Good Soup, Good Bread and an Amazing Community

Miriam Tas and her husband Shalom, both Yemenite, have been living in the moshav Nativ HaAsara since 1981 when they had to move from the home they loved in the Sinai as a result of the return of Sinai to Egypt.  Nativ HaAsara means "Path of Ten" commemorating 10 soldiers that had been killed in a helicopter accident. In 1973 when Shalom went to fight in the Yom Kippur war, he wanted Miriam to move to Sinai.  When she finally agreed to go, knowing it would make Shalom happy, she fell in love with the area.  They loved the agricultural seasons, and they loved that all of the families were close, creating a warm, wonderful community.  Many of the families living in Nativ HaAsara are the same ones that were together in Sinai.

Their daughter, her husband and their two gorgeous children live in an apartment in their parents' home, downstairs, while they are waiting for their own home in the same moshav to be finished in the next few months. I spent a day and a night with Miriam. We cooked a delicious Yeminite chicken soup and made kubana, the Yeminite Shabbat bread.  She and Shalom graciously welcomed me into their home and treated me like a very special family member.  (see below for recipes)

Wall protecting Nativ HaAsara

Nativ HaAsara is the closest Israeli community to Gaza, 400 meters from the Palestinian border town of Beit Lahiya. Because of the proximity and the geography of the official border wall, the moshav is particularly at risk.  A special wall was built specifically to protect Nativ HaAsara.  Miriam took me to that wall. The moshav community turned it into a piece of art.  It is beautifully painted in a colorful design, seemingly acknowledging its location next to the sea.

Nativ L'Shalom - Path to Peace

One section of the wall is very special. A member of the community came up with the idea of making it into a wall of peace. She outlined the words Nativ L’Shalom, “Path to Peace”, on the wall and has provided bits and pieces of tiles that moshav residents and other visitors could put up inside the outline.  The wall is colorful and meaningful in the way it expresses the desire for peace in the region.  A panel hung at that wall says “…in the belief that one day our collective desire for tranquility and peace will be fulfilled”.

Colorful tiles on the wall

One of my tiles - a peace offering

Miriam obtained a small package of 8 tile pieces for me to place on the wall.  As I spread the cement onto the backs of the tiles preparing to place them on the wall I felt incredible emotion for the extreme difficulty the situation places on people on both sides of the wall.   I also felt a small amount of hope as I added my tiles to the word “shalom”.  I was speechless for several minutes as I thought about the people living so close to the border who were tortured by the missiles for weeks last year, and who continue to live cautiously, not knowing what each day will bring.  They truly live one day at a time, but with hope for the future.

The wall at the Gaza - Israel border.  Gaza in the background

Later the same day Adi, the woman who coordinated my activities in Hof Ashkelon and Kiryat Malachi, took me even closer to the border.  We went on the other side of the Nativ HaAsara wall and stared at the actual border wall, the check point, the radar tower and the towns on the other side.  Again I found it difficult to find words.  Again I felt such sadness.  Everyone deserves peace.  Everyone deserves to live in places that are secure. 

Last night Dovrat, the lovely women with whom I made cookies the day before, hosted a pot luck dinner for the women involved as cooks and volunteers in the Partnership. Thirteen Israeli women gathered at Dovrat’s home in honor of my visit to Hof Ashkelon and Kiryat Malachi.  Each contributed some special food to the dinner.  Of course, Dovrat and I contributed the cookies we had made the previous day.

Every single one of the women welcomed me warmly and was very interested in my travels and experiences   They sat with me, talked with me, made me feel welcome – all with my limited Hebrew and many of their limited English. I had a wonderful interchange with a woman named Rena, who could hardly speak a word of English.  But through other ways of communicating, we seemed to get our messages across over and over.  You don't always need words. We laughed, we hugged, and at the end, she said “I love you” in clear English. 

Each of the women was very different, coming from different backgrounds and playing different roles in the Partnership.  Devorah was the Kiryat Malachi Municipality liaison to the Partnership, Talya was formerly in that role and now volunteers as the co-chair of the Partnership steering committee, several are on the steering committee itself, several were cooks from the Partnership trips to the US.  What they all had in common was their commitment to the Partnership and to the relationships between people in the American communities and the Israeli communities.

Toward the end of the evening, Adi presented me with a beautiful mezuzah and a special apron from the Partnership, and thanked me for coming to Hof Ashkelon and Kiryat Malachi.  She thanked me!  The women gave so much of their time and energy during the three days.  I benefitted so much from my time with them, and they thanked me for coming to their communities. Again I was speechless! I felt like I was part of their families and a friend or sister to each of them.  The women who shared their homes with me, Dovrat, Miriam, Miri, Nava and Tami, as well as others, warmly insisted that I come back and stay with them. 

When I planned my own trip to Israel with a focus on cooking and on food of different cultures of Israel I recalled that several years before I had participated (by eating) in a program at Congregation Beth Shalom. Seven women from the Partnership, each of different cultures, came from Israel to share their foods and their stories.   The women cooked and talked; we ate their delicious and unique food and listened to them talk proudly about their countries of origin and of their lives in Israel.  Now I had a chance to cook with them in their own country and in their own kitchens.  What an honor.

There are other projects going on in the Partnership – twinning of classrooms of 5^th grade students in Israel and their partner communities, older teens from Israel going to the communities as camp counselors (madrichim). having young adults from Israel come to American communities as Shlichut  (ambassadors) for 1-3 years – all for the purpose of connecting America and Israel.   Seattle has three madrichim at the JCC camp this summer.  Several trips from Seattle, including from the Seattle Hebrew Academy, Beth Am, and the Jewish Day School all visited Kiryat Malachi and Hof Ashkelon recently to volunteer and to see what was happening in this region of Israel.

I now feel like I have new family in Israel.  My hope is for peace in Israel and that the Jewish Federation of Seattle will continue to support the Partnership so we can all feel that Israel is our home.

RECIPES 

 Kubana – Yeminite bread of Shabbat

Kubana pans

1 medium kabana pan

1 kg flour – sifted  (2.2 pounds)

1T salt

½ C sugar

2T yeast

3 ½C water – a little warm

1C very soft butter (margarine if you're having meat - that's what we used)

Butter the bottom and sides of the kubana pan very well. 

Knead all ingredients except the butter together in a large bowl until very well combined and and smooth.  Cover and let dough sit for about 10 minutes

Knead again, put a little oil on your hands and gently knead again.  It should be very smooth and shiny, with the surfaces lightly coated with the oil.

When doubled in size the dough is ready.   Divide the dough into several part and place onto a very clean surface that has been oiled with the butter/margarine.   With each part do the following:

Spread out, like pizza dough into a size about 12”x18” or so.  Don’t push down hard on the dough, gently pull it out.  Turn dough over mid-way and do the same. Keep putting butter on your hands so it is transferring to the dough. 

When it’s the right size, roll it up like a jelly roll. If necessary,you can lengthen the roll at this point. Cut into pieces about 3 inches long and distribute them around the kubana pan.   Cover and let rise again for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 200 C (350 F) You can place dough in the oven while it’s pre-heating if you want to.  Bake covered until the sides are brown, about 45 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and turn it upside down on the pan’s lid.  Carefully lift the body of the pan off the kubana.  Turn off the oven. If you have time, place the upside down kubana back in the oven for 5 minutes.  Pieces can be cut or gently pulled apart to eat.

Kubana - we couldn't wait

Yemenite Chicken Soup

1 whole, peeled onion

3 whole garlic cloves

4-5 whole cloves

4 cardamom seeds

2 carrots, cut in 2 inch pieces

4 med potatoes, peeled and quarter

4 chicken legs

4 chicken thighs

1 tsp salt

½ T Hawaij Moraccan

¼ tsp cumin

1 stalk celery - leaves only

1 small bunch parsley cut up

1T flour

2-3 smallish tomatoes – cut up

1T chicken soup powder  (Everyone uses chicken soup powder here!)

¼ tsp ground pepper

Water

Place the whole onion, the whole garlic, the cloves and the cardamom seeds in large pot with just about one inch of of water.  Cook on medium for about 10-15 minutes just to start pulling the taste of the vegetables into the water. Add the chicken pieces and about 1 tsp salt.  Sprinkle hawaij and cumin on chicken, mix around to distribute the spices on the chicken pieces. Cover, and let sit, with the heat on low, and give a few minutes for the chicken to absorb the spices.  Add quartered potatoes and carrots, and add more water just to cover chicken. 

Stir flour in about 1C cold water until fully dissolved.  Add to soup when fully dissolved. Add celery, parsely and tomatoes to soup.  Slowly bring to boil.

Combine soup powder and pepper in 1/2 C hot water, mix until powder is dissolved. When the soup starts to boil, add the mixture to the soup. Bring to boil again then turn down to low, partially cover, and cook until vegetables and chicken are cooked through, 45-60 minutes.

Yemenite Chicken Soup

Good soup and good bread - what could be better!

Milk and Cookies (Without the Milk)

I took the bus early in the morning to Ashkalon which is located in the southwest corner of Israel, 13 kilometers (8.1 miles) from Gaza’s northern border.  Dovrat Horn picked me up at the Central Bus Station and we drove off to start a three day adventure as part of the TIPS Partnership (Tucson, Israel, Phoenix, Seattle) of the Jewish Federation.

Since 1995, the three American communities have been matched with two Israeli communities: the development city of Kiryat Malachi and the regional council of Hof Ashkelon TIPS is part of a program that brings volunteer representatives from these five Jewish communities together with professionals and entrepreneurs to develop leadership, communities and interpersonal connections. The partnership is a reciprocal relationship in which the American Jewish communities support programs that empower and build leadership in the Israeli communities. The Israeli communities enhance the connection between Israel and the American communities through people-to-people relationships by sending delegations to America and offering their communities to visiting Americans.

TIPS is the Jewish Agency’s Western Region program as part of a global platform called Partnership2Gether (previously known as Partnership 2000) which connects over 550 communities around the world in 45 different partnerships.

Dovrat lives in Nitzan, a community in Hof Ashkelon; she has lived there since her 14 year old triplets were 8 months old. As we approached Nitzan, Dovrat pointed out the area where many of the Jews had been resettled when they were forced to leave Gush Katif (Gaza) in 2005 as part of the 1994  “Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area” between Israel and the Palestinians.  This agreement transferred civil authority from Israel to the Palestinian Authority and resuted in the relocation of over 7500 Jews from Gaza.  Many of the families are still living in their “relocation homes”, and many have built new homes in the Nitzan area.

Dovrat was part of a contingent of eight women from Hof Ashkelon and Kiryat Malachi who came to Tucson, Phoenix and Seattle in 2010; another group, all of whom were from Kiryat Malachi, came in 2009.  Among the women, cultures represented were Yeminite, Tunisian, Cuchin, Iranian, Kuridsh and Israeli.  The purpose of these trips were to grow the connection between the American cities and the Israeli cities by exposing the Americans to some of the cultures that exist in Israel.

In the evening, Dovrat and her husband, Adi, took me to a very beautiful area in the village of Nitzan, called Kibbutz Nitzanim. In the background of this picture you can see fields and fields of sunflowers that have finished blooming.  Just imagine how beautiful this is every year when the sunflowers are in bloom. 

The Kibbutz fell to the Egyptians in 1948 during the War of Independence, but has been revitalized as a youth home. The residents of the kibbutz could not bear to return to their original homes – there were too many bad memories, so they relocated the kibbutz several miles away.

A young woman, Mira Ben Ari, became a hero during the Egyptians attack on Kibbutz Nitzanim.  She served as a wireless operator from her home in the kibbutz and when it became clear that the Egyptians were about to attack, she sent a distress signal to the battalion commander who was located away from the kibbutz.  Later the commander of the Jewish forces in this area decided to surrender at which time both he and Mira were killed by the Egyptians.  One of the children that was sent away was Mira’s son Danny, who still lives in Israel today and has been active in keeping his mother’s memory alive.

On the grounds there is a beautiful sculpture called Yad LaEsha HaLochemet – Remember

the Women Fighters.  It commemorates the women that fought in the War of Independence, and helps us remember the bravery of Mira Ben Ari.  The grounds have been turned into a nature reserve, with the concept that it should contain trees of all seven species from the Bible.  We walked through pomegranates, dates, figs, grapes and olives; wheat and barley grow nearby. As we walked we picked and we ate.  It’s hard to describe the feeling of walking through this historic place, picking ripened grapes and passion fruit, and eating them.  I felt like I was in the midst of the history itself.

I spent the night with Nava Gal in her home in beautiful Kibbutz Yad Mordechai.  Nava proudly took me on a tour of the kibbutz.  She and I had wonderful conversations about the status of women in the different cultures in Israel.  We shared dinner with several members of her community who graciously accepted me into their chevra for the evening. 

Many of the original members of this community had come from Poland, and they decided to name the kibbutz after Mordechai Anilewicz, the leader of the Warsaw Ghetto fighters. In addition to its own history, Kibbutz Yad Mordechai is also the home of the largest honey producing facility in Israel.  

Dovrat and I made three different kinds of cookies – Iraqi date rolls, Israeli tehina cookies, and Arak cookies (with Arak liquor, not from the country Iraq). Dovrat and her professional partner, Liat, were caterers and Dovrat was willing to share some of her pastry expertise with me.

Israeli Tahina Cookies - Israeli

1C tahini (raw)

¾ C sugar

200 gm butter, softened and at room temperature

3 C flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

20 gm vanilla sugar

pistachio nuts (optional)

powdered sugar (optional)

Combine everything together with your hands until the dough sticks together like a big ball.  Make little balls about the size of a large marble, about ¾ inch in diameter; set them on a baking sheet about 1 inch apart.

Optional:  press a single pistachio nut into each ball

Bake at 150 C (300 F)  for 15-20 minutes.  The tops should not be brown but a little bit cracked; the bottoms should just be starting to turn brown.  Cool

Optional:  sprinkle powdered sugar over the cookies after they are cooled.

Iraqi Date Rolls

100 gm hazelnuts

100 gm walnuts

100 gm pistachio nuts

50 gm pine nuts

½ C honey
20 gm baking powder

500 gm dates without pits mushed together  (can buy packaged)

1 tsp cinnamon

finely grated coconut and/or sesame seeds

*You can use more or less of each kind of nut, but adding to the same total amount.

Combine the nuts and dry them in a skillet on medium, stirring frequently until you start to smell the aroma of the nuts..   Set them aside to cool.

Combine the honey and dates in a medium pot and cook on medium until the dates are very soft.   Take off the heat, add the cinnamon, baking powder and the cooled nuts and stir until the mixture is combined well.  Once the pot is cooled off,  place it in the refrigerator for about an hour. 

Layout a long piece of plastic wrap and work on that.  Divide the date mixture in half and prepare one half at a time.  Roll and form the mixture into a long log until it is about 1-1 ½ inches in diameter.   

Cut it in half and continue with one piece at a time.   Spread either the sesame seeds or the coconut along side the length of the date log, enough that will ultimately cover the log.  Roll the log through the sesame seeds or coconut covers the outside.  Divide the plastic wrap in half and wrap each roll in the plastic.  Repeat with remaining date mixture.  Place in refrigerator until logs are  firm. 

Remove the plastic covering and slice each roll into pieces about ¼-¹/₃” wide.  Layout on a nice platter to serve.

Arak Cookies  (the liquor, not the country)

1 kg flour

1 2/3 C sugar

360 gm butter

1 generous shot Irak 

2/3 C canola oil

2 pkts vanilla sugar

2/3 C coconut

Combine all ingredients together in a mixer or by hand.  When fully combined make small oblong shapes, gently flatten and lay on a baking sheet.  Using a fork, make a design by gently pressing the fork into the top of each cookie.

Bake on 200 C (350 F) for about 15 minutes until the cookies just begin to turn brown.  Cool.