The Y has changed our lives

Basketball anytime...(and indoor soccer!)



Brand new machines...



And weights...



No showers, pool, and only 1 water fountain. But nice people, great hours, fun classes, and we got free warm up jerseys!

Hamentashen!

They started out looking cute:



But then I baked them:



?!?!? How come my hanentashen never come out right? But... They taste good! (not the Hershey kiss one, that was a mistake. :))

VISITING WASHINGTON AND NYC FEB 2010

* SNOW IN DC PILED 10 FEET HIGH

* SNOW CARVED SOFA

* RENOIR'S "LUNCHEON OF THE BOATING PARTY" AT THE PHILLIPS

* CHINESE SCULPTURE AT THE METROPOLITAN

* JAPANESE CERAMICS AT THE METROPOLITAN

My AJC Indian-American event today

This is an event we did today. 15 or so of us, young Jewish- and Indian-Americans spending the day together, first visiting a synagogue - Adas Israel - and then a Hindu temple - Sri Siva Vishnu Temple - learning about each others' cultures.

Here was the agenda:

There is no snow in the forecast for the weekend and we are very much looking forward to spending the day together! We still have a few spots left, so if you have a friend who would like to join, please let us know asap!

We are delighted you will be joining us this Sunday for a very special day together. As many of you know, this day was conceived of by a group of young professionals in both the Hindu and Jewish communities here in Washington.

We hope that this will be just one of several programs throughout the year when we can gather to learn about and explore each other’s faiths and traditions.

Attached, please find four documents and two other links:

1. A backgrounder on Hinduism from the book, How to be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook, edited by Stuart M. Matlins and Arthur J. Magida.

2. A backgrounder on Judaism (same citation as above)

3. A Question/Answer brochure from the Hindu American Foundation (www.haf.org)

4. What’s Jewish? By Rabbi David Elcott, formerly of the American Jewish Committee (www.ajc.org)

5. Website on Indian Jewry: www.jewsofindia.org

6. New York Times article, “In Jews, Indian-Americans See a Role Model in Activism”: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/us/02hindu.html

We hope these materials will be useful to skim in advance of our day together. Please do jot down questions so that we can explore them together.

Details for this Sunday:

n Please arrive and register between 11:30-12:00 p.m. at Adas Israel Congregation, 2850 Quebec Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008. Please enter through the SIDE doors on Quebec Street (there is a parking lot just beyond the Quebec Street entrance on the right). You can Metro to the synagogue and get off at the Cleveland Park station on the red line (walk north after that and make a right on porter and bear left on Quebec). We have rented a bus for the day so that we can spend the full time together and use the traveling time as an opportunity to get to know each other. You will be able to leave your car in the Adas Israel lot until the end of the day when the bus returns. Please plan to take the bus with us.

* Please note: All men, and women who wish, will be asked to wear a head covering (provided) upon entering the synagogue as a sign of respect.*

n 11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Arrive, Register and get breakfast, including traditional Jewish brunch foods (vegetarian and kosher)

n 12:00-12:45 p.m. Program begins with introductions and brief table discussions

n 12:45 p.m. Rabbi Gil Steinlauf of Adas Israel Congregation. Rabbi Steinlauf will begin with presentation about the fundamentals of Judaism and will

give the group a tour of the synagogue, etc.

Solomon Saul will speak briefly about Indian Jewry and Indian-Israel relations.

2:15 p.m. Travel as group to Sri Siva Vishnu Temple, Lanham, MD

* Please note: We will be asked to remove our shoes upon entering the Temple. *

3:00 p.m. Dr. D.C. Rao, a Hindu-American leader, will meet with us and discuss a bit about the fundamentals of Hinduism. The group will also have a tour of the Temple and its many shrines, as well as observe or participate in a puja(offering).

4:15 p.m. Traditional Indian meal (vegetarian)

Brief informal presentations on Hindu and Jewish weddings by newlyweds!

Informal discussions at tables

Conclusion/ Wrap up

n 5:00 p.m.: Depart Temple for Synagogue (arrive 5:30 p.m.)

We look forward to sharing the day with you.

Best wishes,

Jeremiah Baronberg

Nadine Greenfield-Binstock

Sumanth Chepuri

Jonathan Katz

Anurag Varma

Bunnies frolic in sun and snow

Danny's Braised Chicken + Sabrina's Pumpkin Bread

Alice Waters' cookbook, p 131. Amazingly delicious. Amazing chef!



Pumpkin Bread. Recipe by request.

DC Snowpocalypse 2010

A big one in DC this weekend, starting on Friday morning and lasting until Saturday afternoon...

People digging out on Sunday morning. Nice and sunny out. Blue skies.



Click here to see more photos from my street...

Looking at my apartment. I think the trees in the front may have some broken branches. The snow was wet and heavy.