Eat, Pray, Love.Jewishly

by EHNTJC Parents Club Member Amy Claver

I hear a movie is in the works of Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Eat, Pray, Love: Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia with Julia Roberts as the main character. I haven’t read the book but –eating praying, loving—what’s not to like? Throw in reading and learning Hebrew and there are my new year’s resolutions.

I love the new year and its promise of new beginnings. Rosh Hashanah began on September 18 and Yom Kippur was Monday, ten days later. What better time than at the beginning of the year to take stock, reflect on your own shortcomings, forgive yourself, forgive others, and move on? I am inspired (once again) by Rabbi Ginsburg to eat Jewishly, to pray Jewishly, and to love Jewishly.

A few weeks ago I bought a pork tenderloin. I have never bought a pork tenderloin before but it was on sale, we were having guests, and it was something I could cook in my slow cooker and would be ready in the evening. When the day came, I cooked the pork tenderloin for the guests and also ran to the store and bought chicken for our dinner.

I couldn’t serve the treif/pork tenderloin and ended up throwing it away. When Rabbi Ginsburg on Rosh Hashanah asked us to consider making more of an effort to make Jewish choices when we eat, I felt like he was talking directly to me. No more pork tenderloin.

I am looking forward to reading The Israel Test by George Gilder about the remarkable achievements of Jews and Israel. I am also looking forward to learning more Hebrew. I just completed a Hebrew reading course, and a dear friend of mine recently gave me the Rosetta Stone language course for Hebrew. At my eye exam a few weeks ago, I read all of the charts backwards.

As we begin the new year 5770, I hope you too are experiencing the joy of a new beginning. As we recite on Rosh Hashanah, Help us, O God, to look forward with faith, And to learn from whatever the future may bring.

L’chaim and Shanah Tovah!

Amy and Bruce Claver have been members of EHNTJC since 2007. Their daughter, Sarah age 4 attends the Gan, and their son, William, age 6 graduated from the Gan last year. As a Roman Catholic, Amy’s education in Judaism began with meeting Bruce more than 10 years ago. According to Amy, her commitment to raising her family Jewish has been both an exciting journey and a work in progress.