L ifestyle /C ulture
Food Continued from Page 19
cilantro; puree. (You don’t want
it boiling hot or it will cook
the cilantro, and you want it to
stay fresh.). Add the remaining
ingredients and puree until
blended. MOROCCAN SPICED
CARROTS Serves 4
K came to my seder this year
and brought these as a side
to accompany our brisket. I
had meant to request the
recipe then, but forgot about it.

Imagine my delight when they
appeared on my plate alongside
the cod cakes last weekend.

Like the cilantro dressing, the
original version of this requires
toasted and hand-ground
cumin. Again, I opted for the
lazy cooks’ version. One more
note: Cooking the carrots in
olive oil adds richness, depth
and flavor, but it also adds fat. If
this is a concern, omit the olive
oil and simply steam the carrots
until they are cooked through;
follow the subsequent steps as
directed. 2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 tablespoon ground cumin
¼ cup olive oil
20 JUNE 17, 2021
1 pound carrots, cut on the
diagonal into thick coins
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 generous tablespoon
fresh lemon juice
Scant ¼ cup black, oil-cured,
pitted olives
1 tablespoon chopped
cilantro 1 tablespoon chopped mint
Toast the pine nuts, either in
an oven at 350 degrees F on a
baking tray for about 8 minutes,
shaking occasionally, or in a
small, dry skillet over medium
heat for 5 minutes. If you’re using
a skillet, watch them carefully
and shake them constantly.

Heat the olive oil on high
in a large skillet and place the
carrot slices in the oil in a single
layer. Cook the carrots for a few
minutes on high, then lower
the heat and cook another 2 or
3 minutes until they are soft.

Shake the pan and move the
carrots around with a spatula to
prevent sticking, and add salt.

Drain the carrots and pour
them into a bowl. Economic
cook’s tip: Save the oil, cool it
and use it for salad dressing.

Add the honey, olives and
lemon juice; allow the mixture
to cool partially. When it
reaches room temperature, add
the fresh herbs, stir and serve. l
Adar Continued from Page 16
of creed. Judaism is not only
a religion; it has elements of
culture, ethnicity and people-
hood as well. To become Jewish
is to become heir to a history
and a way of being in the world.

It is different from conversion
to Christianity, in that it means
becoming a target for antisemi-
tism. In the earliest description
of a rabbinical court, or beit
din, for conversion, the Sages
warned proselytes of the
dangers inherent in becoming
a Jew:
The Sages taught in a
baraita: With regard to a poten-
tial convert who comes to a
court in order to convert, at the
present time, when the Jews are
in exile, the judges of the court
say to him: What did you see
that motivated you to come to
convert? Don’t you know that
the Jewish people at the present
time are anguished, suppressed,
despised and harassed, and
hardships are frequently visited
upon them? (BT Yevamot 47a)
Every convert to Judaism
makes a journey across
the religious, cultural and
emotional frontiers of Judaism.

One of the milestones on that
journey is the moment when
antisemitism ceases to be
theoretical, when it is felt in
the kishkes, in the gut.

I have never regretted
becoming a Jew. I give thanks
every morning that God has
made me a Jew, and that the
Jewish people were willing to
have me. I feel sure, listening
to my student, that she will say
the same thing after 25 years,
no matter what history brings,
so I give her advice:
“Go sit with the Jews when
you feel shaky. You will see,
when there are frightening
things on the news, synagogue
services fill up, gatherings fill
up, we all show up somewhere
to be with the Jews. As a
people, we draw strength from
one another. When bad things
happen, there’s nowhere I
would rather be than with my
Jewish family.

“Whether in my synagogue,
or someone else’s synagogue,
or at the Jewish Film Festival,
I feel better when I am
surrounded by our people.” l
is slanderous, if one is in a
social media debate and needs
the facts, contact us at office@
zoaphilly.org. The mobilization must
begin immediately.

Some other simple things we
each can do: Contact officials in
every city, township, borough
and village to press for strong
resolutions in support of Israel
as the nation-state of the Jewish
people and the necessity that it
must defend itself (not that it
has a “right” to); press school
board members to incorporate
accurate, factual history and
current events regarding our
close and important ally Israel;
make sure every congregation
has a strong, vibrant, unapol-
ogetically pro-Israel advocacy
committee with regular events
and activities; give every bar
mitzvah and bat mitzvah
boy and girl Israeli flags; and
encourage “buy Israel” projects.

Why wait for a war? Gather
friends and stand near a busy
intersection with American
and Israeli flags and signs with
slogans in support of Israel.

Get busy on social media
correcting lies and replacing
them with truths. Meet with
local reporters, editors, news
directors and other media
figures in advance of crises.

We must also circulate the
truth about groups and individ-
uals out to harm Jews and Israel.

Point out that what is proffered
as “pro-Palestinian” is actually
anti-Israel. Those activists make
no pleas to reform Palestinian-
Arab government or society
— they solely attack Jews and
Israel. Let’s put Israel’s enemies
on the defensive.

We each need to be a
part of this effort lest we all
become victims of the anti-Is-
rael/anti-Jewish tsunami
that threatens to make life in
America as Jews difficult. l
Rabbi Ruth Adar is executive
director of HaMaqom|The Place in
Berkeley, California.

Feldman Continued from Page 17
The same misinformation
— today with the active partic-
ipation of the media — warped
perceptions about Israel’s legal
actions and military defense
in response to Gazans’ rocket
attacks. Denials of Jewish
history, Jewish self-determina-
tion and geo-politics make this
a “perfect storm.”
The truth campaign must
take on media outlets, educa-
tional institutions, social
media influencers, politicians
and even some within our own
community. We must call;
write; post on social media;
and speak with family, friends,
neighbors and colleagues.

Our organization, the Zionist
Organization of America —
the longest-serving pro-Israel
organization — has a wealth of
information on the key issues,
and we can guide advocates
and activists to original source
materials and teach effective
advocacy. Also: If you see or
hear a discussion or article
about Israel that one suspects
JEWISH EXPONENT
Steve Feldman is executive director
of the Greater Philadelphia Chapter
of the Zionist Organization of
America. JEWISHEXPONENT.COM