Teachable Moments

by EHNTJC Parent Amy Claver

When you teach your child, you teach your child’s child. –The Talmud

I love this Talmudic quote* for its simplicity in summing up what every parent, teacher, rabbi, and anyone who teaches anyone else what all our toil is about. Above all else, we are influencers of the next generation. As a parent, you shape the little people in your home, and how you do this will determine what they do and how they act with others, especially their own children. We will give our children a lot of information over the years, but it is what we do, not what we say that will have the most influence on the kind of people they become.

Next Sunday, we are having a teachable moment at the synagogue. We will come together as a community, little families one by one, congregating together to celebrate and make challah, one of the central symbols of Shabbat, the most sacred time of the week in the Jewish tradition.

There will be a lot of learning going on, how to make challah, how to shape challah, making a special plate for your challah. And above all else, Rabbi Ginsburg will talk about the special significance and importance of challah and Shabbat. It is our hope that this event enriches your understanding and appreciation for the most beautiful gift of Shabbat and you continue (or begin) welcoming and honoring Shabbat at home with your family. It is just possible that your children will share this beautiful gift with their own little people one day.

Resources.

We will have a brochure at our challah event for you to take home with you. It includes a recipe for challah as well as some of the special Shabbat blessings. Please look at the previous post for a challah recipe that is one of my favorites. It is from Judith B. Fellner’s beautiful book, In the Jewish Tradition, A Year of Food and Festivities. It takes about three hours to make from start to finish, but this rich, eggy challah is well worth it (and makes yummy French toast).

For information on braiding and an explanation of when to say the blessing to separate challah when making the dough, please see http://secretofchallah.com/.

Finally, for a great book on celebrating Shabbat, I highly recommend The Modern Jewish Mom’s Guide to Shabbat by Meredith L. Jacobs. It is a wonderful read and a great guide to all the elements of observing Shabbat at home.

I look forward to seeing you at our challah making event on Sunday!

*The original quote is When you teach your son, you teach your son’s son.

Amy Claver is a member of Ezra-Habonim, the Niles Township Jewish Congregation. Daughter, Sarah, age 4 attends the Gan, and son, William, age 6 is a Gan graduate and attends Hebrew School on Saturdays.

Making Challah at Home

From EHNTJC Parent Amy Claver

Challah from the beautiful book, In the Jewish Tradition, A Year of Food and Festivities by Judith B. Fellner

Ingredients (makes 2 loaves)

5-6 cups flour
¼ cup honey or 6 tbls sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
1 package dry yeast
½ cup pareve margarine, softened
1 cup hot tap water
4 eggs at room temperature, one egg separated
½ cup raisins (optional)
1 tsp cold water

Directions

In a large bowl, mix 1 ¼ cups of flour, the honey or sugar, salt, and undissolved yeast. Add margarine and hot tap water and beat 2 minutes at medium speed in mixer. Scrape bowl occasionally. Add 3 eggs, egg white, and ½ cup flour to make a thick batter. Beat 2 minutes at high speed. Fold in raisins. Scrape bowl and stir in enough flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and turn to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk, approximately 1 hour.

Punch dough down and turn onto lightly floured board. Divide dough in half. Shape dough. Place both shaped challahs on greased cookie sheets. Beat remaining egg yolk with water and brush on loaves. If omitting raisins, sprinkle on 2 poppy or sesame seeds, if desired. Leave uncovered to rise until double, approximately 1 hour.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Photo credit mollyali

Knead a Reason to Challah?

By Betsy Rotberg and Amy Claver

Save the date and plan to join us for a special parent-child challah making event at Gan Yeladim, the early child development center at Ezra-Habonim, the Niles Township Jewish Congregation (EHNTJC). The event takes place Sunday, February 21 from 1:00 pm. 2:30 p.m.

Share the joys of making Challah with your children and gain a renewed appreciation for the wonderful gift of Challah. The program is geared for children ages 3, 4 and 5 with their parents.

We will mix the ingredients and prepare the dough together. You will take home your dough to bake (or freeze for later.) There will also be an opportunity for adult study with Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg while the chidlren engage in their own supervised activities.

This event is presented by the Gan Yeladim Early Childhood Learning Center at Ezra Habonim The Niles Township Jewish Congregration. The Gan offers part-and full-day early child education for children ages 2-5, in a safe, warm and welcoming Jewish environment.

Gan Yeladim will be open for visitors interested in learning about our preschool and daycare. You will have an opportunity to tour the school and talk with the Gan director about our various options for quality daycare and preschool. You can find out more about Gan Yeladim by visiting http://www.ganskokie.org/.

This event is open to the community. All are welcome. The suggested donation is $8 per family (pay at the door). RSVP's are requested by February 12 to Betsy Rotberg at betsy@ehnt.org or 847.675.4152.

Ezra-Habonim The Niles Township Congregation is located at 4500 Dempster Street in Skokie, IL.

Photo credit: Whistling in the Dark

Campiness

By Amy Claver

It is January, but imagine summer—the green grass and trees that are fully dressed. The air is warm outside. Now imagine another thing to put on your to-do list. Back to reality.

The reality is that it is time to think about summer camp. Registration for many summer programs opens in January. As your child’s social secretary, you wouldn’t want little Sofie or Finn to miss out. Thankfully, it is easily done.

Camp Ramah’s day camp in Wheeling is fabulous for school-aged children. Our son William goes to public school. We love sending him to Camp Ramah in the summers for the wonderful Jewish reinforcement and enrichment that the camp offers, in addition to the great swimming, sports, and arts and crafts. With the camp’s pick up and drop off bus service included in registration, it is fun for the whole family. The bus service is door to door in Glenview where we live and centrally located at schools in Skokie, Evanston, and other areas.

Camp Ramah is holding an aptly titled Summer in January program on Sunday, January 31 at Beth El in Highland Park. This event is for alums (we’ll be there) and anyone interested in learning more about Camp Ramah.

For preschoolers, Ezra-Habonim, the Niles Township Jewish Congregation's (EHNTJC)preschool, Gan Yeladim has opened summer registration. Contact Betsy Rotberg at 847/675-4152 or betsy@ehnt.org for more information on the program or come by and see the school for yourself. The Gan will hold an open house in conjunction with the Knead a Reason to Challah family challah making event on Sunday, February 21.

Gan Yeladim means Garden of Children. Growing children Jewishly is what the Gan is all about and is an integral component to EHNTJC's role as "Your Jewish Home for Living, Learning, Loving."

January means time to fill out your summer registration forms. And while you’re at it, book Grandma and Grandpa for some grandparent-grandkids bonding time for a few days between the end of the school year and beginning of camp. Sweet dreams.

The Claver family is a member of Ezra-Habonim, the Niles Township Jewish Congregation. Daughter, Sarah, age 4 attends the Gan, and son, William, age 6 is a Gan graduate and attends Hebrew School on Saturdays.

Photo credit: Ramah Day Camp