friends and wasn’t seeking a date. But he con-
vinced me,
” Cookie said. She and Lenny went 
out and had a great time. 
Cookie returned to Chicago, but soon, a 
Detroit cousin asked if she would work with 
him at his insurance business. “The truth was, 
I wanted to move back to be with my family 
and Detroit friends. I wanted to get married 
and have a family of my own,
” she said. “I 
thought that would happen in Detroit.
” She 
took the job. Once settled, she called Lenny 
and told him she’
d moved back. They went 
out, dated and were engaged in 1984.

A WEDDING TO REMEMBER
They planned a low-key wedding for the 
small chapel at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, 
where Lenny’s family were members, with 
a dinner reception to follow at restaurant 
Morels, for Feb. 9, 1985. But, by late 1984, 
Cookie’s father’s cardiac issues were worsen-
ing. In January, Cookie realized her father 
wouldn’t make it to their wedding date. She 
asked Lenny to call Rabbi Irwin Groner at 
Shaarey Zedek, who was set to marry them, 
to see if he’
d perform the marriage soon and 
in the hospital so her dad could be there. 
At first, Groner was concerned, saying 
her anniversary would always be tied to her 
father’s deathbed. Upon hearing this, Cookie 
told Lenny to call him back and say they were 
sure they wanted a hospital wedding. 
“I’m my father’s little girl, and I’m going to 
make him happy on his deathbed, and myself 
as well,
” Cookie told him.
Groner and Cantor Chaim Najman came to 
Providence Hospital with a chuppah and mar-
ried Eileen Marks and Leonard Lachover on 
Jan. 18. Cookie recalls her father being shaved 
and sitting up, appearing as if nothing were 
wrong with him. He passed one week later.
Their planned ceremony and celebration 
on Feb. 9 proceeded as a reaffirmation of their 
vows. For their honeymoon, they signed up 
for the United Jewish Appeal Koach Mission 
to Israel in April 1985 through the Jewish 
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. While 
Lenny had already been to Israel on multiple 
occasions, it was Cookie’s first time.

A GROWING FAMILY
In 1986, they were blessed with a daughter, 
Rachel Lachover, who they sent to Hillel 
Day School and then the Jewish Academy of 
Metropolitan Detroit (now Frankel Jewish 
Academy). After some years of shul-hopping, 
the family firmly settled at Shaarey Zedek, 
where they remain.

Lenny practiced psychology at Sinai 
Hospital (now DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital) for 
decades. Cookie stayed home with Rachel and 
later worked at Congregation Beth Abraham 
Hillel Moses (now Congregation Beth Ahm) 
in their nursery school and as a substitute 
teacher at Hillel Day School. She also spent 
years volunteering at Friendship Circle, giv-
ing manicures at the Fringe Too Salon in 
Weinberg Village, the true-to-life cityscape for 
children with disabilities.
Rachel is now vice president at Near Perfect 
Media and married to Scott Sadoff, director of 
operations for Method Co, where he oversees 
operations at restaurant Le Suprême Detroit 
in the restored Book Tower. 
Rachel and Scott are parents to Asa Sadoff, 
4, and Sloan Sadoff, 2, who attend Hillel Day 
School and lovingly call Cookie “Nana.
”
Sadly, Lenny passed away in 2021, and 
since then, the family has sponsored a Day of 
Learning at Hillel Day School in his memory 
each year on his birthday.
In addition to spending time with Asa 
and Sloan, Cookie enjoys reading and play-
ing Canasta. She also loves to travel; besides 
Israel, her favorite place to go is Italy, where 
she’s been four times. 

Joshua Goldberg is series host and producer. “Our goal 

is to showcase the experience of a bubbie cooking and 

sharing her ways. We also want episodes to be entertain-

ing and educational,” Goldberg said. Ideas for bubbies 

are welcome and can be sent via direct message to www.

facebook.com/joshua.david.goldberg or on Instagram to 

@joshua.david.goldberg.

Lenny practiced psychology at Sinai 

Hospital (now DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital) for 
decades. Cookie stayed home with Rachel and 
later worked at Congregation Beth Abraham 
Hillel Moses (now Congregation Beth Ahm) 
in their nursery school and as a substitute 
teacher at Hillel Day School. She also spent 
years volunteering at Friendship Circle, giv-
ing manicures at the Fringe Too Salon in 
Weinberg Village, the true-to-life cityscape for 

Rachel is now vice president at Near Perfect 

Media and married to Scott Sadoff, director of 
operations for Method Co, where he oversees 
operations at restaurant Le Suprême Detroit 

Rachel and Scott are parents to Asa Sadoff, 

4, and Sloan Sadoff, 2, who attend Hillel Day 
School and lovingly call Cookie “Nana.
”

Sadly, Lenny passed away in 2021, and 

since then, the family has sponsored a Day of 
Learning at Hillel Day School in his memory 

In addition to spending time with Asa 

and Sloan, Cookie enjoys reading and play-
ing Canasta. She also loves to travel; besides 
Israel, her favorite place to go is Italy, where 

 is series host and producer. “Our goal 

is to showcase the experience of a bubbie cooking and 

sharing her ways. We also want episodes to be entertain-

ing and educational,” Goldberg said. Ideas for bubbies 

are welcome and can be sent via direct message to www.

facebook.com/joshua.david.goldberg or on Instagram to 

HAMANTASHEN, 
INSIDE AND OUT
Before there were hamantashen, 
there were mohntashen, triangu-
lar poppy seed-filled pastries. In 
German, “mohn” means “poppy” or 
“poppy seeds” and “tashe” means 
“pocket.” Due to the similarity of 
“mohn” with the name of the Purim 
story villain Haman, the treats were 
renamed by German Jews and 
became a Purim staple.
With multiple spellings for them, 
which is right? The Jewish News 
uses the standard version “haman-
tashen.” 
Hamantashen are historically 
made with yeast dough, resulting 
in pastries, not cookies. But in the 
past century, cookie dough became 
common and then the standard. 
And cookie-dough hamantashen, 
such as the ones we baked for 
Bubbie’s Kitchen Detroit, are indeed 
cookies.
Filling-wise, it starts and ends with 
poppy seed, right? If you’re a purist, 
that’s true. But over time, the list of 
acceptable fillings has grown. Dried 
plum (prune) preserves gained 
significance in the 1700s and 
became the second-most popular 
variety. Later, other preserves such 
as apricot, cherry and strawberry 
became mainstream, and these 
days, creative options abound.

continued from page 35

Cookie Lachover folding 
a hamantash.

TRIPP AUDIO VISUAL

MARCH 21 • 2024 | 37

