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February 13, 2012
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Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
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Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
April 1, 2004
/ 11 Nissan, 5764
The Horseradish Chronicles: The Pain of chrain
By
Michael Arnold Glueck
http://www.jewishworldreview.com |
So the Hebrew school teacher asks little Johnny:
"What is the meaning of most Jewish holidays?"
Replies little Johnny: "They tried to kill us. We won. Let's eat."
Little Johnny had a point. Most Jewish holidays celebrate deliverance of
one kind or another, and most have special foods associated with them.
Purim, for example. Evil Haman tried to kill us, so now we eat
"Hamentaschen," little cakes shaped like the three-cornered hat he wore
until Queen Esther and Uncle Mordechai arranged a terminal neck-stretch on
the gallows he'd built for the Jews.
Or Chanukah, which commemorates
victory over an exceptionally the Greeks. We eat "Latkes" thin little
potato pancakes symbolizing how the Maccabees whipped, pureed, pounded,
flattened into little bite-size pieces, and then fried the Hellenes. Or
something like that.
But I must confess, although somewhat warily, that my favorite holiday,
food-wise, is Passover and its Seder, the feast of deliverance from
Egyptian bondage. One delicacy in particular. Not lamb or matzoh, the
unleavened bread that the Israelites hurriedly baked before beating feet
out of Egypt. Nor even the "charoses," the mix of apples, nuts, and wine
that symbolizes the brick and mortar of slave labor. And no, not even the
traditional four cups of Manischewitz.
I love the horseradish, the "Mahror," the uncut, super-strong variety put
out at Passover to symbolize the bitterness of slavery.
Now, the horseradish is a noble root. But like any other mild addiction, it
can be worrisome. And not everybody understands when I explain that an item
meant to symbolize bondage is also my favorite comfort food. So, in a
blatant attempt at self-reassurance, I decided to do some research.
According to "Horseradish Trivia," over the past few millennia, this plant
has been used as an aphrodisiac (a matter I pass over in silence), a
treatment for rheumatism and lower back pain, and a kind of cough syrup.
The Egyptians knew from horseradish. So did the Greeks.
In "The Root Queen's Guide to Horseradish," Judy McCann informs us that the
word first appeared in English print in 1597, in a medicinal guide to
herbs. The original word may have been "harsh radish," the word "radish"
deriving from the Latin "radix," meaning "root." It also goes well with
chicken, brisket, and roast beef.
A noble root, indeed. But I was still uneasy. So I got in touch with Dr.
Phil. Not the TV potentate, but Dr. Phil Gold, a Seattle-based historian
and writer.
Not to worry, said Dr. Phil. Horseradish goes deep in Jewish history.
Although the Hebrew word is "Mahror," meaning "bitter," the Yiddish term is
"chrain." This word is actually Sephardic in origin, and goes back to the
Spanish Inquisition, when roving gangs sought out secret Jews who were
surreptitiously celebrating Passover. It being too dangerous to bake
matzohs, these Spanish Jews emphasized horseradish, because it was easy to
dispose of when the bad guys knocked on the door. Hence the proverb:
"The chrain in Spain goes mainly down the drain."
Dr. Phil also related an incident from his childhood. As the first-born son
of his family, he was expected to fast all day before the Seder, in
gratitude that when the Angel of Death slew all the first-born in Egypt the
Israelites were passed-over. Not wishing to pass up the delicacies in his
high school cafeteria, he adopted a common alternative. Go to the synagogue
before dawn, pray with the old men, study with them a bit, then
symbolically break your fast with the only item more prohibited during
Passover than leavened bread.
Canadian Club -- not the soda!
The old men, Dr. Phil relates, took great pleasure in sending the kids off
to school reeking of spirits. It made for some interesting encounters with
the homeroom teacher.
Even that long-ago bitterness of slavery can bring good things about.
During the final stages of the Israeli-Egyptian peace negotiations, the Abu
Rudeis oil fields, seized by Israel during the 1967 war, proved a problem.
Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin was ready to hand them back but
Egypt's Anwar Sadat also wanted compensation for the oil the Israelis had
taken during the Sinai occupation. Finally, at least according to legend,
Begin told Sadat, "Look, if you don't charge us for the oil, we won't
charge you for the Pyramids."
Sadat laughed and agreed, and perhaps chose not to mention that Hebrew
slaves never worked on the Pyramids. After all, when there's a chance to
make peace, what's a little oil or a few Pyramids to stand in the way?
Something to ponder the next time you taste something bitter.
A Happy Passover to all.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and in the media consider "must reading." Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Michael Arnold Glueck, M.D., is a multiple award winning
writer who comments on medical-legal issues. Column by clicking here.
© 2004, Michael Arnold Glueck
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