homes & gardens - hakol - may 2016

MAY 2016NISANIYYAR 5776

2 MAY 2016 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | HOMES amp GARDENS

feeds clothes delights

uncommon mortgagecomExclusively at Embassy Bank

Bye ByePMI

Put your money toward paying off your mortgage not someone elsersquos insurance

Another uncommon approach to save you money

PERUVIAN CEVICHE

Ingredients1 c fresh lime juice1 c fresh lemon juice 2 hot red chili peppers shred-ded2 sliced red onions14 t minced garlic1 t salt2 dashes of black pepper2 pounds flounder cut into 1 pieces

TechniqueMix everything except fish together and place in a Pyrex quart container with a lid Add the fish refrigerate for 6 hours or more Stir and serve with crackers or crusty bread and white wine

CUCUMBER SALAD

Ingredients 3 cucumbers peeled and sliced very thin2 t salt 12 c apple cider vinegar2 T ice water1 T sugar (or more to taste)1 dash pepper1 small sweet onion thinly sliced TechniqueIn a bowl sprinkle cukes with salt set aside for 12 hour until they ldquoweeprdquo Drain well Mix in remaining ingredients chill overnight covered Serve cold

SUMMER BREAD SALAD

Ingredients6 ripe tomatoes assorted colors1 red onion peeled and sliced thinly3 T balsamic vinegarMaldon sea salt (flaky)12 c chopped basil leavespepper to taste34 c Spanish extra virgin olive oil2 garlic cloves peeled and halved13 lb whole wheat day old crusty bread sliced13 lb white day old crusty bread sliced13 lb rye day old crusty bread sliced

TechniqueGet the grill ready for direct cooking over high heat In the meantime combine tomatoes with onion vinegar salt and pepper Pour over this 14 c of oil Use another 14 c of oil to brush both sides of each slice of bread Grill on each side for 1 -- 2 minutes until toasted Rub both sides with the cut garlic then dispose of the garlic Cut the bread into bite-sized cubes Toss with vegetable mixture add basil and pour over the remaining 14 c of oil Serve as soon as possible

Recipes from the gardenBY SANDI TEPLITZ

HOMES amp GARDENS | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | MAY 2016 3

By Judith RodwinSpecial to HAKOL

In the past Irsquove written gardening articles for HAKOL in the cold of winter when dreaming of summer crops and gorgeous blooms is a healthy inspiring pastime This year itrsquos spring Itrsquos almost but not quite time to start hardening off the seedlings in my greenhouse or under lights if you have them The nurseries are just getting flats of pansies and other early plants What to do while anticipating planting Irsquom browsing through the garden books on my bookshelves There is always more knowledge to be gained more tips to remember more experiences to learn and laugh about And one has to do something to keep out of the dirt prematurely Although it will be May when you get this issue of HAKOL it is not too late to incorporate anything mentioned here into this yearrsquos gardening

Issues on my mind include lists and design The lists are simplest keep track of what you plant where and when I know that I will not remember year to year so I have spreadsheets on my computer with those three categories and when Irsquom being thor-ough a fourth ldquowrdquo to tell me where a plant or seeds were purchased If Irsquom really being compulsive Irsquoll add a results category that includes when planted when germinated if seeds where in the garden and how well (or poorly) they did A bit of trivia came my way while re-reading ldquoThe Essential Earthmanrdquo by Henry Mitchell It seems that Thomas Jefferson kept lists down to when the first lightning bugs appeared at Monti-cello May 8 1798 I have never recorded the burst of lightning bugs here but I do know that the Spring Peepers came early in March this year only to burrow back into the mud with the freezing night temperatures They did not sing again for nearly a month I am much more alert to the return of the migrating ducks (Hooded Merganser reliably here second or third week of March) and my summer residents the Great Blue Heron couple who appeared with a dramatic swoop around the pond on April 17

It always surprises me to look at old lists and see what actually happened in a previ-ous year For instance two years ago nearly all my beautiful tomato seedlings deliv-ered gross bottom-rot tomatoes It was a good thing that I had noted the location of the tomatoes so I was able to avoid those contaminated areas last year Or by reviewing old lists I see that I am attracted to certain repeats some of which have done well leeks and Sea Shell Cosmos and some Ichiban that have not Why Location Soil condi-tions Given the time it can be a very enjoyable and useful bit of horticultural sleuthing

Birds bugs and toads are all a part of the garden They give us clues to overall and specific conditions I overheard someone say that she thought all her tulip bulbs had been destroyed by the squirrels only to see them begin blooming the third week of April The squirrels had not eaten them If she had kept a list of when these tulips typically bloom she might not have been so concerned Or if she usually hears Spring Peepers but had not during April she would have realized that the nights have been too cold for tulips to bloom

Design ldquoA Book of Gardening A Practical Guiderdquo by Penelope Hobhouse pub-lished in association with The National Trust (Great Britain) is one of the most compre-hensive and thoroughly British gardening books you can find You can hear Ms Hob-housersquos accent in her writing style so very very English is she And since many of the British climates and growing conditions are the same as ours here in the Lehigh Valley it is a very useful little book If you have ever travelled to Great Britain you will know that the gardens whether post stamp-sized ones in front yards or the grand estates are lovingly designed to achieve a wished-for ideal look

Structural planting is often the backbone or frame of the British garden Whether walls or hedges alleys or promenades they are the product of design that creates the gardenrsquos story Of course as Ms Hobhouse points out green ldquowallsrdquo of hedges or plants are much less expensive to employ than stone or brick Practical as ever she reminds us that we should select plants that ldquowill make the most beautiful featurerdquo and that will thrive in that particular site whether sunny or shady sandy or loamy wet or dry If I am not sure I always inquire about soil sun growing habits and on-going care of a plant

We do have to be honest with ourselves about how much work we want to be committed to The Hawthorne alley I have dreamed about for years thank you Marcel Proust is not going to happen I do not have a full-time gardener the expertise nor the energy to do it myself So I have replaced that big project with another from my wish-list pink climbing roses over the garage I think that is within my ability

That raises the issue of what is feasible and what is not The formal highly struc-tured gardens of the 1500s up to the turn of the last century depended on inexpensive labor devoted to their existence They may be gorgeous but most of us cannot manage them even on a small scale even if we could find the gardener So along came cot-tage and kitchen gardens and naturalized settings These are designed spaces that are beautiful welcoming and manageable I am struck by how unplanned and lacking in creativity most of our suburban front yards and gardens are

Friends go online and look at English cottage gardens or Dutch or Chinese if that is your preference English gardens are characterized by cycles of bloom and color giving you flowers to cut to enjoy and even to dry for the winter They require minimal main-tenance once installed The dense planting reduces the dreaded weeding They are very kid-friendly bringing small creatures and birds along with the flowers close to home They work well when interspersed with vegetables Have fun

But even these small gardens sometime just a corner of color around the mailbox post are designed not haphazard There are websites apps books and charts for your own design planning Or work with one of the very fine garden centers here in the Valley If you are looking for a naturalized rural look try Point Phillip Perennials in the northeastern corner of Northampton County (ppperennialscom) Think about the look you want and plan it Make it your own Go boldly and beautifully into summer

ldquoThe Essential Earthman Henry Mitchell on Gardeningrdquo 1981

ldquoA Book of Gardening Ideas Method Designs A Practical Guide by Penelope Hobhouserdquo

The National Trust 1986

ldquoFlower Drying With A Microwave Techniques and Projectsrdquo by Titia Joosten 1985

ldquoHerbs How to Select Grow and Enjoyrdquo by Norma Jean Lathrop

ldquoWell-Swept Herb Farm Gardening in the Shaderdquo by Harriet K Morse 1982


By Jennifer LaderSpecial to HAKOL

Yoursquove driven past it countless times maybe you never knew it existed or maybe you remember from your childhood its stained glass with the sun shining through the vent windows open for a spring breeze

The original home of Congregation Sons of Israel which was located at the corner of W Tilghman and N Sixth Streets in Al-lentown has since 1972 housed Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary Orthodox Church Yet the building retains the original windows and some of its original mystique The key to its contin-ued existence resides perhaps in the spiritually-infused sanctu-ary but certainly in the kitchen where a dough mixer waits in one corner

The BVM congregation of 150 people descended from the Carpatho-Russian-Czech areas of Europe hand makes 500 dozen pierogis for sale every two weeks at $6 per dozen

ldquoWe have to keep the place goingrdquo said the Very Rev Proto-presbyter Robert Rebeck pastor of the church during a recent privately-arranged tour Its crowning jewels are the stained glass

windows that run the length of the northern and southern walls and that grace the facade visible from indoors and out with a large rose window Clearly proud of the Jewish roots of the church Reebeck said with conviction ldquoEvery symbol is here and will stay hererdquo The symbols to which he referred include the To-rah scroll the Ten Commandment tablets and the shield of David

During the tour Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Brith Sho-lom Allen Juda at first puzzled over one symbol the weights and scales but soon made sense of it ldquoOf course The founders were businessmenrdquo he said ldquoThey wanted to emphasize ethics in businessrdquo

In 1902 the original congregants of Sons of Israel said to have come mainly from Vidukla in Lithuania bought the site on which to build their synagogue Ruth Sachs Meislin whose grandparents were founding members recalls attending services there as a child Though because of her youth she would some-times sit with the men in the main area of the sanctuary she was usually with the women upstairs in what is now the choir loft with the girls all sitting in one area The original pews are up there still one graced with the label ldquo7rdquo inspires the visitor to wonder about who once sat there

Above The artwork shows what mattered to the founders Left Exterior view Below The original rose window still graces the facade


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Back then Meislin and the other children knew of the exis-tence of a mikvah in the basement but to this day it is impossible to point out where exactly it was located

The kitchen however is easily identifiable in its original loca-tion ldquoMy mother my grandmother and my great-grandmother worked in this kitchenrdquo Meislin said with fondness The appli-ances are vintage and still in working order

With help from Rebeck and his pierogi-producing congre-gants the entire building has stood the test of time They bought the building some years after Sons of Israel moved to its current location at 2715 Tilghman Street in Allentown Though small for the burgeoning population of Sons in the 1950s the original structure ldquowas built so well that the furnace is in a vaultrdquo as Re-beck said The congregation added protective exterior coverings over the stained glass windows and has maintained the structure as best it can though more comers for the pierogi sales would be most welcome

For more information or to order pierogis from BVM Orthodox Church located in the original Congregation Sons of Israel building call 610-432-0272


Above Visitors on a private tour Rabbi Allen Juda (seated) and Ruth Sachs Meislin with Pastor Robert Rebeck Left One of the machines that helps keep the congregation going a potato roller used to make filling for pierogis

Above Interior views of the stained glass window Left Who sat in 7 An original pew now in the choir loft


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PET SUPPLIES bull POWER EQUIPMENT amp MORE

HELLERTOWN PA bull 6108387000 bull NEIGHBORSGARDENCOM

With a new refrigeration system and new drop-off location Jewish Family Service is more equipped than ever to accept fresh produce this planting season

ldquoItrsquos really a very fundamental Jewish concept of tzedakahrdquo said Rebecca Axelrod-Cooper community impact coordinator at JFS ldquoYou set apart a side of your field and share with those that are less fortunaterdquo

ldquoWhen yoursquore on limited income and have to make choices to really stretch fresh produce is such a huge luxuryrdquo she added ldquoTomatoes cucumbers peppers herbs potatoes in the summer corn anything fresh goesrdquo

Jewish Family Servicersquos Community Food Pantry serves 125 families per month and is open to the entire 18104 zip code and Jews throughout the Lehigh Valley

Earlier this year JFS purchased industri-al-grade refrigeration and freezer space that will allow it to better store fruit vegetables and other fresh items The pantry will now even be able to order milk from the Second Harvest Food Bank which it couldnrsquot do before

And starting in June the Jewish Com-munity Center will be accepting donations of produce at its front desk

ldquoIt came to our attention that the limited hours at JFS made it difficult for people who worked to drop off any donations and in particular fresh produce to us either if they had bought extra at the grocery store or are growing in their own gardenrdquo Axelrod-Cooper said ldquoSince the JCC has way more hours and access to refrigeration they have graciously agreed to partner with usrdquo

Non-fresh items may also be dropped off

at the JCC in red labeled bins throughout the building Fresh produce will be stored in the JCCrsquos refrigerators until JFS can retrieve them

ldquoPeople are getting back to wanting to know where their food comes from and grow it and experience it with their chil-drenrdquo Axelrod-Cooper said ldquoTo take it to the next step and add the tzedakah com-ponent gives a lot of meaning If you want to consider setting aside or planting extra please keep us in mindrdquo

Planting season presents tzedakah opportunity

By Stephanie SmartschanJFLV Director of Marketing

Just down the street from Congregation Brith Sholom in Bethlehem sits Monocacy Manor property of the School Sisters of St Francis The sis-ters acquired the land in 1947 ndash originally 124 acres ndash and after easements and selling a chunk to a developer today about 40 acres remain in their possession

ldquoWe wanted to make sure that what we did with the remainder of the property was sustainablerdquo said Sister Bon-nie director of the Monocacy Farm Project

The sisters took a section of the property enclosed it in deer fence and their organic garden began

About half of the garden is farmed by a private CSA A small section of commu-nity garden allows families to plant their own harvest The rest of the garden relies on the work of volunteers and is overseen by Bob Drake who produces lists of tasks each day for those wishing to help out ldquoEvery day that itrsquos not raining I will have workrdquo Drake said

His harvest ndash focusing on staples like green beans and carrots ndash will all be donated to soup kitchens and food pantries across the Lehigh Valley including Jewish Fam-ily Service

ldquoTo be able to provide fresh organic produce to people who have such lim-ited income it opens them

up to a lot of possibilities that they wouldnrsquot have in terms of their nutrition and their eatingrdquo said Rebecca Axelrod-Cooper community impact coordinator at JFS

After receiving a call from Sister Bonnie last year Rabbi Michael Singer of Brith Sholom said his congregation was more than willing to help out

ldquoOur congregation is re-ally fired up about itrdquo Singer said on a recent trip to the farm ldquoPeople need a diet that includes fresh vegetables and things that are nourishing to body and soulrdquo

In addition to contribut-ing financially Singer said he expects to have congregants out working the fields this summer

ldquoThis ties with both of our religious traditionsrdquo Singer said of the partner-ship

ldquoGetting people who care about humanity and the earth to work togetherrdquo Sister Bonnie said

To learn more about the Monocacy Farm Project visit wwwschoolsistersosforg under ministries

Brith Sholom partners with Bethlehem farm to provide organic produce to those in need

Above Bob Drake Sister Bonnie Rabbi Michael Singer and CSA manager Chris West Below the fields that will soon be planted at Monocacy Farm


The mezuzah is on the door-post two candles will be lit for Shabbat More than symbols these are integral to Jewish life for so many Adhering closely to Jewish practice can call into question adopting other traditions even non-religious ones Feng shui pronounced fung shway refers to an an-cient Chinese art of arranging the objects in the home or elsewhere to best support the flow of energy known as chi through a space There have been attempts to reconcile the two traditions but these stop short of the way in which they truly dovetail

In both Judaism and feng shui placement of objects has a deeper meaning The words on the scroll contained in the mezuzah serve as a reminder to Jews about responsibilities The candles are lit in welcom-ing Shabbat the day of rest setting it apart from all the other days

Likewise in feng shui there is deeper meaning Space planning furniture ar-rangement and decor are used to ensure a steady and mod-erately paced flow of energy avoiding stagnation for these are believed to be reflected in other aspects of life such as love and family relationships business and health There is an octagon also represented as a nine-compartment grid that can be super-imposed on a space of any size from a large property or house down to a room or even a desktop for some examples

Clutter broken objects or irregularly-shaped spaces are all signals that the corresponding life area may need to be ldquocuredrdquo as well Every problem has a cure These can include ad-ditions of green plants repair or replacement of broken items stoves are seen as particularly important objects and the dining room and master bedroom are the key locations in the house

Cure the space fix the life area This sounds like a link to Judaism and in-deed human behavior in general between behav-ior and intention Change the mindset and the behavior can improve change the behavior and the mindset has at least a chance of changing

Of particular concern in feng shui is that the arrangement of objects

promotes a feeling of security A cabinet that looms over a chair a doorway that opens behind the line of sight of a bed a front door at a T-inter-section that has cars coming directly toward it are all per-ceived as threats whether real or subconscious and there may be parallels in life

Having relationship prob-lems Get that trash heap out of the relationship corner of the property Children giving you trouble Place round white objects in the child area of the house (feng shui associ-ates colors and elements with each of the life areas)

But is it disloyal at best or even wrong to incorporate the principles of feng shui into a Jewish household Rivka Slatkin founder of Jewish-Life-Organizedcom doesnrsquot think so She has as her aim helping people ldquomake their home a place that is calm beautiful and really functional for all members of the familyrdquo which she recognizes as an important goal in feng shui as well She goes so far as to find Torah sources that indicate ldquoa pos-sible reconciling with the art of feng shui Objects in the Bays Hamikdosh had very specific positions they were supposed to be in Shinui Makom Shinui Mazal Changing your place changes your luckrdquo

Jayme Barrett author of

ldquoFeng Shui Your Liferdquo told The Jewish Journal in 2003 that even though feng shui is an Eastern discipline it is one that is wholly symbiotic with Judaism As she explains it objects like mezuzot fill the house with divine energy and clearing out clutter is akin to ridding the house of chametz for Passover ldquoIt means you are clearing away the objects that keep you enslavedrdquo the Journal reports her as saying ldquoWhen you clear up clutter you are also taking away the things that are depleting you and then you can purposeful-ly place items in your house

in a way that helps you move forward in your life

Likewise Rabbi Jonathan Lubliner writes in his blog that the mezuzah ldquocan remind Jews to imbue their dwellings and relationships with a sense of wonder and gratitude for Godrsquos gifts to us items guar-anteed to enhance the Jewish chi of their homerdquo

What all three of them are getting at but not quite saying and where the two traditions really come together is in living with mindfulness acting with purpose and shedding what is not helpful fixing what

is broken -- whether stove or relationship -- and looking to respected ancient traditions for prescriptions or proscrip-tions Whether this means observing the traditions of one or the other or reconciling both such thoughtful living bodes well for success in all areas of life


Where Judaism and the art of feng shui come together


feeds clothes delights

uncommon mortgagecomExclusively at Embassy Bank

Bye ByePMI

Put your money toward paying off your mortgage not someone elsersquos insurance

Another uncommon approach to save you money

PERUVIAN CEVICHE

Ingredients1 c fresh lime juice1 c fresh lemon juice 2 hot red chili peppers shred-ded2 sliced red onions14 t minced garlic1 t salt2 dashes of black pepper2 pounds flounder cut into 1 pieces

TechniqueMix everything except fish together and place in a Pyrex quart container with a lid Add the fish refrigerate for 6 hours or more Stir and serve with crackers or crusty bread and white wine

CUCUMBER SALAD

Ingredients 3 cucumbers peeled and sliced very thin2 t salt 12 c apple cider vinegar2 T ice water1 T sugar (or more to taste)1 dash pepper1 small sweet onion thinly sliced TechniqueIn a bowl sprinkle cukes with salt set aside for 12 hour until they ldquoweeprdquo Drain well Mix in remaining ingredients chill overnight covered Serve cold

SUMMER BREAD SALAD

Ingredients6 ripe tomatoes assorted colors1 red onion peeled and sliced thinly3 T balsamic vinegarMaldon sea salt (flaky)12 c chopped basil leavespepper to taste34 c Spanish extra virgin olive oil2 garlic cloves peeled and halved13 lb whole wheat day old crusty bread sliced13 lb white day old crusty bread sliced13 lb rye day old crusty bread sliced

TechniqueGet the grill ready for direct cooking over high heat In the meantime combine tomatoes with onion vinegar salt and pepper Pour over this 14 c of oil Use another 14 c of oil to brush both sides of each slice of bread Grill on each side for 1 -- 2 minutes until toasted Rub both sides with the cut garlic then dispose of the garlic Cut the bread into bite-sized cubes Toss with vegetable mixture add basil and pour over the remaining 14 c of oil Serve as soon as possible

Recipes from the gardenBY SANDI TEPLITZ
















































PLANT JOY

HOME amp GARDEN
































































































PLANT JOY

HOME amp GARDEN

















































homes & gardens - hakol - may 2016

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