KUSHI

CUISINE

and Sushi Bar

ers to Pear's vision of a "new way
of channeling the blessings of the
diaspora, including its openness
and material rootedness, to create
an attractive, reinvigorated and pur-
pose-driven form of Jewish life!'
He believes that Israel can pro-
vide the inspiration, unifying force
and overarching purpose to renew
Jewish life and "reinvest it with deep
meaning?'
The book includes traces of Pear's
own spiritual and intellectual jour-
ney. His idea of universal Zionism
suggests that the return to Zion
by the Jewish people and their re-
establishment of the Jewish state is
"ultimately the most powerful way
for the Jewish people to also return
to their universal roots and, in so
doing, offer their greatest gift to the
world!"
Pear, who was born in the United
States and holds degrees in law and
international relations, is founder
of Shir Hadash, a synagogue, edu-
cational institute and community
center in Jerusalem.

Whose Torah?: A Concise Guide to
Progressive Judaism (New Press)
by Rabbi Rebecca Alpert, with a
foreword by Elaine Pagels, examines
six critical issues, including poverty,
race and the environment.
The chair of the religion depart-
ment at Temple University asserts
that the Torah belongs to Jews all
along the religious spectrum and
that pursuing justice is a central
value of Torah and should inform
and guide the pursuits of the Jewish
community. Alpert, who is one of
the first women to be ordained as a
rabbi, has long used her rabbinate to
speak out against injustice.

For Brenda Shoshanna, looking
beyond Jewish tradition has inspired
her to look within in a deeper and
more authentic Jewish way, as she
details in Jewish Dharma: A Guide
to the Practice of Judaism and
Zen (DaCapo Press). The author, a
psychologist, describes herself as a
long-term Zen student and a prac-
ticing Jew "raised in the Chasidic
world of Borough Park who has
been unable to let go of either prac-
tice?'
For Shoshanna, each practice is
essential to the other and enriching.
She believes that as Zen practice
deepens Jewish experience, Jewish
practice provides the warmth,
grounding, life perspective and

humanity that's sometimes missing
in Zen.
Her chapter, "Making Peace
in the Family and in the World:
Forgiveness and Renunciation:' is
timely reading for these days of
reflection, as she looks at how both
traditions deal with making peace,
practicing kindness and the dynam-
ics of forgiveness.

For those who gain more inspira-
tion from the spoken word, a newly
launched Web site, rabbidebra.
corn, offers CDs with teachings and
prayers to spiritually enhance the
holidays. Rabbi Debra Orenstein, an
author and teacher, draws wisdom
from sacred texts, providing con-
temporary interpretation, guiding
toward self-transformation, culti-
vating a sense of awe and bringing
more compassion to the world.
Also available are two new CDs
featuring the teachings of Rabbi
Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, with
whom Orenstein has co-officiated
at holiday services at Makom Ohr
Shalom in Los Angeles for the last
14 years.

For new culinary ideas for the
holiday, Jewish Holiday Cookbook:
Festive Meals for Celebrating the
New Year by Jill Coela Bloomfield
(Dorling Kindersley) is a well-
designed basic cookbook that
encourages children to roll up their
sleeves and get involved in the
kitchen.
The author, creator of a children's
cooking consulting company, Picky
Eaters, offers a mix of contempo-
rary and classic dishes. For Rosh
Hashanah, she included illustrated
step-by-step recipes for Sweet
Ginger Gefilte Fish, Harvest Rice
with Pomegranate Seeds and Honey
Lemon Cake, and for Yom Kippur,
she suggests Smoked Salmon
Frittata.
For Rabbi Janet Ozur Bass, who
provides commentary and explana-
tions, the home and table are impor-
tant centerpieces of Jewish life.
In the kitchen, she writes, "We can
teach someone that cooking is about
using our resources wisely, being
generous and taking only what we
need. We can teach the mitzvah of
hospitality by graciously opening
our hearts and homes to old friends
and family and extend that mitzvah
to new friends who might have no
other holiday table at which to cel-
ebrate?'

❑

Open Daily
Dinner 5:30pm — 10pm

-

Closed Sundays

Large selection of Onpanese Beep

serve bar
di Al

& Full

29555 Northwestern Hwy

Southfield, MI 48034

248-355-1882 I www.issa-restaurant.com

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October 2 2008

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