feature story
“Th ey say humans spend 90% of their time indoors,”
he said. “When you think about that, it’s kind of sad.”
Th e second was that it felt good to be outside.

“It helps kind of regenerate your spirit,” Goll added.

And the third was more practical. Kol Emet had a
10-acre property in scenic Bucks County. And it was
not making use of most of it.

“It’s an outdoor area that could be enjoyed by the
membership as a whole and appreciated,” Goll said.

So now, this sense of appreciation is turning into
real action. At Kol Emet, Goll, an engineer by trade,
is leading a committee responsible for the design and
construction of an outdoor sanctuary/"contemplative
space,” as members call it.

The goal, according to Goll, is to connect the
synagogue campus with the forest on its property.

This will give congregants “an outdoor experience
but also bring them into nature,” said the engineer,
whose firm, Princeton Hydro, is handling the
design work.

Concept photos for the space provided by Goll
show a bimah at the front, where Boswell-Levy will
stand, just like in the sanctuary. Th e rabbi will look
out over a series of benches where congregants will sit
and enjoy services.

Only they will not be surrounded by walls. Instead,
they will look around and see bushes, fl owers, trees
and even bistro lights. With the forest on one side,
trees will be planted around the rest of the outdoor
sanctuary to make it a true oasis.

Th ey will, as Goll put it, “frame the space.”
“It will essentially be open air,” he added. “When
the trees get big enough, they’ll provide the quote-un-
quote roof.”
Kol Emet’s outdoor sanctuary is part of a $750,000
capital campaign to upgrade the synagogue. Similarly
large-scale projects are underway at other area shuls, too.

At Har Zion Temple, a $400,000 fundraising eff ort
is going toward the expansion and renovation of
a playground for preschool students. Th e project,
The concept photo for Congregation Kol Emet’s outdoor sanctuary/"contemplative space”
Courtesy of Princeton Hydro
funded by congregants in installments ranging from
$360 to more than $5,000, will double the size of an
existing playground to give kids more space to play
with wood chips, pine cones and each other, accord-
ing to Sara Horowitz, the congregant and mother
leading the eff ort.

When they observed kids playing on the old play-
ground, Horowitz and other parents noticed that
their “favorite things to do” were collecting wood
chips and pine cones and creating games. Th e new
space will emphasize “child-led play,” said Horowitz,
as opposed to “play that’s prescribed.”
“A lot of the research on play shows that the
nature-focused playgrounds are really where the
most growth can happen,” she added. “It’s a lot more
risk-taking and learning on their end.”
Th is is in addition to an outdoor pavilion in the
This playground for preschool students at Har Zion Temple is in the midst
of a renovation process that will double its size.

Photo by Jarrad Saff ren
18 OCTOBER 6, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
works at Har Zion, and a hiking trail out back that is
already fi nished.

Temple Brith Achim is also planning to build a
pavilion, according to President Steve Kantrowitz,
and its garden walkway leading to the entrance is
— like the hiking trail at Har Zion — already done.

Kantrowitz estimates that a handful of people can
gather there, too.

Being outside is not about the view, according to
Gary Charlestein, a Har Zion member since his birth
in 1944. It’s just about being outside.

“Being close to nature is always a good thing —
even if you’re overlooking a parking lot and not over-
looking a beautiful vista,” he said. “You feel the air;
you hear the birds; it’s all good.” JE
jsaff ren@midatlanticmedia.com
Har Zion Temple in Penn Valley holds Shabbat services in this small fi eld.

Photo by Jarrad Saff ren



food & dining
KERI WHITE | SPECIAL TO THE JE
Turkey Dinner
T his
is not
your Thanksgiving turkey feast,
but it could certainly work
for a smaller High Holidays meal.

This boneless roast is a smaller,
simpler, more user-friendly ver-
sion. Sure, it lacks the visual “wow”
factor of the jumbo bird, but it
cooks in about an hour, which is
a lovely feature from the cook’s
perspective. In addition, many of
us are gathering in smaller groups
these days, and this menu suits
that trend well.

If you are still getting together
in large crowds and want the
briefer spell in the oven, simply
buy a few of these and enjoy host-
ing in relative leisure.

Oven-Roasted Sweet
Potatoes Serves 4
Boneless Turkey Roast
Serves 4
Photo by Keri White
Brining is a flavor-infusing hack
that delivers a tasty result.

Turkey has a reputation for dry-
ing out, but brining protects
against that unfortunate out-
come. Covering it while cooking and
placing the roast atop a flavorful
mirepoix (a fancy term for the
carrot/onion/celery mixture lin-
ing the roasting pan) helps keep
it juicy.

Some might balk at the lack of
bones, as that leaves nothing to
make soup from tomorrow. But if
you save the skin, the drippings and
mirepoix, you can make a reason-
ably good broth with the pan resi-
due. No, it’s not the same as a bone
broth simmered overnight, but it’s
a decent substitute given the ease
with which you create it.

For the brine:
6 cups cold water
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon rosemary
For the mirepoix:
1 stalk celery, chopped
oven for about an hour. (If you
do not have a covered roasting
pan, cover the turkey tightly with
foil.) The meat should reach 165
degrees when it is done.

Let the roast rest for 10 min-
utes, covered, before carving.

Drizzle it with pan drippings, and
serve. 2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
For the roast:
1 skin-on boneless turkey roast,
about 2.5 pounds
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon each salt, pepper,
thyme, rosemary, garlic powder
Optional: 2 slices turkey bacon
In a large zip-seal bag, mix the
brine ingredients, and place the tur-
key carefully in the bag. Seal and
refrigerate for 2-24 hours. Two hours
before you intend to serve, remove
the turkey from the brine, rinse and
pat it dry.

Heat your oven to 375 degrees F.

In a roasting pan with a cover,
place the mirepoix ingredients and
toss well.

Prepare the roast: Mix the season-
ings in a small bowl. Coat the roast
with oil and honey, and then sprin-
kle it with the spice mixture. Place
the seasoned roast on top of the
mirepoix mixture. If using, place the
turkey bacon slices over the roast.

Cover and place the turkey in the
There are two equally legitimate
schools of thought on these
sweet potatoes.

One advocates roasting them
right in the pan with the tur-
key, atop the mirepoix, to glean
all the flavorings and drippings
swirling around during the roast-
ing process. This provides a
lovely blend of similar flavors
that pervades the meal and
results in soft sweet potatoes
due to the steam coming out of
the vegetables and the fact that
they are roasted in a covered
pan, which traps the moisture.

The other prefers to cook the
potatoes in a separate pan to
avoid a uniform flavor palate,
and seeks a crispier texture.

If you are in the former camp
(which has the bonus of only
dirtying one pan), you can sim-
ply toss the peeled chopped
potatoes in the pan with the
turkey, and they will cook along-
side the bird. If you are in the latter
camp, follow the directions below.

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and
chopped into bite-sized pieces
(I used assorted purple and white
sweet potatoes, but any type
will do.)
1 tablespoon oil
Sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste
Line a rimmed baking tray with
parchment. Toss the sweet potatoes
with oil, salt and pepper.

Roast alongside the turkey for
about 45-60 minutes, until the
desired level of brown crunchiness
is achieved. JE
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM 19