Each month in this space, L'Chayim will look back into issues of The Jewish News to see what was happening in the local Jewish community or in the Diaspora 10, 20 and 40 years ago. 40 YEARS AGO The House of Representatives opened its session with an invocation by an Orthodox rabbi, the first to do so. A banquet was held in Johannesburg to honor the chief rabbi of the British Empire. A two-pound box of Barton's chocolates cost $3.50. About 12,000 Detroit Jews celebrated the second 6 i / C A ett Ov 20 YEARS AGO An original jazz service for the Sabbath was presented at a Reform synagogue in Washington, D.C. The numbers of professionals in Israel holding academic degrees exceeded 60,000. Eleven Jewish bakeries were on strike; bagel factories were not affected by the walkout. Two Detroit banks granted a $3 million loan for the construction of immigrant housing in Israel. 10 YEARS AGO Four Jewish militants were arrested after a night-long rampage through Arab West Bank towns. A non-alcoholic natural beverage similar in color, taste and aroma to wine, was developed by Tel Aviv University scientists. The Jewish Community Center's Oak Park facility was re- named after Jimmy Prentis Morris. Rabbi Irwin Groner was named one of four national chairman of a group of Conservative rabbis opposed to ordination of women. Celebrate Shavuot With Healthy Barley Dishes By LESLYE MICHLIN BORDEN Shavuot has its roots in the spring wheat and barley harvests. Barley was an important source of nutrition even in biblical times. In fact, it was the first cereal grain cultivated by man. It has approximately the same nutritional content as corn, with 3% more protein and slightly less fat, a factor important to modern consumers who are looking for ways to increase their intake of complex carbohydrates and lower their intake of fat and cholesterol. Barley comes in several forms: flakes, flour, and most commonly, pearled. One of the most popular ways to eat barley is in soup. Ashenazic Jews, who were well familiar with barley as a food staple, offer many delicious recipes for soups that combine barley with beans and/or mushrooms. So mixing barley with lentils is not a major departure, and doing so adds some variety to the standard fare. Barley lentil soup enjoys the additional benefit of being low in fat and containing no cholesterol. It is chocked so full of every delicious and healthy vegetable, it can be served as a meal in itself. One food tradition followed on Shavuot is serving "white" foods, usually cheese and other rich milk products. These stand for the purity of the Torah, which was received on this occasion. Another is to serve fruits and vegetables which have not already been eaten in the year. These relate to the commemoration of the spring harvest. Of course, for people trying to limit consumption of fat and cholesterol, cheese and rich dairy dishes are inappropriate. But those who want to follow this aspect of the observance can prepare a low fat barley-artichoke salad. Almost anything you can make 54 anniversary of Israel at the State Fair Coliseum. FRIDAY, MAY 25, 1990 with rice you can make with barley. One-quarter cup uncooked pearl barley becomes 1 cup cooked. So why not prepare a barley mushroom pilaf as a side dish for one meal during the celebration. It adds a lot of variety to your cooking repertoire and a lot of complex carbohydrates to your diet. BARLEY LENTIL SOUP 1 /2 cup pearl barley 2 cups dried lentils 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 large onion, coarsely chopped 1 leek, washed thoroughly and coarsely chopped 4 carrots, cut in 1-inch chunks 2 stalks celery, with leaves, cut in 1-inch pieces 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon seasoned salt 1 /2 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs, crushed 2 bay leaves dash of cayenne freshly ground black pepper water Rinse and drain barley and lentils, using a fine colander or sieve. In a pot large enough to hold all the ingredients, heat the oil. Add onion and garlic. Stirring frequently, cook until the vegetables are soft. Add leek, carrots, and celery and continue cooking. Add seasonings, barley, and lentils. Stir well. Add water to cover (at least 3 quarts) and slowly bring to a boil. Cover and simmer about 1 hour, or until barley and lentils are tender. Add more water as necessary since the legumes will absorb the cooking liquid as they expand. Remove bay leaves before serving. Cool and refrigerate if not serving at once. May be divided and frozen. To serve, reheat to the boiling point, taking care not to scorch. Makes 16 1-cup servings. BARLEY ARTICHOKE SALAD 1 cup raw barley 1 teaspoon salt 4 cups water 4 green onions 1 /2 green pepper, diced 1 /2 red pepper, diced 1 cucumber, seeded and diced 2 jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained 1 /3 cup reduced calorie, reduced cholesterol mayonnaise 1 /3 cup non-fat yogurt 6 medium artichokes water 1 tablespoon salt (or less) juice of 1/2 lemon splash of olive or canola oil Heat 4 cups of water and the salt in a 4-quart pot. In the meantime, wash the barley thoroughly in a sieve. Add the barley to the boiling liquid, then cover and reduce the heat. Cook, covered, at low heat for 45 minutes. Check. If the barley is tender, but all the liquid has not been absorbed, drain. If it is not tender, continue cooking, adding more liquid if necessary. While the barley is cooking, prepare artichokes. Half fill a pot large enough to hold all the artichokes with water. Add about 1 tablespoon of salt (or less), lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. Bring to a boil. Cut off the thick stem and tops of the artichokes. Add the artichokes to the pot when the water comes to a boil. When it comes to a boil again, cover and reduce heat. Keep the pot simmering gently for about 45 minutes, depending on the size of the artichokes. You may need more time for very large atichokes and less for medium ones. When a leaf pulls out easily, the artichokes are ready. Drain and cool. Place the cooked barley in a large bowl. Add the cut up vegetables, drained artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, and non-fat yogurt. Adjust seasonings. Refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, remove some of the inner leaves and the thistle of the artichoke. Use the space this creates as the "bowl." Fill the bowl with the salad. Serves 6. BARLEY MUSHROOM PILAF 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil or 1 /4 cup defatted chicken broth 1 /2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed and quartered 1 /2 onion, red or brown, thinly sliced 1 /4 cup thin spaghetti, broken up 1 1/3 cups barley, washed and drained 5 cups defatted chicken broth or water 1 teaspoon salt (if water is used) freshly grated black pepper Heat oil or chicken broth in a large pan. Add the mushrooms, and onion slices. Stirring frequently, let the vegetables cook until they begin giving off their own juices. When most of the juice has cooked away, add the spaghetti and barley. Continue cooking until the barley and spaghetti are lightly browned. Add chicken broth or water and salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Continue cooking until all the liquid has been absorbed and the barley is tender, about 45 minutes. Add more liquid, if necessary. Serves 8 generously. Leslye Michlin Borden is a Detroit native residing in California who specializes in healthful kosher cooking.