Forest Hills Blog

Turkeys - Are They Kosher?

Monday, November 25, 2013 - 11:50 AM

TURKEYS – ARE THEY KOSHER?

A FASCINATING HISTORY

The Baal Shem Tov teaches us everything in life one see’s teaches us a lesson. How much more so when it comes to Jewish law and it’s history.

After all said and done about Chanukah and Thanksgiving, get this: Do you know how we say Turkey in Hebrew: הודו תרנגול – or Tarnhod [1], “The Chicken from Hod – which is India or literally translated – “The thanks chicken”.

Also called Indik or Indikeh in Yiddish[2] - the chicken of India[3].

Nutrition

Further interesting to note is that medicinally speaking Turkey has tryptophan and when eaten with a carb. induces an increase in serotonin which helps one relax and sleep we… Read More »

Just Chanukah?

Friday, November 22, 2013 - 11:11 AM

Just Chanukah !

by Rabbi Mordechai Z. Hecht

Anshe SholomChabad JCC

Kew Gardens, NY

Observed

If you are reading this, you are alive, and presumably have heard that this year Chanukah and Thanksgiving fall out on the same day. You have also probably heard terms like Chanugivikah, Thanksukkah, Turkenora-menurkey and lots more.

At first I thought all right, Thanksgiving is no pagan holiday, nothing really wrong with all of that. In fact, it is a holiday of thanks for coming to America – thanks to G-d for helping the ancient Pilgrims find the Americas as a new place for humanity to explore and expand their horizons – seems cool. As a seventh generation American, we do have to be thankful and grateful for… Read More »

The US Chanukah Stamp & The Journey Home

Tuesday, November 12, 2013 - 10:58 AM

BS”D

The US Chanukah Stamp & The Journey Home

Leiluy Nishmas Moshe Duvid Ben Devorah – Matt Colwes OB”M

A story via a Euology – A Three Part Tale

Part I: The Story

Intro:

My name is Mordechai Z. Hecht. Together with my wife Sarah and daughter Liba Haddassah, we are shluchim of the Rebbe in Forest Hills, Queens, NY and here is my story.

The Chanukah Stamp

It was Chanukah 2007, my first year on Shlichus in my home town of Forest Hills. As I stood in line, in a small Forest Hills post office waiting to buy some stamps for an upcoming Chanukah mailing, I noticed a women at the counter was quite upset after learning that there were no more Christmas stamps. “What do you have then?&rdq… Read More »