Chanukah Gift Guide

Washington Jewish Week • November 29, 2012 B1Chanukah Gift Guide

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3. Rachel Strisik of Rachel and Company Rachel and Company is a professional organizing com-

pany that empowers families and individuals to live moreorganized, productive lives. Our organizing approach ad-dresses not only closets and cabinets, but also schedules andtime. e firm’s approach also results in a place for every-thing — either in the home or in a routine. With new con-fidence in the organization around their lives, clients enjoyless frazzled, more engaged day-to-day living.

Offer: One hour of professional organizing consultationwith Rachel Strisik of Rachel and Company $150

4. e Pedal Studioe Pedal Studio is a fitness boutique spe-

cializing in premium indoor cycling (Spin-ning ®) classes.

We have classes for all levels, especially be-ginners, and offer personalized private cycle classes — when you want them — without agym membership, contracts to sign, or hidden fees. We have a complete 22 person spin stu-dio and offer a variety of custom classes to fit your busy schedule. We are completely focusedon giving you the best workout experience possible.

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November 29, 2012 • Washington Jewish WeekB2 Chanukah Gift Guide

ChanukahGiftGuide

Our gi to you!

Each day of Chanukah, WJW will be announcing a prize on Facebook that we will giveaway to one of our loyal readers. To enter our giveaway, simply “like” the announced prize(Facebook.com/WashingtonJewishWeek). Check back oen as more prizes will be addeddaily. Share our giveaway on your Facebook page and you will receive an additional entry inthat day’s giveaway.

1. Certifikid Each day Certifikid features an unbeatable

family value. Subscribers can purchase andprint their CertifiKid certificate directly on thewebsite.

Offer: $25 Certifikid gi card

2. Tribes-A-Dozen, Leah Hadad, FounderTribes-A-Dozen offers a unique line of three Voilà!

Hallah Egg Bread Mixes for every consumer — Tradi-tional, Wholey Wheat, and Simply Spelt. e whole-some, all natural bread mixes bring you back to a kitchenfrom long ago — recreating the warmth, aroma andtaste. We keep it simple so you can bake these traditionalbreads to share fresh with your friends and loved ones,and make every meal special. “BREAK BREAD, NOTTRADITION”

Offer: For each day of Chanukah, we will give a pack-age of three mixes, including one of each product.

Eight days of giveaways!

See GIVEAWAYS, next page

Mezuzahs • Candlesticks •Talit Sets • Personalized Kippot • Sterling and 14KGold Jewelry • SterlingKiddush Cups and Judaica

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8. Washington, DC Jewish CommunityCenter Jewish Film Festival

Washington filmgoers will soon be treated to a dynamicprogram of contemporary films ranging from indie ro-mances and coming-of-age tales to heavy-hitting documen-taries dealing with universal experiences such as divorce andmental illness. e festival will span 11 days from January 3-13, 2013, with 55 films from 15 different countries beingscreened at 10 different venues, and is curated by Ilya Tovbis,the DCJCC’s new film festival director.

Offer: Two tickets to the Visionary Evening with NoemiSchory on Monday,Jan. 7, 8:00 p.m.

5. Alef Bet by PaulaA mother-daughter company that manufactures and sells

fine Judaic jewelry out of Los Angeles.Offer: A sterling silver Sh’ma bracelet, valued at $46

6. Eli Chai’s 1stop Judaica Offer: Chic Made Simple: Fresh. Fast. Fabulous by Esther Deutsch

(Value $29.59) Imagine this: An exquisite coffee-table cookbook that’s also your

most used companion in the kitchen.An unlikely combination? Perhaps. Until Now. Prepare to be smitten with this collection of more than 185 de-

liciously dazzling recipes, accompanied by over 210 magnificentphotographs. Includes a comprehensive 20-page index with full recipe cross-referencing.

Yet the recipes are so easy, they take just minutes.

7. SoupergirlWashington, D.C.’s own healthy, local, kosher soup company. At

Soupergirl, we make soup the old fashioned way — slowly, fromscratch, with love. Our homemade vegan soups are made primarilywith ingredients from small, local farms. Filled with fresh vegetables,herbs, beans, grains, and spices — each soup has its own unique char-acter. Our soups are very healthy, but we don’t think you'll notice! Mostimportantly — you’ll recognize every ingredient in each soup. Nopreservatives. No additives. Fresh. Local. Good. Enjoy every spoonful.

Offer: Two quarts of soup plus a bag of homemade croutons (value$30)


ChanukahGiftGuideGIVEAWAYS

from previous page

Happy ChanukahFrom B’nai B’rith

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by Amy MeltzerSpecial to WJW

As Chanukah approaches, many of usare scouring the shelves of our local

bookstore (because we all know how im-portant it is to support our local book-stores) for wonderful Chanukah books forour children. This year I thought it wouldbe fun to ask some authors of Jewish chil-dren’s books to tell us about their favoriteChanukah books. I hope it inspires you toadd a few new titles to your holiday li-brary.

Linda Glaser (Emma’s Poem)I especially love Latkes and Applesauce

by Fran Manushkin. Gentle humor, familycloseness, and a flavor of "the old country"imbue this delightful Chanukah story. Thewarmth, spirit of goodness, and wisdomfound in lines such as, "apples are alwaysa miracle," make this a gem of a book. Thewarmth and gentle humor of Latkes andApplesauce inspired me to write The Bor-rowed Hanukkah Latkes.

Leslea Newman (A Kiss on the Keppie)

I was very moved by There’s No SuchThing as a Chanukah Bush, Sandy Gold-stein by Susan Sussman, which I readsome time ago (it was published in 1983).Just the title made me exhale with relief,as it validated my experience. As a child, Icouldn’t understand why we didn’t have aChristmas tree when it seemed like every-one else did. My parents explained thatChristmas trees were not something thatJewish families had in their homes. As Igrew older, many Jewish families I knewbegan having Christmas trees in theirhome so the children wouldn’t feel “leftout.” This only added to my confusion.This book is a wonderful jumping offpoint for discussion about respect for dif-ferent traditions and cultures.

Leslie Kimmelman (The Little Red Henand the Passover Matzah)Hands down, Zlateh the Goat and Other

Stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer, with glo-rious pictures by Maurice Sendak. I thinkit’s still in print. Some, though not all ofthe stories are Chanukah specific, butthey’re all pure magic. No one can writeJewish folktales like Singer. I read the sto-

ries with my grandmother, way back whenthe book first came out (not to give awaymy age or anything!), and many years laterread them to my own children. The titlestory will blow you away.More recently, I love Eric Kimmel’s The

Jar of Fools (illustrations by Mordicai Ger-stein) — eight Chelm stories, one for eachnight of Chanukah and all deliciously silly.

Richard Michelson (Too Young for Yid-dish)My very favorite, and the one I come

back to every year, is The Power of Light:Eight Stories for Hanukkah by IB Singerwith pictures by Irene Lieblich. No onecan weave a story like Singer and on thisholiday where even secular Jews like my-self put aside our skepticism and entertaina belief in miracles, Singer captures thepower of love and faith to overcomedoubt. The language is simple enough foryoung children and yet poetic and myste-rious enough to keep the parents en-chanted. The parakeet named Dreidel andHershele the fawn come to life, as do theEastern European ghettos, the Holy Landand even New York City. Irene Lieblich’spaintings bring just the right amount ofplayfulness to the tales. I can’t wait to readthem all again this year.

Laurel Snyder (Baxter, The Pig WhoWanted to be Kosher)My all-time favorite Chanukah book is

The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming. Ifeel like it brings an honest and outrageouskind of humor to the holiday.

Erica S. Perl (When Life Gives You OJ)Our family favorite is The Chanukkah

Guest by Eric Kimmel. We were surprised,and then very pleased, to discover that itis also the favorite Chanukah book of ourrabbi at Temple Micah, in Washington,D.C. Every year, Rabbi Danny Zemel

brings a teddy bear to Chanukah servicesand reads The Chanukkah Guest aloud tothe congregation. The story of the hungrybear and the confused blind grandma whoentertains him never fails to get kids andadults alike giggling. The message iswarm, simple and satisfying, just like aplate of delicious potato latkes.

Eric Kimmel (Hershel and theHanukkah Goblins)My favorite Chanukah book was a cof-

fee table edition of Howard Fast’s My Glo-rious Brothers, illustrated by EzekielSchloss. Schloss did a lot of work for Jew-ish publishers and educational institu-tions. His work was exciting and dynamic.I haven’t seen a copy of the book in years,but I still remember the picture of theMaccabees attacking the war elephants ofthe Greek army. Wow! Great stuff for a lit-tle kid.And as for me? I have a special spot in

my heart for the very out-of-print chapterbook, The Magic Top by Rosalind Welcher(1965). It’s a classic fairy tale with aChanukah twist, and I read it over andover again when I was a child. There areused copies on line, and it’s a great choicefor 7-9 year olds. The picture book that Ican read to my daughters year in and yearout without ever tiring of it is WhenMindy Saved Hanukkah. Mindy, the braveand stubborn heroine, is an endearing rolemodel. The suspenseful plot, combinedwith illustrations by the inimitable Bar-bara McClintock, set in the Eldridge StreetSynagogue, has turned this book into amodern classic. For more suggestions, check out the list of

Great Chanukah Books for Kids by the As-sociation of Jewish Library at jewishli-braries.org/ajlweb/resources/AJL STBAHanukkah.pdf.


ChanukahGiftGuide

Authors’ favorite Chanukah books for kids

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by William TregerStaff Writer

Andrew Gershman is the author ofModern Day Maccabees, a collection

of current Jewish sports heroes’ profilesfrom baseball, football, basketball, andhockey. While Gershman did not intendto create a Chanukah book from the start,he inadvertently did so by including thefamous Maccabee warrior name in thetitle.The Maccabees, he says, were truewarriors and fighters, like many of theJewish athletes in the book. For each of the20 profiled athletes in the book, there is asection on the player’s feelings of Jewishpride, his/her biography, career highlights,mitzvah moments and how they “step upto the plate” as team players. Last week,Washington Jewish Week caught up withGershman, a resident of Silver Spring, forquestions and answers.

Your passion for sports is all over thebook — how did you become such anavid fan and what was your motivationbehind the book. I’ve always been a sports fan. I grew up

as a sports fan, and even more recently, Istarted a radio show in Israel, Israel SportsRadio, where I had the opportunity to in-terview professional athletes. My kidswanted a book about Jewish athletes, andI put feelers out to athletes. I was surprisedto find there is nothing like this book forkids. I wanted to bring together a collec-tion of Jewish athletes so kids could seewhat these athletes were all about.Were you/are you an athlete as well?As a kid in Richmond, Va., I played bas-

ketball in JCC basketball leagues and rancross country in high school. And now Icoach the Bethesda Chevy Chase teams.I’ve also coached kids in Jerusalem.Are your sons, Jonah and Ariel, big

sports fans/athletes too?Both of my sons have their own talents.

Jonah is into rock climbing and individualsports. Ariel is into team sports. When wewere living in Israel we had an opportu-nity to meet national teams in Israel. Theyrespect and have a good understanding ofthe sports world.

Modern Day Maccabees primarily cov-ers four sports – baseball, hockey, foot-ball, basketball — and around 20athletes. What was your approach inputting together the book?I wanted to achieve a balance in my pro-

files so I started with the four majorAmerican sports. I want to include a full

range of athletes from diverse back-grounds. There were several other ath-letes that could have been included.When I approached Jewish athletes andlet them know I was creating a bookwith their profiles, I didn’t get a lot ofpush back. Especially the hockey players— all of the hockey guys were amazing.They’re very blue-collar, very down toearth. They love to tell their story, andthey are proud to be Jewish.

Modern Day Maccabees also coversgolf, tennis, boxing — are there othersyou wanted to cover but didn’t haveenough room for?I received a lot of inquiries from

cricket and rugby players, but I wantedit to resonate with children in NorthAmerica — that’s our market.Do you have a favorite player in the

book? Or one you find exemplary?The piece about the Jewish high school

champion wrestler Alex Swieca, who goeson to play at the University of Michigan asa walk-on quarterback — that’s truly anamazing story of self-determination.How did you originally research/learn

that these players were Jewish? Primarily from Jewish publications and

other news features.A kid who is a sports fan gets this book

for Chanukah — what are the main mes-sages you want them to get from it?Young students should study the pride

these athletes feel in their Judaism. Theyare proud of who and what they are, andthey can do great things in any walk of life.I want these kids to put down the bookand be inspired and help people do greatthings.What is your advice for future Jewish

athletes?If you work hard and pay attention in

school, greatness can come to anyone.This book shows people who care that ifyou make the right choices you can dogreat things.There’s a message in the acknowledge-

ments that you worked through Kick-starter. How did that process work?I pitched the book to traditional Jewish

publishers, and they said they already hada book on Jewish athletes. So I heard aboutKickstarter [the online fundraising vehi-cle] from another guy who had put out abook this way, and I went for it and self-published the book.Just for the record, who are your fa-

vorite teams?I liked the Dallas Cowboys because by

older brother liked the Cowboys, and I

like the Atlanta Braves because their TripleA team, the Richmond Braves, was inRichmond. I am also a big Capitals fan,and I am passionate about the WashingtonWizards.Modern Day Maccabees is now available

at Amazon.com, Politics and Prose and Is-raeli Accents.


ChanukahGiftGuide

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by Dasee BerkowitzJTA News and Features

NEW YORK — My 4-year-old son is ob-sessed with superheroes, dressing up at everyopportunity as the superhero du jour to dobattle with the bad guys lurking around thecorner.

From a developmental perspective, I knowthis fantasy play is his way of exercising con-trol over a world he is learning is increasinglyout of his control. But I also see other qualities— his desire to be strong, to stand up for thegood guys — in short, to be courageous.

Becoming courageous doesn’t happenovernight. It develops when children have op-portunities to stand up for what’s right andtake responsible risks. rough experiencesmy husband and I provide, and the stories wetell them, we can lay some groundwork.

As I think about a central message of theChanukah story and the way I want to por-tray it to my kids, models of courage abound.From Judah Maccabee, to Judith and Hannahand her seven sons, heroes and heroinesfought for the right to be different, to be Jewswho refused to assimilate into the prevailingHellenistic culture.

When Antiochus Epiphanes came topower, and observance of the most basic

mitzvot (circumcision, Shabbat and kashrut)were turned into capital offenses, their acts ofcourage formed the basis of a central narra-tive of the Chanukah story.

Consider Judah Maccabee, whose armywith a bunch of Jewish soldiers used guerrillatactics and religious zeal to defeat the strongerAssyrian Greek army. He forced the AssyrianGreeks to rescind the policies that forbadeJewish practice, and in 164 BCE liberated theTemple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to aplace of Jewish worship.

Consider Judith, who did her part to pre-vent the siege of Jerusalem in her hometownof Bethulia by seducing Holfenes, the Assyr-ian Greek army general, and then decapitat-ing him. Her bravery is so highly esteemed bythe rabbis that it is because of her act ofcourage that Jewish women are obligated tolight Chanukah candles.

And consider Hannah and her seven sons,who refused to bow down to Zeus and Anti-ochus and eat nonkosher meat. e Book ofMaccabees relates that each of her sons andthen her mother were tortured to death.

ese acts of courage seem extreme andeven unpalatable to our modern ear — whatwoman would sacrifice her son, not to men-tion all seven? And aren’t we a peace-lovingpeople who should not extol brute force?

But they also lead us to deeper questionsabout the nature of courage. Are there valuesand beliefs for which we are willing to makegreat sacrifices, and if any of these values orbeliefs were violated, would we take action?

While these figures present us with onenarrative of the Chanukah story — of hero-ism in battle and martyrdom — a second nar-rative is favored by the ancient rabbis. estory begins with the rededication of theTemple in Jerusalem and the faith that theJews had that the small cruse of oil whichshould have lasted for one day only could lastfor eight (in time for others to travel and getmore oil).

e second narrative downplays the mili-tary victory won by human hands and ele-vates the story to one in which our faith inGod and God’s miracles are kindled. It re-minds us that courage is born when we con-tinue to have faith and hope even in ourdarkest time. Having faith in itself is an im-portant kind of courage.

While the call to be courageous is centralto the Chanukah story — spiritually or phys-ically — it is also daunting. But the rabbis of-fered another way for us to understand howto live a courageous life and be our own he-roes.

“Who is a hero?” they ask. “One who over-comes his urges?” (Mishna, Pirkei Avot 4:1)

Overcoming our most natural desires andexercising personal restraint is another kind

of heroism. is is a kind of everydaycourage.

When we are present in a difficult conver-sation with someone we care about eventhough our impulse is to leave, we are a hero.When we resist the urge to say something thatwe know will offend another person, even ifwe think it is warranted, we are courageous.When we have vowed not to feed a habit thatis destructive to us, and when tempted andresist (a smoke, an extra piece of chocolatecake), we are being our own heroes.

is Chanukah, celebrate all of the dimen-sions of courage by dedicating each night toone of them:

Candle 1 to the classic Chanukah heroes ofJudah Maccabee, Judith and Hannah.

Candle 2 to the courageous acts of our chil-dren who welcome a new kid to the school,speak out against bullying or have faith thatthe next day at school might be a little betterthan today.

Candle 3 to someone in your communitywho took up a cause you believe in andfought for it.

Candle 4 to someone in your family — per-haps a parent or grandparent — and a coura-geous act they performed during their lives.

Candle 5 to American and Israeli soldierswho are fighting to protect values and idealsthat are sacred to us.

Candle 6 to the courage that you have ex-ercised by restraint — with a co-worker,spouse, child, friend or parent.

Candle 7 to a person in your life who ex-emplifies courage the most.

Candle 8 to that quality of courage in our-selves that enables us to bring light into darkplaces and for the energy to continue to stokethe embers of our own sense of courage.


ChanukahGiftGuideEight nights of heroes

Writer Dasee Berkowitz’s 4-year-old son,Tamir, preparing to battle the bad guys — hisway of showing courage, which we celebrate atChanukah.

Photo courtesy Dasee Berkowitz

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ChanukahGiftGuide

This Chanukah, why buy a gi when youcan bake it? From oversize chocolate

cookies to combo mandel bread, area chefsshare their best recipes that everyone on yourgi list will love to open on Chanukah.

Recipes and text from Beth Kanter’s newcookbook, Extraordinary Recipes from Wash-ington, D.C. Chef ’s Table (Lyon’s Press,$24.95).

Combo Mandel BreadMakes about 8 dozen piecesRecipe from Elizabeth Hutter, executive pas-

try chef of Sunflower Bakery8507 Ziggy LaneGaithersburg, Md.240-361-3698; sunflowerbakery.orgFormer Watergate Hotel pastry chef Eliza-

beth Hutter now teaches the fine art of pro-fessional baking to the adults withdevelopment and other disabilities who areher students at Sunflower Bakery. In order tofollow the dietary laws of the certified kosherbakery, Hutter substitutes margarine for but-ter. “Our mandel bread is really good, it’s likea biscotti but not as hard,” she says. “Mar-garine doesn’t get as hard as butter so whenyou sub margarine in for butter, you wind upwith a cookie that is going to be a bit morechewy. Ideally you should cut up your mar-

garine like ice cubes and put it in the freezerfor a half hour before using it. at way it’smore like butter.”

2 1/4 cups (12 ounces) all-purpose flour1 cup (8 ounces) granulated sugar1 1/2 teaspoons baking powderPinch of salt6 ounces cold salted margarine*5 ounces dried cranberries9 ounces semisweet chocolate

chunks/chips6 ounces slivered almonds (not sliced)3 large eggs1 teaspoon vanilla extract*Margarine breaks down faster than butter,

so you really have to keep the margarine cold.Put it in the freezer for half an hour beforeusing, and it will be more like butter.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line twohalf-sheet pans with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powderand salt in a 5-quart mixing bowl and mixwell on low speed, using a paddle attachment.

Cut cold margarine into small pieces andtoss into the mixing bowl. Mix on low speeduntil the margarine is incorporated and themixture is cool and powdery.

Pour in the fruit, chocolate and nuts, mix-ing briefly to combine.

Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a

small bowl.Beat in the eggs and vanilla to the mar-

garine/flour mix on low speed, taking time toscrape the bottom of the bowl very well.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surfaceand knead it lightly, making sure that thefruit, nuts and chocolate are evenly distrib-uted. Divide the dough into four equal pieces,each weighing about 13 ounces.

Roll each piece of dough into a smooth logabout 12 inches long on a lightly flouredboard.

Place the logs on sheet pans lengthwise,

spacing them 4 inches apart. Bake for 35-40minutes or until the logs are golden and firmto the touch.

Remove pan from oven. Allow the logs tocool completely. (Aer they cook, they maybe wrapped and frozen for finishing at a laterdate.)

Carefully place the cooled logs on a cuttingboard. Use a serrated knife to carefully cut themandel into half-inch-thick slices. Arrange

Bake your gi

See BAKE, next page

NOW EXTENDED TO JAN 6TH!For Tickets & Performance Times:


ChanukahGiftGuide

the cookies on the baking sheets, laying themflat.

Bake for a second time at 325 degrees untilthe mandel are golden, about 10-15 minutes.Cool the mandel completely before wrappingin airtight container.

Store cookies at room temperature for upto 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Galletas de chocolate de amorMakes 12 oversize cookies or 24 standard-

size cookiesRecipe from Greer Ann Gilchrist, baker and

owner of Black Strap Bakery944 Florida Avenue N.W.Washington, D.C.202-290-2865; blinddogcafe.comOne bite of baker Greer Gilchrist’s heavenly

chocolate chip cookies lets you know she hasa magic touch, and Gilchrist points to thecreaming of the butter and sugar as the mostsignificant step in moving from good to greaton the cookie meter. “When you cream thebutter and sugar together, it should changecolor from brown and white to tan,” sheshares. “Otherwise the sugar is not fully in-corporated and the texture of the cookie will

be grainy.” It can take up to 10 minutes to getthe color and mixture just right so Gilchristreminds you to be patient. e final productwill be worth it.

2 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1 1/4 teaspoons salt1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room tem-

perature3/4 cup brown sugar1/2 cup white sugar1 egg1 teaspoon vanilla2 cups chocolate chips — dark and milk

(can also use chocolate chunks)Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking

sheet with parchment paper (alternativelyyou can also use a good nonstick tray). In abowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.With a mixer, beat butter and sugars togetheruntil fully blended and the mixture is tan incolor. Add egg. Add vanilla. Slowly add theflour mixture. Add the chocolate chips.

Form the dough into balls and place on thelined baking sheets. At Blind Dog, Greer usesan ice cream scoop to create the oversizecookies she bakes, but she says you can makethem any size you wish as long as you leaveabout 2 inches between the cookies so theydon’t conjoin as they bake.

Bake for 10 minutes.

BAKE

from previous page

T H I S H O L I D A Y S E A S O N

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ChanukahGiftGuide

by Diana BurmistrovichJNS.org

The story of Chanukah was about bravery,determination and finding light in the

darkest of times.ese days, we certainly remember and cel-

ebrate the centuries-old victory of the Mac-cabees, but with a modern and material spin— plenty of gis.

is year, consider bringing back the his-toric themes of the Festival of Lights throughyour purchases.

It is a Festival of Lights aer alle nine branches of the menorah have

signified the Jewish people’s perseverance formore than 2,000 years since the Maccabees’Chanukah triumph. ough the story staysthe same, your menorah doesn’t have to.

Bringing the holiday back to the future, thebrushed metal menorah from Etsy.com offersa contemporary take on tradition. Fashionlovers may not get a new pair of shoes forevery night, but they can sure pretend withthis Menorah Blahnik reinterpretation onModerntribe.com.

Chanukah headwearIf a dog is a man’s best friend, why shouldn’t

he or she get a gi as well? Los Angeles-basedLena Pavia creates Chanukah hats to get yourbeloved pooch (or pussycat) in the holidayspirit and sells them on Etsy.com. Pavia’s kip-pot are handcraed with a Star of David andpeyot that are suited for any “teacup, small,and medium” sized pet. Make sure your petdoesn’t look like the next goy while support-ing an awesome independent artisan.

Kitsch for the kitchenAre you jealous of bubbe’s latkes, sufganiyot

and kugel? Strive to make grandma proudwith your own cooking this year, using thehelp of some of this year’s newest Chanukah-themed cookbooks. Many traditional foodsare heavy-handed on the oil to assure that wedon’t forget what this holiday is really about.For those looking for a fresh and healthy al-ternative, Barbara Lori offers the HealthyHanukkah Cookbook: Savory Jewish HolidayRecipes, available on Kindle. Amateurs and

kids alike are sure to find something that hitsthe sweet spot in Ronne Randall’s HanukkahSweets and Treats.

Even a seasoned pro in the kitchen cancook up some Chanukah spirit with an “Oyto the World” apron from Cafepress.com,plates and serving platters from Williams-Sonoma.com, or a seven-piece cookie-cutterset from Kitchenworksinc.com includingshofar, dreidel, and kiddush cup shapes — forthe kids.

Hands-on ChanukahUse old family recipes or new reinterpreta-

tions to treat the family every night. Ratherthan buy gis, why not whip up a differentdessert for every night and package it nicelywith some blue and white ribbon? A lot ofparty stores also offer Star of David confettiand stickers to accent your DIY gi as well.Not only will it be delicious, but your ownmasterpiece is oen more meaningful thananything you could buy.

2012 Chanukah gi guide

A menorah doesn't have to be a dull gi withsuch funky options.

Photo courtesy of Menorah.com

Los Angeles-based Lena Pavia creates Chanukah hats to get your beloved pooch (or pussycat) inthe holiday spirit.

Photo by Lena Pavia

by Ron Snyder

Michael I. Meyerson considers himselfa practicing Jew who is a fervent be-

liever in freedom of religion.e University of Baltimore law professor

and member of Beth Shalom Congregationin Columbia said he has become concernedover how heated and divisive the debate overthe concept of religious freedom hasevolved. It was the belief of the Founding Fa-thers that religion was something thatshould unite, not divide the nation, he said.

To prove that point, Meyerson, a WilsonH. Elkins Professor of Law and Piper & Mar-bury Faculty Fellow, recently published hisbook, Endowed by Our Creator: e Birth ofReligious Freedom in America (Yale Univer-sity Press, 2012).

He spoke with WJW:WJW: How did the Founding Fathers en-

vision the role of freedom of religion?Meyerson: ey believed that religion

could be both good and evil. e question is“How can you use religion to unite but notdivide the nation.” ey basically struck abalance, where government would not fundreligion, would not give land to religious or-ganizations, and government would have atotal freedom of liberty of conscious. Inother words, no one would be deprived ofrights in the national government because oftheir faith. However, they did not desire tocleanse the public dialogue of all religiousreferences.Our earliest literature has many reli-

gious references.[e Founding Fathers] were nonsectar-

ian in their works, but they still used reli-gious references. ey were indeed willingto use religious language but in a way so thateverybody would feel like they were fullAmericans. ey were aware that any dis-cussion of religion was dangerous, wherethere could be the tendency for the faith ofthe majority to dominate. at is why theymade sure all their religious references wereas nondenominational as possible.How has the interpretation of the First

Amendment evolved since the country’sfounding?

e reality is the leaders of our nation inits earliest days had a vision of where the bal-ance between religion and governmentshould be struck. But I think the populationas a whole never reached that same consen-sus. Almost from the beginning, you can seethere was a battle about what type of countrythe U.S. should be. Is it a religious country?Is it Christian or is it secular?

What has happened today is that [reli-

gious debate] has become soblended in our partisan politicaldebate that people seem to refuseto acknowledge the strength andwisdom of opposing arguments.e framers really wanted to sep-arate church and state but not nec-essarily God and state.

Does today’s society under-stand where the Founding Fa-thers stood in terms of religiousfreedom?

e political divide has mir-rored the divide over the debate ofthe role of religion in government.Sadly, it doesn’t have to be thatway. ere’s no question theframers did not understand racialequality or even equality forwomen. However, the framers un-derstood religious freedom, reli-gious pluralism and freedom tothink as you will better than not only thoseduring their time, but arguably any time, in-cluding today. … To not take advantage oftheir wisdom from that time is a tremen-dous mistake.What do you hope the Jewish commu-

nity will take out of your book?e leaders of the new nation embraced

religious pluralism and viewed Jews asmembers of the national community. Earlyin our history, the individual states tendedto discriminate against Jews, including inMaryland, where they couldn’t serve in thelegislature until the 1820s. However, thatwasn’t the case in the national government.While there were individuals who could eas-ily display anti-Semitism, those that createdthe country welcomed the Jewish commu-nity and the faith and decried any attempt todiscriminate. e Jewish community shouldembrace this part of the nation’s history be-cause it’s part of the Jewish history as well.What can everyone learn?I want people to [learn to] show more re-

spect for those who disagree with them. Justas we respect people of different faiths, weneed to respect people with different ideasand views. … People need the courage toadmit they don’t know something and thatpossibly … the other side may be right.

Ron Snyder is a Baltimore Jewish Timesstaff reporter.


ChanukahGiftGuide

e perfect gi for a history buff

Michael I. Meyerson, a professor oflaw at the University of Baltimore,has written Endowed by Our Creator: e Birth of ReligiousFreedom in America.

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by Edmon J. RodmanJTA News and Features

LOS ANGELES — We need to celebrate aLincoln Chanukah this year.

It’s not because of the new Spielberg movie— that gives us something to do on Christ-mas Day — but because of the 150th anniver-sary of a little-known event in Americanhistory that threatened to expel a portion ofthe Civil War-era Jewish population fromtheir homes on the Festival of Lights.

On Dec. 17, 1862, during the height of thewar, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant issued General Or-ders 11 expelling “Jews as a class” from a warzone that included areas of Tennessee, Mis-sissippi and Kentucky within a 24-hour pe-riod. It was the first day of Chanukah.

At the time, Chanukah was not the majorholiday it is now. But Grant’s order, if carriedout, meant that entire families would be up-rooted during the holiday and beyond, andexiled from their communities.

Today, relaxing in our home with family onChanukah, retelling the Maccabee story thattakes place in a far-off time and land, it’s un-comfortable to imagine a different story aboutour freedom that hits much closer to home.

On that day, Grant was attempting to cutoff the black market sale of Southern cotton,

in which some Jewish and other traders wereengaged.

As researched in the engaging new bookWhen General Grant Expelled the Jews by theprominent historian Jonathan D. Sarna, wefind that Grant’s order was enforced in severaltowns in Union hands, including Paducah,Ky.; Holly Springs, Miss.; and Trenton, Tenn.,among others.

“Only a few Jews were seriously affected byGeneral Orders 11,” perhaps fewer than 100,according to Sarna, but news of the order andthe resulting outrage was quickly spread bye Associated Press.

e B’nai B’rith sent a petition to Washing-ton calling upon President Lincoln to “annul”the order. Other Jewish leaders moved to or-ganize delegations to meet with Lincoln. AJewish merchant from Paducah named CesarKaskel traveled to Washington on a missionto have the order overturned. Upon arrival hewas able to arrange through an Ohio con-gressman a meeting with the president.

According to an account of the meetingthat Sarna says is oen quoted but most likelyembellished, Lincoln, using biblical imagery,asked Kaskel, “And so the children of Israelwere driven from the happy land of Canaan?”In response, Kaskel asks for “Father Abra-ham’s” protection, to which Lincoln replies,

“And this protection they shall have at once.”e reality seems to have been that when

Lincoln finally heard of Grant’s order, he or-dered the general in chief of the Army tocountermand it.

An account by the prominent CincinnatiRabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, who also had metwith the president about the issue, providesLincoln’s rationale: “I do not like to hear aclass or nationality condemned on account ofa few sinners.”

is Chanukah, then, with Lincoln on ourminds, how should we commemorate Lin-coln’s action to rescind what Sarna cites as“the most sweeping anti-Jewish regulation inall American History?”

Should we devise a stovepipe hat menorah?Fry up four score latkes or change the lyricsof the modern classic Peter Paul & MaryChanukah song to “Light one candle for theTennessee Children?”

Not necessary.Jews going back to Lincoln’s presidency

have found ways to connect before. Aer hisassassination, expressing their sorrow, manyrabbis delivered sermons that were collectedin a book by Emanuel Hertz titled AbrahamLincoln: e Tribute of the Synagogue. ebasis for the Library of Congress’ AlfredWhital Stern Collection of Lincolniana wasdonated by Alfred Stern, a Chicago business-man. ere’s even a Lincoln Street inJerusalem.

Continuing the connection is this year’sSteven Spielberg film about Lincoln’s role inthe passage of the 13th Amendment to theU.S. Constitution that abolished slavery.Watching the film, I found it to be an excel-lent way at Chanukah time to rededicate aninterest in Lincoln’s heart, humor and wis-dom.

Another film, Saving Lincoln by directorSalvador Litvak, approaches the Lincoln story


ChanukahGiftGuideLinking to Lincoln on Chanukah

With this Chanukah season calling for a Lincoln connection, why not light a Lincoln menorah? Photo by Edmon J. Rodman

See LINCOLN, next page

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1. Heroes — have a super time by askingevery member of your family to come tothe menorah dressed like a superhero.Give a special prize to the most creative.

2. Make your own sufganiyot — buy ormake plain donuts and set up a station oftoppings. We’re thinking hot fudge,marshmallow fluff and sprinkles.

3. Spin yourself silly — see who cankeep the most dreidels spinning thelongest. Extra gelt for the winner.

4. Create your own candles — take a tealight, add a wick (available at a local craftstore). Fill the tea light glass 1/3 withwater. Add food coloring and top witholive oil. Watch how the oil separates fromthe water to a beautiful effect.

5. Iron Chef latke — challenge guests tomake latkes with a surprise ingredient.

6. Tzedakah night — ask your guests tobring gifts to donate.

7. Chanukah Idol — rewrite “I had a lit-tle dreidel” and take turns judging the per-formances.

8. Have a chocolate gelt eating contest —no explanations needed.

through the eyes of his bodyguard. It mightprove another way to light up a Chanukahnight.

Sarna’s book would be good for any nightof the holiday, which many see as a strugglefor freedom. For me it was a reminder thatthe dreidel’s message — “a great miracle hap-pened here” — can apply to the U.S. as well.

“In the end, General Orders 11 greatlystrengthened America’s Jewish community,”Sarna writes. “e successful campaign tooverturn the order made Jews more confi-dent.” And Grant, to “repent” and to “rehabil-itate himself with the Jewish community”during his two terms as president Lincoln“appointed more Jews to office than had anyof his predecessors.”

is Chanukah, when we stand before ourlit chanukiyot reciting Hanerot Halalu, “eselights which we kindle recall the wondroustriumphs and the miraculous victories,” per-haps we can also recall the victories here ofCesar Kaskel, Rabbi Wise and ultimatelyAbraham Lincoln, who protected our free-dom.

So maybe they weren’t exactly AmericanMaccabees — but Maccabee style for sure.

Edmon J. Rodman is a JTA columnist whowrites on Jewish life from Los Angeles. Contacthim at [email protected].

LINCOLN

from previous pageCreating eight crazy nights

Bananot grams

Pr a c t i c i ngyour Hebrew

has never been somuch fun.

From the Nathansonfamily that brought you the2009 Toy Fair “Game of the Year,” Ba-nanagrams, comes Hebrew Bananagrams(or, should we say, “Bananot” grams).

A fast and fun anagram game that’s per-fect for anyone who loves Scrabble or Wordswith Friends.

Packed into a banana-shaped pouch, it’sready to go to that Chanukah party to be

played whenyou growweary ofs p i n n i n g

dreidels.It is recom-

mended for age 7and older. And, since you com-

pete against time, you can build any level ofHebrew word — from basic to advanced,making it suitable for beginners to fluentspeakers.

To learn more about the game and a listof local retailers, go to bananagrams.com.


ChanukahGiftGuide

Q:My besties and I have all agreed to get each other gis for Chanukah. I’mon a budget and can’t afford to buy all eight of them super nice gis. What is anice Chanukah present that won’t break the bank but is still cute and showshow much I care about them?

A: What this requires is a little creativity. A homemade item, that takes thought andtime to make, truly shows how much you care. Take a favorite photo of you and your bffsand print out eight copies, one for each friend. Head to your local cra store and pick up apack of wooden frames that you can personalize. Grab an old magazine and cut out wordsthat have special meaning. Glue these, along with buttons and sequins and other decorativeelements to make your frame truly special.

Q:My son just graduated college and is in his first apartment. What can Igive him that’s fun but also practical?

A: A friend of mine has a son who eats off an ironing board. He and his roommates ac-tually have to stand around the ironing board while they eat. So think about this while youshop. A good idea may be a chair or other furniture item that can be used for many purposes.Perhaps a chair that can be used for dining, gaming, and company would fit the bill.

Q:My teen daughter wants for nothing. But I still want to celebrate the hol-iday with presents. What can I get her that’s small but fun?

A:Have a day with mom or dad. Schedule a special outing for just the two of you. Per-haps a movie you’ve been wanting to see or a concert or a play or mother-daughter manicuresfollowed by lunch — they all sound great. Or bundle up for a hike in the Sugarloaf Mountainsfollowed by hot chocolate.

Dear Chanukah Hannah... Q:My kids are asking for a puppy for Chanukah, but I’m not sure they’reready for the responsibility. What should I do?

A:Here’s the deal. As much as your children will swear that they will walk and feed thedog, they won’t. is dog will be your responsibility, so determine if you have time to add adog to your day. But, I will say this, a family pet is a wonderful addition. You will find timefor a family walk aer dinner. ere will be sweet moments when your child is crying andthe dog licks the tears away. Your children will gain much in learning to care for and aboutanother living thing. But, you do need to think through the cost and time required for a pet.

See HANNAH, next page

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Q: I have a very picky relative who never likes what I give her no matterhow hard I try. I still have to get her a present. What can I do? And don’t saygi card.

A: Go for an assortment hoping she’ll like at least one thing. Fill a basket with candy,popcorn, movie tickets and a wonderful DVD. Wrap the basket in a throw blanket — perfectfor snuggling while watching a movie.

Q:My mom always says “don’t get me anything,” but I really want to. Whatcan I do?

A:What your mom is really telling you is not to spend a lot of money on her. So, let’s goback to that gi of time. It works for moms, even better than it does for children. Give her acoupon for a day with you — she can pick the activity. As a bonus, this gives Dad a day tohimself.

Q:My friend just had a baby, what can I give her for Chanukah?

A: I received one of my favorite all-time gis when my son was born. A friend gave me acollection of classic boys’ books — books I could read to him and books he would one dayread himself. So, perhaps your friend would love a selection of your favorite children’s booksfor her new child. Don’t forget to include a baby book that your friend can fill with memories.


ChanukahGiftGuide

HANNAH

from previous page

Q:My kids want to buy us presents. ey don’t have their own money, butwe still want to encourage their generosity. What should we do?

A: If you don’t want to go the macaroni necklace route, take them to an inexpensivestore, like the Dollar Store, Five Below or Walmart. Give them each a little money so theycan pick out gis for everybody in the family (don’t forget the little sister). You’ll be surprisedat how well they do.

by Meredith JacobsManaging Editor

Mama Doni (Doni Zasloff Thomas)has done it again. The adorable

singer of “Chanukah Fever” and “FunkyGold Menorah” has teamed up with RecipeRachel (food writer and cooking teacher,Rachel Harkham) to create a holiday cook-book. Published by Jewish textbook pub-lishers, Behrman House, Get Cooking! AJewish American Family Cookbook ... andRockin’ Mama Doni Celebration ($19.95)offers meals you can make with your chil-dren for every holiday. Additional familyand American holidays are included in themix of Sukkot and Purim. Check outShwarma Wings for football Sundays andHoly Moly Guacamole for Fourth of July.They’ve even put a Jewish spin on Thanks-giving with Mini Sweet Potato Knishes.

We couldn’t resist these JudahMac’n’cheese Squares and ChocomallowDreidels for Chanukah. And, with theMama Doni CD of songs included witheach book, we’ll be dancing while we cook!

Judah Mac‘n’cheese SquaresJudah Maccabee was awesome, like a su-

perhero! He led the Jewish revolt against theancient Greeks and recaptured the Temple.

On Chanukah we celebrate this victory andthe purification of the Temple. Judah wasmighty and good — much like these mighty-good crisp-fried mac’n’cheese squares!

makes 12-15 squares(dairy)

Ingredients1 9 x 13 pan of macaroni and cheese,

chilled overnight, and cut into 12-15squares

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water1/4 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon oregano (optional)1 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes2 cups vegetable oil, for frying1. Lightly coat the mac’n’cheese squares

in flour, dip them in the egg mixture, andthen coat them in the cornflake crumbs,salt, and oregano, if using.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet. (The oilis ready when a shred of bread tossed inturns golden brown in 15 seconds or less.)Carefully slip the coated squares into thehot oil (do not overcrowd them), and frythem on each side for about 1 minute untilgolden brown.

3. Drain the squares on paper towelsand serve immediately.


See COOKING, next page

ChanukahGiftGuide

Get cooking (and singing ... and dancing)

This Chanukah, our own “Modern Jewish Mom,” WJW managing editor MeredithJacobs is teaming up with Mama Doni to host “Chanukah Rocks!” on XM Kids’

Place Live. Airing on XM 78 throughout Chanukah, “Chanukah Rocks!” will feature thebest in children’s Chanukah music. So tune in and be prepared to rock like a Maccabee.

‘Chanukah Rocks!’

Judah mac’n’cheese squares.Photo by Dan Engongoro, Studio E Imaging

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Return to Haifa

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Israel programming through the Arts is supported by a priority grant from �e Jewish Federation of Greater Washington . �is project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Art Works.Other support for the Voices From a Changing Middle East Festival comes from:

VOICES FROM A CHANGING MIDDLE EAST

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Chocomallow DreidelsMake these yummy chocomallow drei-

dels, and then get yourself some real spin-ning dreidels and see how manychocomallows you can win. Be a mensch(a good, kind person), and be sure toshare.makes 2-25 dreidels(dairy)

Ingredients20-25 pretzel sticks20-25 marshmallows2 cups chocolate chips; milk, dark, semi-

sweet, or a combination20-25 chocolate Hershey’s Kisses, un-

wrapped1 teaspoon vegetable oilpowdered sugar or sprinkles1. Pierce the center of each marshmal-

low with a pretzel stick so that the pretzel

lodges securely inside but doesn’t stick outthe other end.2. Melt the chocolate chips in a mi-

crowave-safe bowl on high for about 2minutes. Remove and stir until the choco-late is completely melted.3. With a knife or a metal spatula, smear

the bottom of each marshmallow withmelted chocolate, which will serve as asort of choco-paste. Stick the chocolatekiss to the marshmallow, making a dreidelshape.4. Set the dreidels on a tray lined with

wax paper and allow them to harden inthe refrigerator until firm, about 30-45minutes.5. Pick up a dreidel carefully by the pret-

zel stem and spread the melted chocolateover it until it is covered. (If the bowl ofmelted chocolate has hardened, mix in 1teaspoon oil and microwave it for 30-45seconds to soften it up first.) Place the fin-ished dreidels on wax paper and sprinklewith powdered sugar, sprinkles, or what-ever decorative flourish you fancy.


COOKING

from previous page

ChanukahGiftGuide

Chocomallow Dreidels.Photo by Cosi Neumann, cosicakes.com

Happy Hanukkah

Sharing Memories

and Meals

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ChanukahGiftGuide

by Binyamin KagedanJNS.org

During the eight days of Chanukah,traditional Jews add the following to

their daily prayers: “In the days of Mat-tathias the son of Johanan the High Priest,the Hasmonean and his sons, when theevil kingdom of Greece set upon your na-tion Israel to make them forget yourteachings, and to remove them from thelaws you desire, you in your great mercy… gave the mighty into the hands of theweak, the many into the hands of the few,the impure into the hands of the pure.” Sound familiar? The little history lesson

in this prayer is probably very close to thestory of Judah Maccabee and King Anti-ochus you remember from Hebrewschool: The underdog heroes attain amiraculous victory over the powerful vil-lains against all odds, winning back theirreligious freedom and purifying the de-filed temple in Jerusalem.That’s the short story. The longer ver-

sion is not quite as heartwarming ormorally clear-cut. Ancient historicalrecords, especially the little known Book

of Maccabees, actually tell of a bitter andbloody internal conflict that pitted Jewagainst Jew in a fight for political and re-ligious domination. Towards the end of the fourth century

BCE, Greek Hellenistic culture had spreadto every part of Alexander the Great’smassive empire, and Judea was no excep-tion. Certain Jews, mainly those belongingto the wealthy elite of Jerusalem, enthusi-astically embraced the offerings of thisculture — Greek names and dress, thegymnasium, even the Greek gods — and

curried the favor of Alexander’s heirs, theruling Seleucids, in return for their coop-eration. The poorer farming communitiesof the rural Judean countryside, however,resisted the changes that were sweepingthe ancient world, unwilling to give up thetraditional Jewish beliefs and customs oftheir ancestors. The focal point of the conflict was often

the high priesthood, which atthe time was the most power-ful office in the land. Ten-sions boiled over whenHellenized Jews paid Seleucidking Antiochus Epiphanes(the famous Antiochus of theChanukah story), to replacethe reigning high priest witha Hellenist sympathizer whowas not born of the priestlyline. At the time, explainsfamed Jewish historianSolomon Grayzel, Antiochus’ actions wereeconomically and politically motivatedand had nothing to do with suppressing

Jewish religion. After all, there is norecord of him imposing anti-Jewish poli-cies on the many Diaspora Jewish commu-nities under his rule. However, whenAntiochus’ power play sparked an upris-ing in and around Jerusalem, he reactedharshly by banning circumcision and ob-servance of dietary laws within Judea, anderecting a statue of Zeus in the Holy Tem-

ple.Now the growing rift in

Judean society blew wideopen. Hellenized Jews notonly supported the repressivepolicy, but also helped Anti-ochus’ men violently enforceit in the traditional Judean vil-lages. In response, when thetraditionalists rose up underthe leadership of Mattathias,their fury was directed at theirHellenized countrymen. The

First book of Maccabees reports that Mat-tathias’ followers, called chasidim, or“pious ones,” slaughtered assimilated Jews

and circumcised male children by force.Fearing for their lives, well-connectedHellenists called upon the Seleucid armiesfor protection, and it is with the ensuingbattle that the well-known version of theChanukah story begins.

Binyamin Kagedan has an MA in JewishThought from the Jewish Theological Sem-inary of America.

Chanukah: e untold story

Mattathias, who led theMaccabees in revolt.

Photo by PD

“Ancient historical records, especially the little known Book of Maccabees, actually tell of a bitter and bloody internal conflict that pitted Jew against Jew

in a fight for political and religious domination.”

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YearEndGiving

by William TregerStaff Writer

The calls from charitiesand philanthropic or-

ganizations come in arapid-fire sequence fromThanksgiving through theend of December: can youplease give? You wish you could give

something to almost every-one, but it’s impossible.With so many competingpersonal needs in individ-ual and family lives — fromeveryday expenses, to re-tirement and college sav-ings, to income taxes(considered by many to beanother form of giving), it’sno wonder it’s difficult tochannel those additionalfunds where they are mostneeded.That said, the end-of-the-year call for

charitable contributions is, in fact, a greattime to get in some last minute giving, ortzedakah. It can be a great time to stay on the line

and hear what your favorite charities haveplanned for the coming year. Alternatively,it might also be time to put down thephone and get on the Internet, begin yourdue diligence and really determine whatcharities are out there, doing “the mostgood.”According to charitable giving statistics

published in Giving USA: The Annual Re-port on Philanthropy, researched and writ-ten by the Center on Philanthropy atIndiana University and published by Giv-ing USA Foundation, total charitable con-tributions by individuals, corporations,and foundations was approximately $300billion in 2011. These figures are based onestimated charitable deductions on tax re-turns filed for 2011.The same Center on Philanthropy has

also determined that the average personmakes 24 percent of their annual dona-tions between Thanksgiving and NewYear’s and then, according to the websiteCharity Navigator, which provides infor-mation and ratings on thousands of non-profits, the average American gives 4.7percent of their income to charities.

That number is a far cry from that 10-20percent giving recommendation pre-scribed by tzedakah and ancient tithingrules. In an essay entitled “The Jewish Philos-

ophy of Philanthropy,” Daniel Rothner,founder and director of Areyvut, an organ-ization that enables Jewish youth to infusetheir lives with tzedakah, writes that “Ac-cording to Judaism, philanthropy is not anoption but a duty — a duty to God and toone’s community. It is forbidden to avertone’s eyes from someone in need. … Phi-lanthropy is not only an obligation of therich who can afford to give millions, buteven one who receives tzedakah himselfshould still try to give anything that hecan.”It’s a hard requirement, but perhaps

smarter, full-year giving strategies builtinto individual and family short- and long-term financial plans are a way to get morepeople giving.

How much can you afford to give?Determining how much you can afford

to give is a matter of planning.Steve Jacobson is a partner at the

Bethesda law firm West and Feinberg, spe-cializing in tax and estate planning. Jacob-son is a long-time volunteer with the

Everything you always wanted to know about giving

See GIVING, next page

Earn Generous Life Income & Support Israel’s Bright FutureIn these challenging economic times, some things never change. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, founded in 1918 by Albert Einstein, Chaim Weizmann and Sigmund Freud, continues to be Israel’s #1 institution for comprehensive higher education and research, forging vital advances in fields ranging from biomedicine to environmental studies.

By establishing a Charitable Gift Annuity through American Friends of The Hebrew University, you can support this world-class university while receiving:

• Secure fixed income for life

• High rates of return compared to other available investments

• Income and estate tax benefits

ACT NOW in order to lock in high CGA rates.

These rates are calculated based on a single-life. Visit www.afhu.org/CGA for more information or contact Maggie Auerbach Bolstad at 202.363.4600 or [email protected]

AFHU HEBREW UNIVERSITY

GIFT ANNUITY RATES

AGE RATE

Jewish Federation ofGreater Washington andcurrently serves as theco-chair for its Create aJewish Legacy program. According to Jacobson,

determining what youcan give is a “very com-plex issue with no stockanswer.” There are somany variables includinga person’s other obliga-tions and commitments,and how long he or shewill live.Everyone’s individual,

family and financial situ-ation is different, so indi-vidual giving will beself-driven and in somerespects arbitrary, so in-dividuals need to bestdetermine if and wheretheir resources will bemost ethically and effec-tively utilized. For those who wish to

give in a specific year, theeasy calculation is to de-termine your budgeted amount of discre-tionary income, earmark a part of thatincome for “giving” and divide those dol-lars between the charities you have re-searched, value and want to “invest in.” The same goes for those in their 30s, 40s

or 50s. You need to take a look at yourstandard of living, and at your income and

expenses. Then you need to figure out howmuch you want to save for kids, college, re-tirement, etc. Only after you have a goodsense of what your disposable income is,can you make decisions regarding giving.You need to determine, alone, with an ac-countant or with a financial planner thelevel of giving where you feel comfortable.

What resources can help you figure outplaces to give?There are numerous resources available

online to help donors identify high-per-forming charities and nonprofits. Some ofthese include CharityNavigator.org (cited

above); Charitywatch.org, a charity ratingand evaluation service designed to helpdonors perform due diligence on charities;Guidestar.org, a database of 1.8 millionnonprofit organizations; Justgive.org,where you can choose from 1,000 recom-mended charities in 19 cause-related cate-gories; and NetworkforGood.org, a giving

platform to “unleash generosity.” Many of these sites offer tip sheets tar-

geted to different user groups. For in-stance, in its “Tips for Older Donors,”Charity Navigator advises donors to “Hangup the phone” when a fundraiser calls afterasking them to send written information.The site advises that only once they’vedone some research on their own shouldthey put a check directly in the mail, assur-ing that it goes straight to the charity, with-

Chanukah Gift Guide

YearEndGiving

B20 November 29, 2012 • Washington Jewish Week

GIVING

from previous page

See GIVING, next page

“Look at this [giving] like it’s abusiness investment.”

— Steve Jacobson, partner at the West and Feinberg law firm

BEHIND EVERY

FACE THERE’S A STORY

A sad, sometimes a tragic story. We may never know the story but we do know why thousands of men, women and children come to SOME. They are hungry. Hungry for food, housing, jobs and hope.

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To make a tax-deductible contribution to SOME, call 202.797.8806 or go to www.some.org. Please designate SOME. CFC #74405 United Way #8189

Supports hundreds of frail Holocaust survivors who without JSSA would not receive critical safety net services

Provides hot meals, baths, homecare and counseling for thousands of seniors

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Funds charitable care and emergency financial aid for thousands in need

Make A Difference. Please Donate Generously.

Thank you for visiting www.jssa.org/donatenow

Think JSSAYour gift helps nearly 37,000 individuals and families annually.

YOUR MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTION:

Jewish Social Service Agency 4 Star Charity Navigator Rating301.838.4200 703.204.9100

out the fundraiser taking a cut. If you want to donate funds through the

Jewish Federation of Greater Washington,there are a several resources on JFGW’swebsite, www.shalomdc.org, that help takedonors through the year-end giving process.On the home page scrolling banner, you canclick on the “Year End Giving Tips” formore information. en, the “Make a Gi”link at the top of that Web page also givespotential donors different vehicle optionsand opportunities to make a gi.

There are several types of vehicles forgiving through the JFGW — gifts of cashor appreciated assets to the United JewishEndowment Fund; charitable bequests; akey donor life insurance program, retire-ment plan assets, charitable gift annuities,charitable remainder trusts, donor advisedfunds, private equity or real estate, to namebut a handful.

Another Jewish giving site to reviewwhen considering giving to Jewish organi-zations is the Bethesda-based JustTzedakah (just-tzedakah.org), designed to“assist donors to give tzedakah with care,thought, knowledge, and an overall strat-

egy, not impulsively.”According to Jacobson, follow your in-

terests when it comes to giving. Are you in-terested in education, health care, socialservices or a specific disease? Be selectiveabout your cause or causes and performdue diligence on exempt organizations.

Research the IRS’ searchable database ofexempt organizations and look at the510(c)(3)’s tax returns.

“Look at this like it’s a business invest-ment,” he says. Look at financial data,where the organization is spending itsmoney — on programs and services or ad-ministrative fees and fundraising.

You need to know if the charity youchoose is committed to reporting results,how it reports those results, and how itevaluates and responds to outcomes asthey are measured.

Why is the end of year an advantageoustime of year to give? Why wait until De-cember?

The well-known answer to these ques-tions is that contributions are tax de-ductible and increasing them, at any time,is a great way to move funds to your tar-geted charities in a timely and efficientmanner.

Further, according to one Bethesda-based wealth adviser, “A lot of people wait

to do tax planning atthe end of the year.The reason for this isso they have a bettersense of what kind ofdeductions theywant to take andhow the charitabledeductions will af-fect their overall lia-bility.”

That said, whetheryou donate to a char-ity in January or waitto the last minute inDecember, you willstill get the same de-duction.

Either way, makesure you itemizeyour deductions, asclaiming a standarddeduction will notyield any tax savings.Also, make sureyou’re donating to a501 (c)(3) organiza-tion, and get yourdonations in on time— on or before Dec.31.

Chanukah Gift Guide

YearEndGiving

B21Washington Jewish Week • November 29, 2012

GIVING

from previous page

www.AccessJCA.org

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Please support our vulnerable seniors by remembering JCA® in your gift to the United Way, Combined Federal Campaign, or JCA itself.

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YearEndGiving

The President’s Circle Dinner is a thankyou to the Hebrew Home of Greater

Washington’s most generous annual cam-paign donors as well as major gift contrib-utors. This year’s event, “Backstairs at theWhite House with Chef Roland Mesnier”was held at The Society of the Cincinnati,Anderson House on Massachusetts Av-enue in Washington, D.C.

The Hebrew Home of Greater Wash-

ington is home to more than 500 frail eld-erly residents, the majority of whom haveexhausted their financial resources. Over70 percent of the Home’s residents de-pend on Medicaid to cover the cost oftheir care. Yet, Medicaid reimbursementcurrently falls short by $51 per day perresident. The Hebrew Home relies on thesupport of the community, through theannual Guardian Campaign, to raise un-restricted dollars that help to bridge thisfunding gap and provide the additionalresources the Home needs to continue toprovide all of its residents with the

thoughtful, personalized care they de-serve.

In addition to unrestricted annual sup-port, single- or multi-year contributionsof $10,000 or more received this year andduring the recently concluded CentennialCampaign, are enabling them to respondeffectively to emerging community needs.This year alone the Hebrew Home ofGreater Washington:

• Completed construction of the Cohen-Rosen House for memory care assisted liv-ing (Grand opening Dec. 17).

• Completed a major expansion of phys-

ical therapy facilities, now renamed theDekelboum Therapy Center.

• Completely renovated the lobby levelof the Wasserman Residence incorporat-ing a fresh, new look including a new Wi-Fi cafe, welcoming lobby and beauty salon.

Community support is especially appre-ciated as the Hebrew Home is not a recip-ient of funding from the JewishFederation. There are many opportunitiesto contribute to endowment, capital im-provements or to provide ongoing supportfor programs and services for the resi-dents.

ank you

1. White House executive pastry chef Roland Mesnier serves delicious treats and stories of five presidents on Nov. 11 at the Hebrew Home President’s Circle Dinner at the Anderson House, home ofthe Society of the Cincinnati. Hosts for the evening were Bruce and Paula Robinson (le) and Howard Sollins (right) of Ober Kaler Attorneys at Law; 2. Chef Mesnier, the longest-tenured chef tohave served at the White House, speaks to donors; 3. e dessert served to donors attending the event was prepared according to Chef Mesnier’s specifications. It included chocolate souffle cakefrom the Reagan administration and pear and cranberry crumble from the Clinton years. Photos by Richard Greenhouse

1 2 3

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by Suzanne Garment

In a recent issue of Nashim: A Journal ofJewish Women’s Studies and Gender Issues,

Debra Mesch, director of the Women’s Phi-lanthropy Institute at Indiana University’sCenter on Philanthropy, together with col-leagues, has published an article called, “DoesJewish Philanthropy Differ by Sex and Typeof Giving?” is kind of title tends to turn po-tential readers into pillars of salt — but if youare serious about the future of American Jewsand their values, you’ll want to look at Mesch’sfindings about intermarriage and generosity.

e epistemologist Will Rogers observedthat “it isn’t what we don’t know that gives ustrouble, it’s what we know that ain’t so.” isis the principle behind modern survey re-search, which probes human opinions andbehaviors that most people think are justcommon sense. When survey researcherswant to explain why this sort of thing is use-ful, they point to Samuel Stouffer.

During World War II, Stouffer surveyedAmerican servicemen about everything fromclass and racial attitudes to their levels of fearunder enemy fire. His findings became a mas-sive work called e American Soldier. Peoplelike historian Arthur Schlesinger dismissed itas a bunch of “ponderous demonstrations” ofthe obvious. For example, the more educatedthe soldier, the more difficult his adjustmentto military life. Southern soldiers coped betterthan Northerners with Pacific island heat.Southern black enlistees preferred Southernwhite officers to Northern whites.

ese were obvious social facts — but theyweren’t true. As sociologist Paul Lazarsfeldnoted in a famous review of Stouffer’s study,the surveys actually found the opposite.Poorly educated soldiers had more, not fewer,adjustment problems. Southerners hated theheat as much as Northerners. Black soldiers,in rating officers, had no use for white South-ern charm.

Garbage in, garbage out: Before you try toexplain something, make sure you know thefacts about what the “something” is.

We do know certain things about the“something” that constitutes Jewish philan-thropy: American Jews give proportionatelymore than other Americans. Almost three-quarters of Jewish contributions go to nonre-ligious causes. Jews disproportionately give tomeet basic human needs like food and shel-ter.

But we don’t know much about the role ofgender in Jewish philanthropy. Indeed, themost comprehensive study of American Jew-ish philanthropy found that gender did notmake much of a difference.

Dr. Mesch and her colleagues went consid-

erably farther. In a sophisticated survey, theydivided a sample into various types of house-hold groups — Jewish couples, non-Jewishcouples, Jewish man and non-Jewish woman,Jewish woman and non-Jewish man, and sin-gles — Jewish and non-Jewish, male and fe-male. e researchers managed to creategroups large enough to make some statisti-cally significant distinctions.

When the researchers asked each house-

hold about its giving over the years, theyfound some things that were consistent withprevious studies. For example, couples withat least one Jewish member were about aslikely as non-Jewish couples to give to reli-gious causes; but the Jewish-member coupleswere 20 percent more likely to give to secularcauses.

en the researchers looked at givingthrough a finer lens, controlling for just aboutevery plausible demographic variable — in-come, wealth, education, age, children, em-ployment, geographic, region, even health.e results on religious giving were not veryinteresting: Intermarried couples give lessthan either Jewish or non-Jewish householdsto religious causes. (Any other result wouldhave suggested something screwy about thedata.)

More interesting was secular giving. In thisarea, there would be no reason to expect in-termarried couples to give less. But the re-searchers found that intermarried couplesconsisting of a Jewish wife and a non-Jewishhusband were less likely to give than anyother kind of household except for non-Jew-ish single males.

As for the amounts of the gis that thehouseholds made, couples made up of Jewishhusbands and non-Jewish wives gave 118 per-cent more than the Jewish wives and non-Jewish husbands. Jewish couples gave 76percent more. Non-Jewish couples gave 52percent more. Singles gave more, by 30 to 167percent. e researchers analyzed the types ofgiving along different lines, but the findingsremained: Jewish women married to non-Jewish men gave less than any other type ofhousehold.

is is a new fact that raises new questions.Does it happen because these couples become

separated from Jewish fundraising networks,which traditionally rely on male-to-male con-nections? Are Jewish women who marrynon-Jewish men particularly prone to adoptnon-Jewish norms, which may be less chari-table than Jewish norms?

One thing the researchers know is thatmore research is needed. One thing therest of us should face is that the Jewishcharitable impulse, of which we are so

proud and which we take so much forgranted, may be more tenuous than wehave recognized. Bonds can be broken.The connections that underlie charity maybe among them.

This article was first published by JewishIdeas Daily (www.jewishideasdaily.com)and is reprinted with permission.


YearEndGiving

Bittersweet charity

“We do know certain things about the ‘something’that constitutes Jewish philanthropy: American Jews

give proportionately more than other Americans. Almost three-quarters of Jewish contributions go tononreligious causes. Jews disproportionately give to

meet basic human needs like food and shelter.”

Please remember JFGH...

For more information: 240-283-6000 or visit www.jfgh.org

When making your charitable gifts this year


IN A WORLD OF HATE ...CREATE A LEGACY OF HOPE

The Anti-Defamation League and Anti-Defamation League Foundation are not fi nancial, legal or tax advisors. Please contact your advisors regarding fi nancial, legal or tax advice.

When you create a legacy gift you can strengthen the Anti-Defamation League’s global fi ght against anti-Semitism, prejudice and hatred, its award winning education programs that cultivate respect for others, and its civil rights initiatives that ensure justice for all people.

Many legacy gift options may also provide you and your loved ones with attractive benefi ts such as tax savings and fi xed lifetime payments. Some of the fl exible ways to give include bequests, cash, appreciated securities, charitable gift annuities, charitable trusts, retirement assets, life insurance and more.

CREATE A LEGACY OF HOPE.

For more information on which legacy gifts may be best suited for your goals or to receive our complimentary “Charitable Planning Guide” and “Create a Legacy of Hope” brochure please contact:

Lisa B. LagerDirector, National Planned Giving, Legacy and Endowments

Anti-Defamation League Foundation, 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158-35601-888-235-9710 | [email protected] | www.adl.org/gift

Chanukah Gift Guide

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