Fish Food Rules
 Chevre (friends):
Thursday, Day 5, and during Creation, the fish and sea creatures were created, as well as birds and fowl. My initial thought, was that this provides lots of potential food to sustain us humans. Then I got to thinking that eating anything in Judaism isn't quite as easy as just reaching and chewing. There are brachot (blessings) to say, and there are the rules of kashrut (keeping kosher) that restrict or forbid certain foods.
I think that, for me, these rules have an overall purpose of making eating a conscious act. And being conscious and deliberate about eating food can help to make the process of eating one of meaning and gratitude, rather than one of primal gorging. I've learned that being slower and methodical about eating can also be healthier, causing us to think twice (or three times) before we put something in our mouths, and pausing to digest.
I wanted to pass along some of the religious laws of kashrut, as they apply to fish, just in case you were wondering what and why, as I was.
The requirement for fish to be kosher is that it have both scales and fins. A passage from the Talmud (commementions that all fish that have scales also have fins, so it is permissible to just check for scales. Anytime you have a rule in Judaism, you have opinions and disagreement. It turns out that our wise rabbis have further defined "scales" as being a growth on the side of a fish that is removable without damage to the skin of the fish. For this reason, a sturgeon, for example, is not kosher because its skin is covered with a bony plate. Sharks also are not kosher because they are covered with teeth-like armor. A final consideration is that the number of scales is not important. Because of this, tuna is kosher. I'm glad because I love tuna salad.
The determination of kashrut is made by a mashgiach, an inspector trained in the nuances of Jewish kashrut law. We are warned to be particularly aware of fish that is not eaten in its original form, such as fish fillet (where the skin is not present to be checked) or fish roe, where the origin might not be clear. For connoisseurs, unfortunately caviar (roe from a sturgeon) is not technically kosher.
Because of the "scales" rule, crustaceans and shellfish are not kosher. This encompasses a large group of seafood products including clams, lobster, shrimp, scallops, crab and squid.
Finally, a quick story about the unique Jewish delicacy called "gefilte fish" (Yiddish for filled-fish). On Shabbat, the Sabbath day of rest, there are many prohibitions related to work, and one of them is known in Hebrew as "borer" (separating). This is a part of a broader specific definition of 39 forbidden categories of work, and includes references to separating wheat from chaff. Observant Jews felt that the act of filleting a fish served with the bone in, violated this rule, and hence a custom developed to fillet, grind and stuff the fish back into the skin to be cooked as a ready-to-eat meal on the Sabbath, requiring no "separation". We can thank these religious laws for helping us to evolve the recipe for this delicious fish dish, usually made from carp or pike.
So those are the fish food rules. Enjoy some gefilte fish this Shabbat.
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Music Worship
 Join us for our next music worship on Friday, October 8th, 2010.
Food and wine at 5:30, music worship at 6:30.
We will be meeting at Mountain Laurel Center, (1177 Hebron Av, Glastonbury, CT 06033) DIRECTIONS
The following week, Arnie Davidson and Shelly Aronson will be guests at Temple Sinai (41 West Hartford Rd, Newington, CT 06111) on Friday October 15th at 7:30 PM with Rabbi Jeffrey Bennett and Cantor Donna Gordon. Join us for a Shabbat worship filled with familiar music. INFORMATION
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Shalom,
Arnie Davidson
Worship Leader
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Friday, Oct. 8, 2010 6:30pm
Regular Music Worship
MOUNTAIN LAUREL CENTER
1177 Hebron Av. Glastonbury, CT 06033
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Friday Oct 15, 2010 7:30pm
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TEMPLE SINAI
41 West Hartford Rd.
Newington, CT 06111
NOV:
Friday, Nov 12, 2010
Rabbi Elias Lieberman, Falmouth, MA. | Arnie Davidson will join Rabbi Elias Lieberman, Dr. Wendy Nelson and Pamela Rothstein from the Falmouth Jewish Congregation in a "Boomer Shabbat" full of 60's and 70's music. Bring your "Woodstock" clothes and be prepared for an evening of fun and singing in this "alternative worship", entirely in English, substituting 20 pop songs for related prayers in the Shabbat worship service.
DEC:
Friday, Dec 10, 2010
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Havdalah with Julie Silver and a day of Jewish Learning.
 Limmud Boston
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Only $36 registration for adults, $18 teens, FREE under 12.
Arnie Davidson will be among the many dozens of presenters and performers.
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