Word Prompt – SARDINES – Adena Berkowitz

Sardines conjure up childhood visions of our parents and grandparents opening cans, with a provided key, of oily fish. Yikes! Who wants to eat that?

And then adulthood hits and the discovery of sardines as a superfood! Packed with protein, Omega 3-a, Vitamin D, iron, calcium. B-12, magnesium, zinc. Improves bone, brain, eyes, heart health and eases inflammation. Risks? May contain pollutants or pesticide residues; high in sodium but won’t be a problem if the rest of your diet is low salt.

So how does this all relate to us as Jews?

It’s a great metaphor to connect unaffiliated Jews to yiddishkeit. They may see frumkeit as so old school – it was good for the older generation, but what’s the value added for me? Here is where we all can function as spiritual salespeople to our fellow Jews, especially those for whom October 7 was a wake-up call but may fear the specter of antisemitism by being an affiliated Jew. We can say: Our tradition is actually good for you!

You want to find a source of spiritual protein? We can provide the key to connect with community. Friendships where for 25 hours each week we can disengage from technology and have one-on-one conversations. Kids can play in-person games not found on smart phones. Yeshivot and shuls and at-home learning instilling Jewish values, history, practice and pride in our mesorah. Our spiritual hearts can be strengthened by the benefit of connecting to Hashem and being part of a people engaged in tikkun atzmi and tikkun olam. Downside? Overeating on Shabbos with higher in sodium food. Yet the benefits outweigh the deficits!