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Contact Jackie Rosender

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SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

The remains of the World Trade Center stand amid the debris in New York, Tuesday, September 11, 2001. (AP Photo/Alexandre Fuchs)

By Jo Strausz Rosen

Like so many of us who have reached a certain age, the events of that fateful Tuesday, 20 years ago are forever imprinted vividly in my memory. It still feels like they happened yesterday. I watched and listened in anger and disbelief, wracked by worry and overcome with fear. Those images, – people staring up in disbelief and weeping at the burning skyscrapers, running for their lives through the city streets filled with billowing dust clouds, brave emergency responders running into and not away from the inferno, and of course the monuments to our progress and civilization collapsing in slow motion. The Israel Times called it “a day of indelible images — apocalyptic, surreal, violent, ghostly, both monumental and profoundly personal. Wrenching and agonizing to remember. Impossible to forget.”

The terrorist attacks of 9/11 were captured in countless images made by news reporters, bystanders, first responders, security cameras, FBI agents and others, even by an astronaut on the International Space Station. The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people and leveled the trade center’s 110-story twin towers. It devastated not only those innocent people and their families, but an entire city, our country, and the world.

I scotch-taped an American Flag to my High Holiday prayer book and took a seat in the pews at Temple Emanu-El, seven days later for Rosh Hashanah. Together in solidarity with Jews everywhere, we sat, we prayed, and we wept. We continue and pray that our world will heal from these horrible events. And as we have prayed as a people for many years, that it will never happen again, let us remember those who perished and continue the long process of healing, for us all.

I invite you to share your memories and feelings on the eve of this tragic anniversary.

THIS CLASSIC CRAFT IS A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO REPAIR THE WORLD

By Tanya Singer

Bubbe Esther, a devoted member of her synagogue and a lifelong member of Hadassah, was a prolific knitter and crocheter. Ever cost-conscious, she used acrylic yarn in the very 1970s hues of mustard yellow and avocado green and, with a considerable amount of love, she knit and crocheted afghans for all her children and grandchildren.

Perhaps her most memorable projects, however, were relegated to the bathrooms of her Century Village apartment in Deerfield Beach, Florida: Dolls with crocheted skirts that hid unsightly spare toilet paper rolls. They were quite the conversation starter for anyone who used the commode. Her bathrooms were on-trend, in avocado green and goldenrod yellow, and each featured a color-coordinated fancy doll that, from their perch atop the carpeted toilet tank, kept extra toilet paper out of sight.

My bubbe passed away when I was just 8, and while I never learned to knit from her, I’m convinced that she and my zayde, a tailor, planted the seeds for my love of textiles. These days, people knit for a host of reasons, and are well aware of the soothing powers of the craft. Knitting has been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety and depression, slow the onset of dementia and, of course, to build community. It is so much more than kitsch — it’s become a medium for tikkun olam, or repairing the world.

JEWISH CELEBRITIES ARE JUST LIKE US

As we bask in the glow of Rosh Hashanah 2021, here is a lively article about how some of our favorite Jews celebrated the New Year.

By Maddy Albert

Shana tova, Kvellers! As this Labor Day weekend merged into one of the holiest days of the Jewish calendar, many of us celebrated Rosh Hashanah in unique ways. Whether you attended virtual services once again or celebrated with a long-awaited family gathering, this Jewish New Year appears to be “unprecedented” yet again.

Despite the persistent pandemic, many of us took Tuesday and Wednesday — and continue to do so during the Days of Awe (the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) — to reflect on our past year, make amends and create goals for the year to come.

Many Jewish stars celebrated in the same fashion, taking to social media to share their well wishes, their hopes for the year and other ways they marked the Jewish New Year. Here 14 examples of how our favorite Jewish celebrities ushered in 5782.

LILLIAN & SAMUEL HECHTMAN I APARTMENTS

Income based affordable housing featuring one bedroom units

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Contact Jackie Rosender

248-444-2430 jrosender@jslmi.org

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Meet Bella! Our Resident Dog at Fleischman

Have you met our Fleischman Residence therapy dog Bella? Take a moment to learn a little more about her!

RABBI OF THE REEF

By Bill Shafer

We are all capable of doing so much more than we think. We can be the ones who light the spark of inspiration, we can draw attention where it is needed, and we can be the ones to affect change. The problem is that it can be difficult to know where to begin, even though the answer is often right in front of us. Instead of trying to reach out to everyone, sometimes it works best to simply reach out wherever we have connections and influence: to our friends, neighbors and community.

Growing up in the Midwest, Ed Rosenthal never saw the ocean until he was 12. He quickly fell in love. He was captivated by the wonders of the underwater world. But as he took in all the beauty, he could not help but also see the ugliness. His beloved oceans were being destroyed by people with their endless sources of pollution. It haunted him to the point that he knew he had to take action. Protecting the sea became his passion and his cause. He knew that to make a difference, he would have to reach out to others. This, he thought, was one of his strengths.

Rosenthal is a rabbi. And as a leader in the Jewish community, he thought maybe his congregation would help. After all, he is not the typical rabbi leading a typical congregation. As rabbi and Executive Director of Hillels of the Florida Suncoast, he leads a Jewish organization for college students in Tampa, Florida. If he could just find connections between the oceans and Judaism, he mused, perhaps he could inspire his students to become better stewards of the earth and better people. It turns out that his religion has a lot to say about our personal responsibility to protect the planet.

THIS WEEK'S RECIPE

Instant Pot Fruity Noodle Kugel

INGREDIENTS

Nonstick vegetable spray

12 ounces wide egg noodles, uncooked

1 (29–30 ounce) can fruit mix with cherries in syrup

1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup pure maple syrup

¼ cup canola oil

4 large eggs

¼ cup all-purpose flour

For Finishing

¼ cup light brown sugar

Added Water

½ cup water

PREPARATION

1) Spray a 7-inch x 3-inch round pan and lid with nonstick vegetable spray. Set aside.

2) Mix the egg noodles, canned fruit (with the liquid), crushed pineapple (with the liquid), sugar, maple syrup, canola oil and large eggs together in a large bowl.

3) Fold in the flour.

4) Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Cover with the tightly fitting lid.

5) Place a rack/trivet with handles on the bottom of the Electric Pressure Cooker (EPC) pot. Add the ½ cup added water to the bottom.

6) Carefully set the kugel on the rack. Lock the lid and close the pressure valve.

7) Set the EPC to high pressure mode and cook for 10 minutes using manual high pressure mode.

8) Naturally release the pressure for 30 minutes, then manually release the pressure.

9) Remove the kugel from the EPC pot and remove the kugel pan lid.

For Finishing

1) Sprinkle the top of the kugel with the ¼ cup brown sugar.

2) Place the kugel in the center of the oven and broil using medium heat for 5-7 minutes. The top of the kugel will turn a little brown and the sugar will become slightly bubbly.

3) Serve warm or cold.

This recipe is from jamiegeller.com

HOME WORKOUT

Senior Fitness - Seated Exercises with Weights (Water Bottles)

Work on your sholders, arms, and core with these seated resistance exercises.

FRIDAY FUNNY

SHABBAT SHALOM

Rabbi Dovid S. Polter, Community Chaplain

Twin Towers & Twin Notes

Tomorrow, we commemorate the twenty-year anniversary of 9/11, the tragic fall of the Twin Towers. Our hearts commiserate with those who incurred painful losses.

Prior to its toppling, the Twin Towers stood erect, exemplifying balance, stature, and uprightness. “Windows on the World” was the name of the top floor of the North tower.

How can we, the living, take to heart such a cataclysmic catastrophe? How can we exemplify stature and serve as windows of light?

A wise man once advised a formula toward living a wholesome life: Each of us should carry twin notes in two of our pockets. “The world was created for me” should be written on the first note. “I am but dust and ashes” should be written on the second note. These two messages are meant to encourage us to juggle between them and always strive to find balance in life.

The diverse traits of pride and humility are what it takes to heal our world from devastating events.

Let us remember how great and gifted we are as humans and yet how humbled and fortunate we are to serve our All-Knowing Creator.

Enjoy some inspiration – Yom Kippur half hour service by phone

Dial Toll free: 605-313-4107 Access code: 270368#

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Rabbi Dovid S. Polter Jewish Community Chaplaincy Program Jewish Senior Life 248-592-5039 • dpolter@jslmi.org