Hey Kids! shawl) on me. This was not tradi- tional, but clearly it was the welcome of Sephardi hospitality. I was there to learn. And so they would help me word-by-word to read the siddur [Hebrew prayer book], and the kids got to know me, and I started teach- ing and then they took me to the mikvah — it was beautiful. I got the candy thrown at me, the rosewater, the whole deal at the age of 25. And, in the process, I learned a lot about Sephardi and Mizrachi food traditions — in addition to what I already knew about traditional European food.” ON MAKING HUMMUS AND PEACE IN ISRAEL “If you really want to make peace, never make your own hummus with Israelis and Palestinians. Because they are going to argue with you about their own recipe every step of the way!” Twitty added, “I held a cooking class at Abraham Hostel and it was very funny: I had on one side of the room Israeli Arabs and Palestinians and on the other side Jews! Israeli Jews. “I look at them, and I see they’re ready for me to start something. And so, Orthodox Jewish guy and Palestinian guy both get up at the exact same time and ask the exact same question: ‘Tell me, who does hummus belong to?’ “So I look around the room. I wait; 10 seconds go by. There were people in the hospitals at the other side of Jerusalem, waiting to see HaShem — their ears are burning in anticipation for what I am about to say! There are people on the other side of east Jerusalem — they have sounded the horns at the mosques to hear what I’m about to say. The entire Kotel has stopped praying … because they all want to hear the answer. Who owns hummus? “And I look at the anxious faces in the room and I say, ‘Is hummus Jewish?’ ‘Yes!’ “And half the room grumbles. “Is hummus Arab? ‘Yes!’ “There’s a yay and more grumbles from the other half of the room. “Does hummus belong to either of you? “Yes!” ‘Huh?’ “And no! “I say to them, ‘No. Hummus belongs to a Mesopotamian woman — neither Jewish, nor Muslim — who had hungry kids. And she had some chickpeas and some garlic. She Sponsored by Get your art supplies out and gather your favorite colors. It's the annual Chanukah Cover Art Contest! “You know the stupidest thing you could ever do? Go to Jerusalem and try to teach Israelis and Palestinians how you make hummus!” — Michael Twitty mashed them together and said, here, eat!’ “‘That’s how hummus started. And because you are her children — you are her mishpachah [family] — hum- mus brings you together more than it separates you. That’s how this works.’ “And with that, I got a round of applause. And then, there was quiet and, in peaceful accord, they started mingling, sitting with each other. That taught me something else about hummus: If you really want to make peace, never make your own hummus with Israelis and Palestinians. Because they are going to argue with you about their own recipe every step of the way!” * For more on Michael Twitty, visit onlineafroculinaria.com and theweiserkitchen.com; Michael W. Twitty on Facebook or @Koshersoul on Twitter. Vivian Henoch is editor of My Jewish Detroit, where this story first appeared. (248) 543-3115 3947 W. 12 Mile Road Berkley, MI 48072 www.DollHospital.com .BUFSJBMT "OZUIJOHUIBUTIPXTVQCPMEBOECSJHIU TVDIBTNBSLFST DSBZPOT QBJOUPSDVUQBQFSNO PENCILS, LIGHT BLUE CRAYONS, GLITTER OR COMPUTER-GENERATED ARTWORK‰NVTUCFIBOENBEF Size: XJEFYIJHI WFSUJDBMGPSNBU "HF$BUFHPSJFT 6QUPBHFt"HFTt"HFT Grand Prize: $100 and the artwork on the Dec. 22, DPWFSPGUIFJewish News! First Prize: JOBMMBHFDBUFHPSJFT )POPSBCMF.FOUJPOT 'JOBMJTUTJOBMMDBUFHPSJFTXJMM CFGFBUVSFEJOTJEFUIF$IBOVLBIJTTVF %FD 1JDLVQFOUSJFTBUUIFJewish News VOUJM+BO 7PUJOH (PUPPVSXFCTJUF UIF+&8*4)/&84DPN GSPN%FD %FDUPWPUFGPSZPVSGBWPSJUFFOUSJFT7PUJOHDMPTFTPO%FD Enter Now! ALL WORK MUST BE RECEIVED BY NOON, Wednesday, DEC. 7, 2016 at The Detroit Jewish News /PSUIXFTUFSO)XZt4PVUIåFME .* "UUO+BDLJF)FBEBQPIM *OPSEFSUPCFFMJHJCMF 0OMZPOFFOUSZQFSDIJMEt"GVMMZDPNQMFUFEFOUSZGPSN NVTUCFUBQFEUPBSUXPSL "DPMPSQIPUPPGUIFBSUJTUNVTUBDDPNQBOZBSUXPSL &OUSZ'PSN Child's Name:_______________________________ Age:_______ Parents' Names: ________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________ City: ________________________State:________Zip:__________ Day Phone: ________________________Evening Phone:________ Email:________________________________________________ School: ___________________ Religious School: ______________ Send to: The Jewish News Attn. Jackie Headapohl 29200 Northwestern Hwy. #110, Southfield, MI 48034 000000 November 10 • 2016 35