Everything happens for a reason. A cultural commentary with a lotta rock-n-roll, semitism, and parenting. See our Etsy Shop! Buy HeadyBands, Hoodies and more at www.wholephamily.etsy.com
Last summer, while working at Ramah Day Camp in Nyack, I learned this beautiful Israeli song as part of the staff component to the end-of-month song performance zimriyah. As you might know, I love jam bands, but I also love good music in general, and Idan Raichel is a phenomenal superstar Israeli musician known for his fusion of Ethiopian and Middle Eastern music, electronics, and traditional Hebrew texts.
Music director extraordinairre Daniel Henkin provided us with the sheet music and Hebrew lyrics. Here are the lyrics only:
In the meantime, this is proof that working at a wonderful institution filled with good music ruach, good leadership, and energetic Israeli staff can sustain you through the entire year.
Turns out the staff didn't even end up performing the song due to the venue's excessive heat! The camp has stated it will longer hold its zimriyah in the Nyack High School Gym.
My friend Jory Stillman has recently launched, in New York City and New Jersey, Shalom Kids Yoga. SKY teaches unique Yoga classes with the Jewish community in mind. What a great idea.
Knowing how amazing Jory is, I am sure her program is set for success. Hatzlacha raba Jory! If we lived nearby, we would surely try them out! (Oh, and if my children were open to yoga, which for whatever reason lately they are adverse).
Jory Stillman, photo courtesy of shalomkidsyoga.com
Both Tara and Jory are graduates of Kripalu. That says a lot to me.
Last night Stango and I attended Taste of Hazon: A Culinary Celebration of Tu B'Shvat. I already blogged about this event as I looked forward to the night. Fully impressed, this was my first Hazon event. And I only hope there will be more in my future!
At this benefit for Hazon, founder Nigel Savage stated that Hazon is about taking Jewish tradition seriously and eating Jewishly in the 21st century. It is both about the past and the future. Hazon means vision, which is a vision the organization itself embodies.
Hazon "creates healthier and more sustainable communities in the Jewish world and beyond." The group runs environmental bike rides in many cities (Bay Area friends: the California Ride is coming up on May 10-13). They sponsor CSAs across the country. Along with The Jewish Daily Forward, they co-sponsor the blog The Jew and the Carrot, covering food issues as they relate to the Jewish world. They have a food conference in December, complete with composting, pickling, and other sustainability and food workshops.
Back to the event...
The food: superb. My menu included smoked duck carpaccio with passion fruit, barley soup with fenugreek and mushrooms, and braised short rib of beef with pomegranate and figs.
The message: Create sustainable communities inspired by Judaism.
The speakers: Manageable since we were able to pick at the edible centerpiece featured below.
Edible centerpiece at Taste of Hazon
Chana Rothman performed "We Shall Not be Moved," which is one of Stango's favorites. Chana is also a Philadelphian and therefore I hope I will get to hear her perform another time in the near future!
Here is the title song of Chana's newest CD. Though not a Tu B'Shvat song per se, I pointed out to Chana (naturally, the rock star in me of course will seek out the musician after the show if possible) that it has a clear message for Tu B'Shvat.
Thoughts from benefit honoree Mark Dornstreich, proprietor of Branch Creek Farm and a 1970s pioneer in Pennsylvania in organic farming included the following inspiration:
"Sweat. Art. Food. Family. Sharing. Bonding and the continuity of your life's work and the people that are part of your being.:
At the end of the evening, Savage quoted the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach:
I post "Shtuff Ragers Say" with full disclosure/warning that it is definitely filled with a lot of shtuss and chazarai (Yiddish words for, basically, garbage)
Just a few seconds into watching that brings me to one of the things I like least about the music scene and popular culture in general:
The Excessive Use of Foul Language.
I really didn't want to go there on this blog, as I try to focus on the positive, but it is there.
In my adult life, I have made the conscious effort to limit the use of cursing.
It is just plain ugly and only brings out negativity.
A little bit, ok, yeah. A lot? Nah. No, nope no siree.
Why do they go there so frequently? Find the light, folks!
I had the opportunity a few years ago to be on the set of the film Going the Distance, starring Drew Barrymore and Christina Applegate. What a thrill to be among the cast and crew. And yet, when I saw the film on screen, I was disappointed to hear so much cursing. It didn't really help the movie, in my opinion.
Nanette Burstein, you were the director. I think you should have toned it down. Justin Long just didn't do much for himself with his excessive cursing. My own humble opinion.
But, thanks for letting us borrow your chair. It was SUCH a thrill being on this set two summers ago.
Fast forward about 20 years, and these boys and girls in the Ragers video will be talking about, instead of Pokeballs and Hello Kittys, the Louis Vuittons.
My high school friend Mike posted a lovely rendition of "Lively Up Yourself," from 6/13/80
As you know I love numerical synchronicity. When I saw the date of this YouTube, I livened up myself!
6/13 or, 613 is a significant number in Judaism. As you know, I am Jewish and I live a Jewish life, so when I see that number of course I make the connection. I have mentioned how I love when I go to Madison Square Garden, especially to see my favorite band, I view the jersey hanging high above for "Horowitz" with the number 613.
613 refers to the total number of mitzvot or commandments in the Torah.
Don't know if my friend Mike looked at that date or realized, but I think it's pretty cool.
So, there, I have linked Rastafarians with Jews. Not such a huge stretch.
Tong Yuen
family recipe from my friend Hannah
Serves 2
1 tsp oil
2/3 c glutinous rice flour (use up what’s left from making nian gao)
Cold water
Roasted, crushed peanuts
Sugar
Add water gradually to the rice flour and mix by hand until melded. Shape into bite-sized balls.
Boil in water until they float to the top. Cool before sampling! Serve, sprinkled with peanuts and sugar.
I love spin class, and one day when I grow up and become a spin instructor, I will pump out the jam band tunes (shorter jams, under 7 minutes) because they are the most rockin' out there.
Boy did I ever love that Ferris commercial last night.
You are speaking right to me, Matthew Broderick!
Actually I really love you here, too:
Which leads me to Zeppelin. In Through the Out Door...
Would that fly in spin class?
Me thinks yes.
Oh, yeah, and the password for the back door? Do I really need to spell it out for you?
J-O-S-H-U-A (I loved the intonation of Ally Sheedy's voice as she said it in "War Games")
How many Joshuas do you know?
I can count many. Many, many, many. And I love them all.
Last week we went to our local Chinatown (oh, how so very different than New York's various Chinatowns, whether on the Lower East Side or in Sunset Park!), and we sought out Chinese New Year's greeting card red envelopes used for money gifts for children (the Chinese do gelt in their own way).
Here is one that we got, in a multipack of other licensed characters:
Stango didn't give me $ in this, but instead he wrote a love note. I know, I know, wrong holiday...but next year, when we know better, we will do it right. And since we don't celebrate the holiday that is on February 14th, this was a good time to jump the gun.
My friend the Nunever consulted with his friend, who is Chinese, and I received the following quite lovely translation and interpretation:
"The top line means be auspicious and wishful, and bottom is happy new year. That's very good because it's integration of Chinese tradition and American culture. Localization always means to me the symbol of being rooted, accepted, united and harmony. We see peace as well from those."
And that is what the Whole Phamily is about.
Of course, we were eating Chinese food when we gave the cards.
We are Jewish, after all.
(What I REALLY want is to make my friend Marci's "Chinese New Year's Cookies" which are so deliciosu and not at all Chinese but they are made with lo mein noodles, butterscotch chips, peanuts, chocolate chips, and it can all be varied. Marci, would you post the recipe?!?!)
Naturally, I am a mother and therefore I relate to the whole mother imagery.
But I love nature, and this week is Tu B'Shvat, which is the Jewish birthday of the trees, and so I am thinking about Mother Earth a little bit more these days. I love this holiday since it is all about nature and trees and Israel. All things I love.
I also love the children's book The Story of the Root Children, which is a lovely story written by Sibylle von Olfers, about 100 years ago. It has a lot of Mother Earth imagery in it. It is the type of book that Waldorf families read. We aren't a Waldorf family, but we do like homemade toys!
you can buy this at Amazon.com. No, I get no compensation for providing you that link. Am I too nice?
Speaking of Mother Earth imagery, I simply love the album art from the Grateful Dead's sixth studio album, Wake of the Flood.
Talk about a very in-shape Mother Earth! Look at those well-sculpted arms. Don't think my own mother would be as jazzed about this album cover as me. Oh well, variety is the spice of life, as they say.
Now, getting back to the title of my blog post.
You see the ocean that is flowing in her veins in this album cover art?
If you don't, maybe you want to at least listen to the song that my friend The Nunever reminded me of this morning, and how its lyrics have great depth and connection and real meaning and all that.
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