Sometimes we leaf through cookbooks for dinner ideas, and sometimes we actually read them because we want to learn something, to be inspired. June Hersh’s new cookbook does this and more. Here, in the revised edition of her 2013 book, Recipes Remembered: a Celebration of Survival, Hersh weaves stories and recipes from Holocaust survivors with recipes from notable culinary icons of today — all of which connect us to each other, to our history, and, ultimately, to our shared humanity. The book could not be more timely; it nourishes us both physically and spiritually.
Food, Hope and Resilience is divided into sections by country, with recipes and stories germane to each locale. For example, classic Romanian dishes are paired with Romanian survivor stories. While the first five sections focus predominantly on Central and Eastern Europe, the final section introduces the Sephardic world with recipes and stories of Greek survivors.
These gripping stories, as told by the survivors themselves or sometimes by their children, range widely. They describe scenes of life before everything fell apart, as well as daring escapes and moments of hope and resilience. Some of the most compelling stories are the least expected, such as a recipe for arroz con pollo from Ruth Kohn, whose family boarded the last train out of Germany, ultimately arriving in the Dominican Republic.
Iconic Ashkenazi foods fill the pages — such as challah, gefilte fish, roast chicken with vegetables, and blintzes — and are complemented by dishes from across the Diaspora. Hersh concludes each story with a poignant list of the number of children and descendants a survivor had. As one survivor story notes, “ … three children, ten grandchildren and three great grandchildren.” L’dor v’dor: from generation to generation, their memories and their food remain with us.
Dr. Beth Ricanati is a physician, speaker and the author of Braided: A Journey of a Thousand Challahs, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award.
