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Celestial Tea and Poppyseed Cookies

  • The Missing Introduction
  • Alternate Chapter 1
  • Ballerina Alla
  • Celestial Tea and Essig Flaish
  • Celestial Tea and Strudel
  • Celestial Tea and Mandelbrot

This would have followed Chapter 26 had we not excerpted it from the manuscript. Look under recipes for the updated version of these cookies.

Celestial Tea and Poppy Seed Cookies

Rosa:  My Allochka  is very uncomfortable with the title, “Judaism is my platform.” Why would your granddaughter include that if Alla doesn’t want it?

Grandma Rae: What’s the problem?  Meryll is just writing Alla’s words.  What?  Is she embarrassed?  Why is Alla uncomfortable?  She’s Jewish and she cares about being Jewish.  She has a good Jewish soul and reminds Meri of her Jewish connections.

Baba Lyuba:  Meri doesn’t need that kind of reminder.  She is strong, intelligent, and she knows right from wrong, even in such a horrible milukha like Russia.  No matter whether it’s the tsar’s Russia, Communist Russia, or Putin’s Russia, it’s all the same.   Merichka is unusual because not only has she had a fine education, but she has her good values.  Communism was supposed to be like that--a new kind of government with good values. We thought in the 1920s we were building a new way of life.  Then came Stalin.  

Rosa:  Lyuba, it’s more than that to be Jewish.  You seem to have forgotten about Judaism yourself and God knows, it wasn’t easy to keep the rituals alive.   Of course, Alla couldn’t learn Jewish law like my family in Gorodok, but we celebrated what we could.   Alla’s heart and soul are Jewish.  My son-in law Naum, alav hashalom (may God rest his soul) taught her to question. Isn’t that what being Jewish is all about? 

Baba Lyuba: I went to gymnasium so I learned to question.  I don’t think it’s just a Jewish trait. Oy, Rosa, enough about how you observed the holidays.  Why all this talk about being Jewish.  We know where we came from.  Has it helped us? 

Grandma Rae:  If someone is Jewish, then they are Jewish.  If they are born Jewish and don’t say they are Jewish, they are still Jewish.  If they are a thief, then maybe they aren’t  acting so Jewish. What’s important is what is in your heart and how you treat others.  Most important is that all our girls can cook and now they can have their own families around the table talking and sharing a meal.We can argue, we can ask questions. 

Rosa:  Absolutely, the table is the center for the family.  Our family and friends are the center of our world. Of course in the Soviet Union just finding the food to put on the table was quite a trick.  Alla has always been very exact so it’s not enough to be Jewish for her if she doesn’t observe Jewish law. 

Grandma Rae:  So many of us American Jews kept kosher and kept Shabbos as long as our parents were alive and then we chose our traditions.   A Reform Jew is no less of a Jew than an Orthodox Jew in my book.  Your Alla is Jewish and if she feels Judaism is her platform,  who can question that! 

Baba Lyuba: Enough about Alla already. I didn’t think this book would be all about being Jewish.  It’s not so interesting to continue talking about.  However, it is interesting to see how Meri’s story continues.  I wonder if she got Issya from the good sense that I gave her.

Rosa:  I wonder if my Allochka will buy her own apartment in Israel.  Imagine! 

Grandma Rae:  Such a pleasure to have such wonderful granddaughters.  More sugar with tea?  Take more poppy seed cookies.  It shouldn’t go to waste. 

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The date- April 15, 2018.The place- Minneapolis. The weather-15 inches of snow due to fall by the end of this day. The dilemma—Do I move the gilded mirror measuring 39" by 54" and weighing over 40 pounds from my sister's house to ours?I had delayed responding to the question—do I want this family heirloom—for a year and now Meryll was moving the next day.This forty pound heirloom seemed so much we...
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When my mother was 8 years old, she had a "grandmother" for just over a year, the only grandmother she remembers.How did this happen? Grandfather Emil, a widower, lived with her family until 1937 when he was introduced to a "nice widow." Thirteen months after his wedding, Emil died at the age of 59.Cause of death? "Overfeeding by Regina," my mother said.Mom was sure that Regina was a " black ...
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Invite Us To Speak

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We were featured speakers at Hadassah Brandeis Institute and Levy Summer Series. Our speaking engagements include JCCs, synagogues, libraries, book groups, retirement communities, schools, and organizations (e.g. ORT, Hadassah, and Women's League). References are available. 

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Talk Review

"I was very fortunate to be able to hear Meryll and Leslie speak at a Hadassah event in Israel. Each of the ~50 participants really enjoyed the event because Meryll and Leslie were so engaging. While they had a natural rapport with the audience, you could also tell they had prepared well so they could connect with our particular group's interests. I learned a lot from listening to them, and I found their sisterly interaction unique and fun. If you want an enlightening and uplifting experience, attend one of their book talks."
Lisa Shimoni, Modiin Israel

Book Review

"Truly, you have written a story that makes accessible the reality of existence in Russia, through the eyes of individuals who lived through the various regimes and dictates.  It is fascinating and very well told.  As I read Vera and Alla's story, I learned more Russian history than I had known from a textbook.  That's a big deal, women!  You tell the tale with vivid detail and hook us on the two women and their stories, then weave in the history to illuminate their journeys. It is such a necessary book.  I am thrilled that the two of you collaborated, as I can see the uniqueness of your personalities come through in the stories, and that, too, makes the book a gem."
Margaret Leibfried, Danielson Group consultant

Buy the Book

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Click here to order your copy of Jewish Luck: A True Story of Friendship, Deception, and Risky Business on Amazon.com.

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Make a donation to Sholom Home and enjoy Jewish Luck at the same time. Jewish Luck is now available at the Sholom Home West gift store. Meryll and Leslie will donate 50% of the proceeds back to Sholom Home. Enjoy!

Tasting Torah

Nourish mind, body, and soul with Meryll's Tasting Torah, which will bring oneg (joy) and limmud (learning) to your Shabbat, broaden your culinary horizons, and draw your Shabbat guests closer together.

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Leslie and I began writing Jewish Luck with an underlying question in our minds—what would life have...
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