18 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J
N

OUR COMMUNITY

O

n Dec. 16, Young Israel of Oak 
Park once again battled out 
one of Judaism’s most asked 
questions: What is the best cholent? 
In the shul’s 19th traditional “Iron 
Blech,” teams of married couples and 
friends competed for the championship 
cup.
A delicious Shabbat lunch was pre-
sented for the 160 guests by Gil Stebbins, 
the heart and brains behind the event. 
Then came the shining moment: Twelve 
crockpot inserts were carried into the 
dining hall, smelling heavenly. The chefs 
ladled their cholents into sample-sized 
bowls. Each team had a creative name, 
decorated their table, dressed in costume 
and, in a bid to win extra votes, even gave 
out themed freebies to the guests, who 
strolled the perimeter of the room col-
lecting cholent samples. 
According to the program, com-
petitors were Avi and Alaina Snider’s 
“Cryptocholent,” Isaac Wiess’ “Classic 
Homestyle Cholent,” Jeremy and Hilary 
DuBois’ “The Fall Harvest,” Dovid Kleid 
and Evan Rice’s “Dynamic Duo Cholent,” 
Abby Wolfson and Corey Rosen’s “
Abby’s 
Wolf Pack Stew,” Gershon Leib Mitchell’s 
“Southern Cuisine Inspired Cholent,” 
Sarita Fox and Rochel Mondroe’s 
“Cholent Sababa,” Ted and Miriam 
Rodgers’ 
“Spiced Just Right Glutton-Free 
Cholent,”’ Leah and Sara Ungar’s “The 
Matriarch Cholent,” and Jessica and Yossi 
Naiman’s “Classic Sweet Meat Cholent.” 
The youngest competitors were Zahava 
Burstyn and Amalia Kresch, both 8, 
whose “Delicious Dalmation Dessert” 
entry broke the cholent stereotype — 
they’d prepared brownie mix in their 
crockpot and served it with vanilla ice 
cream, cookies and chocolate chips!
A last-minute surprise entry — by 
Young Israel’s Rabbi Shaya Katz and 
his Dafi Yomi shiur participants — was 
revealed at the event. According to Rabbi 
Katz, the number 12 perfectly fit that 
week’s parshah — Parshat Miketz — 

which talked about the 12 tribes reuniting 
in Egypt. Rabbi Katz laughingly encour-
aged those sampling his cholent to “Vote 
for Torah!”
Guests thoroughly enjoyed sampling 
the different flavors, which varied from 
spicy to classic to vegetarian and every-
thing in between. 
Judges were Jordan Stebbins, 22, pre-
vious champion of the Iron Blech, and 
his fiancé, Yaffa Shekhter, also 22, who is, 
according to the event program, a “future 
champion.” Guests also voted for their 
favorites. 
At last, the votes were in: Best display 

was won by Jessica and Yossi Naiman, 
who had shiny colorful sparkles lining 
their table. The popular vote was won by 
Abby Wolfson and Cory Rosen. (“When 
I tried Abby’s Wolf Pack cholent, I said 
Dayenu,” Franci Feld of Southfield said 
reverently. “It just checked every box for 
me.”)
First place for this year’s best cholent, 
as picked by the judges, were moth-
er-and-daughter team Leah and Sara 
Ungar with their Matriarch Cholent, 
named because both share a name with 
a biblical matriarch. It was the first time 
they had entered the contest. When the 
winners were announced, Sara literally 
jumped for joy!
“Our cholent was a little of this and a 
little of that,” Leah explained. “My son-
in-law and granddaughters are the biggest 
fans of my standard cholent, which I take 
as a huge compliment … But we thought 
for the Iron Blech we would try to bring it 
up a few notches. So, we asked family and 
friends for advice.” 
Suggestions included frozen garlic 
cubes and Trader Joe’s Veri Veri Teriyaki. 
They threw it all in.
“Diced onions. Premium meat, flanken 
with bones. Extra barley. A bunch of 
little yellow potatoes, cubed. Ketchup, 
salt, pepper, Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, onion 
soup mix, a sprinkling of kishka, loosely 
wrapped in foil on top of the cholent,” 
added Leah. “
And, voila, we had a 
winner!” 

Young Israel holds 19th annual Iron Blech cholent contest.
A Traditional Taste Fest

ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Young Israel of Oak Park 
kitchen on Friday, with a sampling 
of simmering crock pots. 

This year’s Grand Prize winners of the Iron 
Blech, Leah and Sara Ungar of Oak Park, 
hold their trophy.

