Did Moses drink beer? It all boils down to one He’Brew word: שכר (pronounced shay-khar)
Mentioned six times in the Torah, the translation of שכר has been hotly debated for thousands of years. Before you think these were just a bunch of rabbis in Babylon getting wasted on the synagogue’s dime before engaging in abstract theological discussion, there are numerous practical ramifications to knowing what שכר means. For example, Saturday’s Kiddush and Havdala may be recited on שכר. So if you find yourself out of vino, can you grab a Suntory Premium Malts instead? According to the Shulchan Aruch’s Code of Jewish Law, absolutely.
Dr. Rebekah Welton, professor at University of Exeter, likely spent many a painstaking night at the pub researching her subsequently published thesis ‘He is a Glutton and a Drunkard’: Deviant Consumption in the Hebrew Bible. Dr. Welton posits that cereal grains, the same kind used to make beer, were a part of the Israelite diet long before Jewish cuisine became synonymous with kasha varnishkes, kasha knish and even just plain kasha. Not only the ingredients, but even the equipment used to process those grains for breadmaking could easily be repurposed for brewing. But just because they could, does that mean they did?
Professor Michael Homan a”h of Ohio’s Xavier University, author of the crack investigative piece ‘Did the Ancient Israelites Drink Beer?’ writes “Beer was the primary beverage of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia and it can be assumed that in Israel, which is located between the two, beer was also known.” So if Aaron and Moses likely shared some brotherly love over a couple of cold ones, why have you not heard about it until now?
Professor Homan (not Haman thankfully) continues “Ancient Israel’s affinity for beer has largely been ignored…due to a general snobbery in academia causing scholars to scorn beer drinking while celebrating wine culture.” As anyone who has received a pitcher of the Karakuchi before they even finish shouting Nama-Biru Kudasaiiiii knows, academia’s stereotypical love of Pinot over Pabst is very much to their detriment. That being said, the relatively poor quality of beer coming out of Israel (people blame the water) remains a strong counterpoint to anyone arguing that Judaism possesses some ancient beermaking tradition a la the Reinheitsgebost Purity Law of 1516.
Beyond the beverage itself, German Jews (no surprise there) have played an integral role in modernizing the manufacture and drinking culture we enjoy today. In 1836, Baron Jakob von Hirsch revolutionized beer making by creating the world’s first industrial brewery. Löwenbräu, which remains one of Germany’s most popular beers today, became Munich’s largest export brewery under the leadership of kaichou Moritz Guggenheimer. The company promoted what began as a regional Bavarian gathering into a global iconic event associated with German identity. You know it as Oktoberfest.
The Talmud teaches: A person is obligated to drink on Purim until he does not know the difference between ‘cursed be Haman’ and ‘blessed be Mordechai.’ In deference to this most important mitzvah, our lager-loving Biblical ancestors and in partnership with Shizuoka sponsor Baird Beer, the JCC is proud to announce that for the first time in our history a keg will be present at the Purim Party. Brewed in Shuzenji, or as we call it Jew-zenji, Baird’s signature Rising Sun Pale Ale will be on tap next Saturday night. Haven’t registered yet? Please do so as soon as you can on our website: https://jccjapan.jp/event-registration/
L’chaim, Kanpai, Prost, Cheers and for those wearing green this weekend, Sláinte!
Services
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, March 22nd
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner by reservation: 7:00pm
Shabbat Zachor – Parshat Vayikra – Erev Purim
Kiddush sponsored by the Guyton Family in celebration of their 6th Wedding Anniversary
Saturday, March 23rd
Services: 10:00am
Kiddush: 12:00pm
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, March 29th
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner by reservation: 7:00pm
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, April 5th
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner by reservation: 7:00pm
Shabbat HaChodesh – Parshat Shmini
Kiddush open for sponsorship
Saturday, April 6th
Services: 10:00am
Kiddush: 12:00pm
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, April 12th
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner by reservation: 7:00pm
Friday Night Dinner Reservations can made on our website: https://jccjapan.jp/shabbat-meals-sign-up/
Events
The World’s Best Purim Party
Sponsored by the Karp Family
Keg and more sponsored by Baird Beer
Saturday night, March 23rd
Megillah Reading: ~6:30pm
Klezmer by Jinta-la-Mvta: 8:00pm
Nijikai: 11:00pm
Sanjikai: 1:00am
Registration Details: https://jccjapan.jp/event-registration/
Stay tuned for film screenings, cooking classes and lectures
If you have an idea for an event or a topic you would like to share with others, please visit our website: https://jccjapan.jp/event-committee-inquiry/
Announcements
The JCC expresses its deepest condolences to the Semaya Family on the loss of matriarch Iris. The funeral was held last week in Florida. May the family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
Passover reservations are open! Catch the early bird discount before it flies away. Please see our website for details: https://jccjapan.jp/passover/
Thank you to Baron Jonathan Kestenbaum of the UK’s House of Lords for honoring us with a beautiful haftarah reading in the JCC his father Ralph and mother Gaby helped build back in the 1950s.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to those who are celebrating. Although the Emerald Isle has not always been the most hospitable place for Jews, see the Limerick Pogrom of 1904, Ireland boasts a small but mighty community of Jewish leprechauns. Ok, not exactly but three spiritual leaders have used the pulpit of Dublin Hebrew Congregation as their (Blarney) stepping stone to Chief Rabbi positions, one in Israel and two in the UK including the incumbent, Ephraim Mirvis. The two immigrant communities lived side-by-side on Manhattan’s Lower East Side leading William Jerome and Jean Schwartz to compose the 1912 ballad ‘If It Wasn’t for the Irish and the Jews’. Take a listen and drink responsibly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIU7FsY6Nkc
Yiddish Club with Jack Halpern: Please contact Jack at jack@cjki.org if you are interested to join. All levels are welcome, from beginner to advanced. Much more than just language, the club’s monthly meetings explore Yiddish culture as well.
Shabbat Pekudei
Candle Lighting: 5:30pm
Havdala: 6:27pm