metro
Kosher Safari
Rabbi leads members on special trip
to his native South Africa.
I
Kay Harris
Special to the Jewish News
A
dream, several years in the making, finally came
to fruition when 18 members of the Woodward
Avenue Shul in Royal Oak recently embarked on
a "kosher safari" to South Africa. Rabbi Chanoch Hadar,
who grew up in South Africa, led our group. Privileged to
have spent the bulk of family vacation time in the African
"bush:' he has a passion for the country's wildlife.
After an 18-hour flight, we arrived in Cape Town,
where we stayed a week in this beautiful coastal region,
visiting with the small, but vibrant Jewish community.
Retired Jewish radiologist Dr. Ivor Shaskolsky arranged
every day to have Jewish content and, along the way, he
gave us lectures on a variety of subjects. We went from
historic synagogues to kosher wineries and even heard
a special lecture from the widow of former Chief Rabbi
Cyril Harris, who was a close confidant of Mandela.
In addition, we were warmly greeted by the Cape Town
Jewish community for minyan and Shabbat meals, which
often featured the best in South African cuisine and fla-
vors. Also on Shabbat, we enjoyed the traditional theatric
flare of Cape Town's Marais Road Shul.
Next we headed to the airport, boarded a plane to
Johannesburg and then a bus to Kruger National Park,
a wildlife reserve as vast as the state of New Jersey, pre-
served in a completely natural state. We marveled at each
lucky animal sighting, including large herds of elephants,
hippos, rhinos, buffaloes, impalas and zebras.
Our four days in Kruger
were filled with sunrise and
night rides into the bush to
see more wildlife. Each day
began and ended with dav-
ening and delicious, freshly
cooked kosher meals eaten
outside at a long table.
Jason Teshuba raises the Torah at a morning service in Kruger National Park. Rabbi
Rabbi Hadar's father, a
Chanock Hadar is on the right.
traveling rabbi who has
serviced outlying South
African Jewish communi-
ties over the years, met us at the park with a Torah.
We spent our last few days in Johannesburg where
Rabbi Hadar's family welcomed us and made Shabbat
at the charming accommodations they arranged. We
were amazed at how a relatively small Jewish commu-
nity, compared to Metro Detroit, has numerous kosher
restaurants, dozens of synagogues and many schools.
Despite some of the security drawbacks of Joburg, the
Jewish community is thriving.
For all of us, it was hard to pick our favorite parts
of the trip: beautiful Cape Town, Robben Island, the
Cape of Good Hope, whale watching at the beach
in Hermanus, wine tasting, Kirstenbosch Botanical
Gardens, amazing Kruger National Park and dynamic
Johannesburg. Additionally, we all savored the close
bonds that grew among our diverse group on this trip of
Helaine Zack and Shelley Jaffe pet a
a lifetime.
❑
cheetah at Kruger National Park.
Don't Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
A
s the new year arrives, we assess the year gone by
and make resolutions for the new year. Over the
holidays I heard numerous news stories citing the
statistical success and failure rates of the common resolu-
tions. According to Statistic Brain, losing weight is the No.
1 resolution, followed by getting organized, spending less
and saving more, enjoying life to the fullest, and staying fit
and healthy. Forty-five percent of Americans make resolu-
tions. The success rate for those in their 20s is 39
percent, while for those older than 50, it is only
14 percent. Why the difference? Perhaps those
over 50 are set in their ways and change does
not come easily.
Examining the top five resolutions also
explains the difference. Losing weight and stay-
ing fit are two resolutions that give young people
with more active lifestyles a strategic advantage.
If you have been disorganized your entire life
and you're over 50 — then let's face it — you
have a long-term track record of disorganization.
If you're only 22, then you're only four years out
of high school, which means your organization
skills are really in the development stage.
The other resolutions "enjoy life to the fullest" and "spend
less and save more" are also leveraged in favor of the young.
To the extent I can still remember being in my 20s, I believe
"enjoying life" was the dominant goal of each day's endeavor.
22 January 16 • 2014
JN
In your 20s, you certainly are not overwhelmed with issues
such as caring for elderly parents, finding the dollars needed
to finance your children's education, paying bills, saving for
retirement as well as the prospect of addressing health issues.
It is no surprise that the 20-somethings have a far greater
success rate in resolution fulfillment.
So how can we leverage this information in an effort to
improve the success rates for those over 50? The answer lies
in the old adage, "Don't bite off more than you
can chew:' We need to abandon the notice of a
bold all-or-nothing resolution and exchange it
for realistic and attainable goals.
For example, you don't need a resolution to
lose 30 pounds. Instead, you need to set a goal
to lose 10 pounds in the first six months of the
year. That comes to 1.66 pounds per month. You
don't need to say, I'm "going to get organized:'
Instead, you can say, "I'm going to clean up the
pile of papers on my credenza and then see how
it goes:'
Another strategy I like is to find a collateral
side benefit as reward for sticking to a goal.
Though conceptually immature, I think it can sometimes
add that little incentive we need. After all, we are all still
children in many ways. For example, I work out regularly
and stick to a regiment. As a reward, I have decided that
since I am reasonably fit, there is no need to burden myself
with such things as snow removal, lawn work and planting
flowers. Of course, some may enjoy these endeavors, but
I'm not one who does.
There you have it. Make 2014 the year in which you ful-
fill your resolutions — just be careful to make it an attain-
able goal. Earmark some nice rewards for getting there —
and then just do it!
❑
Ken Gross is an attorney with Thav Gross and host of The
Financial Crisis Talk Center show that airs weekly at 8:30 a.m.
Saturdays on WDFN 1130 AM, "The Fan" and 11 a.m. Sundays on
MyTV20.