Each month in this space,
L'Chayim will look back into issues
of The Jewish News to see what
was happening in the local Jewish
community or in the Diaspora 10, 20
and 40 years ago.
40 YEARS AGO
David Ben Gurion, in
Jerusalem, and the postmaster in
Beersheba exchanged greetings
over the first telephone line to be
hooked up between the Negev and
the rest of Israel. Egypt received
permission to use water wells
located inside Isarel territory.
It iOc
N oto _ k kia
" Czw
PITAH
Pitah is a round, flat bread with
a natural 'pocket' in its center. The
bread is soft and is as popular in
Israel as in the Middle East from
which it comes. Pat means Bread,
in Hebrew, and Pitah is eaten as
bread with some unusual uses: it
holds small Falafel balls to make a
neat little meal that may be eaten in
the street when one is hungry. Pitah
is also cut in small pieces to be
dipped in sauces and serve as a
substitute for fork on some
occasions. Traditionally baked very
primitively on heated stones in the
desert, it is now a standard item in
modern bakeries. You, too, can bake
your own, right in your kitchen.
For 6 8" Pitot
4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 pkg. fresh yeast (0.6 oz. each)
1/8 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1-1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup corn meal
Mix the flour with the salt.
Combine 1/4 cup warm water
with the yeast and sugar. Let rest
for 2 minutes. Stir to dissolve the
yeast and let rest for 5 minutes in a
warm place.
Make a well in the center of the
flour and pour the dissolved yeast
into it. Mix in some of the
surrounding flour. Measure 1 cup of
lukewarm water and add it gradually
to the center, mixing the flour
continuously. You may need an
additional 1/4 cup water, if the
dough is too stiff. It must be
manageable: not too hard; not too
wet.
Sprinkle some flour on your
working surface and turn out the
-
20 YEARS AGO
Israel was barred from Japan's
Expo '70. The first Jew was named
to the Supreme Court of Canada.
State Sen. Sander Levin announced
his candidacy for governor. United
Hebrew Schools received an award
for distinguished service to Hebrew
education from the Herzliak/Jewish
Teachers Seminary.
10 YEARS AGO
The government of India
became the first to extend full
diplomatic recognition to the
Palestine Liberation Organization.
There were 12 Jewish graduates,
including the first Jewish woman, in
the graduating class at the U.S.
Military Academy at West Point.
The Jewish Federation
Apartments dedicated the new Anne
and Meyer L. Prentis Towers. Dr.
Robert Jastrow, director of the
Institute for Space Studies for
NASA, spoke at Shaarey Zedek.
Pitah, An Israeli Favorite
Try this delicious Israeli recipe
for your celebration. It is from A
Taste of Tradition, by Ruth Sirkis.
L 4
Dr. Abba Hillel Silver was the
main speaker as the Allied Jewish
Campaign opened solicitations. The
second anniversary of Israel was
observed at the State Fair
Coliseum.
FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 1990
dough. Knead 40 times, pressing
with the heel of your palm, pushing
away from you, folding over, and
pressing again. The dough should
form a soft and elastic ball.
Wash bowl thoroughly and rinse
with warm water. Dry completely
and grease with salad oil. Put the
dough in it, turning once to oil all
over. Cover with a clean kitchen
towel and let stand in a warm
corner in your kitchen for 1 hour.
Punch down the dough, knead
lightly and divide into equal parts.
Knead each part lightly to form a
round ball; place on a floured
cookie sheet, cover with the towel
and let rest 45 minutes.
Heat the oven to 500 degrees.
Roll out each ball in an 8" circle.
Sprinkle a large cookie sheet with
corn meal and put two circles on it.
Bake in the center of the oven for 5
to 7 minutes, until the pitot brown
lightly, just a shade darker than
ivory. The pitot will puff in the
center. It is this puffing that
separates the bread into two layers
and forms the pocket. Remove from
oven and bake two more pitot.
BOOKS ABOUT ISRAEL
The pitah feels dry when
removed form oven, but when
cooled and put in a tightly closed
plastic bag it regains its moisture,
and thereby its softness. Pitah is
eaten hot or warm.
Serve the pitot whole, or cut in
half, which makes it easier to fill
them with falafel and other goodies.
Note: Pitot freeze successfully
when wrapped in freezer paper or
plastic bags. For reuse put them in
a brown paper bag, sprinkle with
some water and heat in a slow
oven.
The
Animated Israel
Jon athan
Claymation David, 1987.
picture book
for ages 4
Z
Aviva's Piano
-
by Miriam
Chaikin.
Clarion Books,
ages 6-10.
1
986. An easy to
read novel for
The Boy Fr
by Tamar Ber om Over There
gman.
Houghton
A Kid's
Mifflin,
1988. Ages 10-14.
by Chaya Catalog of Israel
Jewish
Burstein,
Publication Society
1
988. For all ages.
Check your synagogue
library for availability.