From Generation to Generation: How do you raise your children Jewishly?
In honor of l’dor v’dor, a Jewish saying that means “from generation to generation,” we spoke to young families to find out how and
why they raise their children Jewishly.

*Rosen photo courtesy of Rebecca Barger
The Hoffman Family
The Heller Family
The Varon-Mosquera Family
The Rosen Family
“We live Jewishly in the little
details of our lives. We teach our
children about giving back and
donating their time to others. We
have a Shabbat meal every Friday
night and include friends in our
community or extended family.

We find a true connection to our
synagogue. That’s our personal
Jewish journey, but there are so
many beautiful ways that Judaism
can enter our lives on a daily basis.

From helping a friend, to being
kind, to simply being respectful —
we try to model Jewish values as
best we can.”
“The Jewish community allows
for children to understand
their part of something greater
than themselves and their
immediate family. Something
their parents, grandparents and
great-grandparents were a part of
and that they will have the same
responsibility to pass on to their
children. We sent our children
to Jewish preschool, where they
got their foundation in Judaism
as well as going to Hebrew
School. More than that, they see
it reflected in the time spent with
our families celebrating holidays.”
“Raising Sarah Jewish is a mitzvah
of high priority for us. Raising her
with Jewish values as a foundation
is a great gift we are giving to her and
to the world. Also, for my husband
Daniel, it is a way to honor his
Jewish heritage. As a mother who
has embraced Judaism, I feel very
happy to be part of the commitment
to help strengthen Sarah’s Jewish
identity and pride. We want our
daughter to grow up loving being
Jewish, and being aware of the social
responsibility that this entails and
the positive impact that she can have
on the world.”
“Neely is the grandchild of
Holocaust survivors so l’dor v’dor –
the passing down of traditions – is
fundamental to who we are. Raising
kids Jewishly means creating a
home filled with Jewish ritual and
sensory experiences – the sounds of
Carlebach around the kitchen table,
the smell of the Havdalah spices,
the feeling of braiding challah
or shaking a lulav, the ritual and
rhythm of Shabbat – and modeling
a commitment to community and a
connection to Israel. We supplement
public school with Hebrew school
and Jewish day camp.”
Joy and Ryan Hoffman with their
children: Ella (14 y.o.), Ethan (12 y.o.),
Emily (10 y.o.) and Evan (4 y.o.)
Rachel and Corey Heller and
their children: Julia (6 y.o.) and
Joey (9 y.o.)
Daniel Varon and Ivonne
Mosquera with their daughter:
Sarah (7 y.o.)
Neely and Leon Rosen and
their children: Symon (8 y.o.)
and Aleah (10 y.o.)
Young families in our
community are counting on you!
3 Ways For Local Families
With Kids To Live Jewishly
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia proudly supports a number of
organizations, programs and initiatives that support young families and their
ability to pass on the traditions and values of Judaism to the next generation.

Check out these Jewish Federation supported
programs and see the full list at
jewishphilly.org/youngfamilyguide YOUR gift makes an impact:
$840,000+ for day and overnight Jewish summer camp
scholarships and grants
1 Calling all bookworms! Sign up for PJLibrary and
receive free Jewish children’s books every month.

2 If you’re raising an interfaith family, read up
on 18Doors and their resources for interfaith
families (and couples without kids!) to engage
in Jewish life.

3 Got a budding David Beckham (he’s Jewish!)
in your family? Check out the Kehillah soccer
league, which starts in September.

6,990+ households participated in educational programs
to strengthen their Jewish identity
5,935 children received Jewish-themed books and music
that bring Jewish traditions into their home life
Invest in our community’s next generation.

Make your gift today.

jewishphilly.org/donate or call 215.832.3484
16 AUGUST 12, 2021
JEWISH EXPONENT
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



L ifestyle /C ulture
Make the Most of August Produce
F OO D
LINDA MOREL | JE FOOD COLUMNIST
I LOVE LATE AUGUST!
Farmers markets and backyard
gardens are jumping, offering
the summer’s best yield.

Think of crisp string beans,
firm cucumbers,
plump tomatoes, sweet corn on the cob,
summer squash, baby eggplants
and big, round berries.

I buy bunches of basil,
parsley, dill and mint.

Whatever I don’t use in a
couple of days, I chop, place
in individual Ziplock bags
and store in the freezer. I
recently discovered you can cut
uncooked corn off the cob and
freeze it, preserving the best of
summer far into the fall.

August is the last full
month of summer. By
mid-September, there’s a nip
in the air and the angle of
the sun has tipped toward
autumn. Of course, it is
feasible to find many of the
same local fruits and veggies
in September, but they won’t
be quite as juicy and delicious.

So, while a cornucopia of
summer produce is available, I
joyously fill my shopping basket
with foods that flourish in the
sun’s last strong rays of the year,
relying on recipes that are as
easy to prepare as lounging on a
hammock during Sunday after-
noons in August.

GRILLED BABY EGGPLANTS |
PAREVE kasto80 / iStock / Getty Images Plus
Serves 4-6
Nonstick vegetable spray
3 baby eggplants, peeled
and sliced about ¼-inch
thick ¼ cup olive oil, or more if
needed Kosher salt to taste
¼ teaspoon garlic powder, or
more if needed
Equipment: a barbecue grill
and a vegetable grill
basket JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
Preheat your barbecue grill.

Place the eggplant slices on
a plate. Pour the olive oil into a
small bowl. Dip a pastry brush
in the oil and coat the top
side of the eggplant slices with
oil. (If you don’t have a pastry
brush, drizzle on oil with a
teaspoon.) Sprinkle on salt
and garlic powder. Turn the
eggplant slices over and repeat
on the other side.

Lightly coat your grill basket
with nonstick vegetable spray.

Move the prepared eggplant
slices to the grill basket. Place
the grill basket on the grill
rack. Grill the eggplants for 4
minutes on each side, or until
cooked through and crisping.

Serve immediately or at room
temperature. BARBECUED CORN ON THE
COB | PAREVE
Serves 6
Nonstick vegetable spray
6 ears of fresh corn on the
cob Kosher salt to taste
Equipment: a barbecue grill
and barbecue tongs
Before preheating, spray the
rack of your grill with nonstick
vegetable spray. Preheat your
barbecue grill.

Remove the husks from the
corn and discard. Place the corn
on the grill. Using barbecue
tongs, turn the corn about every
two minutes so that all sides
are exposed to the grill’s flame.

Grill for about 10 minutes, or
until the corn is caramelized
and golden to slightly brown.

Remove the corn from the
grill and sprinkle salt on all
sides. Serve immediately.

MIXED TOMATOES AND
HERB SALAD | PAREVE
Serves 4-6
Salad: 2½ pounds tomatoes in a
variety of colors (red,
orange, yellow, etc.)
⅛ cup basil leaves, chopped
⅛ cup dill fronds, chopped
⅛ cup chives, chopped
Optional: Glass bowls show
off this stunning summer
dessert to advantage.

Into each of six bowls,
scoop 2 heaping tablespoons
of ice cream or sorbet. Arrange
Core and slice tomatoes the berries attractively over
thin. Arrange them on an
attractive platter, overlap-
ping the colors. Sprinkle the
basil, dill and chives over the
tomatoes. Reserve.

Dressing: ¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
to taste
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Place all the dressing ingre-
dients in a small bowl and
whisk them together until
they are well combined. Slowly
drizzle the dressing over the
tomatoes. Serve immediately
or within a couple of hours.

BERRY DELIGHT | DAIRY OR
PAREVE Serves 6
1 pint vanilla ice cream, or
coconut or lemon sorbet
3 cups assorted:
blueberries, raspberries
and sliced strawberries
6 sprigs of mint
6 gingersnap cookies (store
bought) JEWISH EXPONENT
the ice cream or sorbet. Scoop
1-2 tablespoons of ice cream
or sorbet over the berries.

Top with a generous sprig of
mint. Slide a ginger snap into
the ice cream or sorbet at an
attractive angle. Serve immedi-
ately. l
FAMILY REUNION
The family of Yitzhak and
Marya Belitsky of Anashushek,
Lithuania will be holding a reunion
on the weekend of
August 21 and 22, 2021.

If you believe you are a descendant
of Yitzhak and Marya Belitsky and/or
their children, Jacob, Joseph,
Morris and Herman Belitsky or
Jennie Belitsky Morganstern,
please contact drbelitsky@aol.com
or Jack Belitsky @ 215-694-7130
to seek further information.

AUGUST 12, 2021
17