Happy Chanukah - The Jewish Georgian

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Page 20 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN November-December 2011 Wake up and smell the cholent Secret Ingredient By Susan Robinson Let’s say that a young lady sidled up to you in shul. Let’s say that she then whispered these words in your ear, “Hmmmm! You smell like cholent.” How would you react? Would you be pleased or upset? Chances are, your response would depend on your relationship with cholent and with the young lady in question. The young lady was my granddaughter, and she did indeed tell me I smelled like cholent. I was confused for a few seconds, and not knowing what else to do, I simply responded, “Why, thank you so much.” I love my granddaughter, so of course I had to understand her comment in the best light possible. However, my granddaughter’s statement did make me wonder: Could this possibly be true, did I indeed smell like cholent? So, let’s define terms. What, exactly, is cholent? Cholent, as many of you know— and I must extend regrets to those of you don’t—is a stew prepared especially for Shabbos. It’s cooked on Friday, left in slow cooker or oven to stay hot overnight, and then served for Shabbos lunch. I prepare mine with meat, potatoes, carrots, onions, sweet potatoes, water, and spices. Over the years, I’ve adapted a standard recipe to include a variety of additional ingredients, which brings an element of art to the science of cooking. Sometimes, there are My twin grandchildren will celebrate their third birthdays soon. What an exciting Shabbos cholent raisins and dates in the mixture. At other times, I use Coca-Cola or beer, instead of water. Tomato sauce, ketchup, or barbeque sauce are all great to add a little bit of tang and color. But what about the aroma? Cholent, by its very definition, cooks for hours. Is it no wonder that the delectable smell of roasted meat and garlic permeates the entire house? Upon awakening on Shabbos morning, every person in the household (and perhaps a casual pedestrian on the street as well) is aware that there is a serious cholent a-brewing. This knowledge alone makes the long walk to shul—and the long hours spent there—so much more bearable. We know that in due time, we will be sitting down at the table for our hot bowl of cholent. Patience is a virtue, and it has its tasty rewards. But I was still surprised to be told that I smelled of cholent on that particular time for them! I recently celebrated a birthday, also. It was delightful, too. I do wonder where these years went. We look forward to being teens. Then we get excited about that 21st birthday. Quickly, we turn thirty, then forty, and so on. Age is actually only a number, when you think about it. They say today’s sixty is yesterday’s forty. Unless I look in the mir- Shabbos morning. Could it be that some garlic lingered on my hands from Friday afternoon? It didn’t seem possible, so the answer remained a mystery until the following week.... I was almost ready to leave the house for shul when I spritzed a drop of a juicebased moisturizer on my hands. Suddenly, I recalled my granddaughter’s comment about the cholent aroma. I took a look at the label on the aerosol can. One of the main ingredients was—can you guess?—carrot seed oil. So that persistent scent of cholent that my granddaughter has labeled as “a sprinkling of Nana,” was actually eau de carrot. Mystery solved. At any rate, I was pleased to learn that my granddaughter associated my very essence with cholent, and by extension, with Shabbos. Many years ago, we lived in an apartment building. A grad student, looking for a way to economize and simplify his life while finishing school, would occasionally knock on our door late on a Saturday night. Did we have any leftover cholent that we would like to donate to his worthy cause? He would collect cholent from several willing neighbors, mix it up in one big pot, and have a taste of Shabbos all week for supper. As much as I love cholent, I would not want to eat it every day. My carrot-juice “cologne,” however, is a scent that I sometimes like to savor in the middle of the week. It reminds me that Shabbos, with all its delights, is coming soon. I just need to hang in there a little while longer. Be grateful for the gift of life BY Cecile Waronker ror, I do not think about my age. I look at the beautiful Sara Alterman, Edith Gordon, and Lena Sisselman and wonder at these lovely women in their 90s. I used to love being around Bertha Hirsch, Minnie Kolodkin, and Bertha Rubin. These women all lived into their 90s and were delightful, smart, witty, charming, and fun to be around. That’s how I hope I will be. F r a n k Sinatra sang about being in the autumn of his life when he passed seventy. I love autumn. We should all just be healthy and current with our lives. Nobody likes to be around someone who laments about what should have or could have been. Just be thankful for what is. Cholent 4 medium potatoes, cut into eighths 1 sweet potato (or, as a neighborhood three-year-old likes to call it, “cholent plant”), cut into eighths 3 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces 3/4 pound flanken 1/4 cup pearl barley (or 3/4 cup kasha for a gluten-free cholent) 1/3 cup cholent beans (dry navy, kidney, pinto assortment), soaked overnight and drained) 1 large onion, quartered A sprinkling of salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder 3 tablespoons ketchup or barbeque sauce 3 eggs, raw, in shells (optional) 1 roll kishka, store-bought, regular or gluten-free (optional) 1/4 cup raisins (optional) 1 cup water (or Coca Cola or beer—the not-so-secret ingredient!) Place ingredients in slow cooker on Friday morning. Cook on high for one hour, then switch to low. Serve the following day for Shabbos lunch. (The eggs, which become hard-boiled in the slow cooker, are served on a separate plate, peeled and sliced. The kishka can also be served on a separate plate, sliced.) I know how thankful I am for my wonderful family and friends. How blessed I am! I love telling grandchildren stories and marvel at them. Just talking to my twentyyear-old granddaughter on the telephone brings a smile to my face. She is sunshine to me. Showing off pictures of all five of my grandchildren brings me joy. My late husband used to say that if he had known grandchildren were so great, he would have skipped the children. They are our dividends. However, my children are special, too. There are things we can control and things we have to accept. That’s life, and how fortunate we are to celebrate it. We have just observed a New Year. May it be a healthy, happy, sweet, and prosperous one for us all. Put a smile on your face and a hop to your step, and celebrate life. Better than the alternative.
November-December 2011 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 21 Markings: A few words of reflection and appreciation By Norman Zoller Nearly two years have passed since I began my term as president of the Board of Trustees of The Breman Jewish Heritage and Holocaust Museum. A number of programs, events, and people stand out that I will always remember. The Breman is blessed with some remarkable volunteers and staff. Several programs—some tried and true, some new—were particularly satisfying. First was the major fundraiser in February 2010 honoring Jewish military service members and veterans. The event, chaired by Spring Asher and Joyce Shlesinger, featured Jenny Levison (of Souper Jenny fame) and her fabulous troupe. Under Debbie Neese’s leadership, a special tribute journal also was produced. Called “In Service to Our Country: Jewish Contributions to Freedom,” it honors our family members and loved ones who have served in various branches of the armed forces. It became an instant heirloom. Spring Asher, Norman Zoller and Joyce Shlesinger During that evening, we also honored the public-spirited service and philanthropy of the Breman family, especially Elinor Angel Rosenberg Breman, who has faithfully carried on the legacy of her beloved husband, Bill. We remembered him, we honored them both, and we thanked The Breman and Rosenberg families for all they have done and continue to do for our community. Elinor and Bill Breman Elinor Breman with sons Jerry, John, and Philip Rosenberg About two years ago, Volunteer Museum Educator Manuela Bornstein, a Holocaust survivor from France, had a simple but powerful idea: to have Holocaust survivors tell their stories at Sunday afternoon gatherings at the museum. The program, “Bearing Witness,” has thus far featured 18 survivors or second generation (2G) family members, and not only did they speak, but they also attracted a wealth of new members and believers in The Breman. Since the program’s beginning in December 2009, the speakers have included Manuela, Tosia Schneider, Andre Kessler, Helen Spiegel, Herbert Kohn (who spoke at the 2010 Yom HaShoah observance at Greenwood Cemetery), Eugene Schoenfeld, Henry Lewin (2G), Stan Herbert Kohn Eva Baron Lefco (2G), Mariella Crea (2G), Benjamin Hirsch, Saba Silverman (2G), Erna Martino (2G), Murray Lynn, Henry Birnbrey, George Rishfeld, Penina Bowman, Eva Baron (who spoke at the 2011 Yom HaShoah observance at G r e e n w o o d Cemetery), and Paula Gris. And more will follow them. A word that we’ve heard often in the past two years is “legacy,” and it has been defined in several ways. First was the establishment of the Holocaust Survivors Project under co-chairs Eve Goldstein and George Stern. Their committee took the initiative in producing high-quality, award-winning video recordings, as well as photographs of our survivors. In addition, they secured information from other museums that are also preserving the individual stories of Holocaust survivors and launched several other related projects. That committee has also taken the lead in conducting instructional programs on how to write one’s own ethical will, and another such program is scheduled for this fall. I would be remiss if I did not mention our superb archives. From all over Atlanta—indeed the Southeast—people have entrusted The Breman with many individual and family heirlooms. Some have been on display from time to time, but we safeguard all of them. We remain committed to protecting these treasures fully, and we welcome gifts that perpetuate the history and legacy of Jews in our community. Many thanks go to Sandy Berman, who loves our archives and has helped us to learn about and love them, too. Sandy Berman Yes, I did go to Mercer this summer, but I wanted to go to Emory and take a Spanish language course this fall. Both Mercer and Emory have numerous subjects from which to choose. These classes, called Senior University, are for people over 50. Emory has been doing this program for 25 years. I am very impressed with the number of people who attend, and they are a great group. I was surprised to meet a gentleman who recently retired after 45 years as the head of the theatre department at Duke University, in my hometown. Serving as president of The Breman has been an extraordinary honor for me. I want to recognize and thank the past presidents of our museum for their service: Thomas Asher, Laura Zaban Dinerman, Carole Goldberg, Valerie Needle, Jarvin Levison, and Margaret Weiller. Several others who are emeritus members have given their time, resources, wisdom, and service over the years. They are: Lois Blonder, Elinor Rosenberg Breman, Peter Fishman, Carol Breman Nemo, and Marlene Schwartz. Finally, I know that you join me in congratulating our new co-presidents, Spring Asher and Joyce Shlesinger. They have worked together in the past on many successful projects, including major development programs, and I know that they will bring new leadership, energy, ideas, and vision to our beloved museum. I am grateful to be a part of The Breman and look forward to seeing it grow. Adventures in Spanish BY Marice Katz I enjoyed the sessions at Mercer and am enjoying my Spanish class at Emory. At the first class, the professor was 10 minutes late. When she arrived, everyone got tickled, because I called out to her, “Habla usted Español?” She wanted to know if I was Spanish. She is very qualified, and she told us the best way to learn a language is to say the words over and over again. The reason I selected Spanish is because, when I was in high school and took a year of the language, I loved it and had always wanted to learn more of it. The Hispanic population in America is so large, I am sure I will find it useful to speak Spanish. Also, I am going on a cruise to the Caribbean in November— surely I can practice there. It seems sort of strange to be back in college, but it is fun. Maybe my next endeavor will be learning to speak Hebrew. Hope so.
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