As Yom HaShoah is upon us, we want to share a few opportunities to understand the Sephardic experience during the Holocaust. May we always remember….May we never forget.
‘The Longest Journey: The Last Days of the Jewish Community of Rhodes’ can be rented online from Vimeo and viewed.
It is a ‘must-see’ for those wanting to know the story of the tragic end of the hundreds years old community that existed in Rhodes.
‘The CDEC and the Shoah Museum of Rome present: THE LONGEST JOURNEY. RHODES-AUSCHWITZ (2013) a film by Ruggero Gabbai, historical research by Liliana Picciotto and Marcello Pezzetti.
On July 23, 1944, the Nazis deported almost the entire Jewish population of the island of Rhodes, while the Italian authorities that had been in charge of the Island from 1912 until the Armistice of September 8, 1943, stood by. It was late in the war, and German capitulation seemed imminent, yet the Nazi commanders did not hesitate to inflict the longest journey their criminal machine had ever planned, on this small, vibrant community nestled in this faraway island. The journey took 24 days under harrowing conditions, an atrocious transition from the Mediterranean sun to the grey hell of Auschwitz.
The Longest Journey weaves together testimonies of some of the few Jews to have survived Auschwitz, focusing on Stella Levi, Sami Modiano and Albert Israel.
The survivors, along with the film crew, returned to Rhodes from their respective lives in New York, Rome and Brussels. Each one with a powerful cinematic presence, the three recount memories of family and communal life, interactions with the local Greeks, Turks and Italians, cultural transitions, as well as the tragic last days of their community. The film provides a kaleidoscopic view of Jewish life in Rhodes under Italian dominion before the War.
‘Trezoros: The Lost Jews of Kastoria’ is airing on PBS stations across the United States THIS WEEK- check your local listings. ( These are a few we saw listed. Check local listings.
South Florida, Thursday 8:30 pm
San Francisco, KQED, Friday 9:30 pm
Los Angeles, Wednesday KCET 6:30 pm
And 9pm)
“The documentary chronicles life in the picturesque town of Kastoria, where Jews and Christians lived in harmony and friendship for over two thousand years. The title Trezoros is the Ladino/Judeo/Spanish term of endearment meaning “treasures.” The film takes the audience on a journey from the joyful innocence of the pre-war years through the heartbreaking struggles of the Holocaust, to a unique place in time and history highlighting a Greek Jewish culture lost forever.
In October 1940, the peaceful life of the community changed forever with the invasion of Greece by Axis forces. Initially occupied by Italy, the Jewish community remained, but after Mussolini fell from power, the Nazis took control of the town, eventually gathering all the residents in a single day, and sent them to concentration camps.
Using never-before-seen archival footage, Trezoros vividly brings to life just one of many Jewish communities that had existed in Greece for centuries and even millennia before the end of World War II. The film is a story told by its survivors, with interviews filmed on location in Kastoria, Thessaloniki, Athens, Tsur Moshe, Tel Aviv, Miami, and New York.
Directed by Lawrence Russo, and co-directed and produced by Larry Confino, the film was widely praised on the film festival circuit with screenings in London, Cannes, Melbourne, Sydney, New York, and Los Angeles. Russo co-founded the independent studio The Shooting Gallery (Laws of Gravity, Sling Blade) and directed the Emmy-nominated PBS short film series ShortCuts. Producer/Co-Director, Confino is the Founder of Synapse Productions and Executive Director of ImageRescue, Inc. Based in New York City, Confino has produced documentaries and commercial projects on a multitude of subjects around the world.
Trezoros is an inspiring story of survival that resonates universally and is of particular interest to Jewish and Greek communities worldwide. The poignant story of one family’s experience helps honor the memory of the once vibrant community and reminds us of man’s inhumanity to man and also of the enduring spirit of the people who survived the horrors of the war. As George Santayana wrote in The Life of Reason, 1905, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
Tomorrow is a cooking day…..and tomorrow night marks the first night of Passover – the first Seder. We’re all busy preparing our homes, shopping, and preparing for the holiday. I thank you for allowing me to share one last message before we begin the Festival.
This is a time for gathering together. We read the Haggadah and tell the story of our delivery as a people from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the land of Israel. It is a cornerstone of our being a people. So central is the journey from slavery to freedom, from oppression to self-reliance, that we retell this story each year. We can only appreciate our freedom if we remember our enslavement. We can only appreciate our wholeness of we remember our brokenness. We can only appreciate our own land of Israel, a home for all the Jewish people, if we recall our desperation and desolation when we had nowhere else to turn.
So – we tell the story, year after year, from generation to generation. And with the telling, we serve our favorite foods. Again, passing from one generation to the next our savory dishes, favorite recipes, each with a special name, with special textures and flavors and all with their own memories. These are the stories – and the foods, that bind us together as a people and keep us connected as a family. How very strong is the bond that stories – and food – provides!
Our family Passover seder this year will bring together a big group – mashala!- all somehow connected to my grandparents, of blessed memory, Isaac (Hacco) Hasson and Sarota Benveniste Hasson. Both were born on the Island of Rhodes (at the time part of the Ottoman empire, Turkey), at the end of the 19th century. Could they ever had imagined that over a hundred years later, their children, grandchildren, down to their great great great grandchildren would still be connected, gathering together (in person and via Facebook) to remember their names, remember their stories, and together carry on the traditions that they, too, brought forth from the generations before them! How wonderful that is!
Our Seder will include readings, stories and songs in English, Hebrew and Ladino, the Judeo-Spanish of our Sephardic family. The foods will be leaven free with flavors and names related to our Turkish, Spanish, Mediterranean roots.
We hope the recipes, stories and links we’ve shared with each other help to entice, and enrich our experiences and strengthen our bonds.
May you enjoy your time together with family and friends; may you tell the story of our people and the lessons of our journey. May you tell stories and remember those of our families who are no longer with us physically, so their memories stay alive in our hearts and those of our children and their lives continue to bless us. May we keep the traditions of our ancestors and create new ones with our children. May our gatherings bring blessings – and may our hands, the hands that prepare these foods that nourish our souls and keep our traditions alive, always be blessed.
Pesah Alegre!
~ Bendichas Manos
Thanks to Neil Sheff who has grown up in Los Angeles with the Rhodeslis and absorbed the soul of this community – we now can hear the words, melodies and tones of the Haggadah as it’s been chanted by our parents and grandparents in the Rhodesli tradition. Neil, a leader of the Sephardic community throughout the world, is also the President of the Sephardic Educational Center as well as a practicing attorney in Beverly Hills, CA. Click on the links below, close your eyes and let your heart smile (as mine has been doing all evening!). You’ll love this!
Neil…..this is an unbelievably beautiful gift you have given us. It’s like having long missed generations here with us again. Thank you, Pasha!
Every year, I like to post the lyrics to two Pesah songs from the Parade of Hits we enjoy at our Seder – the Ladino versions of ‘An Only Kid’…’Un Kavretiko’ and ‘Who Knows One’…..’Kien Su Pience.’ (click on the links next to the songs to hear Yehoram Gaon sing them).
Everyone looks forward to these songs. They help define ‘our’ Seder. Our folks sang these songs when they were growing up, be it here in L.A., in Seattle or Montgomery, Alabama. And their parents before them in our beloved Rhodes. (There was always a part when my Dad, of Blessed Memory, who grew up in Seattle and my Aunt Belina, of Blessed Memory, who grew up in Montgomery, would add a line to ‘Kien Su Piense’ that both their parents’ had used…. “Eloenu shebashamayim, nos iremos a Yerushalayim, con la caravana grande.'”…..we always waited for them to chime in with that!!!). Our kids and grandchildren have learned them, their spouses and friends as well. L’dor v’dor. May we keep singing them for generations to come!
I find myself playing this music, along with my other favorite Ladino albums and Middle Eastern tunes when I’m in the midst of holiday cooking. It conjures up memories of days gone by, generations past. That invisible chain that connects us….how I love that feeling and that bond.
Have a good week as you prepare to greet your family for a Pesah Alegre…..a good, meaningful, joyful celebration together. Moadim LeSimha!
Un kavretiko ke lo merko mi padre por dos levanim, por dos levanim.
HAD GADYA, HAD GADYA!
Y vino el gato, y komio al kavretiko ke lo merko mi padre, por dos levanim, por dos levanim.
HAD GADYA, HAD GADYA!
Y vino el perro, y modrio al gato, ke komio el kavretiko ke lo merko mi padre por dos levanim, por dos levanim.
HAD GADYA, HAD GADYA!
Y vino el palo, y aharvo el perro, ke modrio al gato, ke komio al kavretiko ke lo merko mi padre por dos levanim, por dos levanim.
HAD GADYA, HAD GADYA!
Y vino el fuego, y kemo al palo, ke aharvo al perro, ke modrio al gato, ke komio al kavretiko ke lo merko mi padre por dos levanim, por dos levanim.
HAD GADYA, HAD GADYA!
Y vino la agua, y amato al fuego, ke kemo al palo, ke aharvo al perro, ke modrio al gato, ke komio al kavretiko ke lo merko mi padre por dos levanim. por dos levanim.
HAD GADYA, HAD GADYA!
Y vino el buey, y bebio a la agua, ke amato al fuego, ke kemo al palo, ke aharvo al perro, ke modrio al gato, ke komio al kavretiko ke lo merko mi padre por dos levanim, por dos levanim.
HAD GADYA, HAD GADYA!
Y vino el shochet, y degoyo al buey, ke bebio a la agua, ke amato al fuego, ke kemo al palo, ke aharvo al perro, ke modrio al gato, ke komio al kavretiko, ke lo merko mi padre por dos levanim, por dos levanim.
HAD GADYA, HAD GADYA!
Y vino el Malach Hamavet, y degoyo al shochet, ke degoyo al buey, ke bebio a la agua, ke amato al fuego, ke kemo al palo, ke aharvo al perro, ke modrio al gato, ke komio al kavretiko ke lo merko mi padre por dos levanim, por dos levanim.
HAD GADYA, HAD GADYA!
Y vino el Santo Bendicho, y degoyo al Malach Hamavet, ke degoyo al shochet, ke degoyo al buey, ke bebio a la agua, ke amato al fuego, ke kemo al palo, ke aharvo al perro, ke modrio al gato, ke komio al kavretiko ke lo merko mi padre por dos levanim, por dos levanim.
HAD GADYA, HAD GADYA!
Kien su piense y entendiense alavar al Dio kriense, Kualo es el uno?
UNO es el Kriador, baruch Hu uvaruch shemo!
Kien su piense y entendiense alavar al Dio kriense, Kualo son los dos?
DOS Moshe y Aharon, uno es el Kriador, baruch Hu uvaruch shemo!
Kien su piense y entendiense alavar al Dio kriense, Kualo son los tres?
TRES muestros padres son, dos Moshe y Aharon, uno es el Kriador,
baruch Hu uvaruch shemo!
Kien su piense y entendiense alavar al Dio kriense, Kualo son los kuatro?
KUATRO madres de Yisrael, tres muestros padres son, dos Moshe y
Aharon, uno es el Kriador, baruch Hu uvaruch shemo!
Kien su piense y entendiense alavar al Dio kriense, Kualo son los cinko?
CINKO livros de la Ley, kuatro madres de Yisrael, tres muestros padres son, dos Moshe y Aharon, uno es el Kriador, baruch Hu uvaruch shemo!
Kien su piense y entendiense alavar al Dio kriense, Kualo son los sesh?
SESH dias de la semana, cinko livros de la Ley, kuatro madres de Yisrael, tres muestros padres son, dos Moshe y Aharon, uno es el Kriador, baruch Hu uvaruch shemo!
Kien su piense y entendiense alavar al Dio kriense, Kualo son los siete?
SIETE dias kon el Shabbat, sesh dias de la semana, cinko livros de la Ley, kuatro madres de Yisrael, tres muestros padres son, dos Moshe y Aharon, uno es el Kriador, baruch Hu uvaruch shemo!
Kien su piense y entendiense alavar al Dio kriense, Kualo son los ocho?
OCHO dias de la millah, siete dias kon el Shabbat, sesh dias de la semana, cinko livros de la Ley, kuatro madres de Yisrael, tres muestros padres son, dos Moshe y Aharon, uno es el Kriador, baruch Hu uvaruch shemo!
Kien su piense y entendiense alavar al Dio kriense, ” Kualo son los nueve?
NUEVE mezes de la prenyada, ocho dias de la millah, siete dias kon el Shabbat, sesh dias de la semana, cinko livros de la Ley, kuatro madres de Yisrael, tres muestros padres son, dos Moshe y Aharon, uno es el Kriador, baruch Hu uvaruch shemo!
Kien su piense y entendiense alavar al Dio kriense, Kualo son los diez?
DIEZ mandamientos de la Ley, nueve mezes de la prenyada, ocho dias de la millah, siete dias kon el Shabbat, sesh dias de la semana, cinko livros de la Ley, kuatro madres de Yisrael, tres muestros padres son, dos Moshe y Aharon, uno es el Kriador, baruch Hu uvaruch shemo!
Kien su piense y entendiense alavar al Dio kriense, Kualo son los onze?
ONZE ermanos sin Yosef, diez mandamientos de la Ley, nueve mezes de la prenyada, ocho dias de la millah, siete dias kon el Shabbat, sesh dias de la semana, cinko livros de la Ley, kuatro madres de Yisrael, tres muestros padres son, dos Moshe y Aharon, uno es el Kriador, baruch Hu uvaruch shemo!
Kien su piense y entendiense alavar al Dio kriense, Kualo son los doje?
DOJE hermanos kon Yosef, onze hermanos sin Yosef, diez mandamientos de la Ley, nueve mezes de la prenyada, ocho dias de la millah, siete dias kon el Shabbat, sesh dias de la semana, cinko livros de la Ley, kuatro madres de Yisrael, tres muestros padres son, dos Moshe y Aharon, uno es el Kriador, baruch Hu uvaruch shemo!
Kien su piense y entendiense alavar al Dio kriense, Kualo son los treje?
TREJE son los Ikarim, doje hermanos kon Yosef, onze hermanos sin Yosef, diez mandamientos de la Ley, nueve mezes de la prenyada, ocho dias de la millah, siete dias kon el Shabbat, sesh dias de la semana, cinko livros de la Ley, kuatro madres de Yisrael, tres muestros padres son, dos Moshe y Aharon, uno es el Kriador, baruch Hu uvaruch shemo!
I want to share a story about a song in Ladino that we sing at the Seder. It’s a song my parents remember from their youth that I had not heard during my years growing up at our Seder table.
A few year back, my friend Murray Weiss and I were leaving a meeting and talking about the upcoming Passover holiday. Recalling our shared Sephardic backgrounds we started talking (rather singing to each other!) the various Ladino songs our families sing for this holiday. We knew the same top choices from the Sephardic Hit Parade. Then Murray asked about “Mos Abastava”… Mos what??? Murray told me it was the Ladino version of Daiyenu. Something brand new to me!
I saw my folks later and mentioned “Mos Abastava” which they both recalled with delight, saying that it was sung at their family Seders in their youth. I looked it up, learned the words and we have since included it in our family Haggadah, hoping it will become part of our collective tradition.
At a later date, I heard a lovely tale from the brother-in-law of Ralph Amado (z”l) as to Ralph’s “introduction” of “Mos Abastava” at their family Seder.
Bits and pieces of our tradition….sometime hidden for a awhile, only to be uncovered, recalled, reclaimed and shared again.
Here are the words of “Mos Abastava”, from the Passover Agada; according to the Seattle Sephardic Tradition, 1995:
Ladino Version
Kuantos grados buenos a el Kriador sovre nos:
Si mos kitava de Ayifto, i non aziya en eyos justicias, mos abastava
Si aziya en eyos justicias, i non aziya en sus dioses, mos abastava
Si aziya en sus dioses, i non matava a sus mayores, mos abastava
Si matava a sus mayors, i non dava a nos a sus aciendas, mos abastava
Si dava a nos a sus aciendas, i non rasgava a nos a la mar, mos abastava
Si rasgava a nos a la mar, i non mos aziya pasar entre eya por lo seco, mos abastava
Si mos aziya pasar entre eya por lo seco, i non afinkava muestros angustiadores entre el, mos abastava
Si afinkava muetros angustiadores entre el, i non abastesia maestro menester en el dizierto cuarenta anyos, mos abastava
Si abastecia muestro menester en el dizierto cuarenta anyos, i non mos aziya comer a la magna, mos abastava
Si mos aziya comer a la magna, i non dava a nos a el Shabbath, mos abastava
Si dava a nos a el Shabbath, i non mos ayegava delantre monte de Sinai, mos abastava
Si mos ayegava delantre monte de Sinai, i non dava a nos a la ley, mos abastava
Si dava a nos a la ley, i non mos aziya entrar en tierra de Yisrael, mos abastava
Si mos aziya entrara en tierra de Yisrael, i non fraguava a nos a cas de el Santuvario, mos abastava
After a whirlwind trip to New York for a very special wedding, I returned home and got into ‘Pesah Prep’ mode. When I walked into my mom’s home on Sunday morning, she had already prepared and fried 6 dozen Keftes de Prassa!! She knows they are a favorite for so many in our family and she wanted to make sure she had them made and ready for the family to enjoy!!
In our family, there are vegetarians – (other families make them with ground meat.)
This is my mom’s method for Keftes de Prassa.
Ingredients:
1 large onion – chopped
8 medium stalks of leek
3 eggs
2 tblsp matzah meal
1 C mashed potato or 1 C mashed potato flakes
pepper to taste
*optional pinch of red pepper flakes
*****(One side note – for ease of preparation: Trader Joe’s has packages of pre-cut leek in the freezer section – cuts down on preparation time! Boil the leek for about 20 − 30 minutes until soft. Rise under cool water. Squeeze water from leek. (then squeeze again – and again. Then, just one more time – it is amazing how match liquid can be removed, and so doing will help ensure the best possible results. Separately chop and boil the onion in a pot of water. Then continue as below.)
Prepare leeks. Cut 1/4″ from top and bottom. Cut in half vertically. Soak and clean leeks throughly. (leeks, by nature, often have a good amount of fine dirt between leaves. Make sure to clean carefully) Cut into 1/2″ pieces.
Boil cut leek and chopped onion in a pot of water ( covering mixture), until vegetables are soft and limp.
Drain ( squeeze out) all liquid. Add additional ingredients. Blend into an even leek-onion mixture. Shape into patties.
Fry : 2/3 C oil
Fry on medium heat until both sides are slightly browned.
Drain on a paper towel. Divine freshly made…..can be frozen, sealed tight.
Defrost and place on a cookie sheet and warm in the oven at 300 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until warmed throughly.
One of our family favorites is Sevollas Reinados, stuffed onions. Savory and delicious, with a simple substitution, it can be Pesah friendly, and always appreciated as part of a holiday meal. These are made with ground beef (although I prepare it with ground chicken which makes it a bit lighter, and my family prefers the taste.) Another item that can be made ahead and frozen. Give it a try and let us know what you think!
Approx 12 smaller sized onions
1 C matzah meal
1 lb ground beef
1 egg
S & P to taste
‘Handful’ of chopped parsley – I recommend 3/4 C (you can substitute or mix in cilantro for a punch)
1 beat egg and 1 C matzah flour or matzah meal to use to coat top of each before browning
Sauce:
I C tomato sauce
1 C water
1 tsp sugar
Cut onions in half lengthwise.
Separate outer layers in double thickness. (Save inner pieces)
Combine ground beef, egg, parsley, and chopped onion (from inner core saved when separating sections.) (You knew we’d use them sonewhere!). Add matzah meal.
Fill onion shells with this mixture
Dip meat side into matzah flour or matzah meal then into beaten egg before placing into frying pan with heated oil to brown.
After browning, place meat side up in casserole pan in which bottom has been covered with remaining sliced and chopped onions.
Cover with sauce made of tomato sauce, water and a tsp of sugar. Cover casserole and bake in oven at 300 degrees for 1 hour.
This is one of many stuffed vegetable dishes we frequently prepare – stuffing tomatoes, zucchinis, small eggplants, bell peppers, cabbage leaves. During the year, instead of matzah meal we often add bread crumbs or softened slices of bread for a binder – some use potato flakes (I like to use Panko). Often, a ‘grainiko’ (a small grain – a handful) of rice is added to the meat mixture. { I would make a heartier sauce – tomato sauce, lemon juice, water, garlic, S & P – and simmer it while I prepare my vegetables. Then pour it over the vegetables. That would make much more ‘caldo’ (sauce) when the stuffed vegetables are served with rice and the sauce spooned over the rice – but that’s for another time during the year!}
So many dishes to prepare for the week! My mom has already started! There is megina(Meat and matzah quajado), a delicious new chicken to try from Rachel Sheff (SEC Food Group on Facebook ) Keftes de prassa (Leek patties), Bamya (okra), my cousin Sarita will make our family’s Haroset – then there’s the desserts – marochinos(almond macaroons), mustachudos (nut confections), ashuplados (meringue clouds)…… wow!
Some of the best memories are made while preparing and cooking for the holidays. Spend time with your families. Remember and reflect on holidays past – tell stories; remember relatives. L’dor v’dor. This is how we keep traditions fresh – how we keep memories alive.
Which reminds me – watch the movie ‘Coco,’ the new Pixar/Disney film. Beautiful lessons on family, traditions, memory. Nice to share other’s cultural traditions – nice to know the similarities we share – the importance of family and memory. Beautiful film. Perfect season to share it.
Busy time in the kitchen. We’ll share more in the days to come. Looking forward to hearing of your menus, your traditions and your memories.
A taste of abedahu (aboudaju, bottarga), Greek olives, reshas, a glass of raki….and Port Said playing in the background. A meze to delight……’Happy Hour’ Rhodesli style.
We’ve written about finding the perfect abedahu, a salted, cured fish roe, a delicacy in our Rhodesli homes – made in Atlanta, GA by the legendary gastronomical culinary craftsman, Dan Maslia. (for information on ordering his abedahu, contact Dan at dmaslia@bellsouth.net). Dan’s parents brought the recipe with them from Izmir, but it wasn’t until much later that Dan took up the art himself, making it side-by-side with Rabbi Robert Ischay(z’l), the beloved spiritual leader of Atlanta’s Or Ve Shalom Synagogue.
As a boy, Dan remembers cleaning fish at a fresh foods market and carefully removing the sack of eggs (the roe) along with the bones, the entrails that were discarded before the fish was cleaned and ready to sell. Dan carefully salvaged the roe and brought it home for his mother, aunts and neighbors to clean, salt and cure on their back porches to make our precious abedahu. From a time when nothing was left to waste, the roe was turned into a delicate, salted and cured ‘poor man’s caviar’ – savored by our folks. It is served as a delicacy in Italy, referred to as the ‘truffle of the sea’, delicately grated over pasta or other dishes, adding a unique, savory taste to whatever it graces. In Japan, it is called Karasumi, a highly prized and priced delicacy eaten while drinking saki. A treasured delight.
It’s demand has driven up the price and limited the availability of the roe.
Dan still manages to procure some of the finest mullet roe from the southern coast and prepare it as it has been for generations. The amber, golden bars (or ‘dethos’ (fingers) as we call them) are a sight and taste to behold, ‘intense and elegant,’ as described by Lucianna Squadrilli, ‘with a pleasant, bitter aftertaste.’ (definitely an acquired taste.) We love it with a slice of a baguette, or better, with a resha…..a light-as-a-feather, pretzel-shaped, sesame covered biscuit from a yeast dough.
Reshas or reshikas as they are sometimes called, are a favorite in our family. A resha is not actually sweet or savory; it is light and has a crunch that is sensational, especially if you love texture in your food! With a piece of abedahu, a few olives, some raki……our Happy Hour.
Reshas with a cup of coffee or tea and with a chunk of sharp cheese, a delight! My husband and my sons love them with dips such as tarama (a Sephardic caviar spread), with tzatziki (a Greek yogurt dip), and with ajada (a potato and garlic dip). Mostly, they love knowing they are in the kitchen, and grab one when passing through!!!! Reshas take time to make.
So….how does one make these divine reshas? Start by making a yeast dough.
Kaye’s Resha Recipe
2 packets of Yeast Powder or 4 heaping tblsp of dry yeast
1 1/2 C + 1 tsp sugar
1 C lukewarm water
1 C oil
6 – 8 C flour
Start with 2 packets of fresh yeast ( always check expiration date on package). Place in a glass bowl. (*rinse bowl in warm water first). Add 1/2 C of lukewarm water. Add 1 tsp of sugar. Set aside in a warm place ( a toaster oven or microwave….not turned on). Allow yeast to proof ( foam), about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, sift flour into a mixing bowl. (How much flour? you ask.) Start with 1 – 2 C to get mixing started. Add 1 ½ C of lukewarm water, oil, and 1 1/2 C of sugar. You’ll note that we have said “lukewarm” water several times. This means…..not cold from the tap, and not hot. Hot water will kill the yeast, and not only will your dough not rise, it will become heavy and brick like. Trust me….I’ve figured in the past that if warm is good, hot is better. Was I wrong! I ended up with a batch of doorstops, paperweights and hockey pucks!!!! SO…warm means….just that, warm!!!! (Now, go forth and figure out for yourself what that means!!!)
My mom use an electric Mix Master with a dough hook.
As you start mixing, add the foaming yeast mixture. Then, add additional sifted flour, approximately 1/2 cup at a time…..ultimately about 7 Cups. (Add it slowly….it will “suddenly” start to come away from the sides of the bowl and become “dough”). When it begins to come away from the sides, turn the dough onto a floured wood surface or table, adding approximately 1/2 cup additional flour. Work the dough; knead it. You want the dough not to be sticky as long as you can handle it without it sticking to your hands. To achieve this feel with the least amount of flour produces the best results. (You’ll get the feel of it, honest!)
Put it in a bowl, cover with a piece of Pam-sprayed plastic wrap. Tuck the plastic edges in nice and cozy! Put the dough in a “warm” (i.e. draft-free) place and let it rise for about an hour. My mom will tell you this is a good time to go make the beds, or straighten up the house. My cousin Sarita will tell us it’s a good time to run up to Neiman’s and see what’s new. I’ll tell you it’s a great opportunity to start preparing some biscocho dough and make a day of baking!!!! You choose!
After it rises for an hour, punch it down…
Cut the dough into walnut sized pieces.
Roll each piece into a long rope, perhaps 12″ long:
Turn into a pretzel-like shape. “Paint” with an egg-wash and dip into sesame seed. Place onto parchment lined cookie sheet.
Now, let them rest for another hour under cover as they rise again. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven. Here’s the important part: place baking sheet on low oven rack for about 10 minutes or until bottom of reshas begin to turn a golden color. Then place them on the upper rack of the oven. It should take about another 10 – 15 minutes until the tops become a golden brown as well. (This depends on the oven and might take a try or two to figure out the exact timing).
Remove from oven and allow to cool. Return them to a 200 degree for 1 hour to “biscochar” ( crisp ’em up). Enjoy!!!
Now you’re ready. Get your raki…..slice the abedahu. A few greek olives…..turn on Port Said……a few reshas. It’s time for Happy Hour! Enjoy!
Have you ever experienced being transported to a different place when you hear a specific song or a specific kind of music? Maybe you remember who you were with or where you were when you hear a old favorite. Or a song can remind you of a feeling you had or an experience you were going through when you heard it and it had touched you. There is memory in music. Music can, and often does, have a transformative effect on us. All types and kinds of music.
I think this is one of the reasons that Sacred Music, Liturgical Music is so meaningful to so many. It touches our soul. It reminds us of times shared with our families when we were young – it reminds of places we might have grown up in that we now miss. It brings up a longing. Sometimes it touches a places in our ethnic soul that we don’t even realize. A place within us that we might not even remember. But our soul remembers. That is the magic of music.
So it was on Friday evening, January 5, 2018 when Cantor Jackie Rafii brought Asher Shasho Levy, Jamie Papish and Rabbi Jay Shasho Levy to share the bimah with her for a Shabbat Service in the Sephardic tradition. The melodies, the chanting, the sounds absolutely touched my soul and transported me to an altogether different place and time. I was entranced and enriched. And from the reactions of those around me, the majority of others felt the same. A spiritual awakening of the senses.
If you go to this link: STS Live Stream Services and SELECT the Friday Night Shabbat Service 01/05/2018 you can hear the beautiful music of Cantor Jackie Rafii, Asher Shasho Levy, Jamie Papish and Rabbi Jay Shasho Levy. It was truly something special. (I’m listening as I type….aman, aman! It’s a treat!) Shomrei Torah Synagogue is blessed to have Cantor Jackie Rafii join Rabbi Richard Camras Camras and Cantor Ron Snow, all who are willing to share their bimah and always enhance our meaningful community experiences.
Aiwa!
During the service I had the opportunity to share some comments on growing up Sephardic. I want to share them with you here:
“Being Sephardic…..at the youngest age, who knew any different?
Everyone in my world was Sephardic, our families having come from the same small community in Rhodes, an island in the Mediterranean….my family, our closest circle of friends, were made up of cousins…..second cousins, third cousins….cousins of cousin’s. (We were a pretty insular group.)
We ate the same foods at our grandmother’s houses or community gatherings…..boyos, burekas, sweets like biscochos, ashuplados….We were born and grew up in America so we knew American foods, too. But for family gatherings…..keftes, avicas con arroz, fasulia….that was our ‘soul food.’
The language of our grandparents, our parents and the community was Ladino, a Judeo-Spanish that had been part of our family since living in Spain, through the expulsion in 1492, moving to the Ottoman lands, my family, as I said, to Rhodes, ….Turkish when my grandparents left, then Italian….now Greek. The Spanish became intertwined with phrases in Turkish, Hebrew and Arabic.
Ours was a strong Jewish tradition – a proud tradition. It wasn’t until I started school that I really understood that not everyone who was Jewish shared the same Jewish tradition as we did. In fact…..once I left the confines of the family, it seemed that ‘most’ of the Jews that I met ‘out there’ shared a Jewish tradition that was quite different than ours.
Growing up, it was a rare occasion when my parents and I would visit a delicatessen in Leimert Park, Newman’s, and have a bagel with lox and cream cheese. “Exotic.” I was an adult before I indulged in the ‘delicacies’ of gefilte fish, kugel or bobka! The Ashkenazi world out there….a whole different ball game. But it was the dominant expression of what was Jewish in America.
As a youngster, it was hard to know exactly where to fit in. We weren’t Yiddish, bagel and latke Jews. And although our families spoke Ladino, we didn’t fit the LATINO profile.
The 1970’s were a time of Ethnic Pride. On college campuses all over the country, people were finding their roots….Black Power, Pan African Studies, Mexican-American History…..even Jewish Studies found its way onto campuses.
And onto the scene came the American Sephardi Federation, a grassroots, groundbreaking, amalgamation of distinct, unique, Jewish, cultural communities that traced their recent roots to the Mediterranean and Levant.
The Sephardim. Finally……a place I fit in!!!!!
In 1973 we brought together the first group of young people from across the country….from communities representing Rhodes, Turkey, Greece, Morocco, Syria, Iraq, Iran, India…..all under the banner of the ASF. We met locally, nationally, internationally. They were Us.
How fun it was to gather in Atlanta, Georgia at that first Convention and meet other young people…..from New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Seattle. Maybe different regional accents….but they knew about boyos and burekas, too! …. wow!
Then we met others…..who prayed with the same Hebrew accent as we did, same melodies…..but they didn’t speak Ladino. They spoke a Judeo-Arabic.
But some of the words and phrases were similar or the same. Their families were from Morocco, Syria.
Then there were the Iraqis….some who had gone to Iran, some to Bombay. Their language was all together different….but we all prayed the same. Together….we had things in common. Our world views, not totally….but more similar. Our foods, more similar.
We came back to our homes and our cultural pride exploded. We began planning and executing programs all over the city. The Jews of Rhodes. The Jews of Morocco. The Jews of Syria. Each had a night of their cultural history, music and foods. Young adults came out of the woodwork to claim their place in their story. The general Sephardic community followed suit. It was a great cultural awakening. We held conventions up and down the coasts, groups flying from Los Angeles to Seattle. The next year we had 500 teens from across the country fly to Los Angeles to express their Sephardic pride.
Around this time, one of the local Rabbis wanted to meet with me. I finally made some time and was excited to tell him about all our successes in gathering so many young people to celebrate their cultural heritage. ‘But what about classes on Torah, and classes about Shabbat?,’ He asked. ‘No, you don’t understand,’ I told him. ‘They’re not coming for that. They’re coming to connect to their cultural heritage. To find where THEY fit in to the Jewish story. They want boyos and borekas from Rhodes. They want the sights and sounds of Aleppo. The flavors of Fez. You don’t understand, Rabbi.’ ‘No,’ he said. ‘YOU don’t understand. You can’t be Sephardic if you’re not Jewish ’.
It took me a few years to really internalize and get his message. But I got it. And he was right.
There’s more to our heritage than just our cultural traditions….. and truthfully. That goes for all of us, whatever our cultural background
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So let’s jump ahead a few years…..here we are. We’ve grown past our college years. Many of us have married. Some…..well, some, like myself, a Sephardia, married, an Ashkenazi ….(it happens) an INTERMARRIAGE!
We have two boys, Askefards, we call them. The best of both traditions.
Traditions.
Traditions might vary.
But we all follow the same Torah.
When it came time to look for a neighborhood synagogue, one our children could grow up in – and learn the basics of Judaism – CBK became the obvious choice for us in the West Valley. CBK morphed into STS. And it became our home. Our family has grown up here at Shomrei Torah Synagogue. And our family, while holding tight to many Sephardic traditions during holidays and life cycle events, has incorporated many new traditions that we’ve learned from our STS family and friends.
We live, what we like to call, a new American Judaism….
The best of our cultural traditions, rich and textured as they are, sprinkled with traditions of the place where we live. Within the framework of the Torah – which we all share.”
#####
The service was followed by lovely Shabbat dinner and delicious Sephardic desserts enjoyed by 225 guests, who lingered and enjoyed each others company. The desserts were lovingly gifted and prepared by a group of volunteers, led by master baker Kaye Israel. The bakers included Marilyn Conrad, Sharlene Blau, Judy Yaniv Goldberg, Sandi Gilbert, Cantor Jackie Raffi, Maxine Schwartz, me (Marcia Weingarten) and the invaluable help and support of Sue Moss. Pictures of the desserts and the recipes are included:
Biscochos
Baklava
Ashuplados
Maruchinos
Biscochs, Baklava, Marochinos, Mustachudos, Marochinos …. delightful treats for all!
Assorted Desserts for each tables
Recipes for Desserts Prepared for Sephardic Shabbat at Shomrei Torah Synagogue January 5, 2018
BISCOCHOS
Biscochos de Huevo
Biscochos are often called tea biscuits. We think of them as a “biscotti”, a crunchy treat! Biscochos are a bit sweet and are wonderful with your morning coffee (could be afternoon or evening coffee or tea or even milk, for that matter!!)
Ingredients for My Mom’s Biscochos
1 C eggs
1 C sugar
3/4 C oil
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla flavoring
5 – 7 C flour
Topping:
1 egg + 1 drop of water, beaten well
sesame seeds
(alternative to sesame seeds: cinnamon and sugar or “sprinkles”)
These are my mom’s directions:
With electric mixer, beat eggs and oil in a mixing bowl. Add sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until well blended. Add flour and baking powder gradually, knead into a medium dough until no longer sticky.
Place onto floured work area and finish kneading dough with additional flour as needed. Dough should not be sticky as long as you can handle it without it sticking to your hands.
Take walnut-sized pieces and roll down on table with palms of hands into a rope 5 inches long and only 1/2 inch thick.
Press down with fingers to create channel;
Fold rope over and cut slits into the edge.
Join into a bracelet shape. Brush egg on top side.
Dip top side into chosen topping ( sesame, cinnamon sugar or sprinkles):
Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 12 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove from pan. Allow to cool.
BAKLAVA
Baklava is a sweet pastry made of layers of Filo dough filled with chopped nuts and bathed in a sweet syrup. It is labeled as a Turkish, Greek or any of a variety of Middle Eastern delicacy. Our families made it on the Island of Rhodes, so we claim it as our own.
There are many variation in making Baklava. Different communities feature different nut mixtures and dIfferent configurations when baking. My mom makes a rolled variety. Here is her recipe:
Kaye Hasson Israel makes Baklava
ingredients:
1 Lb prepared FIlo Dough
5 Cups almonds, ground (or other nuts of your choosing)
1 C Sugar
1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 C oil in a small bowl.
1/2 C Tasted Sesame Seeds (optional)
Prepare a mixture using ground nuts, sugar, cinnamon and gloves. Set aside.
Open package of Filo. Keep moist and usable by placing a moist cloth over the waxed paper covered batch of Filo that you are not currently using ( otherwise, Filo has a tendency to dry out).
Place one layer of Filo on your work surface. Brush with oil. Place a second layer of Filo directly on top. Brush second layer with oil.
Sprinkle nut mixture in a thin, even layer on brushed Filo. Top with one additional sheet of Filo. Brush with oil.
Begin to roll Filo tightly. Slice rolled Filo log at a diagonal. Cut approximately 1 inch in length. Place cut pieces on a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes (Since ovens vary, watch as it bakes…when it begins to take on color, you can remove from the oven)
Allow to cool.
In the meantime, prepare syrup.
Syrup ingredients:
1 1/2 C Honey
1 1/2 C Sugar
1 C Water
Combine all ingredients. Boil on stove. Cook until it becomes “sticky” (if you have a cooled bit between your fingers, it should form “strings”)
When syrup is ready, pour over tray of baked Baklava. Allow syrup to soak in.
For serving, “soaked” piece of Baklava can be placed in size-to-fit paper Bake Cups (often called Cupcake liners) and placed on a serving platter.
Divine!!!!!
Baklava
MAROCHINOS
Marochinos are an almond macaroon type of cookie. They are an excellent parev dessert for any time of the year, and a favorite for Passover. Make a batch and enjoy them!!
Ingredients:
2 C blanched almonds
1 C sugar
2 eggs…whites only
Grind blanched almonds to near a fine consistancy. Mix in a bowl with sugar.
Add egg whites and add almonds and sugar. (do NOT beat egg whites prior to adding. This will flatten the cookies during baking) Mix until biscuit-dough consistency. Using a tablespoon or metal scoop, drop 1″ apart on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven.
Allow to cool completely before handling. Will harden as they cool.
ASHUPLADOS
Growing up, we knew it was a very special occasion when Grandma made Ashuplados……meringue clouds! Sweet….light as a feather, a light shell on the outside. Texture, sweetness……simply….divine!!! They look beautiful on a sweet table, and delight young and more mature and sophisticated palettes alike! These are one of my mom’s signature delicacies. Give them a try! And let us know how they turn out!! (They are great to add to your Passover collection!)
Kaye (Hasson) Israel’s Ashuplados
Ingredients:
1 ¾ Cup sugar
6 eggs – (you will use the whites ONLY)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Separate eggs. Use whites ONLY.
Place in a COMPLETELY dry mixing bowl. (moisture will adversely affect the creating of the meringue).
Using an electric stand mixer, begin mixing the egg whites and gradually add the sugar. Continuing beating on high for approximately 20 minutes. Mixing will be done when the mixture stands in very stiff peaks.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. ( there was a time when brown paper bags were cut and used to line these pans to ensure a very dry surface. However, parchment seems a more sanitary alternative available these days!!
Spoon mounds of the meringue onto the lined cookie sheets.
Ashuplados can be made as large or small as you wish.
My mom used heaping tablespoons to create these clouds.
We sprinkle nonpareils on top for a festive look.
Before putting them in the oven, TURN HEAT DOWN to 225 degrees.
Bake for one hour.
Ashuplados can be made one day before serving. They are best enjoyed for a day or two after preparation. By the third or fourth day they become dry and are not as good as when first prepared.
(* however, we have learned over the past few years that ashuplados freeze beautifully! Package delicately and freeze within the first day they are made).
Yield: approximately 48 ashuplados
MUSTACHUDOS
In our home, we have always used a variety of nuts in baking. (Moustachudos are the cookies that were sprinkled with powdered sugar). The cloves give them a special “kick”. These treats can be made in advance and freeze well. (Another one that can be added to your Passover collection).
Ingredients for Moustachudos:
1 1/2 C pecans or walnuts, coarsely ground
1 1/2 C almonds, coarsely ground
3/4 C sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 egg
water – 1/2 eggshell full
Coarsely grind all nuts.
Add other ingredients including 1/2 eggshell filled with water. (folks, that’s how it’s done!!)
Shape into triangle or ball shapes about 1″ in diameter.
Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 5 or 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven until lightly brown.
Allow to cool and harden before removing from pan. Sprinkle with confectioners’ (powered) sugar.
It was a joyfully wonderful Shabbat experience. The music was soul stirring! The Sephardic delicacies were a delight to share. Shomrei Torah Synagogue in West Hills, CA is a wonderful community. If you are ever in the area, we invite you to visit, If you live in the are, come by. We would love to have you join us. Visit us at http://www.stsonline.org.
As always, Bendichas Manos. May your hands always be blessed.
My cousin is getting married this weekend. Actually, it’s my cousin’s grandson.
This is the eldest grandson of my mom’s eldest nephew – and my mother and her nephew grew up practically as siblings. We’re a close knit group. We try and keep our relationships strong and keep our traditions alive.
With the wedding this weekend, the cousins got together and made bombonieres, the favors given to each guest, made of Jordan almonds and foil-wrapped chocolate kisses, all wrapped together in tulle, with a ribbon tying it together. These are traditions likely woven into our customs from our Greek and Italian neighbors. The almonds are bitter on the inside with sweet coating on the outside. There are five almonds in the package – an indivisible number. So should be their life. Through the ups and downs, the bitter and sweet – they will face life together, and remain united and as one. And the number five corresponds to five blessings the guests wish for the new couple – health, happiness, children, financial success and long life. The chocolate kisses… I think they looked pretty in the mix, and added an extra touch of sweetness! All are gathered together in a circle of tulle, tied with a ribbon that is imprinted with the names of the bride and the groom and either the date of their wedding or a special saying for them. A nice keepsake of the day.
Yesterday, my mom made masapan (Marzipan) for the wedding, another tradition. “If my mother or my sister were here, they would make it. As long as I’m able, I’ll make it, so we can carry on the tradition. You girls learn to make it for the next generation.”
As we’ve shared on this blog before, ‘masapan’……marzipan….is that delicious sweet that our mothers lovingly make for engagements, weddings, a brit mila or a Bar (and today even a Bat) Mitzvah. Basically a homemade almond confection made with ground almonds and sugar, marzipan traces it’s origin to …..well….that depends. Some say the Persian empire, introduced to Europe by the Turks; others claim the origin to be Spain. In any case, it got to us, was a delicacy on our beloved Island of Rhodes, and our grandmothers brought it here with them when they came to these shores.
While some from Eastern Europe talk of marzipan being colored and fashioned into miniature, fruit-like shapes, our variation is kept in it’s white, pure state, made into a simple design.
My mother, Kaye Hasson Israel, uses a recipe shared with her by Rebecca Levy. Here is the recipe and photos. This recipe makes about 125 pieces of masapan.
6 C almonds
3 C sugar
4 C water
Start with raw almonds. To blanche, bring a pot of water to a boil. ( enough water to cover the almonds). When water boils, add almonds and leave them in for 4 to 5 minutes (until skin is loose).
Rinse in a colander with cold water. Remove the skins from the almonds and place almonds into a bowl of cold water ( to prevent discoloration).
Take a clean towel and dry almonds thoroughly.
Put almonds into food processor with blade.
Grind to a fine texture.
In the meantime, mix sugar and water and heat over medium/high flame. Make sure sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil. This is to make a sticky syrup. Stir and watch carefully so it does not discolor or burn.
Test for correct stickiness by removing spoon from pot, allow it to cool a bit, placing a drop on your fingers and noting a ‘thread’ of sugar when pressing then pulling apart finger and thumb.
At this point, lower the heat and add ground almonds. Thoroughly blend and constantly stir mixture. Cook and stir masapan until it reaches a dough-like consistency.(continuously stir over medium heat…..seriously….. continuously stir. It can easily burn if not consistently stirred. A good opportunity to develop those arm muscles!!) ( it will cleanly leave the sides and bottom of the pan when ready). Remove from heat and allow to thoroughly cool.
Once cooled, knead on your rolling surface to create a smooth dough. Pinch off small portions and roll into a long strip. (Perhaps cut into 10 – 12 portions before rolling).
Keep a bowl of water handy. Dampen your rolling surface and hands, as it will make it easier to roll out. Cut at an angle into diamond shaped pieces.
Our tradition has been to top with a decorative silver ball ( dragees ). These are for decoration and not to be consumed. (although for this wedding, we topped them with decorative gold balls)
For engagements, our tradition has been to make a “mano” (hand) fashioned out of masapan, with silver dragees across the ring finger. This is fashioned on a tray, surrounded by cut pieces of masapan, jordan almonds and often, a gold leafed piece of ‘aruda’ ( the rue plant).
Like all our delicacies, masapan takes a bit of practice. And the results are divine!
Always a blessing to have these special traditional treats made by loving hands for the special occasions in our lives. And l’dor v’dor. May we all continue the traditions for our children and our children’s children.
Bendichas manos! As with the love in our hearts, may our hands continue to be blessed!
 a film by Ruggero Gabbai, historical research by Liliana Picciotto and Marcello Pezzetti. image2.JPGOn July 23, 1944, the Nazis deported almost the entire Jewish population of the island of Rhodes, while the Italian authorities that had been in charge of the Island from 1912 until the Armistice of September 8, 1943, stood by. It was late in the war, and German capitulation seemed imminent, yet the Nazi commanders did not hesitate to inflict the longest journey their criminal machine had ever planned, on this small, vibrant community nestled in this faraway island. The journey took 24 days under harrowing conditions, an atrocious transition from the Mediterranean sun to the grey hell of Auschwitz.The Longest Journey weaves together testimonies of some of the few Jews to have survived Auschwitz, focusing on Stella Levi, Sami Modiano and Albert Israel. image3.JPGThe survivors, along with the film crew, returned to Rhodes from their respective lives in New York, Rome and Brussels. Each one with a powerful cinematic presence, the three recount memories of family and communal life, interactions with the local Greeks, Turks and Italians, cultural transitions, as well as the tragic last days of their community. The film provides a kaleidoscopic view of Jewish life in Rhodes under Italian dominion before the War.image5.JPGThrough the lens of these narrators, their early lives in Rhodes unfold as a sort of paradise lost.’See it now, on Demandhttps//vimeo.com/ondemand/longestjourney/169693284 image1.jpeg)
‘Trezoros: The Lost Jews of Kastoria’ is airing on PBS stations across the United States THIS WEEK- check your local listings. ( These are a few we saw listed. Check local listings.
Growing up, we knew it was a very special occasion when Grandma made Ashuplados……meringue clouds! Sweet….light as a feather, a light shell on the outside. Texture, sweetness……simply….divine!!! They look beautiful on a sweet table, and delight young and more mature and sophisticated palettes alike! These are one of my mom’s signature delicacies. Give them a try! And let us know how they turn out!! (They are great to add to your Passover collection!)
BendichasManos.com 