Lev Eisha   A joyous community of Jewish women engaged in prayer, study and spiritual growth

"Every day we must dance, if only in our thoughts."
- Rebbe Nachman of Bratslav

Breakfast and Brucha this month at 8:30 a.m. Rabbi August will be exploring the new women's commentary on the Torah. We will be looking into what women have to say from a Reform Movement perspective.

Join us on February 2nd, 2008 (26 Shevat 5768) promptly at 9:30 a.m. The Torah portion is Mishpatim from the book of Exodus. Our service will be led by Rabbi Toba August and Cindy Paley. Our special guest is Paulette Rochelle-Levy who will be sharing spiritual movement with us.

"You should accustom yourself to serve G*d with niggunim and with joy and with dancing and hand clapping; and especially during the time of Torah and prayer you should greatly rejoice. For the loftiness of melody is beyond all measure. Through dancing and movement you make with your body, you awaken joy within yourself." - Rebbe Nachman of Bratslav

We have a Kiddush in search of a sponsor! If you would like to sponsor this month's Kiddush in honor, or in memory, of someone special, please contact our catering committee today at catering@leveisha.org.

Please be on time so that you won't miss a minute of the uplifting music that characterizes our prayer community!

  2007/2008 Calendar of Events
February 2      8:30 a.m. Breakfast and Brucha in the Social Hall
9:30 a.m. Services in the Adat Shalom Sanctuary
  
March 1      9:30 a.m. Services in the Adat Shalom Sanctuary
  
March 20      Purim and Megillah reading
  
March 30      12:30 p.m. Women's Seder & Fundraiser
 
  Mollie's Kosher Kitchen
bird in hands

Here's a recipe that will grace your Shabbat table, your picnic table, and anything in between. It's from Doreen and Ken's son. It's not for the dove, silly, it's for Hummus dip! Serve it with those homemade pita breads you've been making in the outdoor oven, some pickles and a prayer for peace for all of Israel and the world.

Peace in the Middle East Hummus
From the Klee Family

1.) In the Food Processor, puree one clove of garlic. For some extra flavor, you can also puree several sun-dried tomatoes as well.

2.) Rinse three 15 ounce cans of garbanzo beans in cool water. Drain off the water and add the beans to the Food Processor.

3.) Add one tablespoon of kosher salt, a half tablespoon of cumin, and a quarter to a half tablespoon of cayenne pepper to the Food Processor.

4.) Add seven tablespoons of lemon juice and seven tablespoons of tahini to the Food Processor.

5.) Blend it all up in the Food Processor. While blending, add water (at least one half a cup) to achieve desired thickness. Hummus thickens when refrigerated, so make it a bit thinner if you intend to use it later.

This recipe goes very well when dished up to Cindy Paley's album Yavo Shalom which is available at www.cindypaley.com

In This Issue

Why Do We Need Another Torah Commentary?
by Rabbi Toba August

There is a fabulous new Torah commentary called "A Women's Commentary" that has just been published. Come at 8:30 for breakfast on Shabbat Feb. 2, and see what some of today's most insightful wise women have to say about this week's Parsha.

Why do we need another commentary? And why a commentary by women? For thousands of years, the classic commentaries have been written by men and we have gained understanding of the holy text through men's eyes. Now, finally, we are presented with contemporary teachings that will challenge some of these views and add new voices that can supplement and inform our collective conversation with the Torah.

In this week's Torah portion, one of the laws prescribed is what happens when a pregnant woman is injured and a miscarriage results. The person who injured the woman is responsible to pay for damages. Traditional commentary focuses on the status of the fetus and its monetary worth. In contrast, the new women's Torah commentary has poems about the pain of losing a child.

"Life was gifted, Life removed...shape me, my Creator, shape me a place where I can weep, and mourn the loss, and let the blackness inside cry....." are some of the words in one of the poems.

What a different perspective from women than what we have had from men. What a different approach to deepening our connection with the Torah and our experiences.

I pray that you join us on Shabbat morning and take this opportunity to listen to women's voices and share wisdom brought together in this text.

The name of the book is: The Torah: A Women's Commentary. Editors: Dr. Tamara Cohn Eshkenzi and Rabbi Andrea L. Weiss, Ph.D. Women of Reform Judaism, URJ Press, New York, 2008. Go to our website and then click the link to Amazon to order, so Lev Eisha can benefit from your interest and study. Shabbat Shalom.

Upcoming Events

Membership premiums will be distributed at the close of our service this month. If you are unable to attend and pick up your gift, please send Julie an email. She will hold it for you and bring it at our March service. See below to check if you have a premium waiting.

Mark the date and time: Our unique and musical women's Seder is on Sunday, March 30th. The time is 12:30 p.m. and includes a light lunch of Pesach-friendly culinary delights and your own Lev Eisha Haggadah to take home for your family. Our Pesach cookbook will be on sale at the Seder.

We Have Your Membership Premiums 

Cena	Abergel
Barbara	Axelband
Eve	Axelrad
Gail	Barton
Marilyn	Berger
Fran	Bogotch
Rochelle  Brandon
Judith	Cohen
Lottie	Cohen
Sheryl	Colby
Donna	Ernstoff
Vivian	Feintech
Evelyn	Feintech
Lee	Fischer
Linda	Fleischman
Myrna	Gale
Eveline	Ginzburg
Judith	Golden
Barbara	Haberman
Lois	Hamlish
Linda	Kaufman
Rhonda	Kiff
Julie	Klee
Marion	Klein
Lillian	Laskin
Shayna	Lester
Lynda	Malerstein
Hilda	Mills
Cathryn	Novak
Beverly	Rimer
Leila	Rosemberg
Sherry	Rothschild
Ellen	Satkin
Bonita	Selk
Sylvia	Shapiro
Terrie	Turner
Betty	Wagner Kramer
Riya	Zelcer
Rose	Ziff
Teri	Zohar

Milestones


If you have a milestone to share please send it to: editor@leveisha.org. Our newsletter gets printed about a week before each service. Please send the info ASAP.

Lev Eisha Lev Eisha of Adat Shalom
3030 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
info@leveisha.org

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