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| OHCC LIVING | JANUARY 2026 | 35 Salt Club Salt has decided not to continue as a formal club, but we truly hope that the heart of our mission will continue to thrive here is OHCC. Our vision has always been simple and beautiful: To bring people together to encourage connections and to care for one another. Our Board worked diligently toward that vision. Over the past year, we shared uplifting speakers and creative gatherings. One of our biggest hopes, however, was to reach out to those who felt isolated with a card, a call, or a friendly visit. We even had a team ready to help with small household repairs. After much ref lection, the Board made the difficult decision to close the club. We simply did not receive the community referrals needed to connect with individuals who could benefit from new relationships, encouragement, and support during life's challenges and celebrations. Without those ongoing connections, we could not carry out our SALT's mission in the meaningful way it was designed. A small vision takes one person. A big vision takes many. And thanks to YOU, we had that. To our 170 supportive members, to the clubs that shared our announcements, and to the OHCC staff, thank you. Your kindness, participation, and encouragement fueled everything we did. Our hope is that we've inspired you to continue the spirit of SALT. Serve and love together. Yiddish Club "Do you sell Kosher men's clothing in this store?" I heard this question as I was standing next to a young man in a men's clothing store on Delancey Street on the lower east side of New York City. I frequented this store regularly and had never heard this request before. The salesperson responded, "Certainly we only sell Kosher clothing here." I was brought up by my grandmother in a very Jewish Orthodox home and never heard that there was Kosher clothing! Being a curious 18-year-old, I did some research and learned that Kosher fabrics may not mix fibers from animal and plant sources. Therefore, a suit made of wool and linen is not considered a Kosher garment. – Why? I explored further and learned that a portion of the Torah (Jewish Bible), Leviticus 11:44-45 dictates certain rules regarding co- mingling of certain materials. In these places, the Torah legislated: "You shall not seethe (cook) a kid (baby) in its mother's milk." Oddly, in the ancient near east, a young kid (goat, lamb, cow) boiled in its mother's milk was apparently regarded as a great delicacy. The Rabbis deduced from the concept of not cooking a kid in its mother's milk, that it was also forbidden to prepare meat and milk products together as well as eat them during the same meal. Because of this, my grandparents had two sets of dishes and cutlery: one set for meat and the other for milk. In addition, because meat takes a long time to digest, Orthodox Jewish law rules that one must wait a designated period after eating a meat meal before ingesting milk products. In my grandparent's home, we had to wait at least three hours between eating meat and dairy products. Kosher rules regulate that observant Jews are not permitted to eat whatever they want, and even that permitted foods must be prepared in a special way. For example, the only animals designated by the Torah as Kosher are those that have cloven (split) hooves and that chew their cud (regurgitate their food). The most commonly eaten animals are the cow and the lamb. But even these animals must be ritually killed by a "Shokhet" (slaughterer). Jewish law obligated the "Shokhet" to kill the animal with 1 quickly drawn stroke against the throat. If he delays the stroke, needlessly prolonging death, the animal is rendered unkosher and Jews are forbidden to eat it. I'm sorry, I digress. I'm far afield from a Kosher suit! The Yiddish Club ended their year with a delicious luncheon and beautiful performance by the San Diego Jewish Men's Choir. Wishing everyone a very happy, healthy and safe New Year! ~ Don Kent, Past Vice President

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