Schmaltzy

When Liz Alpern arrived at business school, she didn’t exactly fit in. She rocked a carefully styled lesbian haircut, smelled of onions, and professed a deep passion for her gefilte fish company. At her big presentation, she was met with blank stares from her straight (laced) classmates. For the first time in her life, Liz's path to success was brought into question.

Israeli born Instagram star Idan Chabasov, aka The Challah Prince, had never baked anything until he moved to Berlin. Today, he credits making challah with bringing him out of a dark time and staying grounded.

Hariette Skidelsky’s Romanian grandmother added more water to the soup pot to stretch her recipe everytime she had a new child. As the next generations prospered, the soup grew robust — filled with chicken, vegetables, and matzo balls. That was, until Hariette tried to make it.

Growing up in Michigan, Umber Ahmad’s family stood out. Immigrants from Pakistan, they were living “1000 Arabian Nights,” she jokes. When Umber brought friends over for playdates, she dreamed there would be Little Debbie Snack Cakes. Her mom had other plans.

Cookbook author Alison Roman shares a personal story about growing up “half Jewish” and finding a meaningful connection with her dad through food.

Check out Alison’s recipes for gravlax and matzo brei on the Jewish Food Society’s digital recipe archive.