as well as for commerce throughout the city, was the Judaeo-Spanish language, Ladino. Locals used it whether they were Greek, Armenian, Turkish, or Jewish! Notable individuals hailing from the city are Rabbi Shlomo HaLevi Alkabetz (1500-1576), composer of “Lecha Dodi,” the prayer with which Jews around the world welcome the arrival of Shabbat on Friday night; the “Rashdam,” Rabbi Samuel ben Moses de Medina (15051589) who taught many of greatest rabbis of the region in the 16th and 17th centuries; and the “Maharhash,” Rabbi Ḥayyim ben Shabbethai, Chief Rabbi of Thessaloniki. And that is only a tiny sample of great Jews from Thessaloniki and only a small period of that community’s long history. If we wish to get more contemporary, we need to look no further than Albert Bourla, who was born and raised in Thessaloniki by Holocaust survivor parents, and who received his degree in veterinary medicine from the local Aristotle University. Today, he is the CEO of Pfizer, and certainly one of the reasons that Israel

was the first country to receive Pfizer’s life-saving COVID-19 vaccine. It would not be fair to the reader or to Thessaloniki if I did not mention that it is an absolutely beautiful city. There is a seafront promenade that is without parallel in the entire Mediterranean world. At one end is the iconic White Tower, which is probably Thessaloniki’s best-known building. It is a squat, round white building that was originally built as a Turkish prison and now serves as a history museum. Halfway along the promenade is the magnificent Aristotle Square, said to be the largest public square in Europe. At the opposite end of the promenade is a monument to the Jews of Thessaloniki who were deported to Auschwitz; tragically, most of them never returned. Just a few blocks from that monument is a part of the city that serves as a testimony to the triumph of good over evil. In just a few square blocks, you will find the old Modiano Market, as busy as ever. You will find, tucked behind an open-air flower market, the old Hamam Yehudi, the Jewish bathhouse that looks even older than it is. You will also find, in a former synagogue, an amazing museum dedicated to the history of this remarkable community, and nearby are the extensive archives of the Jewish community. Finally, there is the Jewish Community Center and also the largest synagogue still in use. Sadly, the holocaust devastated to the Jews of Thessaloniki (more than 60,000 were deported and killed). But even though the population of Jewish Thessaloniki numbers only a few thousand souls these days, a visit to this remarkable city provides a lot to see and even more to think about. --Thomas Price, a resident of Tucson, is a former U.S. diplomat and host of the podcast “Around the Jewish World with Tom Price.”

A Jewish family in Salonika (Thessaloniki) in 1917

Chief Selomo Barzion and his Salonica Jewish Fire Department in May 11, 1911

The image is courtesy of ushmm.org

HEALTH

Ninja mom Pheonix Jewish woman competes on ‘America Ninja Warrior’ By Nicole Raz Liba Yoffe, 35, grew up watching “American Ninja Warrior” on TV, but never thought she’d be on the show, and certainly not as the show’s first Orthodox Jewish woman.

two years ago. But ultimately, she did not enter because she was not allowed to compete while wearing a skirt, which would have compromised her religious observance.

As a viewer, she enjoyed seeing the jaw-dropping feats of strength and watching competitors conquer obstacles like the “Shrinking Steps” in which an athlete must run across steps that lower upon impact, or the “Spinning Log,” which rotate underfoot.

A Jewish athlete who knew of Yoffe reached out to her and encouraged her to look into the sport of Ninja as another avenue of competition. “I was like, I’m up for the challenge,” she said. “I walked into a Ninja gym and it was such a different type of sport. There are no rules - just don’t fall.”

Exercise has always been Yoffe’s outlet. As a teenager, she would ride her bike to school five miles away; she would rollerblade, play basketball, swim, climb on whatever she could find, “anything active, I was there.” But she never had exposure to fitness competitions growing up. “I always felt like I was missing out. I felt like, ‘I wish I could go to public school because then I would be able to compete and be on a team.’” As a young woman, she suppressed her interest in sports and fitness because she felt some shame in wanting to be labeled as “a strong girl” as opposed to “a pretty girl.” “The more religious world doesn’t understand how valuable [strength] is to a girl’s self-confidence. And so they don’t put enough emphasis on it,” she said. When she started powerlifting, she realized just how strong she actually was and loved the way she felt. “I stopped caring about any of the other stuff.”

Yoffe and her family moved to Phoenix from Queens, New York three years ago seeking a slower-paced lifestyle. “We’re really happy that we made that move,” she said. Being “super competitive,” she began pursuing opportunities to enroll in national powerlifting competitions

Yoffe began training and auditioned for the NBC show. “I love my religion, I love my culture, but there’s something missing. It needs to be normalized to do sports, to be into athletics,” Yoffe said in her audition video. “I want to show the leaders of our communities that girls and women should be able to do sports while maintaining their faith.” Her family actively supported her pursuit. Her husband built a Ninja course in the backyard, and her four kids, a 12-year-old-daughter and three sons ages 10, 7 and 4, even participated in her audition video. Her daughter, Tehila, kicked things off with, “Hey, Ninja people, introducing my mom.” Yoffe was immediately faced with a unique challenge from the show. Filming in Tacoma, Washington occurred during Passover, so the whole family went. “It was definitely not easy,” she said. “Any of the food they gave us, we couldn’t have.” The show went out of its way to offer her flexibility in her travel schedule during Passover. Participating in the show was Yoffe’s first national competition and also her first time being on TV. A spokesman for “American Ninja Warrior” did not respond to a request for comment on the show’s decision to ex-

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“Some parts of it were really fun,” she said, like the photoshoot she did. But the actual competition was very “nervewracking.” She says that “sometimes you fall or you’re a little bit off-balance, and that’s it - you’re out.”

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Yoffe is back at the Ninja gym preparing for her next go-around and running her business, Spirit Fit Life, dedicated to helping women find their strength from the inside out. One of them is her daughter, Tehila. When she was 2 years old, Tehila was diagnosed with Alopecia areata which causes hair loss. “I knew at that point that if I personally didn’t become extremely self-confident from within myself, there was no way that I would be able to raise a confident daughter,” Yoffe said in the video.

--This story first appeared in the Jewish News of Greater Phoenix - JewishAZ.com

Take this quiz The Holy City of Jerusalem By Menachem Posner - Chabad.org 1. How many names is Jerusalem given in Judaism? 45 28 70 2. Did King David build the fortifications known as the ‘Tower of David’ (Migdal David)? Yes, that is where he compiled the Book of Psalms (Tehillim) Yes, but they were added to and rebuilt later No, the towers and fortifications have nothing to do with King David 3. Which of the following is correct regarding Jerusalem? One spouse may compel the other to move to Jerusalem or divorce A corpse may not be left in the city overnight Certain tithes may only be eaten within its walls All of the above 4. When Israeli paratroopers recaptured the Western Wall in 1967, for how many

years had the wall been under Jordanian rule? 49 years, since the Balfour Declaration 37 years, since the Hebron Massacre of 1929 19 years, since the War of Independence 5. Which mountain is the site of the past and future Holy Temples? Mount of Olives Mount Moriah Mount Scopus 6. What is the ‘messiah clause’ in a Jerusalem lease agreement? A. Requiring the tenant to move out to make space for Kohanim when Moshiach comes B. Prohibiting the landlord from raising rent when Moshiach arrives C. Requiring the tenant to move out and make way for the owner when Moshiach comes 7. After which war was the — now-famous — Chabad “tefillin stand” set up at the Western Wall? The Six-Day War of 1967

The Suez Crisis of 1956 The Yom Kippur War of 1972 8. Place the following rulers of Jerusalem in proper chronological order: A. Queen Salome Alexandra, King Solomon, King David, King Hezekiah B. King David, King Solomon, King Hezekiah, Queen Salome Alexandra C. King Hezekiah, King David, King Solomon, Queen Salome Alexandra 9. On which of the following days do we mourn the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem?

The 10th of Tishrei - Yom Kippur The 3rd of Tishrei - Tzom Gedeliah The 9th of Av - Tisha B’Av Answers: 1. 70 2. No 3. All of the above 4. 19 years 5. Mount Moriah 6. C 7. Six Day War 8. B 9. 9th of Av

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