What's New?

Most of us surf the web for information and come to web sites like Jewish Celiacs Newsletter because we are in search of something new, but what's new to you may be old hat to another. Keeping that in mind, I set up pages like Celiac FAQs and Kosher FAQs that change very little just as most "fact" do and I created this page for whatever seems to be part of the changing news scene, includeding anything I happen to put together for this web site.

Jewish Celiacs Newsletter recently moved from AIT's servers where I, or it, if you will, had been for a number of years and the Newsletter is now on the servers of web site provider, BlueHost, which has great prices for people like me, but you must be able to pay for a year, or two, in advance. However, it is worth it when you add up the savings for a few years' time and that's not a paid advertisement, or a shameless plug. OK?. I actually saved around $500 over a two period by going with them. Not bad? It's always good to save a few bucks when you have always lived below the poverty level. I won't go into having had to live on the streets (twice) for quite a time, but I really am familiar with the drill. The following is a list of events that have unfolded over time. The most recent event appears at the top!

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  More recently, September 26, 2007, I had a table at the Annual Health Fair at Health Center #10 in the far part of northeastern Philadelphia, located at 2230 Cottman Avenue. I shared a table with the Northeast Chapter of the Fibromyalgia Support Group, which had me speak to their Beginner's Group on August 27, 2007. I had the opportunity to reach out to a number of people at the Health Fair who had no idea of what Celiac Disease was all about and much less what Kosher food had to do with it. I gave out free samples of Kosher, Gluten-Free cookies and cakes, courtesy of Harry's Natural Foods, 1805 Cottman Avenue in Philadelphia, PA. Harry's is one of my advertisers as well as an old friend from way back. He advertised with me when I had Mazahl, an avant-garde, astrology and macrobiotic newsletter in the 1970s. Time flies. Doesn't it?
  
  Many organizations such as Temple University, Women Organized Against Rape, PCA and a Food Stamps group also took part that day. The four-piece jazz band played a number of pretty cool, conventional tunes while the crowd was checking everything out. One man came back to my table about nine, or ten times, to grab a kosher, gluten-free cookie. No doubt that he hadn't had much for breakfast that morning. Right? I hope to be able to be there again in 2008, G-d willing!


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  Last June 23 (2007), I took part in the Gluten-Free Cooking Spree, which was held at the Regency-Hyatt Hotel at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia. It was put together by the NFCA (National Foundation for Celiac Awareness) and supported by Wegman's, Bob's Red Mill, Redbridge, Pamela's Products, Thai Kitchen, Quest Diagnostics, Revolution-Health.com, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Soy Joy, Hyatt, CNN, KYW 1060 News Radio, Mary's Gone Crackers, Brazilian Cheese Bread Company, Gluten Free Passport, Ina Garden and Mr. Krispers. Many hospitals and clinics such as Kennedy Health, University of Sciences Philadelphia and Roxborough Memorial Hospital took part in this gala affair as well as Cafe Atlantico, Shanachie Irish Pub, Bistro 7, Carmines Creole Cafe, Bliss, Pasta Pomodoro and the Capital Grill.
  
  It was a gluten-free cooking contest that 10 teams of three (a chef, a physician and a reporter) took part in. I was the reporter for Team #2. The winning team's physician got to give the prize money to their hospital, or medical facility. The evening's program of food and fun that helped to raise much awareness for Celiac Disease and the joy of cooking Gluten-Free was emceed by the NFCA's Vanessa Maltin. I was teamed up with Dr. Edward Jones of Chestnut Hill Hospital an Chef Christina Pirello of the well-known TV show, Christina Cooks. The entire event was supported by many institutions and covered by many media. Wegman's supplied much of the food for the event. The NFCS's Executive Director, Alice Bast gave the closing remarks while special guest, CNN news anchor, Heidi Collins told the audience about her experience as a Celiac. The winning recipe, picked by a group of judges, consisting of three kids and one adult, was "Gluten-Free Pizza," created by the team headed by Chef(and Emcee) Vanessa Maltin.
  
  I devoted the cover story of Vol. 2, No. 3 of Jewish Celiacs Newsletter to this great event and look forward to the one next year. It was held in many U.S. cities too. If you are interested in the whole story, click here to see the actual newsletter online. It includes some photos that do not appear here.
  
  
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  I recently gave a talk on Celiac Disease at a local (Philadelphia, PA) Northeast Chapter of the Fibromyalgia Support Group, which meets once a month at a local CVS. Fibromyalgia is also known as FMS. I had written that story up in my second (May 2006) paper edition. They invited me back for the Fall of 2006 to give them an update. I'll keep you posted.
  
  
  Above: Sid Karp ar Fibromyalgia Support Group - Photo by Len Friedman



• I recently joined the Celiac Sprue Association and handed out about a hundred of their pamphlets, postcards and brochures to various individuals and groups including the Fibromyalgia Support Group that I had spoken to. It is a worthwhile Celiac organization as is the Celiac Disease Foundation and others, which I will be reporting on from time to time in this Newsletter. Stay in touch.


• (002) The street edition of Jewish Celiacs Newsletter is now available online for the whole world to see and has been out on the street and online three times a year (January, May and September), beginning with 2006 / 5766, and will be every year, G-d willing!



• (001) I finally discarded the frames technology in favor of CSS-PHP (geek-talk for Cascading Style Sheets and PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) and even shed the former look. My opening animated corn, corn not being good for any Celiacs of any blood type, will be replaced, if it hasn't already been, with something that is not on the Blood Type no-no list, which corn is. Corn, by the way, is good, or I should say OK, for regular Blood Type As.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, you can e-mail me at for more information.