We pray for Hashem to answer our requests. Sometimes the answer is there in front of our eyes. 

This story happened this past July. The Mitzvah Man answered a call from a man named Alan. Alan’s friend Harry, now in the mid-forties, had never put on tefillin before. Now Harry wants Alan to get him a pair of used tefillin and to show him how to put them on. 

“I can get him a new pair of tefillin, answered the Mitzvah Man, but Harry will have to fill out a few forms.” 

“No,” Alan replied, “Harry doesn’t have an issue with money. He doesn’t really understand the worth yet of buying himself a good pair of tefillin. Harry just wants a used pair so that he can start to observe this mitzvah.” 

The Mitzvah Man was thinking that it would really be easier to get a new pair than to find a reliable used pair.  

While Alan and the Mitzvah Man were still on the phone, another call came in. 

“Hold on Alan,” he said. “Let me take this call.” 

The caller told the Mitzvah man, “My grandfather passed away a few months ago and he left a good pair of tefillin. Does the Mitzvah Man have someone who could use them?” 

The Mitzvah Man couldn’t believe his ears! 

“I sure do! I will make the arrangements right now for the tefillin to be picked up.” 

The Mitzvah Man returned to Alan on the phone and told him about the open miracle that just occurred. Harry will have the tefillin he wanted the very next day! 

In telling over this story, the Mitzvah Man emphasized, “Sometimes Hashem shows the miracle instantly in front of our faces. We just have to look for it.”  

PROPEL’s mentorship division, supported by a grant from the UJA, welcomed teachers and women interested in education to TALK ABOUT IT TUESDAY FOR EDUCATORS. Gitta Neufeld, PROPEL’s Educational Consultant and team leader of PROPEL Ed., invited Dr. Jeff Lichtman, our collaborative partner at Touro University (Touro University Director of Graduate Jewish Special Education), to share his views on the timely topic of anxiety in the classroom and in the home. His child-sensitive strategies shed light on better practices to implement in the classroom and beyond. Among the many takeaways from Dr. Lichtman’s presentation were: identify a child’s anxiety, do not harm, and build self-confidence.  

Our second presenter, PROPEL’s very own mentor Zeeva Weitzman (Early Childhood Education Consultant, NYC Department of Health), shared her personal journey in the world of education. Zeeva got her start at The Center, where she recalled her mentors Reggie Aracanchi and Amy Mishaan, and bringing her young baby to work with her on days when help was not available. Zeeva currently works for NYC Department of Health and encourages others to explore the many options the field of education offers.

This event for educators, graciously hosted by Ami and Ralph Sasson, housed so many participants that there was standing room only, all riveted by the topics presented. 

PROPEL supports all types of working women, and our next stop on the summer calendar was PIAZZA DI PROPEL, a 35-vendor-supported marketplace of community working women entrepreneurs selling everything from jewelry, clothing for children and adults, candles, flowers, Judaica, and so much more. In an effort to promote community women in the entrepreneurial space, PROPEL has created the Victoria Aronow PROPEL List. The List is a free digitized marketplace of women who sell food or other products, provide services, or have a profession, including the vendors at the Piazza event. Sign up and create a profile now in order to be included on the digital directory that illustrates women’s businesses, professions, and careers. Don’t delay, get Listed!  www.thepropellist.org/register/

Inspiring meet-ups took place throughout the day. These included morning yoga, parenting, Mommy and me, art, and gardening. (Please see inset and congratulate all of our facilitators!)

A special thanks to Caroll Dweck Sutton, Sylvia Dweck Cabasso, and Leila Zeitouneh, along with the Young Leadership Division who organized and helped make this a successful endeavor. A special thanks to our generous hosts, Shelly and Ralph Antebi, for sharing their beautiful oceanfront backyard with PROPEL.

Self-awareness, self-confidence, and positive affirmations are all essential ingredients for helping to nurture and encourage all our successes in life. Who better than Sari Dana to host a POSITIVE FITNESS EXPERIENCE. Sari’s inspiring messaging, coupled with movement and mindset, proved to be another inspiring and well-attended PROPEL event. 

Stay tuned for TALK ABOUT IT TUESDAY FOR MENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS in PROPEL’s mentorship division. We have no doubt that the lessons to be explored will be invaluable.

—————– 

PROPEL 646-494-0822 | info@thepropelnetwork.org | Instagram @PropelNetwork  

Please reach out to PROPEL:  

*If you are interested in a career or career advice, we can help you take the steps to fulfill your professional goals and dreams.

*If you are interested in joining PROPEL’s cohort of mentors in PROPEL’s “Weaving a Network: Women Helping Women” program or being paired with a mentor reach out to PROPEL. 

Chaya Steinman 

As we labor through the sobering month of Elul preparing our souls for the High Holidays that will soon be upon us, shaatras are hard at work preparing meals to ensure that Rosh Hashanah will be as beautiful and uplifting physically as it will be spiritually.  

Personally, I enjoy revolving my entire Rosh Hashanah menu around the simanim (literally, “signs”), the traditional foods eaten on Rosh Hashanah as symbols of our hopes for a happy and prosperous year. This technique has expanded my cooking repertoire to include some delicious, infrequently-used produce, and has created a festive tradition that my family looks forward to each year. In honor of these unique and meaningful foods that infuse our Rosh Hashanah meals with hopeful prayers for the coming year, let us explore some interesting, little-known facts about some of the simanim, as well as recipe ideas for incorporating them into a holiday meal. 

Dates 

Packed with a gooey, sweet decadence, dates seem more like an indulgent treat than a health food. Yet, these delicious fruits, famed for being one of the shivat haminim (seven special species of Eretz Yisrael), have been given the well-earned nickname “nature’s candy,” as they are jam-packed with nutritional value. Grown on date palms indigenous to the Middle East, dates are chock full of essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients such as fiber, vitamin B6, iron, vitamin K, potassium, and manganese. Dates also boast a long list of health benefits that include boosting bone health and strength, preventing abdominal cancer, decreasing allergic reactions, reducing the risk of stroke, promoting healthy digestion and excretion, increasing energy levels, and strengthening the nervous system. With about 66 calories per date, they are also a great choice for people looking to gain weight in a healthy way. If you want to enjoy dates throughout your Rosh Hashanah meal, consider adding chopped dates to a fresh lettuce salad to add an extra dimension of taste. There are also a myriad of cakes, cookies, and dessert bar recipes that feature dates as the star ingredient. 

Black Eyed Peas  

Black eyed peas were first cultivated in West Africa, and later spread to America in the 17th century. In the Southern United States, black eyed peas are a celebrated staple in traditional soul food cooking. Interestingly, a community of Sephardic Jews who settled in Georgia in the 1730s ate black eyed peas every year at their Rosh Hashanah meal. The surrounding gentiles noticed this custom and jumped on the black eyed pea bandwagon.  Dating back to the mid-19th century and continuing till today, there is a tradition in the Southern United States to eat black eyed peas for good luck on New Year’s Day. More accurately classified as a bean than a pea, black eyed peas were further popularized when George Washington Carver promoted planting them to add nitrogen to soil, and Carver touted their nutritional value. Consider serving this low-calorie, potassium-rich protein as a side dish cooked with sautéed onions, garlic, and seasonings, or in a unique salad mixed with other beans, greens, and fresh veggies and dressed with a light vinaigrette.  

Leeks 

Leeks are part of the Allium family of vegetables that also includes onion and garlic. With a milder taste than onions, leeks are great for adding flavor to soup stock. Leeks can also be enjoyed raw in salads, boiled to create a softer flavor, and fried, which yields a crunchy, stronger-tasting leek. It is advisable to eat ½ cup serving of Allium vegetables daily to reap their significant health benefits. Their high content of antioxidants and nutrients offer cardiovascular support and reduce inflammation. Jews are not the only group that ascribes significance to leeks. In fact, they are one of the national symbols of Wales. Legend has it that Welch soldiers identified themselves by wearing leeks on their helmets in a battle against the Saxons. When they successfully defeated the enemy, the leek rose to prominence as a national emblem of victory. Try a delicious creamy leek potato soup seasoned with thyme to enhance your meal. 

Beets 

The beautiful, bright red color of beets makes them just as visually enjoyable as they are tasty and healthy. While we think of them today as a root vegetable, during the 19th century it was discovered that beets were a concentrated form of sugar, and a special factory in Poland was built to produce beet sugar. Later, when the British restricted access to cane sugar, Napoleon declared that beets were the new primary sugar source, launching their popularity worldwide. In the Middle Ages, beets were used for medicinal purposes, and throughout history beets have been used for red dye. Adding nutrient and fiber-rich beets to your diet can yield many health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, increasing energy, fighting inflammation, preventing cancer, and detoxifying the body. Beets are a great addition to your Yom Tov meal. Try them marinated with lemon juice and herbs and served as a cold salad, or roasted with other root veggies. Add a dash of olive oil to create a colorful, delicious accompaniment to the main course.  

Gourd 

The term “gourd” can refer to a variety of different crops such as pumpkins, cucumbers, squash, and melons, though squash and pumpkins are the traditional Sephardic choice for simanim. DNA records suggest that gourds were one of the first domesticated plants. Many species of gourds have hard outer shells, known as bottle gourds. Several varieties have been found at archaeological sites in Africa, Asia, Europe, Peru, and America. The plant originated in Africa and Asia, and until recently, science could not sufficiently explain the evidence of the bottle gourd in America. Scientists dated bottle gourds back to early history, but wondered how a plant species indigenous to one hemisphere could make its way across the ocean to another hemisphere. Until recently, the prevailing hypothesis purported that humans carried the plant with them when migrating from Asia, crossing the Bering Strait into the New World. Yet this theory was full of holes. Specifically, how could a tropical plant survive while traveling across the Arctic? Also, there was a lack of evidence of bottle gourds existing in Siberia, Alaska, and the Pacific Northwest. A fascinating study was conducted in 2005 based on newer models of how objects drift in Atlantic currents, solving the mystery with the conclusion that these bottle gourds actually floated to America on their own. Enjoy gourds at your Rosh Hashanah meal with the traditional Sephardic  sweet potato and squash casserole baked with dried cranberries, oil, cinnamon and brown sugar. 

Pomegranate 

A well-known symbol of both Torah and the Land of Israel, pomegranates are native to Persia and thrive in the dry climates of the Middle East, along the Mediterranean, and in Southern Asia. While pomegranates have always been an integral part of Jewish culture as one of the shivat haminim and a Rosh Hashanah ritual food, other civilizations have utilized pomegranates in ceremonies. Most notably, in traditional Turkish weddings a bride would throw a pomegranate on the ground and the number of seeds which fell out was believed to indicate how many children she would have. In the past few decades, pomegranates have come into vogue as a super food, as new studies revealed the tremendous health benefits of this jeweled fruit. Punicalagin, a compound found only in pomegranates, benefits the heart and blood vessels, and contributes to the extreme potency of the antioxidants in the fruit. These powerful little seeds have been shown to fight cancer, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and prevent heart issues. Get creative with nutrient-dense pomegranate seeds and sprinkle them on top of any dish. They can be used to garnish salads, soups, and desserts. 

Apples  

There are over 7,500 varieties of apples cultivated worldwide, presenting a wide array of color and taste combinations. Two common apple cultivars originated in Israel: the Anna, a yellow-colored apple with a red blush, and the Ein Shemer, a tarter apple that is a cross between a Golden Delicious and a Zabidani. Today, with apples as ubiquitous as they are, many consider them unexciting. But the basic apple has a major surprise up its sleeve. Cut an apple in half horizontally, perpendicular to the stem. The apple’s cross section will reveal five seeds within a five-pointed star, surrounded by a circle of 10 dots, known as a 10-pointed exocarp. Now, here’s where it gets kabbalistic. The stem of the apple can represent the letter vav, whose numerical value is six. Add these numbers (5+5+10+6) to get the number 26, which is the numerical value of the divine Name of Havayah. Therefore, in the most widely cultivated and consumed fruit in the world, we find the signature of the Creator of the universe! Besides dipping them in honey, try apples baked with cinnamon for a delicious side dish or in a yummy cake for dessert. 

May the coming year be filled with sweetness and goodness for the entire Jewish people! 

Preparing for the Holidays in a Highly Inflationary Environment

As moms, wives, grandmothers, and heads of households, we have a lot on our plates when  preparing for Rosh Hashanah and the upcoming holidays.  Rosh Hashanah generally follows the time we are struggling to get our children back to school successfully and safely.  And let’s not forget the other hagim that arrive right after Yom Kippur: Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah.

We are tasked with weaning our children and ourselves out of vacation mode and back into the school routines and responsibilities that accompany the back to school process.  An additional layer of planning is required for Covid.  We must consider if we are to mask or not to mask, and to comply with the requirements and consequences for Covid testing before sending our kids back to school. We must make contingency plans for childcare if our children test positive for Covid. 

This year, another challenging factor will throw a monkey wrench into our fall planning.  That wrench is the rising rate of inflation.  Inflation is the rate of increase in prices over a given time period, which directly impacts our cost of living 

The current rate of inflation is around 9.1 percent, compared to 5.4 percent last July – an increase of 69 percent.  It’s the highest it’s been in over 40 years! 

Everything will cost more: new clothes for school and the holidays, school supplies, gas for carpool, food for school lunches, meals for home and entertainment for the holidays, and more. I’m sure you are already feeling the pinch at the gas station, the supermarket, and when purchasing almost anything.

Consumer brands such as Coca Cola, Dove, and Huggies continue to raise prices as their costs for everything from wood pulp to salaries increase.  

The good news is there are ways we can control our rising expenses and still enjoy our hagim.

Food Shopping

Since one of the hardest hit product groups is food, consider changing your approach to food shopping.

Take inventory of your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer before shopping. Or as many experts say, shop your pantry first.  You may have items that you have forgotten about or even meals that you cooked and frozen.  Clean your refrigerator and freezer and organize your pantry. This step will also encourage you to cook with food already in your pantry and refrigerator/freezer, saving you time and money.  Please don’t forget to label and store meals and staples where you can easily see and access them.

Come Prepared

Always shop with a grocery list.  “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail” (Benjamin Franklin).  Sitting down and putting a list in your phone or writing out a list saves you money and time A list facilitates meal planning and can even help you lose weight.   If I forget my phone, which has my shopping list, I am at a total loss and walk down each aisle of the supermarket to recreate the list of what I need.

Buying store brands rather than name brands, buying in bulk, and choosing reusable vs. disposable items are also great ways to save money on groceries.

Remember, our goal is to minimize food waste and watch our budget.

Avoid Impulse Buying

Yes, I admit it.  Impulse buying can be fun. But it is also expensive.  According to a Slickdeals survey, the average person spends $314 per month on impulse purchases, up from $276 in 2021, a 14 percent increase. Seven in ten people have become more aware of their budgets due to the “huge impact of inflation” but consumers are reporting an increase in the frequency of their impulse shopping. 

Stock Up With Basics 

If your kitchen is stocked with certain basics cooking is easier and you can manage your budget better.  Experts say a well-stocked kitchen will allow you to buy fewer new food items each week.  Leanne Brown, author of Good Enough, a self-care cookbook, recommends the following most useful foods to have on hand:  eggs, pasta, rice, bread, canned tomatoes, frozen vegetables and fruit, onions, and potatoes. 

Use foods that are already in your pantry, like you do before Pesach when trying to finish your chametz.  Cooking from the pantry and having a well- stocked pantry and refrigerator have become popular tools to keep within your budget and to prepare easy and healthy meals.  There are even pantry chefs!

Check out the following link for a pantry essentials checklist from the food network:  https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/packages/cooking-from-the-pantry/pantry-essentials-checklist.

Look for budget-friendly recipes. We have many talented chefs and food bloggers (Jacqueline Elbaz, Kay Robyn Ashkenazi, and Aliza Salem), in our own backyard who I have profiled in Community’s Woman to Woman column.  Check out their Instagram feeds for easy, healthy, and delicious recipes.

Less Is More 

My husband tells me I overdo it when I entertain by offering too many options.  Is it more important to be relaxed when your family and guests come over or be exhausted and frazzled because you are sleep-deprived and cooked an extravagant array of food choices?  And you may have exceeded your budget, to boot.

Keep It Simple!

When you simplify, life can be easier and lead to more joy and rewards.  Stay focused on what is meaningful about the hagim.  Do you really need to plan seven course gourmet meals?  Get grounded on what the holidays mean to you.  What do you value most about them?  I have a feeling you will say “family” and connecting with family and friends.

Worrying less about meals and watching your budget will also allow you to concentrate on your tefillot and your hopes for the New Year. This way you can also connect with Hashem and enjoy the spirituality of Rosh Hashanah.

Ask for What You Need 

Asking for what you need can be healthy and empowering. 

Be honest when a friend or family member asks you what you would like them to bring to a meal or how they can help.  I have learned to accept offers from my friends to bring salad, fruit, dessert, or wine to a holiday lunch or dinner.

Try a Potluck 

Potlucks have become popular again. A potluck is when each invited guest to a dinner or party brings a dish for everyone to share. Many guests offer one of their favorite creations and get to showcase their skills.  The concept originated in the Great Depression of the 1930s and meant “the luck of the pot, or food for an unexpected or uninvited guest.” 

Think about it.  You have just spent hours in shul.  Wouldn’t it be a relief to know loved ones are pitching in for a seudah?  The participants in a potluck also feel engaged and proud when others compliment and enjoy the food they cooked.  Sukkot is the perfect time to experiment with a potluck! 

Potlucks are about creating a community through food.  This model aligns beautifully with the values of our community, which was so aptly explained to me by Rochelle Dweck when she described Simply Traditional.  Its mission is to capture recipes and a sense of suffeh of our community’s matriarchs and to bring together generations of families through food. 

Please email me at ellen@lifecoachellen.com or write a letter to the editor, letters@CommunityM.com to share your ideas about managing the hagim during times of high inflation. 

Shana Tova and Hag Sameach!