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A New Home from page 48
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Issue 9
December 6, 2012
Chanukah 5773
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By the Editor, Dr. Nora Gold
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Preface
About Us
Welcome to this exciting new issue of Jewish Fiction met! In this all-women's
issue, you will find 14 wonderful works of fiction, originally written in
Yiddish, Spanish, Hebrew, and English, by authors originating from the
Ukraine, Argentina, Israel, England, Canada, and the United States. And with
Chanukah just around the corner, we bring you also a Chanukah story from
Israel ("Roller Coaster"). (more)
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Sheindl Franzus-
Garfinkle
Bochl and
an the World of
Ideas
It was the end of summer, 1916. In the
Click here to read about
Jewish Fiction net in
Ukranian town of B, far from the
battlefields, people bad grown as
Ana Maria Shua
- A Nice Boy From a
Good Family
...tn.'s- ,
lauritab head throbs. she stands there
for a moment, pausing but about to
leave, with her hand on the doorknob, as
she tries to understand-. (more...)
accustomed to war as dogs to iron than.;
the Media
0
Miri Varon
Yael Medini
A Time of Love
Assisted Living
So in the end, evespne gave in and Pains
-What a pleasant surprise,. Wm and
would stand under the chuppah with the
Voss exclaim when they open the door
gornisht. The ceremony would take place at
and engulf Yom with hogs and kisses
the community hall on Rothschild
Boulevard-. (more...)
before she has time to decide whether
this is jmt a routine smIcome.. (more...)
twitter
A webpage featuring an edition of JewishFiction.net
Author Leora Skolkin, whose novel
Edges is currently being adapted for
film and whose story A Tape of Helen
Gilderstein Speaking, was published in the
December 2011 issue of JewishFiction.net ,
observes a narrowing of publishable Jewish
perspectives, especially in journalism.
"When I talk to Jewish Americans, they
expect there to be one ideology or sensibil-
ity applicable to Israel; she tells JNS.org .
"This is not the case. For example, Israel
is now less a by-product of the Holocaust
in Europe than it once was. In fact it is an
authentic Middle Eastern country, and this
viewpoint is almost never heard"
Skolkin's fiction focuses primarily on her
relationship with her mother, a character
whose lineage in the Levant dates back to
the 16th century. Skolkin's mother rep-
resents the heroine who once concealed
munitions during a daring mission to sup-
ply Haganah soldiers fighting for Israel's
independence, but she also is a symbol of
the country's historical diversity.
Through this character, Skolkin is able to
conjure a time when borders were porous,
Israel was not surrounded by hostile Arab
states and Jewish relations with Palestinians
were not as tense.
"My mother always said: 'Once you
talk about certain things, you ruin
them:" Skolkin writes in A Tape of Helen
Gilderstein Speaking. The quotation is a ref-
erence to a Kabbalah ritual that her mother
strictly observed.
"In silence, you are preserving the dignity
of experience Skolkin further explains. She
openly wonders if this method of dealing
with traumatic events like the Holocaust
might have saved Jewish people today from
having to deal with a backlash in public
52
December 27 • 2012
J111
opinion.
"Prior to the 1967 war, there was still
post-Holocaust sympathy for the plight of
the Jews, but we forgot to be humble after
victories and now we are seen as 'occupi-
ers:'' Skolkin says. She refuses to accept the
title of "occupiers" given her family's pres-
ence in Israel long before the conception of
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Ultimately, Skolkin sees a unique oppor-
tunity for writers submitting their work
to JewishFiction.net rather than to main-
stream publications like the New Yorker,
the New York Times or even popular Jewish
sites like Tablet.
"I thirst for the world to be more open
to a comprehensive history of Israel; she
explains. "At JewishFiction.net, there is real
diversity you can't get anywhere else. What
Dr. Gold and JewishFiction.net gave me was
a sense of affirmation:'
As new and acclaimed voices in fiction
join JewishFiction.net, it is clear that Gold
is fulfilling her ambition: highlighting the
rich diversity of Jewish culture.
Whether or not the publication rep-
resents the emerging genre of "Jewish
fiction" — the term Kaiser worries is over-
bearing — ultimately will be determined
by the publication's readership. Gold is
pleased to report that JewishFiction.net
engages a large Jewish audience as well
as a growing number of enthusiastic non-
Jewish readers.
Kaiser meanwhile remains focused on his
writing and distances himself from being
labeled "a Jewish author"
"You get a nugget of an idea, and some-
thing happens:' he advises creative writers.
"Whether or not the story fits with a publi-
cation's mission shouldn't matter:'
❑
ast week we spoke about appe-
tizers. With New Year's Eve just
a few days away, let's add a few
words about appetizer buf-
fets.
Here's a quick lesson on
the art of appetizer dining
for this night and for when-
ever you're entertaining with
small plates. For evening
events, consider your appe-
tizers to be dinner. While
spreads, dips and cheeses
may be included as part of a
buffet, they should never be
the only items served.
What there should be are substantial
proteins — sliced or skewered meats
come to mind — to anchor any buffet.
Serve these proteins with breads and
appropriate condiments. Everything
else is up to you.
While the rule is six appetizers per
COCONUT CHICKEN WITH
DIPPING SAUCES
Chicken:
1 cup flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
Y2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 large egg
3 Tbsp. water
1Y2 cups unsweetened or sweetened
flaked coconut
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken
breasts, cut into 1-inch wide strips
vegetable or peanut oil for frying
Dipping Sauce 1
1 cup rice vinegar
3 /4 cup sugar
1 2 cup water
2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
Dipping Sauce II
1 cup orange juice
% cup sugar
1 2 cup white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
To make chicken: Combine flour, salt
and pepper in a small bowl. With a
fork or whisk, lightly beat together the
egg and water in another dish. Place
the flaked coconut in yet another dish.
Dredge the chicken strips in the flour,
patting the chicken with dry hand to
shake off the excess flour. Dip the strips
in the egg mixture, letting the excess
drip off, and dredge the strips in the
coconut to cover it completely (you may
person, this holds true only when din-
ner is served following the appetizer
buffet. For appetizers only, think 12
pieces or small portions.
There is an art to serving
just the right foods. If your
event is an evening affair,
you must, must serve foods
that are hearty enough —
whether passed or station-
ary — so that your guests
are satisfied at the end of an
evening. No guest should
feel the urge to grab a fast-
food burger on the way
home from your party.
Diversity of tastes, texture, color and
ingredients is the governing principle
in the art of appetizers. And don't be
afraid to include hot or cold pasta or
salad on your buffet in small quantities
(a great presentation tip: Serve them in
martini glasses).
❑
need to press the coconut to the strips).
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet
over medium-high heat. Saute the chick-
en strips on each side until the coconut
is golden. Place the strips on a cookie
sheet (the chicken will most likely still be
raw on the inside). When all of the strips
have been sauteed, you can chill the
chicken until just before you need to use
it, or bake immediately in a preheated
350-degree oven for 10-12 minutes,
or until it is just cooked through. You
may also deep-fry the chicken strips if
desired.
Serve warm or at room temperature
with one or more dipping sauces.
To make sauces: Combine all sauce
ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring
to boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring
occasionally, until the mixture thickens
to syrup consistency, about 20 minutes.
Makes 8 appetizer servings.
SAVORY BEEF KEBABS
Use either kosher London broil or regu-
lar flank steak for this recipe.
Beef Kabobs:
1 lb. London broil or flank steak, cut
across the grain into 1/2-inch strips
salt and pepper to taste
% cup olive oil
% cup soy sauce
% cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. red pepper sauce, such as
Tabasco