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JEWISH LIGHTS
in
the
Rabbi Deborah Prinz, author of On the Chocolate Trail, in Bruges, Belgium, in 2005, doing research
Jews And Chocolate
What could be more delicious for
a lecture topic at the DIA?
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24
February 9 • 2017
jn
e’re talking serious cocoa
here: chocolate for choco-
late lovers, chocolate for
chocoholics, Jewish chocolate. Think
chocolate rugelach, chocolate babka,
chocolate phosphates, flourless
chocolate recipes, boxes of Barton’s
chocolates, Tootsie Rolls (who knew
they were Jewish?), Elite chocolates
from Israel.
When it comes to exploring,
explaining and sharing the history,
the culture, the rituals and the reci-
pes of all things chocolate, no one
does it better than Rabbi Deborah
Prinz.
“I eat chocolate every day. I eat it
religiously,” she says.
Prinz — author, blogger, mentor,
guest lecturer — will join Professor
Howard Lupovitch, director of the
Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic
Studies at Wayne State University,
and Dr. Yao-Fen You, associate cura-
tor at the Detroit Institute of Arts,
at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26, for a
delicious afternoon of “Chocolate,
Coffee & Judaism” at the DIA.
Sponsored by the Jewish
Federation in partnership with the
DIA, the event is held in conjunction
with the exhibition “Bitter/Sweet,
Coffee, Tea and Chocolate.” Guests
will enjoy a delectable history and
conversation accompanied by a
kosher chocolate buffet and an
after-hours tour of the exhibit.
Prinz is a senior fellow at Hebrew
Union College and Rabbi Emerita
of Temple Adat Shalom in Podway,
Calif. She recently served the Central
Conference of American Rabbis
(CCAR) as director of program and
member services. She has trav-
eled the world to research her 2013
book On the Chocolate Trail: A
Delicious Adventure Connecting Jews,
Religions, History, Travel, Rituals and
Recipes to the Magic of Cacao.
“I first learned about Jewish con-
nections to chocolate in a shop in
Paris,” she says. “I said to myself,
‘Ooh, la, la! There’s a connection
between Jews and chocolate?’
“That began the research for On
the Chocolate Trail. My husband,
Rabbi Mark Hurvitz, and I trav-
eled to Belgium, Canada, England,
France, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Spain,
Switzerland and all over the United
States.”
Prinz admits to giving several
d’var Torahs on chocolate.
“I have enjoyed teaching the Torah
of chocolate,” she says. “One d’var
Torah has to do with the rabbinic
debate about the nature of manna.
There are several opinions about
manna and what the ancient
Hebrews were actually eating for
40 years in the Sinai desert. In this
rabbi’s opinion, it had to have been
chocolate.”
As a preview to her talk, she
explained that from generation to
generation, Jews have been trading,
making and consuming chocolate.
“I have noticed themes of resil-
ience, of creativity, of tzedakah and
of synagogue leadership in chocolate
stories,” she says. “Jewish colonial
chocolate leaders in North America
led their synagogues and contribut-
ed generously to their communities.
It was in the account books of Aaron
Lopez that I found the first con-
nection of Pesach with chocolate.
In April 1772, Lopez paid Joseph
Pinto for grinding ‘6 lb Chocolate for
Pesah.’ That must have been the start
of chocolate traditions for Pesach.” •
Chocolate, Coffee & Judaism is co-sponsored
by Friends of Melton, Friends of Cohn-
Haddow, National Council of Jewish
Women and the Jewish Community Center.
Registration deadline is Feb. 21. For tickets,
visit jewishdetroit.org/chocolate or call (248)
205-2557.