The Blog

Good morning – honorable Supervisors – Chair of the Board Supervisor Foy. Thank you for giving me the great honor to present you with a Moment of Affirmation.

On this very date, the 23^rd of Elul, in the  Jewish calendar  ….which is based on a lunar cycle …to the day almost at this very time that I’m speaking to you …7 years ago… a small murderous gang killed over 3,000 Americans and changed the way we look at the world

Just 11 days ago our communities were rocked to the core with news of the terrible train collision - this is a tragedy that has touched so many in our community  –

What is our reaction to be in face of such evil as to what happened on Sept. 11^th and what is our reaction to be to the tragedy that happened just 11 day ago?

If you want to get rid of darkness…

You don’t sweep it away…

You light a candle…

America is a kind country built on principles of kindness and justice …May G-d grant you all the wisdom and the courage that all your decisions and work on behalf of the public only bring the light of kindness.

We will find comfort in the building and growth of this wonderful, beautiful and safe Ventura County.

I would like to conclude with an ancient Jewish custom – next week we celebrate the Jewish New Year – the birthday of our great grandma Chava/ Eve and great grandfather Adam…In preparation for this day for the entire month leading up to it we sound a Shofar…A ram’s horn… the Shofar symbolizes a cry from the heart without words.

…Blow Shofar

G-d bless you all …and thank you for your service.

Answer the call of the season & click on the phone.

Below is a heartwarming clip of my beloved mentor and Rebbe. In it, he gives blessings for the the New Year in the order of the Aleph-Bet.

With English Subtitles

For many, cooking for a large crowd can be daunting.  The key is organization!
 
        At least two days before the dinner:

• Make a menu
  
• It is a custom to include the following foods in our Rosh Hashanah meal/s:  Apples dipped in honey, round Challahs, the head of a fish, carrots, a "new" fruit (one that you definitely have not eaten in the last six months), and honey cake 
  
• Click on the link below to read why: 

Why sweet honey?

• Click on the link below to get recipes from our Recipe Corner, including the best ever Moist Majestic Honey Cake:

Shula's Recipe Corner

• Include page numbers on your menu list next to recipes you are not familiar with
  
• Make a shopping list with menu in hand
  
• Include storage plastic containers and ziplocks, papergoods, decorations, etc.
  
• Time to go shopping!
   
  At least one day before:
  
• On clean, dry, organized counters, sort through your groceries, pots and pans, baking utensils, etc.
  
• Using your menu/recipe list as your guide, put out all necessary measuring cups, etc. and group each recipe's ingredients together.  This will cut down on a lot of searching time; your ingredients will be easily accessible, ready for use
  
• Start on all of the involved, time-consuming recipes first.  (This way, you can start on other recipes during waiting times.  For example, if you are making Challah, you will have two hours after making the dough, while you wait for it to rise).
  
• Put all dirty utensils in a small plastic bin of hot water and soap.  This will keep the dishes in a compacted space, and much easier to wash when you're ready
   
  On the day of:
  
• Set your table so that it's one less thing to worry about later!
  
• Finish cooking
  
• Put drinks in the fridge
  
• If you have extra counter space, put out serving plates and utensils you will be using during the meal
  
• Enjoy the meal with your family and friends!

I had the great honor to address the VCBOS and to commemorate the Yartzheit of those that perished on September 11th.  The 23rd of Elul on the Jewish calendar, marks seven years to the day of that tragic time in our history.

To see a video of my remarks, click here.   After the video comes on, you'll have the option to "Jump To" Rabbi Chaim Bryski, Moment of Affirmation.

For your enjoyment, here is a video of the remarks I gave back in March, 2007.  For a good laugh watch the last minute.

For many of us, we lose touch with the primal, "primitive" faith of childhood due to disappointments/baggage from the past.  Some might just call it getting more sophisticated, growing up.
 
A reporter once described the Lubavitcher Rebbe as having the "faith of a child."  One unfamiliar with the Rebbe might assume him to be very simple, unsophisticated--how "intelligent" can the faith of a child be?  But that is one of the countless things that are unique about the Rebbe:  He had a brilliant, extremely deep, sophisticated understanding of Torah and vast worldly topics, endured many hardships, and yet managed to maintain a constant, pure, untainted faith in G-d.

So how do we stop our past-not to mention our present-from tainting our faith in G-d?  By constantly increasing in our learning and mitzvot,* which taps into the strength of our G-dly soul, which forever contains the faith of a child.
 
*Judaism teaches that it is action that leads to faith.

I looked up, watching my small son Zalman run on the playground equipment high above the ground.  I held my arms up and out, challenging him to jump down into them.  His face broke into a big smile and, trusting my security with every fiber in his little being, allowed himself to literally fall/jump--straight into my arms.
 
What would happen, I wondered, if we trusted with every fiber of our being that G-d truly will take care of us, our loved ones, our needs--specifically during the times in our lives when we are faced with fearful jumps, or generally, when we dwell on the disconcerting fact that we have no control over our fate?  Perhaps we wouldn't be as fearful, it wouldn't bother us as much that we have no control, we'd be at peace with our vulnerability, because G-d is there to catch us.

What do we want when it comes to our children's Jewish education?

How about education in general? Is it knowledge that we want our children to amass or is there something more?

Do we have any core values that our children can practice on a daily basis?

I look forward to your comments…

Did you ever notice the intense urge Jewish people have to get out on Saturday Night?

The reason for this phenomenon is because on Shabbat a Jew recieves an extra soul which leaves when the Shabbat does. This leaves a feeling of emptiness that needs filling. That is one of the reasons why we sniff something delicious (i.e. cloves) at the Havdalah service-to put us into a good mood again.

Over the past few decades, many temples-including the more traditional ones, like Chabad-have added more and more English text to the High Holiday prayerbook.  The Chabad prayerbook really is the best of both worlds:  It contains the unabridged, original version that was created thousands of years ago by various esteemed rabbis, poets, and sages, and offers it both in complete Hebrew and complete English, side by side.  While many of the prayers are recited out loud in English, the majority of them are recited in Hebrew. 

 This is something that we should all savor, regardless of one's level of familiarity with our holy language.  Just think, the very words the cantor and/or congregation are chanting are the very words that the Jews recited during the Spanish Inquisition in 1478 as Marranos in hiding, and during the Russian Pogroms in 1821 in a time of terror.  When we sing as one "Avinu Malkeinu, Our Father, Our King...", we are singing the very song the Jews in Auschwitz sang on Rosh Hashanah as they held onto their faith and each other.

For some of us that are more comfortable reading and understanding English, it enables us to experience the prayers with our minds.

For all of us listening to these timeless, divine Hebrew words said by millions of Jews in millions of different circumstances, it enables us to experience the prayers with our hearts and souls. 

Did you know that the largest producer of Kosher wines in the world is right in our back yard at Herzog Wine Cellars of Oxnard? These wines are delicious, certifiably Kosher, and support the efforts of California winegrowers to adopt sustainable winegrowing practices. Try some of these holiday wine pairings for a perfect New Year’s feast:

·       Baked Fish – 2007 Special Reserve Zin Gris or 2006 Special Reserve Chardonnay

·        Beef Brisket  - 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon or 2005 Special Reserve Merlot

·        Roast Chicken - 2006 Sauvignon Blanc or 2005 Merlot

·        Honey Cake/Fruity Dessert – 2006 Late-Harvest Chenin Blanc or 2005 Late Harvest Riesling

Click here to learn about how you can plan a Kosher Wine Tour Trip.