HAFTR Student Remembers Holocaust with Cookbook

Upon becoming a Bat Mitzvah, Emily Goldstein, an eighth grade student at , took it upon herself to make a difference in the world. Emily decided to work on a Bat Mitzvah project that could really benefit the Jewish people. 

A few years ago, Emily traveled to Israel and visited the Yad Vashem museum. She was so overwhelmed by the exhibits that she began to think of how she could incorporate the Holocaust into her Bat Mitzvah project. Emily, who loves to cook, chose to create a cookbook filled with stories and recipes from Holocaust survivors. By creating this cookbook, Emily feels that she is able to take these stories and really bring them to life in a different way than ever before.

“I want my generation to have a way to remember that this happened,” she said. “I don’t want people to forget.”

While this would be no easy task, Emily began to find Holocaust survivors and interview them. Along with some friends, Emily visited the Five Towns JCC’s Survivor Circle where she and several classmates helped the survivors create various items out of colored duct tape such as pens, wallets and cardholders. While working on the project, Emily introduced herself to the survivors and explained to them that she was creating a cookbook in which she would love to include their recipes, stories and photos.

Emily also met several survivors at her grandmother’s pool and was able to incorporate their stories and recipes into the book. In addition to recipes provided by survivors, the cookbook also contains several recipes from Emily’s friends and family members who wished to be involved in the project.  The book contains a variety of recipes: Those that are traditionally European and some more common recipes such as a strawberry banana smoothie. The cookbook also contains challah recipes and even special Passover recipes, including one of Emily’s personal favorites, Leah Friedman’s Passover Ice Cream.

Proceeds from the cookbook go to Yad Vashem Children’s Programs as well as JCC Survivor Circles throughout the United States. Cookbooks are $36 each and can be ordered by emailing ideas4me@aol.com.