Page 6 - Jewish News_December-2020

6A December 2020 FEDERATION NEWS

People of the Book: Jewish identity People of the Book...continued from page 6A
to realize how much has changed
By Gayle Guynup since then. The Jewish community has
he People of the Book author children. In her book, which is based book, Peas, Love and Carrots, is a play What did you learn about grown infinitely more diverse these
lecture series of virtual events, on her “Peas, Love and Carrots” brand, on “Peas, Love and Happiness,” and to yourself by writing this book? past six decades. We welcomed in
Tsponsored by The Jewish Fed- she includes more than 250 recipes me that is what food means to people. Writing the book was a very healing new members, new forms of worship
eration of Sarasota-Manatee, con- and 180 photos, infused Food is a great equalizer. process for me. I had gone through a
tinues in December with three books with the stories, cultures We all look different. We huge tragedy a year before the book
focusing on Jewish identity. The and traditions with which speak differently. We all came out, and it was very healing for
events begin on Thursday, December she grew up. More than a have different strengths and me to have something on which to fo-
10 at 10:30 a.m. with Danielle Renov cookbook, Peas, Love and talents. And the one thing cus. I could give myself permission to
and her book, Peas, Love and Carrots. Carrots is also filled with we all have in common is heal while writing this book.
It will be followed on Tuesday, De- anecdotes and insights that that we are human. We all Stephanie Butnick
cember 15 at 7:00 p.m. with authors will leave you laughing, come to the table, and all of and Liel Leibovitz /
Stephanie Butnick and Liel Leibovitz while teaching you how to that other stuff fades away The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia
and The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia. be a better cook, proud of because we are hungry, and Stephanie Butnick is the deputy editor
The month will wrap up on Wednes- the food you serve to your we need to nourish not only of Tablet and has written for The New
Stephanie Butnick and Liel Leibovitz
day, December 16 at 7:00 p.m. with friends and family. Danielle Renov our body, but our mind and York Times and The Wall Street Jour- and new traditions. And our own pod-
Rabbi Corinne Copnick and her book, How does your book speak to our soul, as well. I love that about food. nal. Liel Leibovitz is a senior writer
A Rabbi at Sea. Jewish identity? And I love that the Peas, Love and Car- for Tablet and author of several books, cast, Unorthodox, largely grew out of
Danielle Renov / I’m very Jewish and very proud of rots name really pays homage to that. including A Broken Hallelujah, a biog- a desire to explore all these fascinat-
Peas, Love and Carrots my identity. I don’t hide behind it. I also Other than a lot of wonderful raphy of Leonard Cohen. The Newish ing and wonderful changes, all of the
Danielle Renov is the blogger behind don’t exploit it. I am who I am. I am a recipes, what do you hope people Jewish Encyclopedia is a highly enter- ways that people today actively choose
to be Jewish. A book struck us as the
the popular website peaslovencarrots. wife, a mother, a daughter and a Jew. take home from your book? taining compilation of all things Jewish
com and Instagram account @peas It’s so intrinsic, and such a part of who If someone takes away anything – everything from culture to religion, next logical step, and we wanted it to
lovencarrots. Half Moroccan and half I am that, of course, it comes through other than a love of cooking and a feel- history, language and more. With hun- capture every conceivable corner of
Ashkenazi, Danielle was raised on in my writing and in everything I do. ing of comfort in the kitchen, I want dreds of photos, charts, infographics Jewish life, from religious observances
Long Island, and today lives in Israel It’s woven into the fabric of my per- people to understand how connected and illustrations, this encyclopedia will to cultural references. We believe there
are a thousand different ways you can
with her husband Eli and their seven sonality. Obviously, the name of the I am to my roots and my heritage and take you from Abraham to Zabar’s, as
how proud I am of it. I think that real- well as everything in between. be Jewish, and we wanted a book that
ly comes through in the book. I want How does your book speak to had a thousand entries, each an invita-
anyone reading my book to feel proud Jewish identity? tion to a conversation.
SB: We realized, after a few years
of who they are, and where they came LL: We decided to write The New- of hosting our podcast, that a lot of
from, and to use their past as their north ish Jewish Encyclopedia when we re-
star as they move forward. I hope they alized that the last popular attempt to Jews – and those who love them! –
look at where they came from, at what capture all things Jewish in a single have questions about all sorts of things,
they have already accomplished, and volume was decades ago, with The from Jewish rituals to Jewish history
use that to guide them as they move Jewish Catalog. That seminal work and beyond. We wanted to give them
a book that was beautiful and engaging
forward. Understand that you are the was originally published in 1965,
next link in the chain and let that moti- and you hardly have to be a historian and allowed them to flip from the hu-
vate and guide you. continued on next page morous to the profound, and help them
create or strengthen their own Jewish

Where YOU belong

The Larry & Mary Greenspon Family

Campus for Jewish Life will be a gathering
place for the entire Sarasota-Manatee

Jewish community to enjoy. Modern spaces
for meetings and special events; programs that

educate, entertain and inspire; over 16 acres for
day camp, aquatics and tennis — this is the place

WHERE YOU BELONG.

To learn how you can get involved in our reimagined

campus, please visit JFEDSRQ.org/ProudStrong.

McINTOSH ROAD, SARASOTA