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United By Food

Dedicated volunteers fuel Kiddush luncheons.

Stacy Gittleman | Contributing Writer

JERRY ZOLYNSKY

N

Rabbi Chanoch Hadar, Judy Goldsmith and April Adelson show off pots of cholent prepared for Shabbat in the small basement
kitchen at the Woodward Avenue Shul.

STEVE FINE

ext time you make your way down
a Kiddush luncheon line, consider
all the meticulous planning that
goes into its preparation. A Kiddush may
be as simple as plates of cookies or bagels
and shmears, or as elaborate as a spread
that features hot entrees, including a hearty
cholent.
Throughout Metro Detroit, dwindling
yet dedicated groups of volunteers take
time out of their busy lives to plan, shop
and cook for their synagogue each week.
They do this out of joy because they under-
stand that, for the Jewish community, shar-
ing a meal together after prayers nourishes
the soul as well as the body.
In generations past, preparing Kiddush
fell squarely on the shoulders of a congre-
gation’s sisterhood. As women joined the
workforce, many congregations now rely
on caterers or professional services to feed
hungry worshippers.
Growing up, Judy Broder Goldsmith of
Huntington Woods had fond childhood
memories of helping and watching her
mother cook at B’nai Moshe. Now she
and her husband are regular attendees
at the Woodward Avenue Shul in Royal
Oak, where each week she assists Rabbi
Chanoch Hadar in preparing various cho-
lents and salads.
Hadar is as much a foodie as he is the
congregational leader for this traditional
Orthodox congregation. He has been feed-
ing people on Shabbat out of the shul’s tiny
basement kitchen since it opened its doors
in 2004. His congregation is fond of cho-
lent, that long-simmering Shabbat stew. On
a typical Saturday morning, he will serve
two or three varieties, from mild to spicy
and meaty or vegetarian, to satisfy the
40-60 shul attendees each week — or up
to 100 for bar mitzvahs or other occasions.
With no paid membership, the shul relies
on sponsors to fund lunch.
“I have made a commitment to do this
every week,” Goldsmith said. “I only missed
a week here or there when I was sick, but I
was grateful another volunteer stepped in.
I have [the cholent making] down to a sci-
ence and am happy to help out this creative
and wonderful community.”
Also assisting in the kitchen from time
to time are Chef Cari Herskovitz, a local
kosher caterer, and Chef Keith Sirlin, a
full-time lawyer who graduated from
Schoolcraft College’s culinary program in
2015. Sirlin’s love of cooking traces back to

Keith Sirlin, a trained chef, gives back by
cooking at the Woodward Avenue Shul.

Phyllis Lewkowicz, Carol Pollack and Lucille Halberstadt in the B’nai Moshe kitchen.

watching his mom cook in the kitchen of
B’nai Israel, when the Conservative congre-
gation was based in Pontiac.
“I was one of those strange 9-year-old
kids who not only liked eggplant, but also

knew several ways how to prepare it,” he
said.
Some Kiddush specialties Sirlin likes to
rave about: eggplant caponata, pasta and
pesto, salad with a fresh shallot vinaigrette

and, in the summer, homemade Italian
shaved ice.
From a young age, Sirlin says he learned
from his parents the important Jewish
value of serving in congregational life.

continued on page 12

10 February 4 • 2016

