Temple Shir Shalom

10/29/2026

The Secret Sephardic History of the Pumpkin
Beyond pumpkin spice lattes, Jews have always embraced the pumpkin.

By Emily Paster

As the end of October approaches, and the High Holidays recede into memory, American Jews turn their attention to two different holidays: Halloween and Thanksgiving. The same humble vegetable, the pumpkin, plays a starring role in both of these quintessentially American holidays. And that is certainly fitting: People have been cultivating pumpkin in North America for thousands of years.

Valued for its versatility and it heartiness, pumpkins were a mainstay in the diet of Native Americans by the time Europeans arrived. Some may even remember how those early Pilgrims narrowly avoided starvation during the winter of 1620 by eating pumpkin and other crops shared by their Wampanoag neighbors.

But Americans are not the only ones who have a long and colorful association with pumpkin. Since almost the first moment explorers from Europe returned from the New World, Sephardic Jews have embraced pumpkin, incorporating this once-unfamiliar gourd into numerous dishes — both savory and sweet — and even making it an essential part of fall festivals. But what was the reason behind this Sephardi love affair with pumpkin? As is typical with Jewish cuisine, the answer is complex.

Pumpkins were one of the first crops from the New World to be brought back to Europe in the 16th century. As Spain sponsored many of the early trips to the Americas, its inhabitants were among the first Europeans to learn about pumpkins. Of course, at that time, Spain was also home to a large population of Jews — until the Inquisition, that is, when they were expelled and dispersed around the Mediterranean or forced to convert to Christianity. Indeed, some of those converts, still facing persecution in Spain, were among the first Europeans to settle permanently in the New World — a fact that becomes significant later in our story.

Continue
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/the-secret-sephardic-history-of-the-pumpkin/

10/28/2026

When Paint­ings Bear Wit­ness: The Jew­ish Fam­i­ly Behind a Renoir Masterpiece
Doreen Car­va­jal
An essay from Jewish Book Council

I noticed her in 2019 at the Musée Mail­lol, when a mid­dle-aged man stood trans­fixed before the frame, bit­ing his nails. Her dress was a pale, washed cobalt blue. Her blue-green eyes, their iris­es del­i­cate­ly touched with white, seemed suf­fused with melancholy.

It was the first time in near­ly sev­en­ty-three years that Renoir’s cov­et­ed por­trait of the gin­ger-haired La Petite Irène had returned to Paris for pub­lic dis­play. Dur­ing those decades it had been stolen, recov­ered from a Bavar­i­an farm­house in 1945, and exhib­it­ed after the war among loot­ed French mas­ter works at the Musée de l’O­r­angerie. Yet there was bare­ly a whis­per about the life of the eight-year-old girl in the frame, Irène Cahen d’Anvers. I found myself won­der­ing: Who was she?

That ques­tion changed the way I looked at the paint­ing. I began to read it more close­ly: the lips pressed red, almost as if bit­ten; the dis­tant gaze; the ten­sion beneath the pret­ti­ness. I began to real­ize that look­ing at a por­trait could have two stages: first, what the artist gives us to see; then, what his­to­ry allows us to dis­cov­er. We can­not uncov­er the sto­ry behind every por­trait. But when one holds our atten­tion, we can fol­low it beyond the frame.

Once I began look­ing dif­fer­ent­ly at Irène, I went search­ing for the oth­er por­traits of her fam­i­ly, a Jew­ish bank­ing dynasty who thrived dur­ing the Belle Époque. They had been paint­ed repeat­ed­ly by Renoir, Bon­nat, Whistler, Béraud, Bol­di­ni, and oth­ers. At first glance, they are ele­gant soci­ety por­traits that declared their sta­tus and belong­ing. Look again, and oth­er ques­tions emerge. What did the artist notice? What is being per­formed, and what might be con­cealed? Who was this per­son beyond the pose? What hap­pened after the sit­ting ended?

Continue:
https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/pb-daily/when-paintings-bear-witness-the-jewish-family-behind-a-renoir-masterpiece

10/27/2026

Food for thought

Some of the greatest miracles in your life are waiting just beyond the edge of your comfort zone. They often dress up as fear. They show up disguised as “What if I fail?” They speak of the worst case scenarios like they are running a full time anxiety podcast.

Yet inside that fear is a spark of something remarkable. A new chapter. A deeper purpose. A dream that refuses to stay quiet.

I got really wrapped up in last weeks Torah portion. Think of Avraham. G-d says “Lech Lecha” Go. Leave everything familiar. Step into the unknown. No map. No details. Just a promise. If Avraham had waited to feel fully ready, Monotheism would still be circling the departure gate.

Every truly holy leap begins with shaky knees. Your soul did not come to this world for average. You are here to build, to heal, to risk, to love, to live fully awake.

So if saying yes makes your heart race like it is running a marathon, maybe that is the sign.

Lean in. Take the step. Trust that G-d goes with you. Life’s most sacred journeys feel terrifying before they become amazing. Go do the scary thing. Your destiny is already calling your name.

10/25/2026

Mark your calendars - Wednesday October 28 for Paul Richards' concert at UF School of Music .

A recital featuring two new works by composer Paul Richards: “Short Stories for Big Band”, featuring the University of Florida Jazz Band, and “Destination Unknown”, featuring faculty performers Janna Lower, violin; Steven Thomas, cello; and Jasmin Arakawa, piano.
Details:
https://arts.ufl.edu/.../paul-richards-faculty.../

10/23/2026

Shabbat Shalom. Join Rabbi Wohlner tonight at 7:00 for services, In Person or on Zoom

Our Oneg host is Bev Giordano: In Honor of her Parents.
https://www.shirshalom.net/zoom-invitations

10/21/2026

There is still time to make a donation to our High Holy Days Food Drive in support of Bread of the Mighty Food Bank

https://www.shirshalom.net/payments

Did you know, last year we distributed over 2,738,000 lbs of produce?

That’s alongside protein, dairy, and shelf-stable foods that help round out a meal.

We work every day to make sure families have access to balanced, nutritious food, not just canned goods.

Because food isn’t just about filling a gap, it’s about supporting health, stability, and dignity. 🧡

10/20/2026

Singer & Savior: Marianne Golz
Taken To Guillotine
Accidental Talmudist

Marianne Golz was an Austrian actress and opera singer whose astonishing acts of heroism saved the lives of many Jewish refugees – including her own husband.

Born Maria Agnes Belokosztolszky to a Catholic family in Vienna in 1895, she was a talented performer who trained as a singer and ballet dancer. Adopting the stage name Marianne Tolska, Marianne toured Europe with an operetta troupe during the early 1920’s. She was married and divorced twice.

Marianne moved to Berlin In 1924, where she met Jewish journalist Hans Goldlust. They married in 1929, and Marianne considered Hans the love of her life. They adopted the name Golz because of the growing stigma against Jewish-sounding names. Together they moved to Prague in 1934, and Marianne started a new career as a theater critic.

Five years after moving to Prague the Germans invaded and Hans, a culturally prominent Jew, was promptly arrested. Marianne worked her rolodex, calling in favors and pleading with friends and associates to help free her husband. Marianne’s efforts found success; she saved not only Hans but his mother and sister as well, helping the family flee to safety in England.

Astonishingly, Marianne did not go with her husband and in-laws to England but chose to remain in Prague to help other endangered Jews. She formed a resistance group, recruiting members from across Czechoslovakia and Austria. Marianne hid refugees in her own home, and found safe havens among other resistance members. Marianne was in contact with the Czech government-in-exile in England, letting them know what was going on in Prague.

On November 19, 1942, Marianne was arrested by the Gestapo along with several of her colleagues in the resistance. She instantly confessed to illegally helping Jews, and insisted that the others arrested were innocent of the charges, leading to their release. Marianne was incarcerated in the infamous Pankrac Prison while her family desperately tried to secure her release. Marianne’s family finally found a lawyer willing to take the case and risk incurring the wrath of the German occupiers. Despite her best efforts however, lawyer Marie Schramek lost the case and appeal and Marianne was sentenced to death for her actions.

Marianne Golz was dragged from her prison cell and taken to the guillotine, where she was beheaded on October 8, 1943.

After her death, the letters Marianne sent from prison to her friends and family were published as a book. In the decades following, the story of her life was the subject of radio shows, magazine articles, and a play. In 1988 Israeli Holocaust Memorial Yad Vashem honored Marianne Golz as Righteous Among the Nations, and an olive tree was planted in her memory.

For saving countless lives and paying the ultimate price for her bravery, we honor Marianne Golz as this week’s Thursday Hero.

10/19/2026

Paul Richards is putting on a concert at UF School of Music .

A recital featuring two new works by composer Paul Richards: “Short Stories for Big Band”, featuring the University of Florida Jazz Band, and “Destination Unknown”, featuring faculty performers Janna Lower, violin; Steven Thomas, cello; and Jasmin Arakawa, piano.

Details:
https://arts.ufl.edu/event/paul-richards-faculty-composition-recital/

10/18/2026

Join Dr. Seuss’s beloved character Horton the elephant as he discovers the joys and traditions of Hanukkah with help from the Whos!

For your kids, grandkids, or perhaps your inner child!

https://shoptheweitzman.org/products/dr-seusss-horton-hears-a-hanukkah-party?_pos=1&_sid=a61bb6bbe&_ss=r&utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&_kx=y3e32l-jT0miQZzElit4sx7GACL5J73-5TjNDsudgyc.XecQfU

10/14/2026

Sunday was everything we had hoped it might be. People from different faith communities were talking, laughing, learning, and discovering things they had in common. There was such warmth in the room. How wonderful it was that something we'd worked on for so long had actually come together.