September 2008
7
14 cooking
21
28 music k-4/trope 5-7
This month we welcome our new Third and Fourth Grade Teacher, Shari Rothstein, to our staff. Returning teachers, Karen Fridkis (K-2), Robynn Mann ( Jewish Studies 5+6), Sima Sherman ( Hebrew 5+6), Eli Ungar (grade 7) are anxiously awaiting the new school year. Each class will have a set "special" period, so that there will be plenty of fun in addition to traditional classroom learning time. We have added specials to our list including "Reconstructionism with Rabbi Susan", an informal discussion of Judaism and how our movement interprets tradition, and Trope, for fifth through seventh graders to become used to the idea of the cantorial marks necessary to chant Torah. Of course, we will continue to have music with Debbie Grauer, cooking with Josh Fischman, and arts and crafts with various toranim and adult volunteers. We will also have Mock Shabbat every seventh class, in which we begin the day with the friday night table blessings and end with Havdalah.

Our volunteers are the key this year. Arts and Crafts will be led by adult volunteers, trope classes will be assisted by adult volunteers,our office will be manned by parent volunteers this year, and as usual our big events such as the Purim carnival, Passover Seder and Yom Haatzmaut ( Israeli Independence Day) programs will be led by parent volunteers. Thanks to everyone in advance for contributing to make our community a great place to work, play, pray, and schmooze.

I have been in the building for the last couple of weeks preparing for the year. The books are checked in. The toranim are trained. The supplies are inventoried. The new trope curriculum is written. While we won't see each other quite as often this year, I am sure that the year will be brimming with activities and teaching that will educate and inspire. I cannot wait to start.

Please check the website for our Parent Teacher Handbook, if you have any questions about policies or curriculum. The Hebrew School email is hebrewschoolksnj@embarqmail.com and our phone number is 908-359-0420 x 4.

I will see you all very soon!

Shana Tova oometukah!
Dori

• Tess Kowalski


• Jason Weitze


• Corey Cochran


• Scott Weitze
  
  
  
  
  
  Seventh graders were challenged by Arielle Starkman to create sculpture out of matzah and hot glue.
  Our Sixth graders did an amazing job presenting the puppets and research that they did on Jewish heros from modern and ancient times. Each students stood and told about a Jewish hero from Moses to Albert Einstein and everyone in between. We heard about famous actresses, scientists, athletes, and statesmen.
  All the grades made Matzah with Josh. He explained how the Matzah makers only have eighteen minutes from the time the water hits the flour for the Matzah to be completely mixed and baked. He further explained that matzah has holes poked in the dough so that the air will escape and the matzah won’t rise. Everyone enjoyed the matzah as an early Passover treat.


• The Passover Model Seder was a hit! Our entire community came together to make this a successful, educational, and enjoyable event. Many thanks are owed to:
  · all of the sixth grade parents who sent in Matzah ball soup
  · Larry Spinrad, who brought in ocolate lollicones (they are not easy to find) and helped to set up, serve, and clean up
  · Iris Rubinstein, who made enough Charoset for everyone
  · Rhonda Wynston-Kraft, who roasted sweet potatoes for the z’roah
  · Shari Burrack, who brought in hard boiled eggs for Beitzah
  · Herb Milich, who brought grape juice, helped serve and clean up
  · Jane Shapiro, who brought horseradish for Maror
  · Fran Varga, who brought in cut celery for Karpas, and helped with set up, serving, and clean up
  · Scott Gilbard, who helped with serving
  · Andrea Lass, who helped by taking pictures
  · Robynn Mann, who planned the seder, prepared the sixth graders, and organized what we needed
  · Our K-2 class, who worked so hard to find the Afikomen
  · Jeremy Bilotti, who helped to set up, serve and clean up
  · Rabbi Susan, who helped to run the seder
  · And the sixth grade class, who all read, explained, and sang for the rest of the school.
  If you have not sent in your registration, yet, you have missed the early bird registration deadline. Please consider sending in at least the registration fee by the end of the month so that I can order books and make sure that we have adequate supplies. Thanks, Dori

Rugelach

Ingredients:
Dough:
¼ cup warm water
1 package dry yeast
½ cup margarine
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 slightly beaten eggs

Filling Types:
1.
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ finely chopped walnuts
Strawberry all-fruit spread

2.
1 tbsp cocoa
1 tbsp cinnamon
½ cup sugar
½ cup mini chocolate chips
Melted butter/margarine


Dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. Cut margarine into flour and salt, and add eggs and yeast mixture. Form dough into ball and wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Divide dough into four equal parts. Shape into balls. On floured board, roll ball into circle using rolling pin.
For filling 1, spread a thin coat of fruit spread on dough. Sprinkle with mixture of cinnamon, sugar, walnut mixture.
For filling 2, brush dough with melted butter and sprinkle with mixture of the remaining ingredients.
Cut circle into 10 to 12 pie shaped wedges. Starting at wide end roll up toward point, and pinch end to seal.
Bake for 20 minutes until lightly browned.

Apple Crisp

4 medium apples
Juice of ½ lemon
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp. flour
½ tsp. cinnamon

½ cup flour
½ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup old fashioned oats (not instant or quick cooking)
½ tsp. cinnamon
8 tbsp. butter or margarine, softened at room temp.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel the apples and cut into ¼ thin slices. Place the apples in a large mixing bowl and combine with lemon juice, sugar and 2 tbsp. flour and ½ tsp. cinnamon. Place several slices of apple into individual muffin tin liners (the ones with the silver foil around them) and set them into muffin tins. Prepare the topping. Mix flour, brown sugar, oats and cinnamon. Sprinkle topping over apples and dab with dots of butter or margarine. Bake for approximately 15 minutes.

Pareve Noodle Kugel

8 ounces fine egg noodles
2 eggs
¼ cup white sugar and ¼ cup brown sugar, or ½ cup white sugar
¼ cup orange juice
2 heaping tablespoons orange marmalade
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup raisins (optional)

Cook noodles and drain. Beat eggs and sugar until light. Add orange juice, marmalade, cinnamon and raisins. Add noodles and mix well. Divide the mixture into 2 greased 8x8 inch pans and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until brown on top.

Dairy Noodle Kugel

8 ounces fine egg noodles
¼ pound butter, melted
4 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
¾ cup sugar
16 ounces cottage cheese
16 ounces sour cream
1 can crushed pineapple
Topping
1 sleeve graham crackers, crushed
Cinnamon and sugar to taste

Cook noodles and drain. Beat eggs and sugar until light. Add melted butter and vanilla. Add cottage cheese and sour cream. Add noodles and mix well. Put in greased 9x13 pan.
Mix crushed graham crackers with sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over top. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour.

Sufganiyot

½ cup flour
2 packages of yeast
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp. oil
½ tsp. salt
1 egg
½ vanilla
Additional flour 1 ½- 2 cups
Confectioners sugar
Jam for filling or chocolate chips for filling

Mix flour, yeast and cinnamon in one bowl. Mix water, sugar, oil and salt in another bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Add egg and vanilla. Mix with electric mixer if you have one. Add additional flour to mixture until a dough forms. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead until soft. Roll a golf ball size piece of dough into a ball. Flatten into a circle by placing palm of hand on dough and pushing. Place a small amount of jam or chocolate in the center. Wet a finger with water and run along the edge of the circle. Fold the circle in half and squeeze the edges together so that the filling does not come out. Fry 5 doughnuts at a time in a deep frying pan on medium heat in an inch or 2 of oil. Fry about 2 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Roll in confectioners sugar while still hot.




Potato Latkes

3 cups grated Idaho potatoes
1 onion grated
2 eggs, beaten well
½ cup matzo meal
½ tsp. salt, or to taste
Pinch of pepper
Oil for frying

Potatoes and onions cam be grated in food processor. Mix all ingredients. Heat oil in frying pan on medium heat. Place tablespoons of mixture into hot oil and fry on both sides until brown.

1 pomegranate2 oranges2 green apples
¾ cup grapes4 tsp. lemon juice4 tsp. honey1/2 tsp. cinnamonMix lemon juice, honey, and cinnamon. Remove seeds from pomegranates. Peel oranges, separate sections, and cut into ¾ inch pieces. Core apple and chop into ¾ inch pieces. Immediately mix apples with the lemon-honey dressing (to prevent browning), and then mix apples with the rest of the fruit.

¾ cup margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup orange juice
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
Jam for filling (raspberry or apricot work well)
Or use a few chocolate chips for filling

Cream margarine and sugar together until fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Stir in orange juice and vanilla and blend. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Blend well. Chill 1 hour or more. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll on a floured board and cut into 3 inch circles. Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each circle. Bring in sides and pinch sides hard to form a triangle. Bake on ungreased baking sheet about 15 minutes.

Matzah

2 cups kosher for Passover flour
1 cup water

Mix flour and water to form a dough. Knead dough by hand and roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Place on baking sheet and prick with a fork all over. Bake in 500 degree oven for about 5 minutes.

* From the time the water and flour come in contact until the matzah goes into the oven can be no longer than 18 minutes.

Hummus

1 15 ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 gloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1/3 cup water
Juice of one lemon
6 tablespoons sesame tahini
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste

Drain chickpeas. Put all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. If too thick, add a little more water. Serve with pita bread or raw veggies.


Tabouleh

2 cups cracked bulgur wheat
Boiling water to cover
4 tomatoes
6 green onions
2 tbsp chopped dill
1 cup chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped mint
3 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
¼ pepper

Place bulgur wheat in large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes until water is absorbed. Seed and finely chop the tomatoes and green onions. Once the wheat is ready, mix together all the ingredients. Refrigerate and serve cold.



Falafel

1 cup dried chickpeas1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup) 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro1 teaspoon salt1/2-1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper4 cloves of garlic1 teaspoon cumin1 teaspoon baking powder4-6 tablespoons flourSoybean or vegetable oil for fryingChopped tomato for garnishDiced onion for garnishDiced green bell pepper for garnishTahina saucePita bread

1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain. Or use canned chickpeas, drained.
2. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.
3. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough bulgur or flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.
4. Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts.
5. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Stuff half a pita with falafel balls, chopped tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and pickled turnips. Drizzle with tahina thinned with water.