Life is What Happens
By Lisa Zaslow Segelman
If someone ever tells you, “It’s a whole Megillah,” instead of simply saying, “It’s a long story,” they’re referencing the Jewish holiday of Purim, whether they realize it or not.
The phrase comes from the Megillah scroll, specifically the Megillat Esther, which tells the Purim story – a long, intricate and captivating narrative. Though the word is Hebrew in origin, it adopted a more colloquial meaning among Yiddish speakers to describe a long, detailed, sometimes tedious tale – often the kind where the storyteller says, “Don’t ask,” or “You don’t want to know,” even though, of course, we do.
The story told in the Megillah during Purim commemorates the dramatic tale of the Jewish people in ancient Persia (modern-day Iran) being saved from destruction by the bravery of Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai in the 5th century BCE.
The villain of the story, Haman, plotted their downfall, but was ultimately thwarted. To this day, during the annual reading of the Megillah, his name is met with a chorus of boos, groggers (noisemakers) and jeers.
Purim: A festival of joy and celebration
Purim is one of the most festive and spirited holidays on the Jewish calendar and is a time of revelry, costumes and joyous gatherings.
People dress up – sometimes as characters from the Megillah, other times as anything that sparks their creativity. One year, my redheaded nephew and his brunette wife went as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, complete with royal dress for him and a trench coat for her.
The holiday’s traditions include feasting, exchanging food gifts (mishloach manot) and giving to those in need. Unlike Passover, which demands meticulous preparation for the seder meal, Purim is more relaxed. While there’s a lot of eating and drinking, and a Purim seudah (meal), the emphasis is on whipping up a batch of hamantaschen, finishing your costume and heading out for a fantastic time at gatherings all over the community.
What are hamantaschen?
These four-syllable treats with the quirky name are the signature Purim pastry.
Hamantaschen are triangular cookies created to resemble Haman’s hat. The dough, traditionally made with oil (though butter can be used), has a smooth, workable texture, making it easy to roll out. The classic fillings include prune, cherry, apricot and mohn (Yiddish for poppy seed), a filling also used in babka, though that’s a story for another time.
A Purim celebration in Margate
Purim begins at sundown on Thursday, March 13 and continues through Friday, March 14.
This year, the Margate Jewish Community Center (JCC) served as one venue to embrace the holiday spirit with a lively hamantaschen “Make & Bake Workshop” event, sponsored by the Board of Jewish Education of Atlantic & Cape May Counties.
The board organizes educational programs for various age groups, from active seniors to post-b’nai mitzvah youth, with an emphasis on hands-on learning.
More than 50 bakers attended, many of whom shared stories of cherished family recipes and ancestral bakers while rolling, filling and pinching their dough.
Not all participants were Jewish. One woman, who identified as Irish/Scottish Catholic, mentioned she had been studying Yiddish to fully appreciate its colorful expressions.
Once people fall for words like shlep (to drag, often with annoyance) or schmata (literally rag, but more often a piece of clothing that should have been tossed long ago), it’s hard not to keep loving the language.
“My own grandmom, who wasn’t fond of her own looks, would always tell me, Purim or not, that she looked like a prune hamantaschen, itself a Yiddish word
“Many of our events revolve around food,” said Josh Cutler, director of the Jewish Board of Education. “We want Jewish stories and traditions to jump off the page and onto peoples’ plates.”
A Caribbean twist on a classic treat
To bring this vision to life, Cutler and his staff invited local chef Jerzy Gonzales-Arroyo, a Jewish native of Puerto Rico and a Johnson & Wales-trained culinary expert. Now a private celebrity chef, Arroyo runs iCook4U, a personal chef service specializing in customized Jewish cuisine (icook4u.com).
For the Make & Bake event, Arroyo introduced a tropical spin from her island background on traditional hamantaschen. Bakers had the option to fill their cookies with an array of Caribbean flavors, including pineapple, mango and passion fruit.
I had to chuckle about the filling because for many of us attendees whose grandparents and great grandparents hailed from Eastern Europe; tropical fruits were a world away from any fillings they were able to use.
My other grandmom’s first memory of arriving in the United States in 1913 was seeing a man selling bananas – a fruit she’d never seen or even heard about in her Russian shtetl (village). The prune filling was not missed in the slightest and the vibrant flavors were a hit.
“I love teaching – it’s my passion,” said Chef Arroyo. “I’ve always cooked Jewish foods, but I like to add my own twist to the classics.”
Arroyo’s longtime assistant, Shannon Pope, chimed in between batches, expertly maneuvering trays in and out of the ovens.
“We love introducing people to something new while keeping the traditions alive,” she said.
Why you should try making hamantaschen
Surprisingly, many participants had never made these beloved treats before. While some bakeries have perfected rugelach, another Jewish favorite, truly delicious store-bought hamantaschen are rare and the supermarket versions are often bland and uninspired.
That’s why I encourage you to try making your own Haman hats. It’s easier than it looks!
As the evening at the JCC wrapped up, bakers packed up their golden-brown hamantaschen treats, eager to share them with family, friends and coworkers.
Purim Sameach! That’s Hebrew for Happy Purim!
Lisa is an advertising copywriter (think Madmen without the men), journalist and columnist. Claim to fame: Lou’s waitress for four teenage summers. For column comments, story ideas, or to get on her “quote list” for future columns: redshoeslzs@gmail.com.
