Hark! The second coming of REJEWVENATOR, infused for 2009 with the sacred DATE. Jewish tradition celebrates two New Years: The first in Spring after the barley harvest. The High Holidays in Fall mark the creation of the world. Harvest to harvest - the perfect bookends for deliciousness! Dates were used to sweeten beer in Ancient Egypt as early as 3500 BCE. Pliny the Elder, 1st c. Roman naturalist, lauded Judea’s Dates for their succulence and sweetness. So important for food and shelter, the Date palm became a symbol for the Kingdom of Judea, stamped on the ancient and modern Israeli Shekel coins. Shaking your Lulav on Sukkot and covering your kosher Sukkah demands Date palm leaves. Palm Sunday reenacts the procession of Jesus into Jerusalem. In Arabic, "Tamr" is the 4th stage of a Date’s ripening. Mohammed: "Whoever eats seven fresh Tamr fruits at breakfast shallrise above magic and poison on that day." The Hebrew word for Date palm is "Tamar", commonly describing the beauty and elegance of a woman. Solomon’s sister was named Tamar. "The only difference between a date and a job interview is that not many job interviews have a chance that you’ll end up naked at the end of it." -Jerry Seinfeld. Like its Latin genus the Pheonix, rise and shine with our newest Double Date Shmoppelbock - and flourish! L’Chaim!