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| OHCC LIVING | JULY 2020 | 17 Just in case: Check with your club contact to confirm meeting place, date, and time. Yiddish Club Greetings Yiddish Clubbers… In years past, our July article abounded with enthusiasm and praise for our June luncheon. Not so this year. We can only dream of the wonderful deli food and entertainment which would have marked the June 28 gathering. Canceled for June, but postponed until Dec. 20, with the hope that we can all gather safely to kibbitz, to hug and to laugh, and experience the joy of being together once again! Like most of you, I also have the time now to delve into a few of the projects I have been putting off due to busy social schedules. I was cleaning out drawers when I came upon my grandmother's Sabbath candlesticks. Just looking at these candlesticks rekindled loving memories of my grandmother "bentsh licht" (to recite the blessing over the Sabbath candles) on Friday nights. I would watch with amazement and curiosity as she glided her hands over the lit candles and then covered her eyes in prayer. The aroma of freshly baked Challah permeated the dining room. I could almost taste the melted butter on the warm Challah. These days, most of us purchase Challah commercially; no longer evoking those wonderful childhood memories. Deep in the recesses of the "garage pantry closet," behind the 4-bean salad and the four jars of peaches from Costco, I found a box of Osem Israeli Matzah. I don't recall having purchased this matzah in recent years. The expiration date of 2013 confirmed that the time had come to dispose of this box… until I opened the sealed matzah and tasted it! This seven year old matzah was used to make delicious Matzo Brei (meaning fried matzo in Yiddish), which would have made my bubbe (grandmother) proud of me! The simplest recipe chosen from Google's plethora of recipes is as follows: Total: 7 min Prep: 2 min Cook: 5 min Yield: 4 servings Directions: In a mixing bowl break 4 pieces of matzo into 1-inch pieces. Bring ½ water to a boil and pour over the matzos. Quickly toss the matzo, then drain off any excess. In a bowl, beat 4 eggs with a fork. Mix the eggs, salt, and pepper into the matzo. Over high heat, heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons kosher vegetable oil in a large sauté pan. Add the matzo and fry until crisp. Flip over to fry the other side, breaking into pieces as it cooks. Serve with maple syrup, or preserves. Yummy! How about a bit of Yiddish humor to bring a smile to everyone in these troublesome times. The words are: Aroysgevorfeneh (pronounced ah-Royce-ge-vor- fen) gelt (money). These words describe a useless purchase, an investment that did not prove fruitful, or (as in the story below), a gesture that went awry. Benny and Moe wanted to give their mother a new and different birthday present. They went from shop to shop until, to their wonder and delight, they found--a parrot that spoke Yiddish! This astonishing bird cost $500, but the devoted sons decided it was worth it. Think of the hours and hours of pleasure their old-fashioned mother would derive from conversing with the extraordinary parrot; and think of the admiration the bird would elicit among Mamma's friends in the sisterhood! So, the sons bought a beautiful gilded cage, and placed the parrot inside, and had the singular birthday gift delivered to Mamma. Then, in great excitement, they telephoned: "Mamma, mamma, how did you like your present?" "Delicious!" said Mamma. On that note, let us hope and pray for a safer and more peaceful world! ~ Elaine Massei

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