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This Won't Kippah You Awake
A "Jewish" herb that puts you to sleep?
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Q: My mother-in-law
has difficulty sleeping.
Her birthday is coming
up, and I'd like to give
her a gift that could
help her with this prob-
lem. Initially, I consid-
ered a cassette tape
that played one of our
rabbi's sermons over
and over and over. But
now I hear there's a
sleep-inducing herb
with a Jewish connec-
tion. Tell Me Why, tell
me what!
Does this sabra look soft on the inside?
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Q: In Hebrew, native Israelis
("sabres") are called tzabarim,
prickly pears: sharp and thorny on
the outside, soft and sweet on the
inside. If the prickly pear, the fruit
of the cactus, is so representative
of the State of Israel, why isn't it
mentioned in the Torah?
A:Sharp on the outside, soft
on the inside. Why, isn't that
just the cutest, sweetest, most
special thing you've ever heard?
(Tell Me Why passengers, get
out your air-sickness bags).
In spite of its strong associ-
ation with arid climates and
the desert, the cactus is not a
native plant of Israel. The cac-
tus was nowhere near Israel
when the Torah was given to
the Jews.
The cactus is native to North
America, and became known
to the rest of the world only af-
ter the late 15th century, when
Europeans discovered the
Americas.
Many other foods that are Is-
raeli favorites are, in fact, na-
tive American plants. These
include sunflowers (anyone
who has been to Israel can't
help but notice the quaint Is-
raeli practice of daintily spit-
ting sunflovkr seeds in the
midst of conversation), avoca-
dos, tomatoes and tobacco.
America also gave the world
corn, potatoes, peppers (the
shiny kind, not black pepper)
and allspice.
Alas, not even the Jerusalem
artichoke is from Israel. It, too,
is a native of America (and by
the way — it's not an arti-
choke).
A:You must be
talking about the
herb known as skull-
cap (or, if you're
observant, the
yarmulke herb —
ha, ha, ha!).
Q: I always heard that author
Yes, there is actually an
Nathanael West, whose novels in- herb called skullcap, and it is
cluded The Day of the Locust, was indeed said to help cure in-
anti-Semitic. Then somebody told somnia. Those sleepless is
me he was Jewish. You've got to Seattle or Detroit or anywhere
else are advised to use about 2
be kidding!
A: We're not. West, born teaspoons per cup, steeped for
Nathan Wallenstein Weinstein 10 minutes. Be sure to add
honey, though, before taking
in 1903, was indeed Jewish.
One of the leading authors even a sip; skullcap does not
of the 1930s, West was the son have an especially pleasant fla-
of Russian-Jewish immigrants. vor.
Skullcap may be purchased
He was raised in New York,
and published his first novel, at most health-food stores.
a study of human corruption, Consult your physician, how-
while a student at Brown Uni- ever, before trying herbal cures
for any ailment.
versity.
In 1927, West took a job
Q: Is it true that basketball great
managing a hotel in New York,
though he spent every free mo- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar keeps
ment working on his writing
kosher?
skills. He published his sec-
A: Well, not ex-
ond book, Miss Lonely-
actly, though
hearts, in 1933. The
he has pro-
story of a newspaper
fessed a love
columnist, it was much
for kosher
loved by critics — but
food. Born a
not by the public. His
Catholic (and
next work, published in
weighing in at
1934, was A Cool Mil-
a hefty 13
lion.
pounds!), Mr. Ab-
In the mid-1930s, West
dul-Jabbar is a convert
moved to Hollywood, where he to Islam. According to Holly-
worked as a screenwriter. The wood expert and author Ed Lu-
Day of the Locust (1938), his caire, Mr. Abdul-Jabbar was
satirical novel of life in La-La much enamored with the Jews
Land, was later made into a of Wisconsin, where he resided.
film.
"Thank Allah for the Jews of
Critics and readers alike Milwaukee," he said. "We live
couldn't help but notice West's
hostile, mocking portraits of on kosher food."
Jews in much of his writing—
inspired, no doubt, by his own Send questions to "Tell Me Why"
self-loathing.
c I o The Jewish News, 27676
West was 37 when he died Franklin Rd., Southfield, MI
in, 1940 in a car accident.
48034 or send fax to 354-6069.
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