Elizabeth Bland
Shavuot 5769
Say (kosher) cheese!
While the holiday of Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, it also celebrates the first fruits of the year’s crop. Among the many traditions associated with the holiday is the custom of eating milchig, or dairy.
It is explained that the Jews were given the laws of kashrut along with the Torah. Since, at that time, they had no way to prepare kosher meat dishes, they ate dairy instead. A further association with dairy traces back to the notion of Israel as a “land that flows with milk and honey.”
While some might consider eating dairy to be a kind of dietary restraint, given the broad range of gourmet kosher cheeses on the market today, it is difficult to envision modern kosher dairy as anything but indulgent.
Black Box Studios creates a scene in Bergen County
A new kind of theater has come to Bergen County.
On Feb. 9 and 11, the Moriah School of Englewood will host the début of “Noah,” performed by the school’s Black Box Drama Club.
Black Box Studios has also partnered with the Jewish Center of Teaneck to create what director and writer Matt Okin described as “an innovative drama program for children, teens, and adults.”
Becoming American
Ellis Island’s Peopling of America Center to honor diverse history
The dramatic stories of immigration through Ellis Island have become part of the American legend — but only one part. This vast country boasts a colorful history, stretching from the arrival of the first nomadic tribes to the more recent influx of families from Asia, Central America, and the Caribbean. The Peopling of America Center, a museum scheduled to open on Ellis Island in 2011, will tell the stories of both ancient and modern immigration through interactive exhibits designed to engage visitors of all ages and backgrounds.
