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B Name: Francoluigi's/High Note Cafe
Width: 3.625"
A M I L Y S I N C E
A F
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Depth: 9.75" O R D
8 Color: Black plus one
Comment: 1/2pg vert- holliday guide mag
B O
2 Fr Francoluigis
ancoluigis R D
A F
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A M I L Y S I N C
9 8
W ISHING
SHING Y O OU U A H A APPY
PPP Y A ND
H EALTHY THH Y H OLID
OLIDAY D A AY S E EASON
A AE SONN F ROM
O UR F A AMILY
MIL L YL Y T O Y O OURS !
Entertainment at
Francoluigi’s/ g /High g Note Cafe
Francoluigi’s/High SPECIAL OPERA EVENT NIGHT
Wed., December 16 th
Puccini’s LA BOHEME
Pre-Paid Resv: $20.00 for Opera • Non- Refundable
LIVE MUSIC Romantic Piano
Fridays & Saturdays • 5:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Check heck out upcoming events on our website
website: WWW . FRANCOLUIGIS . COM
ASK K ABOUT OUR DAILY Y SPECIA
SPECIALS S
BYOB WINE ONLY Y E EVERY NIGHT (NO-FEE)
WE UNDERSTAND WINE IS PERSONAL BUT PLEASE
PLE NO-BEER OR R L LIQUOR
LIQ PERMITTED.

PERMITTED .

WE HAVE A LIQUOR LICENSE
Serving Liquor, Wine
& Cold Beer
Wednesday & Thursday: 5 PM P M – 9 P PM M
Friday & Saturday: 5 P PM M – 11 11 PM P M
Sunday: 1 P PM M – 8 PM P M
Closed Mondays & Tuesdays
Smoke-Free Eatery
13th & Tasker • Philadelphia • 215-755-8903
2 • www.f
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NOVEMBER 19, 2015
Regift Continued from Page 38
is the thought that counts. “The issue with giving a gift is intention-
ality,” said Rabbi Eric Yanoff at Congregation Adath Israel, noting
that the Talmud interprets Jewish laws of giving for various situations.

“So before you can talk about regifting, you have to think about
what it means to give a gift.”
Like all the rabbis we spoke with, Yanoff took a fairly positive
view of regifting, since Judaism regards the spirit behind a gesture
as paramount. “Sometimes, there are very valuable gifts that are
given without thought, while others are very modest from the point
of view of finance but might be quite touching, like a drawing from
a child,” the rabbi explained. “It’s not clear to me that the act of plac-
ing value on a gift is tied up in spending money on it.”
As an example, the rabbi cited a hypothetical person who receives
a second copy of a book he loves, and decides to regift it to someone
else he believes would love it, too. “You’re saying, ‘I wanted you to
have the experience of reading this book,’ ” elaborated Yanoff. “The
idea that this will mean so much to you — there’s a mindfulness to
that that I think is really lovely. I don’t think there’s anything ethically
problematic about it.”
At Main Line Reform Temple Beth Elohim in Wynnewood, Rabbi
Geri Newburge considered whether the Seinfeld episode was ethically
problematic. Was Elaine’s boyfriend Tim, who regifted a label-maker
she had bought him to Jerry, acting shamefully? “Or is it derech eretz,
a sign of courtesy or respect, wanting a gift to find a better, happier
home?” the rabbi wondered. “I would be delighted to receive some-
thing that a friend or family member thinks I would enjoy.”
Certain items fall more easily into this category than others: du-
plicate gifts, books you already own, foods you can’t eat due to diet
or allergy. “That type of regifting feels very ethically sound,” opined
Yanoff. He and his wife designate one night of Chanukah for tzedakah,
another for books and so on, hoping to avoid pointless, perfunctory
presents for their three children. “And we teach our kids that the first
thing you say, no matter what, is ‘Thank you,’ ” he added.

For Elisa Goldberg, who recently took over as interim rabbi at
the Reconstructionist Kol Tzedek in West Philadelphia, honesty is
what makes regifting kosher. “We are blessed to live in a world with
lots and lots of stuff,” said the rabbi, who, like others, cited the
Jewish commandment of bal tashchit — “do not waste” — as a pow-
erful argument against superfluous items shoved in the back of the
closet. (Rabbi Freedman noted that this commandment is based
on a verse in Deuteronomy about not destroying fruit trees when
waging war on a city — an example with little practical application
in present-day Philadelphia, but a fine rationalization for disposing
of clutter nonetheless.)
“The larger question here is how much stuff we have, and how
much we’re obligated to give — it’s crazy,” said Goldberg. She pointed
out that the avalanche of obligation can become a financial burden
in what are lean economic times for many families — and sometimes,
a nicely wrapped regift may be the only affordable price of admission
to a classmate’s party.

But as a general rule, tacit regifting “doesn’t feel quite right,” ad-
mitted Goldberg, even if it theoretically reduces waste. “You’re not
just giving the gift, you’re giving the sentiment.” The rabbi favors
donating unwanted gifts, or else passing them on as openly second-
hand items, as she does with her 9-year-old daughter on their annual
Chanukah Goodwill run.

The honesty approach finds its fullest expression at white elephant
parties, in which participants wrap frankly unwanted oddball items
(“white elephants”) for a game of exchanges — the funnier and less
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