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January 2008 | Tevet / Shvat 5768 | Volume 5, Issue 2 | FREE

Shum, Pilpel v’Shemen Zayitשום פלפל ושמן זית

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January 2008 | Tevet/Shvat 5768 | Volume 5, Issue 2


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In and Around the CityBy: Daniella Hellerstein

There will be no traditional Tu B’shvat planting this year

due to the laws of Shmittah.

The Azrieli Mall in the center of the city is going up fast

and is still slated to open on March 18 at 18:00. The mall

is only one section that will comprise the Azrieli complex.

The other buildings will house apartments for rent, offices

and a retirement home. The mall will have an extensive

food court with all the chain cafes and restaurants as well

as all the well known chain clothing stores, book stores,

children’s stores, electronics and more. The mall will also

house a 1,000-meter health club, Mega supermarket,

banks, a kids play space, five movie theaters and a 360-

seat stage theater.

A new development regarding the mall is the inclusion

of Modiin’s archeological artifacts, the story of ancient

Modiin, the Hashmonaim, the Chanukah story and the

triumph of the Maccabees. All will play an integral role in

the design of the mall. At the request of Deputy Mayor

Alex Weinreb who holds the archeology portfolio, the

six entrances will be named specifically after ancient

Modiin such as the Maccabee Gate, the Matityahu Gate,

etc. The gate will feature genuine ancient coins found in

Modiin during the course of building the city. Additionally,

archeological artifacts discovered will be displayed in

public spaces.

The discount supermarket, Rami Levy, will be opening a

store at the Yishpro shopping center. He is also considering

building an events hall on top of the supermarket.

The city council recently approved nine new Batai

Knesset throughout the city: Yad Rambam, Amutat Klal

Yisrael, Achdut Modiin, Lev Achim, Kehillat Masoratit, and

Amutat Meir Modiin to name a few. ßAlex Weinreb (middle) with Dr. Orit Shamir of the Antiquities Dept.

and Shmil Bean, Director General of the mall

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Daniella Hellerstein & Caryn Meltz

Co-publishers and editors0526-404-414 | 0523-868-768

Dana CyviakDesign & Layout

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www.ModiInfo.comPrinting by Dfus Ayalon

Dear Readers,As Chanukah vacation came to close, I asked my children which of the various activities

we took part in was their favorite. Admittedly, to my surprise, they said that the day we

went to Yerushalayim to pack food for the needy at Yad Eliezer was the best. I have to

say I didn’t see that coming. After all the money I spent trying to show them a good

time they had the nerve to say the most fun they had was volunteering! Considering

that the day was really work and not play and didn’t really involve anything particularly

exciting, why did it rank so high? Their response taught me a few things: it proved to

me that children experience the same gratifying feeling that results from doing a good

deed, perhaps even more so if involves hard work. It taught me never to underestimate

our children’s desire to help others, no matter how young or how old. It reminded me

that we can and we should help those in need in other ways besides monetarily. It also

reinforced what I already knew – that these meaningful experiences are often more

powerful and memorable to our children than the glitzy, pricey ones. Unfortunately, we

are all aware of the devastating statistics of poverty in this country. Our children may

not know the numbers but they understand the need and it is our job to give them

the opportunities to do their part.

ModiInfo is an independently owned, advertiser supported publication distributed monthly to Modiin and the surrounding neighborhoods. ModiInfo welcomes all articles and ads but reserves the right to edit or reject submissions. The views expressed by writers and contributors are not necessarily those of ModiInfo. ModiInfo is not responsible for facts or claims made by ads or authors, nor for any typographical errors. Work produced by ModiInfo is the property of ModiInfo and may not be reproduced without consent.

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Kedushat Shevi’it, Part 2 By: Rav Gideon Weitzman

Shemittah

As we saw last time, all vegetables grown on Jewish land

and picked during the Shemittah year have Kedushat

Shevi’it and have to be treated in a special way. This also

applies to fruit that grew during the Shemittah year, even

if it was picked during the eighth year, i.e. the year after the

Shemittah year, in our case 5769.

There are a number of laws that relate to Kedushat

Shevi’it and we will look at some more of those here.

Since the fruit must be eaten in its best form (and cannot

be changed, as we discussed last time) one cannot cut the

branches off a tree that have on them unripe fruit with

Kedushat Shevi’it. Even if one did not have the intention of

eating the fruit and cut off the branches because they were

blocking the sunlight or for another such reason, this still cannot

be done. One can cut the branches down while the flowers

are still on the tree, but when the flowers have already fallen

off and the fruit buds already appear, one must wait for the

fruit to ripen in order to cut down the branches.

This produce cannot be exported from Israel. Some

hold that if the fruit were to rot if it were left in Israel,

then it can be exported, but others hold that even in these

circumstances it cannot be exported. It appears that one is

allowed to take a small amount of produce outside of Israel,

and a small amount means what one needs for one day’s

consumption, or the amount for three meals. Therefore if

someone is going on a trip overseas they can take an apple

in their bag or such like.

Eilat is considered Israel for this purpose, and only the

places that were not settled during the First Temple Period

are considered outside of Israel.

All edible produce that grew in the ground has Kedushat

Shevi’it including mushrooms. Whatever grew indoors or

inside greenhouses in non-porous pots does not have

Kedushat Shevi’it.

Flowers without any scent do not have Kedushat Shevi’it

according to most poskim. There are some who claim that

they do have Kedushat Shevi’it. Flowers with a scent have

Kedushat Shevi’it and should not be purchased directly but

using a credit card, as discussed last time, and should not

be discarded directly into the garbage, but placed inside a

separate bag and then discarded. Some poskim hold that

even flowers with a scent do not have Kedushat Shevi’it

(Responsa Tzitz Eliezer 6:33) but the large majority do hold

that one needs to treat them with Kedushat Shevi’it.

Since flowers have Kedushat Shevi’it one should be

careful to only purchase flowers in a nursery that observes

the laws of Shemittah. As already stated if the flowers grow

indoors in a non-porous pot then do not have Kedushat

Shevi’it and one may prefer buying this type of flower

during Shemittah.

Spices that are used even for smell have Kedushat Shevi’it

and therefore if one uses a myrtle branch for smelling spices

at havdallah it should be placed in a separate bag before

being discarded.

Next time we will look at the prohibition of Safiach.ß

Rav Gideon Weitzman is the Rav of Beit Knesset Merkaz Modiin (Bunker

Shul) and gives weekly shiurim in both Hebrew and English.


‡ Ohad Turjeman (3rd grade) was the winner of the Mesuat NeriahChanuka fair raffle. The bicycle (first prize) was donated by Express Bicycles in Shilat. 08-979-2020.

Winner’s Circle

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On the fifth night of Hanukah a miracle happened in Hashmonaim! Teenagers and their parents, working together, created an incredible Hanukah party attended by well over 300 adults.

Not only did they work together that night, but they also enjoyed every minute of it! And, teens have been seen greeting adults more warmly than ever in the light of day whenever they pass each other in the street!

The Noar (youth) decided that they wanted to host a

Hanukah party for the adults of the Yishuv. In the planning

stages, a number of committees were set up, including

fundraising, food, programming, decorating, technical, music,

etc. Each committee consisted of a number of youths as

By: Ella Hyman

Getting to Know Our Noarwell as one or two adult participants. The adults who gladly

worked with the Noar (led by Channah Spiegelman and

Michal Abitbol) gave advice, time, shopping assistance, and

rides; they decorated, filmed, hosted meetings, organized

phone squads, delivered tables and chairs, cooked and

baked. Many people generously donated items ranging

from paper goods for 400 people, technical equipment,

helium and... just name it. The enthusiasm and readiness

to work was apparent to everyone involved – every step

of this project was simply a lot of fun.

The evening itself was held in the beautiful new

Beit Midrash of Yeshivat Ner Tamid. The huge hall was

decorated to the hilt – the Noar had spent hours

decorating and it showed. The entrance was covered by

a huge arch of balloons flying overhead. Inside, 40 tables

were set beautifully with black tablecloths and red and

yellow runners, each with a large centerpiece looking

like a burning candle. Ushers showed people to their

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seats, which were assigned at the door,

purposely seating people with others

that they don’t know. Buffet tables

covered with homemade soups, salads,

other hot delicacies, coffee, teas and

tens of gourmet-looking cakes lined the

beautifully decorated walls.

When Rav Palti Granot, Rosh Yeshiva

of Ner Tamid, arrived, he was danced in

by an enthusiastic group of his students.

The program began when Rav Itamar

Orbach, the Rav of the Yishuv, joined

Rav Granot for candle lighting and divrei Torah. This was

followed by a greeting by Yitzchak Steinberg, the newly

elected Rosh Vaad Hashmonaim.

The multifaceted program that followed featured a

sequence of challenges that were to be attempted by

each table simultaneously – for example, filling in a map of

where everyone lives on the Yishuv. Between tasks, there

were skits prepared by the Noar together with adults. The

feature presentation was a hysterical movie produced and Continues on page 16

filmed by the Noar, with cameo appearances by some of

their adult counterparts. The film recreated some scenes

from the Hanukah story which took place in our backyard,

and poked fun at life in the Yishuv. They also provided live

music for the event.

The Noar is one of Hashmonaim’s strongest and

proudest assets. They are strong, energetic and very


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Have you ever suffered from low back pain? Has this pain started to creep down your leg? Have you felt tingling, numbness or pins and needles down the leg? Then it is likely that you suffered from sciatica.

According to Dr. Yoav Moritz of the Chiropractic and

Rehabilitation Center in Modiin, sciatica is common among

the 40-60 age group and it affects women more than

men. He goes on to explain that in the majority of cases

the low back pain will start first and after a few days the

leg sensation will occur. There are number of conditions

that can lead to sciatica. Disc bulge or herniation that

are impinging on the nerve can cause sciatica. In addition,

degenerative processes, such as spondylosis, that occur in

the spine and cause impingement of the nerve can also

lead to sciatica. The impingement of the nerve initiates an

inflammatory process in the sciatic nerve itself. The sciatic

nerve, which is the longest nerve in the body, is made

out of bundles of fibers wrapped together in a sheath.

During the inflammation fluids build up inside the sheath

and this cause pressure that irritate the nerve fibers. The

irritation to the nerve fibers leads to pain, numbness, pins

and needles, loss of sensation and even weakness of the

leg or foot.

Today there is a new way to treat sciatica which is

known as neurodynamic unloading taping. This method

was developed over a number of years through a

collaboration of experts from Israel, the UK the US and

Australia. It has been trialed and tested successfully in one

of the major hospitals in Israel and has been shown to

be a very effective method to ease the leg symptoms

in sciatica. The treatment is noninvasive and without any

significant side-effects. The treatment method includes the

use of special tapes that are applied to the skin in order to

cause an upward stretch of the nerve and its surrounding

connective tissues. This taping method lowers the

pressure inside the nerve sheath which is caused by the

inflammatory fluids. The drop in the pressure allows for

improved blood circulation and speeds-up the recovery

process. The tapes are applied to the leg at specific points

Sciatic Pain By: Dr. Yoav Moritz

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along the nerve and remains on the leg for a period of

three-to-five days at a time, until the leg symptoms are

gone. ß

For more details please contact Dr. Yoav Moritz at the Chiropractic

Center in Modiin Center 08-926-6335.


] 1� [

The North and South of Buchman

North Buchman (Tsafon) By: Vera Mayer

When someone hears you live in Buchman, they assume

that you are American, Dati and live in a big house.

The truth is, however, that Buchman Tsafon is not so

monolithic – for one, it has a truly mixed population. Our

neighbors are Dati, Masorati, Chiloni, native-born Israeli,

American, British, Australian, South African and Russian.

From what I have observed, the interactions between

these populations has been positive, warm and friendly.

The Dati population of Buchman Tsafon still lacks

a proper shul, however we do have a nice choice of

Shabbat minyanim to join. The first minyan here was

Kehillat Shivtei Yisrael, currently in Gan Tavor. They have a

plot of land beside the Gan and expect to begin building

a shul soon. There is a vibrant Nusach Ashkenaz minyan

located in Masuot Nerya. They are very organized, with

different committees and a great Rabbi and Rebbetzin.

This minyan is very warm and welcoming, and is a big

draw for Americans and Olim chadashim. In the Maon

next to Gan Tavor there is a mixed Sephardi (Eidot

Mizrach) and Ashkenazi minyan. The Yeshiva Tichonit

houses a new minyan which is quickly becoming popular

with Israelis and Anglos alike. Last but not least, is our

kehilla, Adir Bamarom. We daven in Gan Adir, and plan

to build our shul on top of the gan and adjacent ganim.

Warm and friendly, the minyan is mostly Israeli, but we do

have a small minority of Anglos.

In all honesty, the majority of Buchman Tsafon is made up

of du-mishpachti houses. However, there are apartments

in Buchman (really, there are!) The buildings are low,

and the apartments are generally large (4-5 bedroom)

and have a garden or large porch. The neighborhood

consequently has the feel of a suburb. This, of course, has

its advantages and disadvantages. The area is quieter, with

big homes and gardens, but you really need a car to get

anywhere. When I lived in the suburbs in America, I also

had to get into a car simply to buy bread and milk. This

is a good thing for me to keep in mind when I complain

about the lack of amenities in Buchman Tsafon. We did

finally get a small shopping center on Rechov Yissachar

which contains a makolet, hair dresser and cafe. Yay!

We have a beautiful park on Yitzchak Rabin, which we

share with Givat C. It’s one of the only parks in Modiin

with built-in pergolas to provide some shade. It has

many slides and swings, and a large grassy area on which

the children can play. There are also other small parks

scattered throughout the neighborhood, and a couple

more are planned.

Buchman Tsafon has a few really good schools, both

Mamlachti and Mamad. The schools are within walking

distance of almost any home in the neighborhood. Also

within walking distance is our new Ulam Sport. Many

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chugim for children and adults take place there every day.

We love to watch the mini ballerinas and martial artists

parading around the neighborhood. In fact, the uniformed

“ninjas” are so ubiquitous that my husband jokes that he

often feels like he lives in Shaolin, in one of those cheesy

Kung-Fu movies where everybody walks around in a gi.

In short, Modiin is a wonderful city with a varied

population. We are all lucky to live in such a special city

on this historic land. Buchman Tsafon is a wonderful

neighborhood within that city. The quality of the people

- Israeli and Anglo, Dati and Chiloni - is second to none.

We wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. ß

South Buchman (Darom) By: Chani Turk

Three years ago, when we made Aliyah, we decided to

take a leap and buy property here in Modiin. But only on

paper. On paper? What does that mean? Is it a picture,

a book something we can hang on the wall and look

at? No, we soon learned that here in Modiin – the City

of the Future – to buy on paper was a very common

practice. It is a practice that has its risks but it is really the

smartest way to buy in a city like this. You are not exactly

sure what you are buying, you are not exactly sure what

your house will look like and who will be situated next to

you, but at the same time the prices are lower and there

are often more choices available.

That is what we did – we bought a place in Buchman

Darom. Two years later we moved in. We basically moved

into a “hard hat area” – no sidewalks, lots of really large

trucks, tons of nails and other construction debris (yes,

we did go through several tires) and dust that fell so

quickly you could not sweep fast enough. Now, a year

later, there is still much infrastructure missing – we do

not have a makolet, no schools, there is a great park, oh

North Buchman, pictured in the center is the Sport Hall

The view from where Beit Knesset Ahkenaz will soon stand

Continues on page 14


] 1� [

‡Continued from page 13

yeah, you can’t play in it – there is no insurance, and only

some sidewalks are finished. However, many more of the

housing projects are finished and there is no shortage of

people to meet.

Walking down the street you inevitably run into a

familiar face to stop and chat with. It can make getting

somewhere on time a bit challenging but it is worth it

to have so many friendly people around. And because

everyone is new people tend to make great efforts to

get out there and say hello – even to “strangers”. I think

that because this is such a brand new area and there is

so much yet to be finished the main point to bring home

about Buchman Darom is that feeling of friendliness. There

is a comfort in seeing a group of people gathered around

the slide on Miriam Hachashmonit street, everyone

chatting, kids playing. There is a warmth that is felt when

you are walking down the street on a Friday night and

hear the songs of Kabbalat Shabbat coming from one of

the neighborhood yards.

These are feelings that you get from people, not from

things. And I guess that is the important part of what

makes up a neighborhood. For as nice as it will be to have

a grocery store and gannim and maybe even a restaurant

close by, what really makes a neighborhood are the

neighbors. So for that yishuv feel in a big city, Buchman

Darom is a great place to live. ß

This aritcle is part of a series featuring different neiborhoods in Modiin.

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] 1� [

Olim CornerAbsorption Department Managed by Rozita Berlin

Outings and parties were the name of the game in the

Absorption Department this month. We tried to give our

new olim a taste of Chanukah, fatten them up with more

donuts and show them some archaeology and other

interesting things.

Tour of Ancient and Modern Modiin

A group of new olim went on a tour to try and find the

original site of Ancient Modiin, accompanied by explanations

about the Maccabean Graves, El Media and other ancient

sites in the area. Jump forward 2000 years to Modern Modiin

where the group learned as to why the buildings at the

corners are all rounded, the fact that all apartment blocks

are built so that they will eventually be below the tree line,

and how the Dimri Towers are actually meant to symbolize

an aqueduct so that one feels like they are ‘flowing’ towards

Park Anabe and the City Center.

Tour of Ir David, the Kotel and

Emek Tzurim excavations

Three busloads of olim made

a trip to discover the Ancient

City of David in Jerusalem. Local

guides described the Ancient

City, its battles and sieges, and

squeezed the groups into the

ancient tunnel network where

the locals used to go and fetch

their water. After a visit to the Kotel the group moved onto

Emek Tzurim. A few years back the Waqf bulldozed through

a new entrance to the Temple Mount and dozens of trucks

of rubble were dumped down the side of a mountain

without being formally excavated. This rubble is now being

sifted and checked for ancient relics by the general public

at Emek Tzurim under the supervision of experienced

archaeologists.


Olim tiyulim


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cohesive. When something exciting or significant is

going on in the Yishuv or in the country, you can count

on our Noar to come out in numbers and be not only

involved but at the front of whatever is happening. Our

Bnei Akiva branch is very active, and during Chodesh

Irgun one can see just how much energy, talent and

effort they are capable of. Many of us, both parents and

teens, have noticed a feeling of letdown when Chodesh

Irgun comes to an end. With that in mind, the concept

of “Noar Movil Kehilla” was born. The idea is to create a

continuous project to help the Noar channel this energy

and give back to the community through their time and

effort. Hopefully, the Hanukah party was the first of many

exciting projects that the Noar will plan and carry out.

The goals of their projects will continue to be

threefold: to unify the different communities within

the Yishuv from different cultures and with varying

customs, to bridge the gap between the Noar and the

adults by actually working together, and to provide the


Noar with opportunities that they create themselves

to contribute to the community in different areas and

ways. Plans are well under way for the next exciting

project that will embody these same goals.

For me, the ultimate proof of the success of this first

project – the Hanukah party for adults – was that at

the end of a very long evening, even the clean up was

done by parents and kids together. The musicians kept

on playing, everyone was having a blast and people of

all ages just lingered, not wanting to go home and end

the evening, in spite of the late hour. A surprise Ben and

Jerry’s celebration was provided for the Noar following

the cleanup – a well-deserved dessert.

As one parent said to me the next day when discussing

how many hours their kids had put in to the party, “When

your kids go out to hang out with friends, that’s OK

sometimes, but when they go out to hang out with their

friends and you know they are doing great things for the

kehila (community) all you can say is Kol Hakavod!” ß


These components of the tree symbolize aspects of

our personalities. The roots represent faith, the spiritual

quality which connects man to G-d, the source of his

nourishment. As a person develops spiritually, he learns

to rely on his strong foundations of faith for support.

The trunk, branches and leaves represent our study of

Torah, observance of the mitzvot, and the expression of

Jew ish values in our daily conduct. These enable a person

to develop himself and they generate an inner beauty

which makes him attractive to others.

The ultimate fulfillment of a person, however, is his

fruits. These are his involvements – first with his own

family, the seeds he has planted, but also with the people

around him. Through his efforts to become involved

with others, one tree can bring another into being. For

example, a person might inspire a colleague to emulate

his example and estab lish a foundation of faith, grow in

the study of Torah and the observance of mitzvot, and

ultimately take his turn at reach ing out to others with

sincere concern. ß

] 1� [


Maintenance Corner By: Shimon Zack

Welcome back to the Home Maintenance Corner. In this issue we will give you a few reminders on how to maintain your house and some trouble shooting solutions during the winter months.

Let’s start with our electrical system. If you get a black

out – usually during a rainfall – don’t panic, just follow

these steps. If your Ground Fault Breaker falls you should

try picking it up to reset it. (This is the breaker which is

bigger than the others and also has a T button on it. Every

six months you should push it in to see if the breaker is in

working order.) This breaker is very important as it saves

us and our family from getting electrocuted. After lifting

it, it should reset itself. If it does not, you should put down

all the circuit breakers in the board including your main

circuit breaker which is either a single one or three joined

together located next to your ground fault breaker. Then

pick up your main breaker, then the ground fault. If they

both stay up, start putting up the other breakers one by

one, until usually one will cause the ground fault to jump

again. Leave that one down, pick up the ground fault and

continue putting up the remainder of the circuit breakers.

This should solve the problem and now you should know

which breaker caused the problem. If this does not work

you will have to call your electrician.

One can try preventing electrical problems caused by

water by checking a few things. Check all outside light

fixtures to see that they are properly sealed and have

covers, also check the sockets. Make sure there are no

exposed electrical wires anywhere. I strongly suggest that

you have your electrician come and check your electrical

boards to see that that all the wires are tightly screwed

and that there are no loose connections. Remember

loose electrical connections lead to fires. I suggest this be



] 1� [


Volunteer Opportunities Evening

An evening was held to create awareness and

meet the wonderful people that run the volunteer

organizations in Modiin. These people help the

vulnerable populations of Modiin including the elderly,

disabled and underprivileged. We heard about their

dedicated and inspirational work and how much

they are dependent on the assistance of stronger

communities like the Anglo community.

If you would be willing to donate just one hour a week of

your time then please read on.

Club for the Elderly - Tamara Privas runs a club for

the elderly four mornings a week in the Club House in

Maccabim. The club has 60 members who find it hard to

be independently mobile and therefore are dependent on

the club for a chance to get out and come to enjoy lectures,

light exercise, and arts and crafts.

Tamara welcomes volunteers to help in the club: assist

with activities, give an interesting lecture, or just to sit and

play a game with the members.

You can contact Tamara on 054-207-3223

Akim Modiin - National Association for the Habilitation

of the Mentally Handicapped Persons in Israel. Chairman

Shachar Mey-On gave an inspiring speech on how it is to be

a father of a mentally handicapped child. He now heads Akim

in Modiin which is responsible for 60 mentally handicapped

children. They run kaytanot, chugim and support groups

for families. He is looking for volunteers to help out with

“Donation Days”, kaytanot, and to give support in the homes

of families who have mentally handicapped children.

Community Police (Mishmar Ezrachi) - Eli Arbeli 08-972-

6444 or 08-972-6434

The Community Police are always pleased to receive

volunteers to help out in order to allow the police more

time to be out on the streets taking care of their citizens.

Ezer Modiin - Rav Segel 052-459-3774. Rav Segel needs

volunteers on Thursday evenings and Friday mornings to

deliver food packages to needy people in the city.

Next month: February 18th, Trip to the Hermon, 75 NIS

for olim up to 10 years, for children 4 and up. ß

For any queries contact the Absorption Department:

08-9726198 - Rita – Secretary; 08-9726164 - Joanna, Coordinator of

English Speaking Olim; [email protected]

Chanuka party at the Iriya

Olim tiyulim


] 1� [


done twice a year, just like one takes their car for check

ups.

The time has come to clean your air conditioner

filters in order to get good heat from the air conditioner.

The recommended temperature setting and the best

economically during the winter months is 20 -22 degrees.

You should also check to see that the outside motor of

the air conditioner is sealed properly and is in a protected

area so that water cannot get in.

Wishing you all a safe, healthy winter with a meaningful

rainfall. ß

Shimon Zack is a Qualified Licensed Electrician with over 20 years

experience, 08-970-7194, 052-2953-717, 054-2456-448.

Single and Three Breaker


] �0 [

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Candle Lighting

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“Is Man a Tree of the Field?” By: Yochanan Lambiase

Recipe Corner

Chef Patron at the Jerusalem Culinary Institute


Tu BiShvat, “the New Year of the Trees,” has its own cus-

toms, which our Rabbis associate with the phrase, “Is

man a tree of the field?” Because the tree-metaphor is so

fundamen tal to our divine service, we celebrate the New

Year of the Trees.

A tree may be divided into three parts: a) roots b)

trunk, branches and leaves and c) fruit. Though the roots

of a tree are not visible, they serve two vital functions:

they sup port the tree, enabling it to withstand strong

winds, and they deliver most of its nourishment. The

trunk, branches and leaves constitute the bulk of the tree’s

body, reflect its growth, and make the tree attractive to

the onlooker – but they are not its ultimate purpose. It

is the fruit that benefits others and contains the seeds

which bear the species’ promise for posterity.

By: Yochanan Lambiase Chef Patron at the Jerusalem Culinary Institute

Cornish Hens with Couscous and Figs

Yield: 4 servings

2 1/4 cups chicken broth

1 2/3 cups couscous (1- 10 ounce package)

1 cup dried figs (preferably dark ones such as Mission

figs, diced)

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

3 green onions (scallions), chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Cornish hens, each about 1- 1/2

pounds

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Bring the broth to a boil in a large

saucepan. Stir in the couscous and

figs. Cover the pan, remove from the

heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff the

couscous with a fork. Add the lemon

rind and green onions and stir with

a fork. Season to taste with salt and

pepper. Let stuffing cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Fahrenheit. Discard excess fat from the hens. Rub hens

with pepper, then spoon 1/3 to 1/2 cup stuffing into

each hen, packing it in gently. Reserve remaining stuffing

mixture at room temperature.

Set the hens in a small roasting pan or shallow baking

dish just large enough to contain them. Roast the hens,

basting 2 or 3 times, for 45 minutes or until the thickest

part of a drumstick is tender when

pierced with a skewer and juices

that run from drumstick are clear ; if

juices are pink, roast hens for a few

more minutes and check again. During

roasting, add 2 tablespoons hot water

to pan juices if they brown.

To serve, spoon the stuffing from

the hens onto a platter. Cut each hen

in half lengthwise with poultry shears.

Arrange the pieces over stuffing on

platter or plates. Cover and keep

warm.

Heat the remaining stuffing mixture

in a medium skillet over low heat,

stirring gently with a fork, about 2

minutes; or heat it in a covered dish in the microwave.

Serve in a separate heated dish.


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