Jewish Celiacs Blog-In

On the campaign trail In Philly for John McCain and Sarah Palin

Jewish Celiacs Newsletter, Vol.4, No. 1, hit the streets and the U.S. Post Office a few weeks late this time. Why? Well, between you and me, I was pretty busy with helping out as a volunteer in the last Presidential election, and to my dismay, my candidates of choice, Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin, only got fifty-eight million (58,000,000) votes, and lost by about four million (4,000,000) votes to Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Not bad, but no prize. However, there is always tomorrow. (*** To the left is a photo of me on the campaign trail, and below that I can be seen in the background as John and Cindy McCain speak to three women at our table. I spoke with Senator McCain, and you can see him holding a manilla envelope that I gave to him, which contains the photo to the left, and a copy of Jewish Celiacs Newsletter. He actually shook my hand three times that day. He was very happy to have my support. We are fellow Veterans.) No further comments on that subject because this is mainly a blog about health matters, and don’t really wish to debate with my readers here about who was, or will be the better candidate next time, etc., etc., etc. As to the photo on the left, I got a lot of positive car honks and waves though a few either gave me the finger, or cursed me out. Goes with the territory.

Joining John and Cindy McCain for lunch at Philly's Reading Terminal - *This photo appeared in The New York Times online with a story.

The second reason why JCN was late coming out this time was the usual, Jewish holidays like Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, and that minor one that may compete with Xmas in the minds of many Jewish parents, Chanukah, a celebration of the military victory of Judaism over Hellenism, a form of ancient, Greek paganism in the Land of Israel. Chanukak isn’t exactly just a “festival of lights” that seems to compete with that other “festival of lights” holiday, Xmas, and maybe still that other “festival of lights” holiday, Kwanzaa, founded by Ron Karenga, “an African American author, political activist, college professor, and convicted felon,” according to Wikipedia. Chanukah is actually a victory celebration over oppression, and finding meaning in beginning anew by rededication the Temple with oil that lasted for eight days. B’ruch HaShem!

Now, let’s get on with the subjects at hand, Celiac Disease and Kosher Food, and all of the items that have to do with them like the JRA (Jewish Relief Agency), and Rabbi Marvin Hier, the Academy Award-winning producer and founder of both the Museum of Tolerance and YULA, an Orthodox day school, and a Celiac, plus so much more.

A couple is having something at the JRA Cafe.

The lead story in this edition, Jewish Relief Agency: Feeding the Jewish Poor, is about a great organization, you guessed it, the Jewish Relief Agency, a Project of Guideline Services of Lubavitch House, and the largest provider of food assistance to the Jewish poor in the Greater Philadelphia region. The JRA held a program on December 7, 2008 at the Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, PA, to benefit hunger relief. After I contacted its Exec. Director, Amy Krulik, she arranged for me to cover it, and I’m glad that I did. However, before I started to explain what took place at this gala affair to bring attention to the plight of the Jewish poor, I ran down an unfortunate time in my life when I was not only poorer than I am now, but homeless as well. That was from “mid 1980 to late 1981.” My personal tale of woe, though an extreme situation, illustrates what could happen to anyone of us at any time. Not every one of us is rolling in the dough like the stereotypical view of the Jew has it. Not all of us behave like fellow Jew, Bernard Madoff, who had gained the confidence of many Jews and non-Jews, and managed to easily rip both of them off, which included many Jewish charities who trusted in him. Many of us are simply poor, or average middle class folks, and we couldn’t have invested with him if we had wanted to. B’ruch HaShem!

My JRA article began with this from the Torah, Vayikra (Leviticus) 25:35-38 - 35: And if thy brother be waxen poor, and his means fail with thee; then thou shalt uphold him: as a stranger and a settler shall he live with thee. 36: Take thou no interest of him or increase; but fear thy G-d; that thy brother may live with thee. 37: Thou shalt not give him thy money upon interest, nor give him thy victuals for increase. 38: I am HaShem your G-d, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, to be your G-d.

I continued by giving my reasons for supporting organizations like the JRA by first recounting an unfortunate chapter in my life, which went this way:

“From mid 1980 to late 1981, I had been among the poor, the hungry, and the homeless on the streets of Philadelphia, PA. I slept on grates, on steps, on park benches, in doorways, and in SEPTA’s subway stations in all kinds of weather, and often sharing those spots with others too. I begged for spare change for a cup of coffee, a bowl of hot soup, or even a sandwich. When I asked to do work for food, few hired me, only for a few hours, and only now and then. Once, a man took me in, and fed me for about a week, but most of the time, I traveled on foot all over Philly and its suburbs. I avoided most people because of the times that I had been called a bum, laughed at, cursed out, spit on, beat up and even robbed of any spare change that I had gotten. However, most people simply ignored me as if I didn’t exist!…. During the winter of 1980, while trying to keep warm in Philly’s 30th Street Station, I was jailed for being a vagrant. After weeks in the Street Road lockup, I was released, hitched a ride on I-95, and headed south to Baltimore, MD. The morning of my arrival, I was awakened from my sleep on a bench across from a police station by several, young, black thugs who were beating me in my sleep. I quickly jumped up, and they ran. The police did nothing. When I was thirsty, no bar would even give me a glass of water. Later, an elderly Jew gave me some money for food, and clothes to find work. Someone robbed me of those clothes while I was out of my abode….. Fed up with Baltimore, I hit the road, and headed further south. I went into a building on the outskirts of the city to get directions. There, I was arrested by two white cops, taken to a court with no bail set, or a hearing, and jailed for the phony charges of “breaking and entering with a weapon.” Weeks later, they put me in a mental institution where I was beaten by two black ward boys who forced me to take their meds at 2 AM. Drugged, I spent about five months in captivity until one of my close friends, the late Steven Jacobs, founder of the Jewish Hospitality Committee, got the Maryland hospital to release me in his custody back in Philly. Luckily, I remembered Steve’s number one day, called him by reversing the charges, told him all that had happened to me, and about a week later I headed back to Philly. —- B’ruch HaShem.”

Children are having fun at the JRA event.

If you have ever been poor, or down and out, by this society’s standards, abused, or not, you should understand how grateful I would be to be able to get whatever I could to just stay afloat, especially in this present economy. Need and even greed has their place until the latter grows out of control. Bernie knows!

Other friends of the poor who shared their time and effort at this Jewish Relief Agency event were “JCC Klein’s Meals On Wheels, Jewish Federation’s Mitzvah Food Project, SHARE Food Program, and Philabundance, which claims to provide food to about 65,000 people per week.” Since there really isn’t enough for one group to feed one family for an entire month, or even a single person for that same time period, that family, or person should try to appeal to several different groups at once to get by until the next month. What I didn’t mention in the article is that if you are a poor person with Celiac Disease, you will most likely have a harder time because most foods containing grain products (bags of noodles, boxed cereals, etc.) that are contributed to groups like the JRA are made from wheat, rye, and barley, and if you are concerned about oats, that too. Also, the canned vegetables, fruit, and fish may, or may not have, gluten bi-products in them. It’s a real tough call for us (Celiacs) because I am a recipient of JRA’s kindness, and I know what the problem is. Meanwhile, what I cannot eat, I give to a non-Celiac person in need.

People ask questions at Katz Gluten Free Bake Shop booth while children play, and adults taste samples.

Some of the Gluten-Free folks at this greatl Kosher gathering included:

* Katz Gluten Free Bake Shop - 51 Forest Road, Suite 316 #58, Monroe NY 10950, Phone: 845-782-5307, Fax: 845-774-1540, Email: Info@katzglutenfree.com, Web: katzglutenfree.com
* KoV Foods - P.O. BOX 133, Ardmore, PA 19003, Phone: 610-649-3601, Email: kov@kovfoods.com, Web: kovfoods.com/
* Sheffa Foods, Inc. - P.O. Box 1175, Sharon Hill PA 19079, Phone: 484-494-1249 or 800-494-1956, Fax: 484-497-5436, Email: Info@sheffafoods.com, Web: sheffafoods.com

If I missed anyone, please get in touch with me, and maybe I can add your name and address as a Kosher, Gluten-Free merchant on Jewish Celiacs Newsletter.

You can reach the JRA at: Jewish Relief Agency, 125 Montgomery Avenue, #A3, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004, Phone: 610-660-0190, Email: jra@jewishrelief.org, Web: jewishrelief.org. The information about their gala event can be found at: jewishrelief.org/2008event/CurrentExhibitors.html

The aticle (with photos) was too long for me to go into it here except to say that there were many food companies, health and welfare services, and entertainers who took part, and the crowd seemed to be taking it all in. The children loved it, and the band was hip. May G-d bless the JRA, and the other food-givers.

My regular column, Kosher Food News, featured a piece about (1) a relatively one-year-old, Perlin’s Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant at 2442 Route 38, Cherry Hill, NJ, a kosher eatery that you may want to try though it’s somewhat pricey, (2) the first time that Kosherfest (2008) held their yearly event at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, NJ. “Kosherfest 2009” will run between October 27 and 28, and (3) “… the ever growing economic crisis on New York City’s poor, not being able “to afford basic nutritious food,… UJA-Federation of New York provided a $400,000 grant to Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty.” This should allow Met Council’s food distribution sites to “remain stocked to provide kosher food to all who are hungry.” Families have trouble with rent, heat, food and meds.” What’s so new? It’s still good to know that someone cares!

Tu B’Shvat and the Shehechiyanu Blessing was another front page piece, and told of how many Jews celebate “the holiday of the trees,” Tu B’Shvat, on February 9, 2009, or Shevat 15, 5769 by our calendar. The blessing from Berachot 54a, Pesakhim 7b, Sukkah 46a, etc. goes like this:

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has kept us alive, and sustained us, and enabled us to reach this moment.”

Transliteration: Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-noi E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-olom, She-heh-che-yah-nu Ve-ki-yi-ma-nu Ve-he-gi-a-nu Laz-man Ha-zeh.

Trees provide oxygen, food, and medicine every day! Tu B’Shvat is 41days after the last day of Chanukah, Tevet 2, 5769 (Dec. 30, 2008). B’ruch HaShem.

I was happy to publish a Q & A With Rabbi Marvin Hier by Adam Wills, which I headlined as “An Interview With Rabbi Marvin Hier, A Celiac” on page 3. Adam Wills is the senior editor of The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Besides being “… the [Simon] Wiesenthal Center’s dean, Hier is an Academy Award-winning producer and founder of both the Museum of Tolerance and YULA, an Orthodox day school,” but most impotantly to Mr. Wills story, and to us as Celiacs is that Rabbi Hier is a Celiac too. I think that in the back of our minds we imagine that famous (or wealthy) people never have health problems (or even money problems), and it could only happen to us poor, and middle income folks. Well… it’s doesn’t!

An excerpt of Adam Wills interview with Rabbi Hier in Jewish Celiacs Newsletter ran thusly:

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Adam Wills: When were you diagnosed as celiac?

Rabbi Marvin Hier: Four or four and a half years ago.

AW: What led doctors to test you?

MH: I always had acid reflux. When I would eat ketchup, spicy things, I would feel something, like a discomfort. I was first given Prevacid, and that worked. And then when someone in the family had celiac everyone in the family was tested [to find out] who the carrier was. I came out positive.

AW: What kind of test was it?

MH: A blood test. And the doctor who diagnosed one of my grandchildren told me, ‘Look, here’s what you do. For 30 days go gluten-free. At the end of the 30 days, try one of the things that caused you discomfort.’ So I went down to Pat’s [kosher restaurant] and I had lots of French fries loaded up with ketchup. I had no reaction. So the doctor said to me, ‘Here’s what happened. You might have had a hiatus hernia that was ulcerated. But it was not ulcerated because of ketchup, sauerkraut, pickles. It’s ulcerated because you probably love gluten products.’ Once she told me that I said, ‘You know what? I live off challie, bagels … that was my staple.’

So after the blood test came back positive for me, she told me that I should tell my doctors that I have celiac. Sure enough, many of the doctors said when [they] went to medical school these wheat allergies and all these things were unknown.

Now for the last four and a half years I’ve had to find a different food lifestyle which gets me off the challie. I don’t have any of that any more. I’m very strict, very strict.

AW: Do you remember your parents having digestive problems?

MH: My father for sure had celiac. I have a picture of my father. He [had a] very skinny face, drawn. The doctors in his age, they didn’t know about it.

AW: Not until after World War II, because of wheat shortages.

MH: And there’s another thing to this. Wheat, challie, breads, cakes are a staple of the Jewish diet. When I went to yeshivah, who took a tuna sandwich? The biggest deal was what kind of bun, muffin, honeycake or anything that I could eat that was made in the bakery.

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This entire interview can be found in Jewish Celiacs Newsletter Vol. 4, No. 1, the paper. Send me a letter, and regular postage, and I will mail you a copy of this edition if I have any left. If not, I will return your postage at my expense.

Celiac Disease - A Hidden Epidemic

Besides the JCN Editorial and Letters to Editor on page 4, my Book Review was on what I consider the best book on the subject of Celiac Disese bar none for the moment, “CELIAC DISEASE — A Hidden Epidemic“ by Dr. Peter H. R. Green, M.D., the Director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University, and co-author, Rory Jones, a science writer and award-winning producer, diagnosed with Celiac Disease and Dermatitis Herpetiformis in 1998, a year before I was diagnosed with CD at Philly’s VA Medical Center (Hospital). I cannot say enough good things about this book here though I did say more in my review of it in this edition of JCN. They cover the whole shmear - like in spreading a good coat of paint. Whatever you can imagine, it’s in their book. Buy it if you really want to know about Celiac Disease from A to Z! You may also find it in a public library.

Under Jewish Diseases this time, I virtually copied (quoted) all that there was about “Familial Mediterranean Fever,” or FMF, a Sephardic, Jewish disease, which “… is characterized by recurrent painful episodes of fever, peritonitis (abdominal pain), pleuritis (lung inflammation leading to painful breathing), and/or arthritis in the hip, knee, and/or ankle, lasting 2 - 3 days. … .” There’s more to it than that, but if you want to know now, go to jewishgeneticscenter.org/ and get the whole gluten-free matzo ball on it. I alternate between Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jewish disease each edition, but because there are twice as many of the former, I feature two editions in a row of the former, and then one edition of the latter, and repeat that formula over and over again.

I'm seated at my table, handing out copies of Jewish Celiacs Newsletter at the hip 2008 Philly Zine Fest.

I had fun, if that’s possible, when I paid for, and set up, a table at last year’s 2008 Philly Zine Fest, held on Sunday, October 5, 2008 at The Rotunda, 4012 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, PA. “Zine” is an abbreviation for the word, “magazine.” I grew up with the term, “mag.” As I had stated, “It was rad. It was cool, and it was pretty hip. There were workshops, skillshares and more. Contact PZF at phillyzinefest.com. Dig it!”

I made some real changes in Symptoms & Results of Celiac Disease. I added, (Revised—2009). Now, it’s more up-to-date, and more detailed though it may be a little harder on the eyes because I had to get all of the information I could manage to squeeze into a very small space, information culled from Dr. Green’s and Ms. Jones’ book, “CELIAC DISEASE — A Hidden Epidemic.” I will try to rectify that for JCN’s May 2009 edition.

There were no real changes to Celiac Restaurants (GF Menus Only!), Bakeries & Shops, but I did add “Perlin’s Kosher Vegetarian, 2442 Route 38, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002, 856-755-1116″ as a new spot in Kosher Restaurants & Shops in the Philadelphia Area.

Calendar of Events 2009 / 5769

Kosher Events
*** Kosherfest 2009, Oct. 27 - Meadowlands Expo Center, Secaucus, NJ
The dates for this are Tuesday, October 27 (10am-5pm) and Wednesday, October 28 (10am-4pm). Go online to www.kosherfest.com for more information, or call 1-207-842-5504 to reserve your space months in advance.

*** Ontario Travel Bureau Glatt Kosher Tours - “The Wandering Jew” — Costa Rica Discovery & Adventure-7 nights (Jan 18) # So. Africa: The Comprehensive Tour-10 nights (Jan 19) # Ski & Winter Adventure - Banff & Canadian Rockies-7 nights (Jan 19) # Peru - Incas & Amazon-7 nights (Jan 19) # Australia & New Zealand-25 nights (Jan 25) # Kosher tour to the Galapagos Islands.- (Jan 29-Feb 8?) # South Africa: The Comprehensive Tour-10 nights- (Feb 9) # Taste of Tuscany: Cultural and Gastronomic Tour- 6 nights- (Feb 13) # Costa Rica Discovery & Adventure-7 nights (Feb 15) - Call 1-800-893-5617 for more Kosher tours in 2009. — The link above leads to a list of Glatt Kosher restaurants, bakeries, butchers, and more.

*** Kosher Community Surveys — Philadelphia, Fall 2008-09 - Go to http://kosher-community-surveys.com/open_surveys.html and get involved in voting for the best kosher restaurants, bakeries, butchers and other retailers in and around Philadelphia — See the 2007 Philadelphia Area Kosher Community Survey Final Report online.

Celiac Events
*** The Southern New Jersey Celiac Support Group of CSA (Celiac Sprue Assoc.) The 2009 web site schedule:
Jan. 4: Ann Whelan speaks, Feb. 1: Mr. Ritts bakery, Mar. 8: NOTE - This is the 2nd Sun. All meetings on the first Sunday were bumped., Apr. 5: Gluten Free Bingo - - - All monthly meetings are on Sundays, 2 to 4 PM at the Barry D. Brown Health Education Center Virtua Health/West Jersey Hospital at Carnie Blvd. & Evesham Rd., Voorhees, NJ. Call Bill Lucas at 609-387-7139.

*** Natural Goodness Market & Café will have Sid Karp, Editor & Publisher of the Jewish Celiacs Newsletter, to give “A Wheat Free / Gluten-Free Primer,” March 18, 2009, 6:30 PM, 2000 Walnut St., Phila., PA. with questions afterwards. We’ll have free, healthy snacks too. Call 215-977-7749 for more info.

*** The Northeast Fibromyalgia Support Group is having Sid Karp, Editor & Publisher of Jewish Celiacs Newsletter speak on Monday, April 27, 2009, 12 noon, at Nazareth Hospital Medical & Wellness Center, 1407 Rhawn Street, Phila., PA. Sid’s third talk with us, “Is Celiac Disease Related To Fibromyalgia?” Call 215-884-1504 for more.
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Send your Kosher, or Celiac, events to JCN-Events, POB 11200, Phila., PA 19136, or jcn.info@jewishceliacs.com with all particulars before the next Deadline, Apr. 15, 2009.

That’s all for now, and until the next edition comes out May 1, 2009, or Iyyar 7, 5769 as we say, or maybe sooner if there is some real breaking news.

Shalom aleichem!

Sid Karp: Editor & Publisher of Jewish Celiacs Newsletter

Photos & this blog are Copyright (c) 2009 Sid Karp, All Rights Reserved

The latest edition of Jewish Celiacs Newsletter that hit the streets and went out in the U.S. mail this time, Vol. 3, No. 3, 2008, led off with my pieces on the status of “kosher” food as initially having to do with “Bat-El Gatterer, a young religious resident of Kochav Yaakov, located in the Binyamin region of Samaria” in Israel, who as an Israeli athlete, initially feared having problems with keeping kosher in China, and then there was the ordeals facing American athlete, Amy Yoder-Begley, who had numerous problems with Celiac Disease much of her life, and as an athlete had a real hard row to hoe at the 2008 Bejing Games where hospitality seemed to take second place in the race!

2008 Beijing Olympics Logo

My two columns on the 2008 Beijing Olympics were titled “Glatt Kosher Food at the 2008 Beijing Olympics” and “An American Celiac at the ‘08 Beijing Olympics” respectively. I personally have no beef with the average Chinese citizen, but their corrupt, Communist government needs to be replaced! Aiding North Korea, and Iran and its proxy armies like Hezbollah and Hamas makes them nothing, but anti-Shemites, and no better than NAZIs to the average Jew with any sechel (common sense)! The fact that much of the world attended the Games “proves that life is really cheap to those in power and with lots of $$$.”

1936 Games of the XI Olympiad - Berlin, Germany

Remember The Holocaust and The Games of the XI Olympiad, held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. The games were officially opened by Adolf Hitler. 3,963 competitors from 49 countries took part in it. The participating countries were Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chila, Republic of China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, India, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mexico, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United States, Uruguay and Yugoslavia. No Jews, or Romani (Gypsies) were officially allowed to take part in this event! As a former administrator of the late, Yaakov Riz’s Holocaust Awareness Museum for four year, I know that’s the way that it was! At this moment, the U.S. is now saying that it will not back Israel if Iran gets ready to strike her. True friends are hard to come by - yesterday and today!

Behind all the glitz and the glitter, and the pomp and circumstnce of this gala event, lurked a lot of bad news about ‘Red’ China. Not only has China’s reputation for importing life-threatening products into the U.S. and eleswhere been the talk of the world, but as I reported in this edition, “Red China and others have been supplying weapons to Iran who has repeatedly threatened to “wipe Israel off the map,” and to Hamas who has fired many hundreds of missiles into Israel from Gaza for some time. It must have been a vexing decision for Israel to attend the Games. Other countries that protested human rights in China, its treatment of Tibet, and its involvement in Sudan, also attended. In the end, it was a victory for Red China! So much for any national pride. Shame on us!…” Again, “This only proves that life is really cheap to those in power and with lots of $$$.”

One of my other columns is titled, and deals with “Jews and IBDs, Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.” I had said, “Mary J. Shomon wrote in her “Living Well With Autoimmune Disease,” on page156, “The incidence [IBDs] has been reported to be highest in the American Jewish population — which has a prevalence from four to five times that of the general population — followed by non-Jewish Caucasians. Ulcerative colitis seems to be more common in women and is thought to affect 30 percent more females than males.”” — “She writes on page 40, “Celiac Disease and ulcerative colitis are more common in people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent (from eastern or central Europe).””

L-R, Bill Lucas (Chairman), Leah Edelstein (Co-Chair), and 3 members of SNJ9/CSA

I literally wrote, “An Afternoon With Southern New Jersey Chap. of CSA,” at the last minute. It about a monthly meeting of the Southern New Jersey Chapter #9 of the CSA (Celiac Sprue Association). I spent the better part of the afternoon of September 14, 2008 with these folks who appeared to be highly entusiastic and highly motivated Celiacs who were bent on finding new ways to deal with the many problems that we face, having “gluten-intolerance.” I was happy to be there. I met some warm and wonderful people with much to say about themselves and what they had to put up. A speaker, Debbie Stout, gave a fine talk on a restaurateur’s responsibilities to people with disabilities such as those with CD. She also stressed that it was only right that we make known what we want to the waiter, or waitress, and even the chef. I included a few photos to boot.

Guest speaker, Debbie Stout

When I do a book review, it doesn’t always have to do with Celiac Disease, or kashrut. This book review was titled, “Guide to Illnesses/Their Natural Remedies.” The book’s actual title, had I had more room, is as the headline, “Your Complete Guide to Illnesses and Their Natural Remedies,” and its authors, Steven Bratman, M.D., and David Kroll, Ph.D., covered numerous illnessnes that most of us are pretty familiar with, but not always able to cure on our own. Some were “Allergies, Asthma, Bladder Infection, Cancer Prevention, Cataracts, Colds & Flues, Congestive Heart Failure, Constipation, Gallstones, Gout, Insomnia, Menopausal Symptoms, Migraine Headaches, Nausea, PMS, Raynaud’s Disease, Ulcers, and Varicose Veins.” “They give you its Principal Natural Treatments and Other Natural Treatments in fine detail without really boring you.”

Under my regular column, “Jewish Diseases” where I usually lay out basic information on the many Jewish-related diseases that we often encounter such as Tay Sachs and Canavan, I made known the basic facts on “Familial Dysautonomia” that affects the Ashkenazic community. I also cover those diseases that affect the Sephardic community, which will be highlighted again in my next edition that comes out in the beginning of January 2009. Although we Ashkenazim and Sephardim make up one nation of people who worship the same G-d (for those of us who do), we each have many different ailments, and of course if we intermarry, and we do, our offspring could have any one of the many that we both are affected with. We collectively have more diseases than you can shake a stick at. Vu den. Nu?

In, “Phillies Host ‘Celiac Awareness Day’,” I mentioned that “The Philadelphia Phillies, in conjunction with The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA), hosted “Celiac Awareness Day” July 27, when the Phils played the Atlanta Braves at Citizen’s Bank Park in Philly to raise awareness and funds for Celiac research.” I tried to get a press pass, but it was never sent to me at all, so I didn’t actually get to see the “Fightin’ Phils” play. I used to go to their games at Connie Mack Stadium when I was younger, and I got a chance to see them play about five, or so years ago. Oh well! It was good for the Celiac cause.

I gave free space in the form of an ad to “Kosher Community Surveys” that I believe is a non-profit group that promotes kosher restaurants, bakeries, and shops, on the Internet by encouraging people to vote for the best and second best in each catagory. The top few that I am showing you at this time right here for the 2007 Philadelphia Kosher Community Survey - published on January 15, 2008 - are as follows:

• Best Kosher Restaurant: — Singapore Vegetarian Kosher Restaurant (Chinese)
• Best Kosher Restaurant: (Runner-Up) — Mama’s Vegetarian Restaurant (Israeli)
• Best Kosher Bakery: - New York Bagels
• Best Kosher Bakery: (Runner-Up) - Roling’s Bakery
• Best Kosher Store/Butcher: - ShopRite (Garden State Pavilion)
• Best Kosher Store/Butcher: (Runner-Up) - ShopRite (Boulevard)

“Go to kosher-community-surveys.com/3.html to download an Adobe .pdf file for Philadelphia Area (2007). Get the complete details, which include ratings: “Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good and Excellent for Food Quality, Service Quality, Environment (cleanliness/appearance/décor) and Value.” Places like “Main Line Kosher Meats, Bustleton Meat Market, Glendale Kosher Meats & Poultry, Cherry Hill Kosher, and McCaffrey’s Supermarket (Yardley) didn’t make the list because they did not receive the minimum number (40) of respondents to be listed… and there’s more!!!” Remember! Try to buy kosher, gluten-free food when you do, and it would not hurt if it was organically-grown too!

COMING OUT THIS WEEK (AT LAST!!!) - Jewish Celiac Newsletter Vol.3, No. 3
It can be picked up at the following locations a week before Rosh HaShanah (day), Sept. 30 (Tishrei 1):

• Espresso Cafe & Sushi Bar, 7814 Castor Ave., Phila., PA 19152, 215-745-0130 - Jewish & Israeli Food
• Harmony Vegetarian Restaurant, 135 N. 9th St., Phila., PA 19107, 215-627-4520 - Chinese Food
• Kingdom of Vegetarians, 129 N. 11th St., Phila., PA 19107, 215-413-2290 - Chinese Food
• Mama’s Vegetarian, 18 S. 20th St., Phila., PA 19103, 215-751-0477 - Israeli Food
• Singapore Kosher Vegetarian, 1006 Race St., Phila., PA 19107, 215-922-3288 - Chinese Food
• Essene Market & Café, 719 S. 4th St., Phila., PA 19147, 215-922-1146 - (Natural, Gluten-Free, Kosher items)
• Harry’s Natural Foods, 1805 Cottman Ave., Phila., PA 19111, 215-742-3807 - (Natural, Gluten-Free, Kosher items)
• Natural Goodness Market & Café, 2000 Walnut St., Phila., PA 19103, 215-977-7749 - (Natural, GF, Kosher items)
• JCC Klein Branch, 10175 Jamison Road Philadelphia, PA · 215-698-7300
• Mr. Ritt’s Gluten-Free Bakery, 212 E. Vine Street, Millville, NJ 08332, 856-825-8770 - (Gluten-Free items)

and other spots that I plan to open in the near future.

I also have Subscriptions. For $15 a year ($20 for 2 years), I will mail you 3 copies a year, or 3 consecutive editions, which is all I publish in one year, to whatever name and address you send to me. This covers postage and handling as well as the costs of creating and printing each edition. Send your subscription with a check, or money order to JCN Subs, POB 11200, Philadelphia, PA 19136. You should get your next edition when it comes out by mail. You can e-mail me at jcn.info@jewishceliacs.com. Todah Rabah! (Thank you.)

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NOTE: Before I sign off, I want to tell you that I will have a table for Jewish Celiacs at the 2008 Philly Zine Fest, which will be held on October 5, 2008 at The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St, in West Philadelphia, PA (19104). They have this to say:

Workshops are happening this year! Here’s the schedule:
# 1 p.m. - Liv Carrow (30-45 min.) Energy/magical consciousness
# 2 p.m. - Kannan Naik Cangro (30 min.) Blockprinting
# 3 p.m. - Tim W. Brown (30-45min.) Larger publishing and zines
# 4 p.m. - Sarah Arr (30-45 min.) Zine Basics/How-to page layout
# 4:30 p.m. - Jamie Murphy (30 min.) DIY Sewing technique

You can take the…
# SEPTA Route 30 bus “University City” to 40th Street
# SEPTA Green Line 34 Trolley to 40th St; walk 4 blocks north to Walnut.

Located in West Philly next to UPenn campus, the Rotunda is a community arts venue. You can find street parking if you’re lucky, and there is a parking garage across the street.

Visit our board or try CouchSurfing.com for accomodations.

… … … … … … … … … … … … …

Log on to Jewish Celiacs Newsletter and check JCN out!

Until next year, I, Sid Karp, want to wish you a Happy Rosh HaShanah and a good Yom Kippur - 5769. Remember our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael before, during, and even after Chanukah too. Beat the wheat! Eat rice and quinoa!

Well, today I am 65. I was born on the second day of Shavuot, Sivan 7, 5703 (June 10, 1943), towards the end of WW II and the Holocaust that had taken the lives of approximately six million Jews and five million non-Jews. No one, when they are a teenager, can ever imagine what it is like to be 65, or older for that matter. However, here I am and the most that matters now is that I try to leave this world in whatever time is left, G-d willing, in a better shape than when I came into it. Why? Why not! I once told Lance Haver, who presently is the head of the Mayor’s Office For Consumer Affairs (in Philadelphia, PA) and had previously inherited the leadership of CEPA, Consumers Education & Protective Association, from the late founder, Max Weiner, that “It doesn’t make sense to be alive if you cannot do something for someone else.” He agreed. That’s why I joined and served on the board of directors of CEPA and walked the picket lines for other consumers. That’s why I agreed to be the administrator of the Holocaust Awareness Museum, founded by the late Yaakov Riz, from 2000 until 2005, and that’s why I created Jewish Celiacs and Jewish Celiacs Newsletter in early 2000. B’ruch HaShem!

It is always exciting when you do something differently, or something new. This year (2008 / 5768-69), I finally trademarked Jewish Celiacs with the help of fellow photographer / videographer and Holocaust archiver, Lenny Friedman, who spent a good deal of his adult life documenting the life and times of Yaakov Riz and many Delaware Valley Holocaust survivors. Thanks, Len.

What’s also new? Well, Jewish Celiacs marched in a parade to honor Israel’s 60th Birthday on May 18, 2008, and I have a photo taken by someone with my, new, Canon Powershot S5 IS camera, showing me with a sign that had taken me a little more than a while to make up the night before. I took a lot of shots that day. One of mine appears on the front page of this edition, Vol. 3, No. 2. Also, in this edition, I was able to get two writers to give the readers of Jewish Celiacs Newsletter a glimpse into what it is like to get involved with Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo “Blood Type Diet” (My Trip To Dr. D’s Blood Type Clinic by Olga Powell) and just what “Autism” has to do with Celiac Disease (Autism, CD & The Gluten-Free Diet by Robert Eckstein). I’m sure the readers of JCN will walk away with a fairly good insight to both Autism and the Blood Type Diet. Look forward to the next column by Robert this September, and Olga said that she might be willing to give us an update in the near future. Cool!

My cover story, Celiacs In Israel, was as good as it gets for now because, though it gives you a good idea of what’s happening with Celiac Disease in Eretz Yisrael as well as a slight peek into how CD affects non-Jews in the Middle East, percentage-wise, it could have gone much deeper. I will try to uncover more for the next edition. Shane! In addition, I included a piece called “A New Study: Is Celiac Disease Under-diagnosed?,” which revealed that it is now “1 out of 100″ Americans that may have Celiac with “5% diagnosed.” Previously, it was 1 out of 133 and 3% were diagnosed. There’s more about that news too. Besides my Editorial and Letter To Editor, I reviewed a very hip book on allergies that included information on Celiac. The name, “Allergy Free” by Conrad Kail, N.D. and others.” This book was really full of good data. Each edition, I give out important information under the heading, “Jewish Diseases.” This edition, I featured the lowdown on “Factor XI Deficiency,” which affects Ashkenazim. Each time that I publish JCN, I feature what are commonly referred to as Jewish diseases like Tay Sachs, etc. There are a number of them that either affect Ashkenazim, or Sephardim specifically, but it should be possible that many Y’hudeem who are the offspring one Ashkenazic parent and one Sephardic parent could get any one attributed to both. In any event, you can go to Jewish Celiacs Newsletter, look to your right for Jewish Diseases, click on the link, and read all about them. I will be featuring my second one that effects Sephardim in my next edition of my newsletter. If you have any questions, e-mail me at sid.karp at jewishceliacs.com. And… don’t forget to try to patronize the businesses that advertise in Jewish Celiacs Newsletter. It supports the cause!

Shalom until next time, G-d willing!

Shalom. I had mentioned in my last blog, in closing, that I would be going to Kosherfest 2007, which was held “on Veterans Day and Veterans Day [Observed], November 11 and 12 at the Javitts Center in New York City.” The story about this huge event appears as the front page story in the first edition of Jewish Celiacs Newsletter (Vol. 3, No. 1) for 2008/5768. JCN is available in and around Philadelphia at such places as Harry’s Natural Foods (215-742-3807), Natural Goodness Market & Cafe (215-977-7749), Essene Market & Cafe (215-922-1146), Mr. Ritt’s Gluten-Free Bakery (215-627-3034), Espresso Cafe & Sushi Bar (215-745-0130), Mama’s Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant (215-751-0477), Singapore Kosher Chinese Vegetarian Restaurant (215-922-3288), the JCC Klein Branch (215-698-7300) and other spots that are listed in the paper edition and on line. I am including their phone numbers so you can get directions to their businesses from anyone, or all of them. They all have, or still do advertise with JCN, except for JCC Klein Branch, and I want to thank all of them for their support!

My friend, Nira Eckstein, and I, along with a friend of hers who did not attend the kosher extravaganza, but who had come to the Big Apple (NYC) for other reasons, did make the trip to this big once-a-year event. Nira and I, as members of the press, in our case Jewish Celiacs Newsletter, spent several hours going from booth to booth looking for “kosher, gluten-free food,” but for Nira, that same food also had to be “casein-free.” Her son, Avi, who has Austism, is on a “gluten-free/casein-free diet,” which some say does help those who have Autism. For those who are not too familiar with Autism, here’s the scoop so to speak. It is described in The American Heritage Science Dictionary on line as, “A developmental disorder characterized by severe deficits in social interaction and communication and by abnormal behavior patterns, such as the repetition of specific movements or a tendency to focus on certain objects.” It also says, “Autism is evident in the first years of life.” and that “Its cause is unknown.” American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition on line describes Autism [(aw-tiz-uhm)] as, “A serious disorder appearing in childhood and characterized by the child’s refusal to relate to other people and severely limited use of language.” It continues with saying that, “The cause of autism in children is unknown, but researchers generally feel that it lies in a malfunction of the central nervous system, not in the way parents have treated them or in other aspects of their environment.” It then adds that, “The term is sometimes applied, more loosely, to adults who are extremely self-absorbed and who see things in terms of their hopes and fantasies rather than realistically.”

I know Nira’s son, Avi, and he is as active as many young boys his age. He is just as inquisitive, or as self-absorbed, as other youngsters that I have known. He appears to be quite intelligent and he talks more these days than he did when I had first met him, but there are moments when he appears to be day-dreaming too much, or he may go overboard in his pursuit of fun, but my gut feeling is that with his parents’ help, Avi will work it out in time. Nira and her husband, Robert, feel that a “gluten-free/casein-free diet” will probably help him in the long run too. I agree. Some scientists even think that there may be a relationship between Celiac Disease and Autism, or at least there are a number of symptoms they have in common. Nira hopes to have an article on Autism and the Gluten-Free/Casein-Free diet for the next edition in May. I am looking forward to it. Nira is a new staff member of Jewish Celiacs Newsletter and for now Autism is her beat.

Besides my report on Kosherfest 2007, which was pretty exciting though I (and Nira) had expected something more magnanimous though I want to congratulate the people who put it on for a job well done, I am going to shortly mention some of the other things that I published for this edition. About Kosherfest 2007, I wrote, “I cannot swear to the numbers, but Kosherfest 2007 reports, ‘More than 10,000 professional attendees, exhibitors, and press converged at the collocated Cultural Food New York event featuring Kosherfest, Expo Comida Latina and All Asia Food.’ Since I could only attend the first day, November 11, I will say that the number of folks who wandered in and out on that day alone may have been at least several thousand, which is quite a number anyway.” I did get to see quite a variety of kosher, food products as well as mostly non-kosher, foods products from Expo Comida and All Asia Food, both of which shared the same overall, but separate spaces, on the first floor with Kosherfest. On the whole and considering the time we had to spend because we got there a little late, I also met a lot of friendly people everywhere.

NOTE: I should be able to have this paper edition of JCN up on line with a link from it on my right-column bar to the page where you can see this and other past editions in a week, or so from this writing (Feb. 7, 2008). Make a note and go to Jewish Celiacs Newsletter to see if it’s up and running. If not, again, please stop back later.

Other stories, besides the headliner, “Looking For Gluten-Free Food at Kosherfest 2007” and the regular three under the heading, Kosher Food News, I included “S. Florida Gluten Free Fair,” “Kosher Blog: Gluten-Free Bay,” “NOW®’s “Gluten Digest”: A Celiac’s Dream Come True?,” “China Goes Kosher To Stop The U.S. Backlash,” “Celiacs & What Food Is Right For Your Blood Type,” “Book Review: Allergies For Dummies,” “Jewish Diseases: Cystic Fibrosis (Ashkenazic),” “Symptoms and Results of Celiac Disease,” “Celiac Restaurants (GF Menus Only!), Bakeries & Shops,” “Kosher Restaurants & Shops in the Philadelphia Area,” “New Guidelines For Advertising In This Newsletter Or On JCN’s Web Site,” the “JCN Editorial” and the “Letters to Editor.”

To repeat, go to Jewish Celiacs Newsletter to read it on line if you cannot get a paper edition copy. If it’s not up and running by the time you will be reading this, or later when you come back, you can send your name and address along with $2 for postage, mailing and handling, and I will send you a copy of the paper edition via U.S. mail if your mailing address is in the U.S. Add $2 more for overseas. Subscriptions: You can also subscribe to the paper edition for $10 a year, or $15 for 2 years. This way, you can have it delivered to your door three times a year, or three times in a row. Add $6, or $12, respectively for overseas. Send the amount(s) mentioned as a check, or money order, to Subscriptions, Jewish Celiacs Newsletter, P.O. Box 58059, Philadelphia, PA 19102-8059. Make the check, or money order, out to Jewish Celiacs. NOTE: In the case of a check, when it clears, then I will send the paper edition off to you. In the case of a subscription, the second and third editions will go out automatically.

G-d willing, I will be reporting more Kosher food and Celiac Disease news and views. Stay tuned!

Shalom and welcome once again to Jewish Celiacs Blog-In for 2007, or 5767-5768, and a belated Happy Rosh HaShanah to one and all.

The Hebrew-Jewish High Holidays are over for the Christian-Business year, 2007 and we are now into 6768, but nothing much has changed as far as anti-Semitism is concerned. In fact it is getting worse all around the world and our ancestral, G-d-given Homeland, Yisrael, is in more danger than ever before. Let’s hope that we get through 5768 and years to come. B’ruch HaShem!

As a former administrator of the Holocaust Awareness Museum, founded by the late, Yaakov Riz, and a Jewish War Veteran who had served during the Cuban Crisis and for the first year of the Vietnam War stateside, thank G-d, we must win the battle against our enemies if we are to survive. Let’s hope and pray that we do!

On the Celiac Disease/Kosher food front, which is what this blog is all about, Jewish Celiacs Newsletter has already published its three editions for the C-B year of 2007 and it wasn’t easy, especially as far as finances go. If it weren’t for my wonderful advertisers, my supporters and a few generous friends who are also my supporters who lent me funds to publish, thank G-d, JCN may not have been able to go to bed and hit the streets as it is said in the publishing world.

Vol. 2, No. 1 and Vol. 2, No. 2 featured Part 1 and Part 2, respectively, of a piece called “Kosher, Asian Food Companies,” which tried to show what part Chinese, Japanese, and other Asian countries played in the manufacture of Kosher foods for export to the U.S., Israel and elsewhere. OU and Circle K were the main certifiers involved. I did a piece called “Is It Really Safe For Celiacs To Eat Oats?” and I had several heated arguments on it. I still say no to oats! “Vitamin K and Celiac Disease” is something I will bring up in 2008 again. I recalled an old friend who had passed away in December 2006 in my article, “Bill Kishi, Center City Restaurateur and Friend Passed On.” He’s one of several, close friends that I won’t ever forget. New advertisers, Natural Goodness Market & Cafe, Mr. Ritt’s Gluten-Free Bakery and Essene Market & Cafe joined Mama’s Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant, Espresso Cafe & Sushi and Harry’s Natural Food Store. Other advertisers who came on board in 2007 were the ZOA (Zionist Organization of America) - Greater Philadelphia District, Len Friedman’s ad for his book, “A Student’s Introduction To Holocaust Studies,” and Nira Eckstein’s ad for Hebrew Tutor.

I also ran my continuous column, Jewish Diseases. Do we Jews have our share of diseases! There’s ones like Tay Sachs, Canavan, Gaucher’s and many more for mainly Ashkenazim, but there are several others for Sephardim as well. Plus, there are ones that many Jews, more than than others in the U.S., suffer from and they are Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis and in author, Mary J. Shomon’s words, “Celiac disease and ulcerative colitis are more common in people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent (from eastern or central Europe).” The bad news just keeps piling up. Oy gevault!!!

In Book Review, I reviewed a few books, “Jewish Cooking For Dummies by Faye Levy,” “Living Gluten-Free for Dummies,” and “A Primitive Diet.” I also ran a free ad, ACDA Launches Survey to Assist FDA on Gluten-Free Labeling, which I thought was most important for all Celiacs to be aware of. I reviewed “Review: GIG - Gluten Intolerance Group,” one of several, Celiac self-help organization that are championing the cause. Wheat gluten is not only a problem for us humans, but for animals who are people’s pets and I decided to bring that up in “Gluten, Melamine and the Deaths of People’s Pets.” Communist China is still being raked over the coals for that as well as a million other health problems. U.S. companies who imported their products that had made their way into the animals’ food are to blame as well. Even though I no longer down a few beers now and then, I did a piece, “Beer: Ramapo Valley, Gluten-Free and Kosher Too.”

I started my Editorial and Letters in Vol. 2, No. 2 and by Vol. 2, No. 3, I changed them to JCN Editorial and Letters to Editor, respectively. Every publication should have those two columns. In No. 2, I place a “Subscription” blank and I began to get some subscriptions, which in case you want to know, are $10 a year, which includes three (3) editions mailed to your door! I covered a very important development, which I ran as “A Cure for CD? - Alba Therapeutics Reports on AT-1001.” This has to be followed more closely as time marches on. Let’s not forget “Kosher Food News” too!

The big event of the year 2007, before the upcoming Kosherfest 2007 will probably be pretty equal to at this writing, for me was The Gluten-Free Cooking Spree, held at Philadelphia’s Regency Hyatt at Penn’s Landing. I had the opportunity to lend my support to the cause for Celiac Disease by participating in a cooking contest and with none other than the TV star of Christina Cooks, Christina Pirello, as a reporter and an assistant chef. We (Christina, Dr. Edward Jones of Chestnut Hill Hospital and me) got to prepare Christina’s recipe, Kasha Tabouleh Salad with Mini Eggplant Lasagnas. All teams created gluten-free dishes. Many hospitals, food companies and news organizations, including Jewish Celiacs Newsletter, took part in this terrific event. Several kids and an adult were the judges and the winning recipe was… gluten-free pizza. What else would a bunch of kids pick. Right? I wrote it up as “Philadelphia: The Gluten-Free Cooking Spree” in Vol. 2, No. 2. Go to Jewish Celiacs Newsletter online and check it out when I get the edition up online by mid-November. Yes, I am and I have been as busy as a bee.

I also had the pleasure in 2007 of speaking at the Northeast Chapter of the Fibromyalgia Support Groups for Beginners on August 27, 12 PM. I spoke at their Advanced Group in 2006. I also shared a table at the Annual Health Fair at the Philadelphia Health Center #10 on September 26, 2007 with the Fibromyalgia group. Those two events will appear in the next edition in January 2008. I also interviewed Dr. Donna M. Skerry of the Amazing Wellness Center. I wrote in Vol. 3, No. 3, “She is a chiropractor, nutritional consultant, acupressurist, and a mind and body professional who treats disease with alternative medicine. Her patients have included Celiacs and those with Dermatitis Herpetiformis, a skin disease and a symptom of Celiac.”

In 2008, the first edition of JCN, Vol. 3, No. 1, will feature a story on Kosherfest 2007, which is taking place beginning on Veterans Day and Veterans Day [Observed], November 11 and 12 at the Javitts Center in New York City. I am a Veteran, but don’t ask me yet why they picked those two days in the middle of WW IV, but they did! Shane g’nug! I am going to this huge, two-day event with the wife of a close friend, Robert Eckstein. Nira Eckstein, who recently joined JCN’s staff, and I will be there on the 11th. She and I will be co-authoring the lead story on Kosherfest 2007. I will be returning to the Big Apple (NYC) on the 12th since there will be more to see, hear and (of course) eat. Going there with Nira on the 11th will also free me up to take photos and do some side stories and perhaps conduct an interview. Nira’s son, Avi, has Autism and is on a gluten-free and a dairy-free diet and this event is of particular interest to her and Robert. It should be a great two days. Go to Jewish Celiacs Newsletter in January 2008 to read it online if you cannot get a paper edition copy. You can subscribe to the paper edition for $10 a year and have it delivered to your door three (3) times a year (three times in a row). Send the aforementioned amount as a money order (no checks, or cash) to Subscriptions, Jewish Celiacs Newsletter, P.O. Box 58059, Philadelphia, PA 19102-8059. Make the money order out to Sid Karp and not to Jewish Celiacs Newsletter.

Stay tuned in late November, or early December 2007 for a brief, pre-next edition, report on Kosherfest 2007 with news on what is the latest in Kosher, Gluten-Free food and more.

Note: If there is something that you wish to relay to me right away, which I may include in this blog, or in my paper edition of my next newsletter, which does end up online after it hits selective spots in the Delaware Valley - Philadelphia area, you can e-mail me at sid.karp at jewishceliacs.com. — Cut and paste the former and the latter words before the word “at” and add a “@” in between both words in your e-mail address space and send your comments, questions and even suggestions to me.

Finally! Stay tuned. I have been working on JCN’s mailing list for some time. I do plan to have it done shortly. Thanks and have a Happy Chanukah too

Shalom.

Welcome to Jewish Celiacs Blog-In, formerly located at Blogger, owned by Google, which, Jewishly-speaking gave me enough bad vibes in 2006 to make me set up my own WordPress blog on my Jewish Celiacs Newsletter web site. WordPress is really cool and easy to manage. You can either set up your own blog, or blogs on their site, or install it on your own server, or one you pay rent to use. I use BlueHost, which is one of the best in the business and pretty inexpensive, or you you could say, cheap! It’s also well-supported by the free source community that also supports Linux and FreeBSD as opposed to Microsoft, etc.

Beginning with this year, 5765 (2006-2007), I hope to be able to do more reporting on the Celiac and Kosher scene between working on my paper, the on-the-street edition of Jewish Celiacs Newsletter.

See you soon and shalom.

Happy Rosh Hashanah once again! It has been over a year (Friday, September 24, 2004, or Tishri 9, 5765) since I had written the initial post for this blog, Jewish Celiacs Blog-In. Since that time, there has not been a response from anyone to my first post, so I have decided to use this blog as a news hangout instead. I did some advertising of this site, but that did not seem to do the trick. I was very busy with being the Administrator of the Holocaust Awareness Museum, America’s first Holocaust museum, founded by the late Yaakov Riz, for the last four years and ending this past June. I quit that gig for reasons that I will not go into here and now and decided to put more time into my Celiac site Jewish Celiacs Newsletter, which I created in 1999-2000. It is located online at http://www.jewishceliacs.com/. I am also going to put more time into my photography site, SGK Photos, which can be found at http://www.sgkphotos.com/, and its companion blog, SGK Photo BlogIn at http://sgkphotoblogin.blogspot.com/.

As soon as I discover something about Celiac Disease and Kosher food that I feel you should know about, I will try to post it here first, rather than on my web site, Jewish Celiacs Newsletter, because it will much quicker and easier to post to and it’s one page to concentrate on. Look for some new items soon. Among the coming news, will be that (1) - I am putting out a paper edition of the Jewish Celiacs Newsletter for all of those who do not have a computer, or who have some kind of computer phobia and (2) - I hope to be organizing a Jewish Celiacs Support Group in the very near future. More about that soon. Meanwhile, visit Jewish Celiacs Newsletter. Questions, comments, or suggestions? To eliminate spam, and I get plenty of it at this address, e-mail me at sidkarp at jewishceliacs.com. I substituted the @ sign with the word “at” to give spammers a hard time. See you on the web.

Shalom and welcome to the beginning of Jewish Celiacs Blog-In at the very beginning of the Jewish New Year, 5765, which roughly corresponds with the world-wide, business calendar year, 2004. May things get better for all of us, whether we have, or never have had Celiac Disease. Happy Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur to everyone!

It’s not fun to have to restrict yourself to certain kinds of foods, though many of us have had to get used to not eating wheat bagels, rye bread, beef-barley soup, oat meal cookies, all kinds of cakes, pizza and even matzo after we had discovered that we had Celiac Disease, or Sprue as it is sometimes called. Finding tasty substitues that weren’t made from wheat, rye, barley and also oats was a real chore at first. However, white, brown and various wild rices, not to mention some other grains, began to taste mighty good to us. Many, like myself, began to eat more corn and soy products too. I imagine that a whole new world opened up for most of us eventually. Right?

Since most brands of ketchup (catsup), mustard, mayonnaise and even soy sauce contain wheat-derived vinegar, which puts them on the forbidden list, we have had to find either those food dressings without vinegar, or something entirely different like olive oil and lemon juice to pour on our meals. Where there is a will, there is a way! Nu?

Many Jews already enjoy going to Chinese restaurants, so it wasn’t hard for many of us with Celiac Disease to steer clear of most Euro-American restaurants, or markets, where the forbidden grains are the norm on the menu, or on the shelves and to have started going elsewhere; to Asian-American places. If you live in the U.S., and this is probably true for European, Canadian, Australian and Israeli Celiacs who are not native Asians, or Africans, that is mostly the case. Those who know are already aware that almost everything on the menu has that flour in it, or all you can see, row after row, in your local Acme, or Super Fresh (no plugs intended), is boxes of wheat cereals, wheat and rye breads, various cakes and so on. So, many of us probably have moved on towards Asian-American restaurants and markets, where the emphasis is on rice!

Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese and even Indian-American restaurants and markets carry a lot of very interesting and tasty items, which can be prepared in a kosher way at home, except for the fresh beef, poultry and fish, but it’s also like that in non-Asian-American markets. There are more than several kosher, Asian-American restaurants, practically all of which are vegetarian, so if you like beef, chicken and fish with your rice and vegetables, you will have a problem eating out if you are strictly kosher without going into further details. When you shop, you always can go to a kosher butcher.

When it comes to kosher, price can also be a limiting factor. However, I’m not suggesting that you give up being kosher, but I’m just stating the facts. You can eat entirely kosher and gluten-free at home and go to a kosher Asian-American restaurant once in a while, or as often as you like to. Euro-American, kosher restaurants (Jewish restaurants) serve lots of bread and pasta, but you can always ask if they will substitute something for the bread that comes with the meal. Otherwise, you will end up paying for bread that you cannot eat! Do you want to do that if you are on a limited, or fixed income? Probably not! You might have to wonder if some pasta “accidentally” fell into your salad by mistake at the places you used to go to often too. I experienced that problem and ended up in a hospital for five days where they kept bringing me meals with the forbidden grains! Five times!!! I had to complain to three dieticians and the cooks, or the dieticians still couldn’t get it right. Go figure! Right???

Those of you who live anywhere else than in the U.S. on G-d’s good Earth can join in and tell the rest of us here how you make out where you are. That includes our brethern in Yisrael and non-Jews everywhere. I invite everyone to visit Jewish Celiacs Newsletter, located at www.jewishceliacs.com, which I happily created in late 1999 to help my fellow Celiacs, and especially Jewish Celiacs with the added problem of finding good Kosher food. Log in and look around and stop back here to add your two cents to the equation.

Note: When you Post, or Reply to a post, please remember to check the time and the date on your post before you press Publish Post, or your time and date could be wrong.

Try to be kosher and gluten-free!

Shalom aleichem and L’chaim!