Modiinfo Winter 2011

M o d i i n A r e a ’ s E n g l i s h S p e a k i n g M a g a z i n e

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DEAR READERS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

a spot.) The truth is, Israelis are heroes and we often need to remind our-selves of that. They have faced war, trauma and loss we haven’t. Despite that, it is the Israeli drive to be the hero, their willingness to run towards trouble rather than away from it, whether on the side of the road or in earthquake stricken Haiti, that defines them. That heroism can be traced back to the time of the Maccabim, who were not fazed by their smaller and weaker army and did not shy away from a challenge.

Best wishes for a Happy Chanukah,Caryn and Daniella

Dear Readers,In my ten years of living in Israel, I like many, have tried to unlock the mystery of the Israeli mentality. While this task may prove fu-tile, it is hard to resist the temptation. One recent night, I was trying to help my husband push my stalled car into our driveway. What I have learned is typical behavior, a total stranger stopped his car, ap-proached us and started pushing (and it’s a good thing because I’m not as strong as I look). It was one of those moments that floods your heart with warm feelings for Israel and Israelis. Unlike in most other countries, complete strangers here will stop to help you. Aside from wanting to perform a good deed, Israelis love being the hero. (That’s why the same guy who just cut you off will also help you back out of

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Letter to the Editor

Table of ContentsLetter to the Editor ..................................5Eating on Chanukah ................................6On the Ball ..............................................8Is US Based Life Insurance for Me?.........10Amit High School ..................................12

Why We Live In Israel ............................18Teens Tour Yad Vashem ..........................20Healthy Living .......................................28Heavenly Aroma of a Bakery .................29

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To the Editor:Thank you for including a story about “Sicha Mezoha” (Teens

Sharing Opinions) in your last issue. We are very thankful to Maayan Cohen for sharing her feelings about this very important program. I would just like to add that this program – which has been growing successfully for several years – is one of the flagship programs of the Matnas’ Department of Jewish Identity (“Zehut Yehudit”). It is a place where teens from across the religious and political spectrum in our city can come together and talk about Judaism and learn about each other in an open, relaxed and fun atmosphere. In my opinion, we have been unsuccessful in attracting teens from the “Anglo” com-munity in Modiin. Having people from this community would help to better integrate the Israelis and Anglos in our city and would allow all the participants to learn about and from an even wider spectrum of peers. If you would like further information please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. - David Fine, Facilitator of Department of Jewish Identity, Matnas Modiin

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Eating on Chanukah

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Although we all enjoy the latkes and sufganiyot that pervade our cafes and homes on Chanukah, it remains striking that the holiday uniquely lacks an established festive meal. Why are we not commanded to celebrate with food the miracles that occurred on these days?

In truth, according to Rambam, Chanukah does contain a mitzvah of simchah which is fulfilled through a festive meal. The Rambam declares, “The Sages decreed in that generation that these eight days, beginning with the 25th of Kislev, should be days of simchah and hallel (Hil. Chanukah 3:3). The obligation of simchah always entails a festive meal, and as such on Chanukah we are obligated to feast in recognition of these miracles.

However, many authorities, including the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 670:2), contend that there is no mitzvah of eating on Chanukah. They note that in the famous Talmudic passage which

delineates the essence of the holiday (Shabbat 21b), the Sages only assert that this is a day of hallel ve-hoda’ah, praise and thanks, and never mention the obligation to have a festive meal. One popular explanation was offered by Rabbi Mordechai Jaffe (Levush). He notes that on Purim, our enemies tried to physically annihilate us and thereby prevent us from the ability to enjoy the tangible pleasures of existence. To celebrate the physical salvation, the Sages decreed that we have a physical, festive celebration to go along with the spiritual actions we perform to give thanks and praise to Hashem. On Chanukah, he contended, the Greeks did not desire to physically destroy us, but to rather force us to give up our spiritual heritage and become Hellenized. As such, this is a holiday of spiritual salvation, and therefore there was no need to enact festive meals that would mark a physical redemption.

A middle-ground position was adopted by Rabbi Moshe Isserles, who declared that there is a “small mitzvah” of festive meals on this day because the holiday marks the rededication of the mizbeach. Moreover, he asserted, “We are accustom to singing songs of happiness and praise at these meals, and thereby they become seudot mitzvah”. The Rama remarkably asserts that the possibility of seudot mitzvah exists on this holiday, yet they can only take place through human initiative. When these meals include praises of Hashem that clearly manifest the religious significance of the day, they become mitzvot. Without these

spiritual ingredients, they are just a regular meal. This position highlights an essential message of the holiday.

Following the Maccabbean victory, the Jews struggled to recognize that the glorious military victory came from the hand of God. To this end, the Maharal asserted, God created (and the Sages emphasized) the miracle of the oil so that the people should recognize that both of these wondrous miracles – the war victory and the candle lighting – came from Him. As such, one of the themes of this holiday is the sanctification of the mundane via the recognition of God’s Omnipresence and His ability to affect the world, whether on the battlefield or in the Temple.

Accordingly, each meal during Chanukah allows us to manifest our appreciation of this lesson. Every time we eat, we have the ability to transform this normal meal into a seudat mitzvah through songs of praise and thanks. Just as the Jews of old interpreted their physical acts as spiritual ones, so too can turn our “holiday parties” into religious events. We might not be obligated to have festive meals, but the ability to create a seudat mitzvah reflects the opportunity of internalizing this central lesson of the Chanukah.

. Rabbi Shlomo (Myles) Brody, a new resident of Modiin, teaches in Yeshivat Hakotel and writes the Ask the Rabbi column for The Jerusalem Post.

By: Rabbi Shlomo Brody


9

On the BallYou may not have heard of her yet, but Julia Glushko is about

to be a household name in Israel. Glushko is a 22-year-old tennis superstar, ranked as the #2 player in Israel. She lives in Maccabim but travels the world representing Israel in the world of sports. Since this interview, Glushko participated in the 2011 US Open. ModiInfo caught up with Julia before her training at the Maccabim Sports Center to find out what’s on the horizon. Full of energy and happy to talk about herself in perfect English, this bubbly blonde shared her plans and experiences.

ModiInfo: How did you get started in tennis?

Glushko: My parents moved to Israel from the Ukraine in 1999 when I was four years old. They are both tennis instructors and took me to play tennis at the Jerusalem Tennis Center. The people there watched me play and asked my parents if I could train there and also hired my parents as instructors. I‘m really

happy my parents were able to fulfill my grandfather’s dream of moving to Israel. It was hard at the beginning and we lived in a tiny

apartment in Jerusalem. I don’t know if I could have done what my parents did but it was a good decision.

ModiInfo: How is it representing Israel to the rest of the world?

Glushko: People ask a lot of questions, especially about the army. They are surprised to hear that women serve in the army here and it’s exciting for them to meet someone who lives in Israel. What happened in Dubai was terrible [Dubai refused to allow Israeli tennis player, Shahar Peer, to

participate in the tournament there]. I have very good friends from Turkey and we spoke a lot about how wrong and stupid it is. None of us is friends or not friends because of the countries we’re from. But everyone learned a lot from it because there was a lot of opposition

that came out and people got really mad. Last summer I played doubles with a girl from Turkey and we were like “we’re a commercial for peace”!

ModiInfo: How often do you train?

Glushko: I train every day except Saturday. Twice a day I do fitness and twice a day, tennis. I spend a lot of hours on the court but I work hard outside the court too (training). My fitness coach, Kosto

Motosevic, was fourth in the Olympic games in the high jump. He’s Russian and about eight-feet-tall. He’s very strict and crazy but not in a bad way, very tough and serious. When I first started with him I was about 10 pounds more, about a year and half ago. I was in the army and was part of a special program as an athlete. Usually before you start working with someone you talk a little but he just stood over me and with this very strict face said “stretch” and I didn’t dare say a word. Now we have a great relationship and he’s really nice.

ModiInfo: How long have you been living in Modiin?Glushko: We moved about a year ago. My father was coaching

here and traveling from Jerusalem so we decided to move. It wasn’t

easy for me in the beginning, but it’s much quieter and it’s good for me because I can concentrate on my tennis. My coach, Asaf Ingber, is here and he believes in me so much and no one every believed in me like that. I’m not always an easy person; I have my ups and downs. We go through a lot together.

ModiInfo: Is tennis becoming a popular sport in Israel?Glushko: Tennis is getting more popular in Israel but it’s not an

easy sport and you have to train a lot. I am very competitive and I love the thrill of winning. It’s not an easy life but it’s so exciting. I didn’t grow up like a normal kid, I was home schooled because I traveled so much, but I would never trade it for anything. I have experienced so much that kids my age never have. I have met so many people and visited so many places. I have good English from traveling. I spent a lot of time in the States. When I go to the malls there and speak Hebrew to the people working at the Israeli stands they are shocked because I am so blonde and non-Israeli looking.

ModiInfo: What are your goals for the future?Glushko: Now I have finished the army and would like to move

up my ranking next year but at this stage it becomes harder to go up. I have to work hard but I believe I can do it.

To learn more about Julia Glushko log onto www.juliaglushko.com.

Interview: Julia Glushko

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What life insurance option are the best for you and your family?

Contrary to popular belief, it is not only possible but also easy for anyone living abroad – whether or not they are a U.S. citizen – to purchase an American life insurance policy that provides total coverage overseas including death resulting from terrorism or acts of war.

So what’s the advantage of an American policy over an Israeli one?

An American life insurance policy is fixed. That means that if you buy in at a young age, the price will stay incredibly low for the entire term period. In contrast, Israeli policies go up in price every year until age 75 – making them drastically more expensive in the long run.

In the United States, a 20-year term life insurance

policy of $540,000 with an American AM Best rated A+ life insurance company for a healthy 30 year old male will cost $37.00 per month or $404.00 annually. This price is fixed for 20 years and will never increase or require any renewal questions until the end of the term. That’s a huge savings over the course of 20 years when compared to an Israeli policy.

A typical Israeli policy is a one-year renewable term policy with no option to convert to permanent insurance and can only be renewed up until age 75. It will cost a healthy 30-year-old male roughly $41.55 per month or $498.65 for the year. Each year the policy goes up so that at the age of 40, the policy will cost him $637.00 per year. When he turns 50 it will cost him an annual rate of $1,727.61, and at 60 a whopping $5,147.45 for the year!

Since the price of an American policy gets locked in for the duration of the policy, it pays to buy at the youngest age possible. It is also possible to get much higher coverage at

Continues on p. 15


12

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Meeting Students’ Needs at AMITBy: Daniella Hellerstein

A growing city needs an education system that grows with it, both through the addition of schools and classrooms and by broad-ening the choices of educational approaches. The newest addition answered parents’ demands for a local alternative to the current religious high schools, the Ulpana for girls and Yeshiva for boys, both run by Bnei Akiva. The new “tichon” is run by the successful AMIT school system and opened the year with two seventh grade boy’s classes and two seventh grade girl’s classes. The boys and girls schools are completely separate, housed in different buildings and run by different principals. Their commonality is the overall approach to religious education which is in line with the well-re-spected ideals of AMIT.

According Ester Handler, principal of the girls’ school, the no-tion of having separate schools is an ideal approach to education. She explains that boys and girls are different and go through dif-ferent developmental processes so naturally each school is geared towards fulfilling the specifics needs of its students. The two main

qualities she aims to instill in her young students are curiosity and responsibility, curiosity in all areas including in Torah.

Handler is warm and friendly and clearly takes great pride in her school and student body. She is a Modiin resident and is familiar with the local schools and population. Her experience teaching high school age girls is evident as she articulates clearly what she feels are critical questions girls must ask themselves.

Girls are encouraged to ponder defining questions such as who am I, what am I, what is my role. As Handler says, “True, the girls are only in seventh grade but I am looking at the future when one day soon they will have to choose for themselves what kind of person they want to be and what level of religious commitment they will observe. We aim to open the whole world of yahadut to them by encouraging them to read books and sefarim on a variety of Jewish topics through our beit midrash program. This is curiosity. We talk about dilemmas and try to understand issues within the framework of halacha. The word choice is very critical here. The students are

giving the opportunity to choose what to study for one semester and can choose differently the next semester. It’s a balance of teaching that our lives are first and foremost directed by Torah, halacha and what G-d desires of us while simultaneously encouraging ques-tions and curiosity.”

The secular studies are also taught on a very high level accom-panied by the use of computers in all subjects including music. The school also boasts an emphasis on art. Handler encourages the girls to dream big and start early. The girls come from all over Modiin and Hashmonaim. Anyone who is willing to abide by the school rules is welcome to come and learn there. According to Handler, “We believe in dialogue and openness within the boundaries of Ya-hadut. The dress code here is very important and every girl must abide by it but I don’t believe that the length of your sleeve tells everything about you. If a girl comes to school in immodest cloth-ing, we will speak to her, but we do not measure the girl’s skirts and we do not believe a girl’s worth should be measured solely by her dress. A girl is so much more than that.”

The boys’ school’s approach to edu-cation is also geared towards understand-ing that not every boy is the same. The school provides a wide range of subjects and emphasizes the different strengths of

Ester HandlerContinues on page 16

15

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Donny Fein of DF Life Insurance is an independent life insurance agent offering American based life insurance policies to foreign residents. He can be reached at 054-227-0863 or [email protected].

Continued from page 10


Amit School

its students rather than try to create a specific prototype of reli-gious boy. Principal, Rav Itamar Haikin, sits behind his desk in a sunlit room, relaxed and at ease. He is soft spoken but fervent in his pride in his school. Rav Haikin explains that the school’s structure is different than a traditional Yeshiva because it does not demand the long hours of Gemara learning which may be difficult for many young boys. He does not see the value in forcing a child who has difficulty sitting for that length of time and believes it can cause more harm towards a boy’s love of Torah than good. Therefore, boys have more choices at AMIT and a varied schedule which he believes fosters personal growth and development.

Rav Haikin is very familiar with the AMIT school network from his experience as a Rav in the well know Raanana AMIT school. There, he had a tremendous influence on the boys as a teacher and mentor and made a monumental impact on their lives. He is credited with helping boys who were unclear in their path discover the beauty and relevance of Torah.

According to Rav Haikin, “the religious Zionist community is one of the most stigmatized societies that exists and we tend to stigmatize ourselves and our children starting at a very young age. One kid is labeled a yeshiva boy another more academic, athletic, Dati light, more Torani – we will pay a heavy price for such char-acterizations. The AMIT school takes you for who you are and



19

Living In Israel

Amit article, con-tinues on p. 24

Dear World,As Israel’s deal to exchange 1,027 Palestinian prisoners (on Oc-

tober 18, 2011) for the return of one Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, is complete, I have to ask how you simply “don’t get it”.

Many of these released prisoners committed some of the worst terrorist attacks in Israel. Mahmoud Abbas, our “partner” in peace, welcomes these people as “Freedom fighters and Holy Warrior”. The coverage describes the mothers’ joy at having sons and husbands fi-nally home. These people are terrorists yet they receive a hero’s wel-come. Many returning masterminded bombings of restaurants, hotels and discotheques and more that killed hundreds of people. Yet, that seemingly unimportant point is missing. In an absurd and inhumane Egyptian interview that Gilad suffered through before he was finally handed over to Israeli hands, journalist Shahira Amin asks Gilad if now since he knows what it’s like to be a prisoner, would he work on behalf of the more than 4,000 Palestinian prisoners languishing in Israeli jails? If Osama Ben Laden had been captured would anybody describe him as languishing in prison? If he were released in some

deal, would you feel compelled to at least explain that he master-minded the worst terrorist attack on American soil?

Hamas values murder and bloodshed. Israelis value the life of ONE Israeli soldier. But what you don’t get, dear world, is that Israelis value ALL life. As Hamas sends rockets from Gaza target-ing innocent men, women and children, the Israelis send leaflets in Arabic informing the innocent men, women and children of Gaza to leave before they need to bomb the terrorist’s hideouts. But in a move so contrary to the value of life, these terrorists purposely hide in the homes of civilians, in the schools and places of reli-gious worship knowing that Israelis value life too much to bomb them. Thus often our soldiers risk their own lives going door to door to capture terrorists protecting the lives of innocent Palestin-ian women and children.

But you still don’t get it.Our hospitals are filled with Arabs. Guess what? They get the

same medical treatment as the Jews here in Israel. We value life!

Why We Live In Israel

Continues on page 25

21 20

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modern means in modern times to attempt to systematically to exterminate a people.

They were moved by the lack of action of the free world both before and during the Holocaust both on an individual level and state level and learned about many exceptional cases where individuals and states came forward.

They discussed the universal lessons of the Holocaust and how to take responsibility with Holocaust denial rampant in our times. For further information about Yad Vashem e-mail at [email protected].

Here’s what the kids have to say: Atara Kops, 8th gradeI know what the Holocaust was. I know that six million Jews

were killed. But I didn’t really know about their lives before the Holocaust. It pains me to think about dreams that would never come true, family members that would never be seen again. Each person has a story, a life. That’s what stood out the most for me at Yad Vashem, the stories. Such unbelievable stories but all true. After going to Yad Vashem I fully understand what the Holocaust truly means.

Forty teenagers, aged 13-17, from Kehillat Yonah Menachem in Buchman experienced a tour of the new Yad Vashem museum led by Dalia Portnoy, licensed Yad Vashem guide. The three-hour tour of the museum and children’s memorial was followed with an hour talk by a Holocaust survivor, where the kids heard the fascinating story of her survival first hand. This was a huge privilege especially in a time where the number of Holocaust survivors are rapidly dwindling.

The kids were inspired by the stories of religious and spiri-tual resistance displayed by their Jewish ancestors during the Holocaust. They learnt about the history of anti-Semitism through the ages and how Nazi anti-Semitism developed both as an extension of what preceded it as well as having its own unique dimension.

They were shocked to see first-hand examples of human be-ings of the most ‘cultured’ nation of the world at the time, using

Teens Tour Yad Vashem

Continued on page 22


23

ModiIn for Kids

Eliana Haines, 8th gradeThe candles in the kid’s memorial stood out for me. A very

meaningful way to relate to the number of kids that were killed.

Daniel Turk, 7th gradeOne of the many things I actually realized was completely

true is that the Jews will never completely vanish from earth. No matter how hard the situation can be the Jews will never be vanished. The Holocaust was not the first time we see that from but actually through the whole entire Jewish history starting from Avraham Aveinu and the hard work in Egypt or when the Romans took over and even during the Holocaust. Am Yisrael Chai!

Tamara Wachspress, 9th gradeOne thing that really shocked me, was how smart the Nazis

were with their strategies and techniques of brainwashing. How the Nazis managed to brainwash the German people and how it was the smart and educated Germans who had “normal” lives to come home to before the war, would decide to go out and per-form such horrible actions. Shouldn’t they know better?

Yael Macales, 8th gradeThe shoes really stood out to me. So many shoes. I just

looked and looked to see if I could find a pair. There were no pairs, each one belonged to a different Jew. I could not stand on the glass and walk over the shoes. It would not be respectful to those Jewish victims.

Shaya Kaplan, 8th GradeA story that I was moved by was the method they used to

track down Jewish babies and children after the war who had been hidden by Christian families, in Monastries and convents. Rabbis went round at bed time and sang Shema Yisrael. The children who cried out were the Jewish children who had not forgotten their true roots even after years living like Christian children.

Gabriella Werblowsky, 8th gradeOne of the things that really made an impression on me

was the way Hitler convinced the Germans that the Jews were evil. Many of the adult Germans had grown up with the Jews as neighbors and friends and therefore they didn’t want to be-lieve the Jews were evil. So Hitler decided to start with the kids. Every day when the German kids went to school they would spend the whole day being brainwashed. Later in the afternoon

they would play a game that Hitler created where in order to win you had to be the first person to kill six Jews. It reminded me of the movie, “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas”, where the German children have a tutor who teaches them from a history book that talks about “the Jew” and how “the Jew” is evil and tried to kill the Germans. “The Jew” is not referred to as a person, but as an evil thing. Hitler was an awful man and so were his techniques but in the end we had the last laugh. We built a museum to remember the Holocaust using some of the very things he tried to use to de-stroy us. עם ישראל חי the Jewish people will live on.

Avichai Pisaresky, 8th gradeI remember clearly the story of Ilan Ramon, how he took to

space a picture of Peter Ginz, a young Holocaust victim. The pic-ture reached the moon but never came back down to earth as the shuttle exploded on re-entry to earth.

Kyle Maram, 8th gradeOne item in the museum that struck me was the white model

of the gas chamber. How whole communities would perish there within hours. Also the “black boxes” that showed us that the men operating the death camps - “ordinary men”.


24 25

Hamas extols death and terrorism. Yet in spite of the barrage of rockets fired on our civilian populations, and in spite of the daily threat of attacks, we love life, we live life and embrace life. We value education. In our short 63 years of statehood we have pro-duced no less than 10 Nobel laureates- the latest one being Daniel Shechtman for his work in Chemistry. We are one of the top coun-tries in the world in the field of hi-tech and our economy is thriv-ing. In spite of the amount of energy and money needed to defend our tiny country in the sea of Arab Jew haters, we flourish. It’s simple, dear world, we glorify life!

Please wake up and get a reality check. It is important to have clarity and understand who we are and what kind of people we are dealing with. In an act only Israel would dream of, we have paid a very heavy price to save a life.

Sherrill Kaye, Modiin, Israel

helps you grow and educates you without attaching a label. Just be-cause a kid is not good in Gemara in seventh grade does not mean he should be labeled as “not a Gemara student” for the rest of his life. The kids here are good kids but they have other interests that they can feel positive about pursuing such as sports and hobbies.”

Both schools emphasized the negative effects of a very long school day and the difficulty many boys and girls may have coming home at such a late hour. The principals maintain that many kids have trouble functioning with such exhausting academic demands and feel the AMIT schedule is healthier.

The AMIT approach is a refreshing view of religious education. It is one that is welcomed and needed, especially in a mixed city such as Modiin which prides itself on a heterogeneous population that spans a broad spectrum. The expanding educational alternatives reflect the varying needs of residents but within the framework of tolerance and understanding. That is an educational message for all of us.

To find out more about the AMIT religious high schools call 08-649-7505.


Rav Itamar Haikin


Happy Chanuka to all our readers from ModiInfo

27 26 To Advertise: 052-6404414 | 052-3868768 | [email protected] | www.modiinfo.com

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Healthy Living Food for Thought

RECIPE

There’s nothing like the aroma of freshly baked bread and pastries except enjoying the wafting scents that sur-round you as you eat at the adjoining cafe. Lalush, known as the best bakery in town with their products being sold in supermarkets and makollot throughout the area is easily identified by their chartreuse green, black and white logo. In addition to the traditional assortment of borekas and pastries, Lalush is famous for their huge variety of fresh rustic breads which are as delicious to look at as they are to eat and smell.

Their new location in Shilat will also house an adjoin-ing dairy cafe. ModiInfo went for a sneak peak to taste some of their signature dishes at Lalush’s Jerusalem loca-tion. On a chilly, drizzly November morning we ventured out for lunch at the bakery/cafe. We sat at a cozy table and noticed the many people coming in to purchase fresh bread and pastries. Some came to meet for a hot cup of coffee and a generous slice of warm chocolate babke. Oth-

ers, like us, came for a full lunch ordered from their ex-tensive menu of soups, salads, pastas and special dishes. We started with a hot bowl of soup of garden vegetables and broth which proved to be a perfect way to warm our systems shocked by the Jerusalem chill. One of us ordered the Lalush salad, a mix of baby greens, tomatoes, red pep-pers and cucumbers with a generous sprinkling of walnuts and cashews covered with a layer of creamy feta shav-ings. Although it was delicious it was too big to finish. The other ordered a sandwich on one of Lalush’s famous breads fresh from the oven, soft and warm on the inside, crusty on the outside with a nice mix of pesto, cheese and grilled vegetables. A delicious meal that very soon can be had again much closer to home.

Lalush Café in Shilat is set to open at the beginning of January. Additional branches of Lalush already opened in Modiin Center and Renanim Center in Maccabim.

Heavenly Aroma of a BakeryBy: ModiInfo Staff

It is a wondrous thing that many of the trees which are native to Eretz Yisrael are able to thrive and bear fruit on very little water.

Among those, is the olive and this month it is fitting to give special homage to the humble olive tree. The oil from this tree lights the month of Kislev and reminds us of the supernatural victory of the Hashmonaim over the ruling Greeks. The olive tree which is native to our Land has been cultivated by many cultures since ancient times for food, fuel, and medicine. Both the fruit and the oil have wonderful health benefits. Olive oil is high in mono-unsaturated fats, Vitamins E, K and A, all powerful antioxidants. Modern scientific data states that olive oil helps to lower the bad cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and protect against colon, breast and skin cancers. Olives are just plain good and good for you!

When we light our chanukiah on Chanukah we experience the light of Gan Eden and we receive a rekindling of the little jug of oil that is our Jewish soul. We drive away darkness from our hearts and send a message of light and hope out into the world. The olive branch has been a symbol of peace, hope and prosperity ever since Noach sent the dove out into the world after the flood. It is that same drop of oil that lights our way from generation to generation.

Here in Modiin we are blessed with many olive trees. Our family always puts up many jars of attractive olives and we have also pressed our own oil for the past few years. All olives pass through three stages from green to brown and finally to black. The green olives require the most soaking and curing time to remove the bitterness, while the brown require less and the black are most easily cured by the dry salt method. If you missed out on the early olives you can still pick a jar of black and enjoy them in a short time.

Here is our favorite recipe for black olives:• Soak the olives in water for three days, changing the

water every day. • Then rinse well and place a layer of coarse salt in

a deep wicker basket, then a layer of olives, then salt, until all the olives are used up. Finish with the

salt layer on top. • Cover with a flat plate and place a weight on top. You

must put a plate underneath the basket as well to catch the liquid that will run out.

• After about two months, remove some of the olives and rinse in water, then soak them in water in a jar to plump them back up.

• Drain after a day and place them in a jar with a bit of olive oil. They are absolutely delicious and are quickly devoured! Our Sages had a tradition that fresh olives cause forgetfulness, while olive oil strengthens the memory, so always add a little oil to your olives.

To make a delicious dip for your Shabbat challah, just peel a whole head of garlic and put it into the food processor with ½ cup olive oil and ½ tsp Himalayan salt. Process until the garlic is crushed and blended with the oil. It will solidify in the fridge and is a tasty replacement for garlic butter.

Enjoy the healthy and delicious olives and revel in the beautiful light. Have a joyous and illuminated Chanukah.

Dina Solomon is a raw food chef and yoga instructor. She lives in Mevo Modiin and gives classes in Modiin and elsewhere. You can sign up for a class or order flax crackers and other raw goodies by email: [email protected]. ModiInfo welcomes reader’s recipe submissions. Please send to [email protected].

Healthy LivingBy Dina Solomon

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CANDLE LIGHTINGDecember 9/13 KislevParashat VayishlachCandle lighting: 16:15Shabbat ends: 17:15

December 16/20 KislevParashat VayeshevCandle lighting: 16:17Shabbat ends: 17:17

December 23/27 KislevParashat MiketzCandle lighting: 16:20Shabbat ends: 17:20

December 30/4 TevetParashat VayigashCandle lighting: 16:24Shabbat ends: 17:24

January 6/11 TevetParashat VayechiCandle lighting: 16:29Shabbat ends: 17:29

January 13/18 Tevet Parashat ShemotCandle lighting: 16:35Shabbat ends: 17:35

January 20/25 TevetParashat VaeraShabbat MevarchimCandle lighting: 16:42Shabbat ends: 17:41

January 27/1 ShevatParashat BoCandle lighting: 16:48Shabbat ends: 17:47

February 3/10 ShevatParashat BeshalachCandle lighting: 16:54Shabbat ends: 17:53

February 10/17 ShevatParashat YitroCandle lighting: 17:01Shabbat ends: 17:59

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February 24/1 AdarParashat TerumaCandle lighting: 17:13Shabbat ends: 18:10

March 2/8 AdarParashat Titzavei (Zachor)Candle lighting: 17:18Shabbat ends: 18:14

March 9/15 AdarParashat Ki TisaCandle lighting: 17:23Shabbat ends: 18:20

March 16/22 AdarParashat Vayakel/Pekudai (Parah)Candle lighting 17:28Shabbat ends: 18:25

March 23/29 AdarParashat Vayikra (Hachodesh)Candle lighting: 17:33Shabbat ends: 18:30

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