by David's Voice

UrbanCincy, local blog and downtown champion, has provided a steady stream of stories focused on developing Cincinnati's urban core since 2007.

The articles posted on the blog frequently provoke numerous comments and debates. Simes' recent post, "Cincinnat's old money attacks the future with the promise of a failed past," posted this past Friday, August 27th, has drawn a swarm of responses.

Simes' piece is written in response to an article in Cincy Magazine by former Enquier columnist Peter Bronson, an article in which Bronson praises the new Great American Tower at Queen City Square and attacks some of the other new developments, like the Banks project and the streetcar.

Since the posting of Simes' piece, responses have poured in on all sides of the spectrum. Clearly, when Simes writes, people read.

Head over to UrbanCincy.com and take a look at the article yourself.

by Debbie Karmel

The Raspberry Bakewell ...mmm

Why why why does it have to be the end of summer??  I’m not ready for it!  Fortunately, I can still find a decent supply of fruit to bake with.

Raspberries are by far my absolute favorite fruit.  I will eat anything with Raspberries in them.  I wanted to find a great recipe incorporating them and this one seems perfect (Recipe was found on hopeeternalcookbook.wordpress.com). 

With a layer of puff pastry and a delicious combination of Raspberries and Raspberry jam, this dessert is topped with an almond-butter batter which crisps up nicely once baked. Truth be told, this could even pass for a breakfast…I find it helps lessen the guilt if we call it breakfast.  But don’t worry, the sugar content isn’t high which surprised me. 

I have to be honest, some of the directions  aren’t so clear and that being said, I’ve put some of my personal advice at the bottom of the directions that I think will be helpful for when you give it a try.

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by Dan Pine, Jweekly.com

David Katznelson found “Dunkin’ Bagel” while Dumpster diving.

No, he wasn’t crawling around in a metal trash bin behind Saul’s Deli. That’s just the term he uses to describe his method of finding rare LPs, 78s and 45s.

Hounding used record shops and garage sales, Katznelson has come across some vinyl gems, but few excited him like this one, recorded in 1945 by the Slim Gaillard Quartet.

A former Detroit bootlegger, Gaillard was an African American hipster famous for his hit “Flat Foot Floogie” as well as other cool and crazy jazz tunes.

One of them was performed in Yiddish, or at least his version of it. “Dunkin’ Bagel” is a jive-addled stomper sung in a kind of pidgin Yinglish, with “gefilte fish” and “matzah balls” thrown in the lyrics for good measure.

Katznelson had long known of Jewish musicians – from Al Jolson to Matisyahu – adopting black musical styles. This case was the inverse. Here he’d found a black artist exploring Jewish musical idioms. A music industry veteran and director of outreach for the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation, the San Francisco native wondered if Gaillard was the only one.

Turned out he wasn’t. Katznelson and his colleagues at the New York–based Idelsohn Society of Music Preservation have tracked down a trove of recordings spanning several decades, all featuring black musicians performing Jewish or Jewish-influenced music.

(The society is named for Abraham Idelsohn, the early 20th century musicologist thought to be the man who wrote the lyrics to “Hava Negillah.”)

The Idelsohn Society culled the best of the best, produced a CD (to be released in October) and created the exhibition “Black Sabbath: The Secret Musical History of Black-Jewish Relations.” It opened this week for a seven-month run at San Francisco’s Contemporary Jewish Museum.

Like the Idelsohn Society’s “Jews on Vinyl” project that premiered at the CJM last year, “Black Sabbath” is a multimedia affair. Visitors to the museum’s Yud space find it decked out like a 1940s nightclub. Listening stations sport iPads playing the “Black Sabbath” selections, while images of the musicians are projected onscreen.

Some of those artists, like Gaillard and singer Libby Holman, are more obscure. Others rank among the best-known names in popular music: Aretha Franklin, Lena Horn, Nina Simone and Cab Calloway.

Click here to continue reading this article on Jweekly.com
 

by David's Voice

Rabbi Laura A. Baum of Cincinnati's Congregation Beth Adam and OurJewishCommunity.org was named to the Jewish Daily Forward's list of the 50 most influential female rabbis in America. The Forward is a legendary name in American journalism and a revered institution in American Jewish life.

The list included 50 of the most influential women rabbis in America plus five from Israel. Baum's work as the founder of OurJewishCommunity.org and her outreach via social media were cited as the reasons for her inclusion.  Baum is the youngest rabbi included on the list which also includes Sally Priesand, the first woman ordained as a rabbi in America, and Jill Jacobs, a prominent author and champion of the importance of social justice within Judaism. The full list is available at http://www.forward.com/articles/129451/.

"I am truly honored to be listed with such incredible rabbis. Included are many trailblazing women with outstanding accomplishments in their rabbinates," said Baum."I am especially thrilled with this honor because it speaks to the tremendous progress OurJewishCommunity.org and Congregation Beth Adam have made in using technology to reach tens of thousands of Jews who otherwise would not be reached."

OurJewishCommunity.org is the world's first online synagogue with a contemporary Jewish voice. Launched on September 1, 2008, OurJewishCommunity.org has reached more than 35,000 individuals in all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 150 countries.  OurJewishCommunity.org is an initiative of Congregation Beth Adam, an independent congregation with a humanistic perspective. Baum serves both the online synagogue and the brick-and-mortar congregation along with Rabbi Robert B. Barr.

"Developing OurJewishCommunity.org has allowed me to see the potential to build an entirely new Jewish model for the 21st century.  So many of the old models are no longer working, and more than 50% of American Jews are unaffiliated. There is a tremendous opportunity to provide a contemporary Jewish experience," said Baum. Among OurJewishCommunity.org's most visited features are streaming High Holiday services; last year over 3,600 computers logged in for Yom Kippur services.

Baum was ordained by Hebrew Union College (HUC) in 2008. While a student there, she received the Israel Bettan Memorial Prize for the most creative and imaginative pulpit presentation and the Rabbi Morris H. Youngerman Memorial Prize for the best sermon preached in the HUC chapel during the 2007 academic year. Baum is currently an adjunct instructor of Human Relations at HUC.

Baum's career as a Jewish professional began during her college years when she was a teacher and then a Rabbinic Intern at Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden, CT.  Baum has an undergraduate degree in psychology from Yale University. She is currently pursuing an MBA at Xavier University.

To join the community or get more information, visit www.ourjewishcommunity.org.

by stuffjewishyoungadultslike.wordpress.com

In recent years the practice of Yoga has been sweeping through the Western World at an alarming rate.  According to Yoga Journal, in 2008 about 16 million American’s spent nearly $6 billion on Yoga, double the amount spent three years prior, and the numbers keep growing.  New studios have been popping up all over the globe, in Sydney, London, Tel Aviv, Austin, and anywhere else!  Curiously, these studios are located in areas that have a highly Jewish population, which is understandable because Jewish Young Adults are massive fans.

According to recent reports in the Yoga Journal, there is a strong correlation between yoga practitioners in the Western World and JYAs:  Both are highly educated, both upper middle class, both between the ages of 18 and 40, and both live in urban centers.  But beyond the demographic similarities between yoga fans and JYAs, there are a few underlying motivating factors that draw in the JYAs

For female JYAs the motivation is clear:  Yoga, specifically the more physical styles of Bikram, Ashtanga, and Power Yoga, is a great way to tone up those inner thighs and look good in LuluLemon attire without actually having to remove makeup or put their mani/pedi in danger.

For male JYAs, Yoga has a clear appeal:  75% of the class is sweaty females.  Male JYAs have also been known to utilize Yoga outside of the studio as well, as in this recent interaction between two JYAs:

“Jessica”:  You do yoga?  That’s so cool.

“Andrew”:  Yeah, I’m totally all spiritual ‘n shit.

“Jessica”:  (coos audibly)

Whatever the reason, Yoga studios around the globe should give thanks to JYAs for supporting their cause, even if the JYAs have no connection at all to the extensive historical/spiritual background of the discipline.

Click here to read the article on Stuffjewishyoungadultslike

from joyofkosher.com

The weather not hot enough for you outside? In the mood for some delicious Indian food? Well then check out this recipe for Spicy Potato Samosas and get ready to clear those sinuses.

This is a recipe we at David's Voice recently tried out and liked so much that we contacted the editor of joyofkosher.com to ask if we could repost. She said yes, so by all means, please enjoy this in good health!

Ingredients

•14 oz. unbleached flour

•1 T Kosher salt

•5 oz. solid vegetable shortening

•2/3 c ice water

Potato Filling - yield 3 cups:

•1 lb. Idaho® potatoes

•3 T vegetable oil

•1 1/2 t black mustard seeds

•3/4 t whole cumin seeds

•3/4 t whole coriander seeds

•6 oz. finely chopped red onion

•1/2 oz. finely chopped Jalapeno

•1 1/2 t minced garlic

•1 1/2 t minced gingerroot

•3 oz. fresh or thawed frozen green peas

•1 1/2 t curry powder

•1 t Kosher salt

•1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

•Juice from 1/2 lemon

•1 1/2 oz. finely chopped green onions

•1 oz. finely chopped cilantro

•Oil for deep fat frying  

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by Naomi Pfefferman, jewishjournal.com

“’Schmuck’ is a funny word,” said Michael Handelman, co-screenwriter of “Dinner for Schmucks.”

“It’s one of those very satisfying words to say,” added co-screenwriter David Guion.

The New York-based scribes, both 39, were in Los Angeles recently to discuss “Schmucks,” which opens July 30 and is inspired by Francis Veber’s French-language film, “Le Diner de Cons” (“Dinner for Bloody Idiots”).  Directed by Jay Roach, the new film revolves around an ambitious financial analyst, Tim (Paul Rudd) whose promotion hinges on his participating a cruel game:  his boss’s “dinner for idiots.” Each guest must invite the stupidest person he can find for an evening of subtle ridicule.

The Journal caught up with Handelman and Guion at the Beverly Hilton Hotel recently, where the longtime writing partners practically completed each others’ sentences. That wasn’t surprising, considering the way they work: They don’t divvy up scenes on a project, but rather write together in one room, on one computer, in their office in New York’s Chinatown. 

At the Beverly Hilton, the conversation veered from their respective Midwestern childhoods (Guion hails from Chicago; Handelman from Milwaukee); to meeting each other in a Yale University improvisational troupe; to performing improv together in Manhattan (after Handelman earned a masters in philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh); to penning major Hollywood comedies.  The writers also riffed on the nature of Jewish comedy and of course, “Dinner for Schmucks.”

Naomi Pfefferman:  “Dinner for Schmucks” must be the first major studio film ever to have the word, “schmuck” in the title—which of course traditionally is a naughty word in Yiddish.  How did that come about?

Michael Handelman: Nobody seems to know exactly where the title came from— it was already attached before we came on board.  But one thing we’ve talked about is the fact that “schmuck,” at least the way it’s used today, can mean both “idiot” and “jerk.” The double meaning is quite appropriate because in our film, it’s jerks inviting idiots to dinner.  So obvious question is, ‘Who are the schmucks?’”

David Guion: I don’t know if it’s ever decided who the real schmucks are.  But the film is about questioning these labels that we put on people. We want audiences to be able to see the humanity in these so-called schmucks who are invited to dinner, and particularly in [Steve Carell’s] Barry. 

NP:  Each of the dinner invitees is considered odd because he or she has a bizarre hobby.  Can you cite some of the litany of schmucks you invented for the story?

MH:  We did a lot of looking online for people with weird hobbies and actually there really is an international beard champion.  So there’s the beard champion.

DG:  And the ventriloquist who seems to believe he’s married to his very busty dummy.  And the vulture-lover.

MH:  And the blind swordsman, played by Chris O’Dowd, who believes he has a shot at the Olympic gold medal.  With him the essential thing was that the comedy not come from the fact that he is blind, but from the fact that he is proud.

DG: A guy who is so proud he’s actually blind to his own blindness.

MH:  There’s also Madame Nora, the psychic who can speak with dead pets, who then winds up speaking with the lobsters on the dinner table [they’re screaming with pain upon being cooked] and hearing from the vulture’s mother.

NP:  Do either of you have hobbies that would qualify you for admittance to such a dinner?

MH:  When I was a teenager, a friend of mine and I decided to work at the Renaissance Faire [in the Midwest] for the summer.  We were singing gravediggers; we wore tattered pants and blousy shirts and carried around a skull and a coffin.

DG: Mike and I didn’t know each other at the time, but I actually attended that same Renaissance Faire, which probably qualifies me for the idiot’s dinner as well.

Click here to read the rest of the article on Jewishjournal.com

by Sammy Hudes, shalomlife.com

Surprise! The National Basketball Association has a third Jewish player. Joining New Jersey Nets’ point guard Jordan Farmar and Sacramento Kings’ forward Omri Casspi is none other than Amar’e Stoudemire.

Actually, the newly acquired New York Knicks power forward has now been in the league for eight years, playing for the Phoenix Suns; however, it was just recently that he found out he has a Jewish mother.

The 27-year-old from Lake Wales, Florida has welcomed the surprise, and has embarked on a trip to Israel to learn more about his Jewish heritage. “I’m going to Israel to study Hebrew. It’s time to get a better understanding on who we are,” wrote Stoudemire via Twitter. He also replied to a fan who wished him a good trip, by saying that he has family who live in the country.

“On the flight to Israel. This is going to be a great trip,” Stoudemire tweeted Tuesday evening.“The holy land. Learn about it,” he continued. “Ze ha’halom sheli (this is my dream).” Stoudemire reportedly plans to spend up to two months in Israel, learning both the language of the country and more about his past.

Upon arriving in Israel on Wednesday, Stoudemire travelled to Jerusalem, and again updated his Twitter fans. “Jerusalem is a beautiful city. I’m at a cafe eating a late lunch. I'm learning Hebrew by the min. Keep up! Shalom."

Click here to continue reading this article on shalomlife.com

by Simone Ungar

In almost every person's experience of the Queen City, there comes a time when Cincinnatians start complaining, “there’s nothing to do around here!” We’ve all heard it before. It's a common frustration and in my opinion, it grows from visiting only the most visible hot spots in Cincinnati and a general lack of initiative and imagination.

However, in my experience, there is much more to the Queen City than meets the eye. If one looks hard enough, there is always something new to discover. That’s why I’ve decided to reveal some of my personal favorite “secrets” in the city of Cincinnati. My inspiration comes from the exciting internet phenomenon Secret Cincinnati, which I will be learning more about later this month. Keep an eye out for a linking Secret Cincinnati article! But for now, here are my own secrets of Cincinnati. I hope you will enjoy exploring as much as I have.

Secret #1 What's For Dinner?
www.whatsfordinnerdeli.com
Imagine coming home to your favorite home-cooked meal created with the freshest, tastiest ingredients possible. Too bad that by the time you reach home, cooking a delicious meal from scratch is probably the last thing on your to-do list. Luckily, this dream can still come true for you! All it takes is one visit to What’s for Dinner? at 3009 O Bryon Street. This restaurant offers multiple dining options: eat in, to go, and catering. Walking into What’s for Dinner? is similar to entering your grandma’s kitchen; the atmosphere is homey and welcoming. Visitors will be met with an expansive, “floating” display case that features an ever-changing selection of home cooked creations. My top recommendations are the macaroni and cheese, chicken enchiladas, contessa couscous, French tomato tart and much more. Try this restaurant and you will be pleasantly surprised!

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by Rabbi Miriam Terlinchamp

In our grandparent’s generation, synagogue attendance played a key role in the cultural norm. Everyone did it. Their neighbors went to church and they went to synagogue. For our parent’s generation, the synagogue played the role of community center. It is where you went for entertainment, socialization, good food and better company. In this generation, like the generations before us, our relationship to the synagogue has changed.

The world, in many ways, is smaller now in that we venture on cross-continental trips, talk via internet with people in different countries and think nothing of picking up the phone to talk to a friend 3,000 miles away. For this generation of global Jews, the synagogue must be a place that transcends the particular to embrace the larger human issues in this world. The synagogue is a place of global conscience, of social action and a meeting place to brainstorm and act on bringing basic rights to all humans in need.

The synagogue is a place of deep spirituality. Our parents and grandparents, who might have been more likely to affiliate with a synagogue than this generation, were not a more religious or spiritual group of people. Their spirituality was simply differently focused.

For this generation, spirituality is individually focused even in the communal sphere. Everything is personalized so much so, that the collective conscious of a spiritual group is less important than maintaining the individuals personal connection to the spiritual. We live in a culture where everything is available cafeteria style. We can pick and choose a little yoga, a little Zen Buddhism, a pinch of Irish or Russian or English ancestry and filter it all through our Jewish cultural heritage without ever having to pick a prayer community.  At one time, prayer and God were about the collective, in this generation, the spiritual is about choice.

Choice needs companionship too. This generation of twenty and thirty some-things wants community. We seek it out everywhere: in classrooms, studios, gyms - just about everywhere except the liberal synagogue. The synagogue offers a connection to the past, ritual and singing and practicing tradition in modes “the way it has always been.” This may be offensive to the individual who has chosen a seemingly different path, who does not see that their choices have a home in the sanctuary of the timeless synagogue.

We do a disservice to all generations by not highlighting the way tradition has evolved over centuries or the way Judaism has survived because of its ability to adapt to the greater world around it. The synagogue now should offer a place for community to develop just as it did for our parents’ and grandparents’ generations. Not because it is the only place to belong, or because we have all the answers, but because we have something to offer that fills the void that our generation is seeking.  The synagogue is a faith-based community united in communal involvement and global awareness to actively work towards a better world for all humankind. The synagogue allows you to come and pray as you are and then asks you, demands that you go out as a community and change the world for the better.

Our Torah tells us that this world was left unfinished, when God rested on the 7th day for Shabbat. It is our mission as Jews to complete that work of creation every day of our lives by bringing Heaven down to Earth and alleviating the ailments of the world. The synagogue reminds us of our communal obligation and task to change the world. The synagogue, at its best, can be the mouthpiece for communal and global change. Each of us comes to our spirituality through different sources and choices, yet none of us our free from our need to connect with the wider human community and Jewish voice to change this world for the better.

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