Last year, my Tu Bishvat wrap-up post dealt with the question of the mysterious end to the Tu Bishvat seder. After eating foods that are edible on the inside, then outside, then all the way through, the final section of the Tu Bishvat seder has us eating nothing at all. In explanation, I offered this quote from Maggid of Mezritch, the Chasidic master Dov Baer:

““Nothing in the world can change from one reality into another, unless it first turns into nothing, that is, into the reality of the between-stage. The moment when the egg is no more and the chick is not yet, is the level of Ayin, nothingness. It is the same with the sprouting seed. It does not begin to sprout until the seed disintegrates in the earth and the quality of seed-dom is destroyed in order that it may attain to nothingness which is the rung before creation.”

The reason there is no fruit at the end of the seder is because it exists only in the future - after we pick up where the seder left off and plant the seeds of tikkun olam in our community, and in our lives. To tangibly represent this point, this year we’re printing the last page of our seder on this paper. It contains actual wildflower seeds that will really grow if this page is planted in the ground following the seder! May all our work towards a sustainable world come to fruition this year.

Conversation around the dinner table on Shabbat turned to the topic of kashrut. Why is it so expensive? (in Vancouver, a 14lb turkey goes for $75) Why does it cause Jews to be so rude to other Jews, whose kashrut standards don’t match their own? Why does it matter if I wait four hours or seven – and says who?

I did not grow up keeping kosher, and although I’ve lived in de facto kosher kitchens for the past 4 years (my roommate’s dishes were dairy, but I was mostly a vegetarian so it didn’t really matter), it’s only recently that I’ve begun toying with the idea of taking on this particular yoke of heaven. But I found that all of the reasons I would give for why I might chose to keep kosher had nothing to answer all these tachlis questions. Read more »

Fermentation is the foundation of warm sourdough bread, crunchy pickles and cold micro-brewed beer. And Sandor Ellix Katz is, in our humble opinion, the rebbe of fermentation.

Two weeks ago, Naftali posted a review of Sandor’s book Wild Fermentation. Now, you can read the exclusive (and incredibly inspiring) interview with Sandor, and answer the following question for a chance to win a copy of his book: What is your all-time favorite fermented food?

Interview with Sandor Ellix Katz

Who is Sandorkraut?

Sandorkraut is an affectionate nickname I was given by friends thanks to my love of sauerkraut, my constant production of it, and more broadly my evangelical zeal about fermentation. My name is Sandor Ellix Katz. I’m a queer Jew born and raised in New York City who has been homesteading in rural Tennessee for the past 15 years.

My interest in fermentation developed out of overlapping interests in food, nutrition, and gardening. My book Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods has propelled me into a mission of what I call cultural revivalism, spreading fermentation skills and fermentation fervor.

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Thanks to Carly for this guest post. Carly is developing a program called “Seder for all Seasons,” which expands upon the traditional seder format for broader use throughout the year. Find out more on Carly’s website Peeling a Pomegranate.

Food has always played a large part in my life and in my understanding of Judaism. I’ve joked for years that the religion of my family is food and how we used to have to talk my dad out of going for pancakes on the way to Yom Kippur morning services. But, so many of my happy memories of my family and Judaism also revolve around food. Passover was always a huge thing in my house growing up. It was like Thanksgiving, just more organized. I have great memories of summer and lobster and clambakes with lots of fresh New England salt marsh corn! Yes, I’m aware that shellfish isn’t kosher, but I assure my family didn’t mind. Every holiday had some food association for me, as it does for so many people. It’s an easy way to connect to your family’s traditions.

But, my relationship with food hasn’t always been healthy. I was a very heavy child. I learned young that ice cream was “medicinal” and so we ate a lot of it. I actually didn’t understand what medicinal meant for years, I just thought it was an excuse to eat ice cream. Heart disease and type II diabetes runs rampant in parts of my family because of our love of food. I struggled with binge eating and body dismorphia problems through college, and still have the occasional relapse.

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In Va-Yechi, our creation story culminates with Jacob on his deathbed blessing his sons. (Gen. 49.) He highlights characteristics that are unique to each of his twelve sons, the fathers of our twelve tribes. According to Rashi, five of these blessings focus on the agricultural specificity of each tribe’s territory in the Land of Israel.

For Zevulun, Jacob promises that he “shall dwell at the edge of the sea. His will be a shore for ships…” (Gen. 49:13.) The Talmud Megillah tells how the beaches of Zevulun were home to the molluscs from which techelet dye (for the blue tallis thread) could be extracted. (Talmud Bavli Megillah 6b.) His territory was agriculturally poor but a lucrative resource for snail-farming.

Jacob’s blessing of Judah describes a land of vines and garments dyed with wines. (Gen. 49: 11.) For Issachar, “He saw a resting place, that it was good, and the land that it was pleasant,” (Gen. 49:15.) Rashi writes, “He saw that his part of the land was blessed and would produce good fruit.” (Rashi, Gen. 49:15, s.v. vayar minucha ki tov) Issachar, whose tribe’s destiny was immersion in Torah learning, was bestowed a place where fruits grew in abundance, making the food life easy and devotion to study practical.

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In this post, Leah spoke about the shechting of the three goats.  Towards the end, she writes,  “I began to wonder at what point during the process did the beautiful goat transform into “meat?”  I am not sure that I can answer that question any more conclusively than Leah, but I want to pick up the story where she left off, as I had the privilege to witness the entire process needed to make the meat kosher, and how it was prepared for cooking.  I also was able to discover what happened to all of the parts that we did not eat for dinner - bones, skin, and the rest of the meat.

As one can imagine, this process involved a lot of work.  Many people asked me about the details, which I am happy to provide here.  At time however this description can be a bit graphic.  Continue below the jump for those that want to read on.

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On the eve of Thanksgiving, The Jewish Daily Forward (which just this week ran the controversial “Kosher Food Safety Alert” ad) published an article I’m truly grateful for: Kosher Activists Strive To Slaughter With a Conscience. Below is the article in full, which gives shoutouts to Hazon, The Jew & The Carrot, Kosher Conscience, and Heeb n’ Vegan and - more importantly - is one more, very public indicator that the demand for ethical, kosher products is on the rise.

Kosher Activists Strive To Slaughter With a Conscience
Nathaniel Popper
November 21, 2007
The Jewish Daily Forward

After 18 months of planning, New York’s new kosher meat cooperative slaughtered its first animals this week, just in time for Thanksgiving.

It took the founder of Kosher Conscience, Simon Feil, many months to find a shochet, or Jewish ritual slaughterer, who could do the job, and then Feil needed to find a flock of free-range heirloom breed turkeys. But he was not content to deal only with the logistics. When the first turkey went under the knife, Feil was there to cradle it in his arms — feeling the “solemn experience,” as he put it, of life leaving a body.

“It was an emotional day, and I’m still trying to process all the reactions I had to it,” Feil said a few hours after the first turkeys were slaughtered. “You really watch something that is a living creature turn into meat.”

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(Cross-posted on Pickled)

I stumbled upon an article today that concerned itself with what it called “Shechitah vs. PETA”–in other words, the conflict that exists between animal-rights advocates and proponents of kosher slaughter. It reminded me of why I’m both proud of and dissatisfied with the laws of kashrut that apply to animals. On one hand, I’m inspired by the intended consciousness and compassion that went into our dietary laws–rules that seek to minimize the pain and suffering of animals raised and killed for food. On the other hand, though, I’m all too aware of the fact that these laws fall short, and are in dire need of reassessment. Back in February, Sarah Rose pointed our attention to a Reuters article on hechshered fur. Israel’s Chief Rabbi, Yona Metzger, ruled that Jews must not wear fur skinned from live animals. “All Jews are obliged to prevent the horrible phenomenon of cruelty to animals and be a ‘light onto nations’ by refusing to use products that originate from acts which cause such suffering,” was the official decree. This is the kind of thing that makes me proud, and it’s what I’d like to see more of in regards to the collective Jewish attitude toward animals raised for meat.
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Thanks to Tuv Ha’Aretz Houston member, Nancy Pryzant Picus, for this truly inspiring article!

My husband and I grew up in non-kosher homes, so when we each began to explore kashrut in college, we were swimming in uncharted waters. Our individual journeys towards kashrut began with separating meat and dairy products only at home. When we married, we both had complete sets of dairy and meat dishes, and had long brought only kosher meat into our homes. Before our children were old enough question us, we re-examined our practices, which resulted in the decision to stop eating meat in non-kosher restaurants; soon we began to buy only certified, hechshered foods.

When people ask why I keep kosher, I can give several reasons. One obvious one is that kashrut makes eating a Jewish action. When I choose kosher food, I am making a Jewish choice. However, a more compelling reason for kashrut is implicit in the blessing that accompanies the food I am eating. God has blessed me with the food I am preparing to eat, and with the ability to savor its flavors and appreciate the earth’s bounty—and the labor involved in drawing it forth (hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz).

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Before I left for Israel my doctor told me I had a major gluten sensitivity. This is not the news anybody wants to hear before they go off to a country whose 7/11’s carry rolls and pastries on par with some of the best shops in New York. This is also not the news you want to hear if you want to indulge in the unhealthy treats that Israel has to offer: i.e. Shawarma in a lafa, rugelach from Machane Yehuda, malawach, jachnun, schnitzel, and much more. The list of glutenous foods goes on, and tragically, the corner falafel joints I once frequented (and ocasionally still do) don’t offer rice and corn flour alternatives to wheat-flour pita.

For the most part, this new food restriction has actually forced me to eat healthier. Meals in my apartment are rice and quinoa based, and they are made without that delightful greasiness that most falafel joints offer. Snacking has been especially tough, though. I bought packaged roasted almonds and found that they were preserved with gluten. I went to a Mexican restaurant and ordered nachos, naturally expecting gluten-free corn tortillas. Instead, since Israel is not known for its Mexican food, there were wheat pita chips that were deep-fried for a Mexican-like effect. Even most chocolate bars have wafers inside them which are filled with gluten.

Last night I was hungry and craving something both sweet and salty. Read more »

Ever wondered what eco-Judaism sounds like from a woman’s perspective? Think it’s all a bunch of spiritual, hippy-dippy hoo hah? Okay, that might be part of it - but it turns out, there’s a wider world of female, Jewish environmentalists out there than you may have expected.

Lilith Magazine’s latest issue features a section called “Women take on the Environment.” Hear first hand from seven women: “Leagle Eagle” Tzipi Iser Itzik, “Frying-Pan Bodhisattva” Betsy Teutsch, “Veggie Pioneer” Dr. Roberta Kalechofsky, “Outdoor Educator” Nili Simhai, “Activist/Executive” Barbara Lerman-Golomb, me as the offical “Blogmesiter,” and The Jew & The Carrot’s very own hard core “truck farmer,” Esther Mandelheim, as they discuss their own journeys - as Jews, as women, and as guardians of the earth.

Read the Lilith article here.

Thanks to Tuv Ha’Aretz farmer and founder of the Shorashim:Roots program at Chava v’Adam farm in Modi’in, Israel, Yigal Deutscher, for this insider look at the shemita year). 

22 days have passed from the moment we celebrated the New Year with the blowing of the shofar until yesterday, when, after hours of dancing, drinking, and singing, we rolled the Sefer Torah back to her beginning and read the story of creation.

This stretch of time has been a stretch out of time, a microcosm of creation itself, mirroring the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, the 22 building blocks that God used in creating the world we live in.

Yesterday, we stepped back into time, into the Hebrew year 5767, the seventh year of the seven year cycles that guide the flow of time in the land of Israel. This year itself is an extended dimension out of time, one Shabbat stretching from now until next Rosh Hashana. We are already 22 days into Shemita but only now will we come face to face with this moment.

We cannot make this transition alone. We can only begin our year if the land begins with us. Our awakening, reemerging into the normal flow of time, is hand in hand with the earth itself. We have been in a cocoon, nursing from spiritual banks of forgotten reservoirs. The soil of Israel has been in a cocoon herself, deep in sleep after 5 months of hot sun and barren skies.

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The following is an excerpt from an article, “Be Fruitful and Save Seeds,” by Hazon friend, Rachel Kriger, which originally appeared in Tikkun Magazine [Sept./Oct. 2007].

Welcome to the beginning of the end of the growing season. This is the time of year where your weekly share of produce will be most abundant. Since the hard frost has not hit yet, we still have the summer crops and the beginning of the fall crops. This time of year is great for freezing, canning, pickling and seed saving.

What is seed saving? It is the process of extracting seeds from the best selection of our favorite, most resilient crops so that we can plant new seeds in the spring. This is what people did before seed catalogues and garden stores and supermarkets. When we lived off the land, we had to ensure that we would have crops every year.

Every vegetable crop has its own inner survival instincts; and as its growing season ends, each plant produces seeds to ensure its life in future generations. Agrarian humans have developed the knowledge to know how to extract the seeds, cure them and store them. They have even understood how to select for tolerance against pests or weather conditions, or simply for what tastes the bests and has good looks.

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I am sitting in the Nagycsarnok — the Great Market — in Budapest, thinking: I’m only here for 4 days, there’s no way I can possibly eat my way through this country! Only four days, and one of them Yom Kippur.

This food is the Hungarian countryside, only edible. Cucumbers. Celery. Leeks. Melons. Yellow beans. Carrots and parsnips and piles and piles of peppers — pale green ones and bright red ones that look like crumpled wads of newspaper. While the amount of global food in Budapest is a little sobering (Burger King, pizza places, gyros and felafel and Chinese fast food), there are still a lot of foods I’ve never seen before, and that makes me feel I’m in a new place.

Such as bags of cheese — turned out to be a sort of dry cottage cheese. And a biscuit-type thing with cheese and pumpkin seeds. And (baruch hashem!) all the “meggy” treats — sour cherry turnover, strudel with sour cherries and poppyseeds….

What does it mean, to eat my way through a country? And what does that mean for Yom Kippur, a day of not eating?

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