Howard Blas's Posts

The original article is published at JPost.com

When Guy Sasson took to Court 13 in Saturday’s French Open Quad Wheelchair finals tennis match – and almost three hours later became the first Israeli player to win a Grand Slam wheelchair singles title – he had no idea that another big Israel story had just taken place.

The 44-year-old Sasson, the tournament’s No. 3 seed, had lost four of five previous matches against 22-year-old Sam Schroder of the Netherlands, the No. 2 seed and winner of six Grand Slam titles.

Sasson took the first set 6-2, lost the second set 3-6, and was down two match points in the super tiebreaker. Sasson let out a victory cheer when he got to seven – only to find out from the chair umpire of the need to win 10 points in a Grand Slam event.

Sasson and his coach, Ofri Lankry, had a good laugh and the Israeli went on to win the tiebreaker and the singles title. When he left the court, he learned of the thrilling rescue of four hostages in Gaza and of the unfortunate loss of Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora.

“After the match, I hugged my coach and psychologist and they told me four were brought back alive,” Sasson reported in a phone interview with The Jerusalem Post after arriving in Nice, France where he will begin his next tournament this week. “I’m in shock – right after my huge thriller with ups and downs and I pulled it off – it was as if all the stars were aligned at the same moment.

 “Some people who were watching said that I was down 5-3 and when the message of the hostages being freed got out, I got back in!”

A journey of triumph

Wheelchair Illustrative (credit: FLICKR)

While Sasson playfully acknowledges there may have been some divine intervention at play, he is proud of the very systematic program he has been following to get to this point.

“It is a process I am going through and it will lead to the Paralympics.”

The 2024 Paralympic Games will take place in Paris between August 28 and September 8.

Sasson noted that getting to Roland Garros as the No. 3 seed was in itself a great achievement.

“After the Australian Open [where Sasson lost to Schroder in the finals 6-3, 6-3], I really wanted to win. I like and prefer clay. I like the bounce of the ball and felt I had a good chance. I started well by beating the No. 4 and then the No. 1 in the semifinals. Then it was Sam again in the finals. He is in great shape. I came prepared with good tactics. I believed in myself. I thought it could happen and it happened.”

Later in the day, Sasson also played in the quads men’s doubles finals with Andy Lapthorne of Great Britain. The pair lost 7-6, 6-1 to Schroder and fellow Dutchman Niels Vink.

Lankry, who shared the news of the hostages, is proud of Sasson and shares his sense of accomplishment.

“It’s an amazing feeling. We work and train so hard to improve every single element of Guy’s game. We came with good tactics this time, and Guy was determined to stick to it, and it worked.

“We are proud to represent the country in these difficult times, and to bring honor! We are hoping for more good news – go Israel!”

With Saturday’s win, Sasson became the second Israeli after Shahar Pe’er to ever win a Grand Slam single tennis title. He became the third Israeli man to win any Grand Slam title after Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram, who won the 2008 Australian Open men’s doubles title. Ram also won the mixed doubles titles in 2006 at Wimbledon and 2007 at Roland Garros.

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The original article is published at JPost.com

“I have been seeing a strengthening of people’s Zionism since October 7. People are prouder than ever to be Zionists and looking to come to Israel and to help the Jewish homeland.”

Even as the war and hostage crisis continued in Israel, 300 American Jews recently demonstrated that their determination to make aliyah is greater than ever.

On May 29, from noon to 9 p.m., Jewish singles, young marrieds (some expecting first children in the very near future), families with young children, older couples – some with kippot, hats, or covered hair, others in shorts and T-shirts – made their way to a hotel in Teaneck, New Jersey (exact location withheld for security reasons), for the Nefesh B’Nefesh (NBN) Aliyah-in-One event, geared to make the upcoming aliyah of attendees that much smoother.

All attendees were hopeful that the ads sent by Nefesh B’Nefesh would indeed be true: “Bring us your docs and we’ll speed up the clocks!” and “Do you still have tasks to complete your aliyah process? Aliyah-in-One is The program for you. If you are planning to make Aliyah in 2024, join us to get all your aliyah services under one roof.”

Attendees were not disappointed. After passing through security at a hotel whose location was only disclosed after people registered online, guests were given a bracelet at registration. Those arriving for on-site Jewish Agency interviews presented original documents (carefully detailed on the Nefesh B’Nefesh website) for scanning and waited for a careful review, followed by a thorough interview. 

Most “passed” with flying colors; at least one very religious-appearing couple in their 60s remained upbeat, despite being told that the letter from their rabbi verifying their Jewish status required further scrutiny (they were told the rest of the interview could proceed over Zoom).

MIREL HOROWITZ hopes to move to Jerusalem in September. (credit: Courtesy Mirel Horowitz)

Visitors were greeted with an extraordinary display of snacks and drinks, which would prove helpful as they waited for one-on-one drop-in consultations at booths devoted to absorption issues, education, jobs, and communities. 

Other booths provided services essential to the aliyah process, including fingerprinting and the apostille of documents. (An apostille is a form of authentication that seeks to simplify the process of legalizing and authenticating public documents so that they can be recognized internationally in foreign countries that are members of the 1961 Hague Convention Treaty.)

Those in attendance are universally undeterred by the current situation in Israel and reported feeling even more determined to make aliyah this year.

Mirel Horowitz, 24, a Jewish day school teacher at Yavneh Academy in Paramus, New Jersey, grew up in a Zionistic family, spent a gap year in Israel, has siblings in Israel, and recently returned from helping friends whose spouses were on reserve duty.

“I always wanted to move to Israel. This [current situation] was my pull,” she says.Horowitz started her aliyah process in 2020, before the COVID pandemic, and feels that “now is the time. I am young, single – why not?!”

She further notes, “I feel more connected to my spirituality in Israel.”

Horowitz acknowledges she will miss her family but reports having a support system in Israel.

She has been focused and efficient as she approaches the aliyah process. “I opened my laptop to NBN since I knew they were helping with the process, and applied. I was assigned an adviser and started getting emails about the process and events. I saw the NBN all-in-one event could help with the apostille of my birth certificate and with fingerprinting, so I went.”

While at the event, Horowitz also learned about study and career options in Israel. She hopes to move to Jerusalem in September.

Sarah and Mike Brasky, both 37, of Park Slope, Brooklyn, are racing against the clock to get everything done as the aliyah date for them and their two children, Liam, seven, and Eva, four, nears.

Sarah, an educator who started and ran a nonprofit agency that fosters dogs, notes that as her children have gotten older and “the focus is not on the day-to-day of feeding and clothing,” she and her husband have been able to take a step back and consider longer-term life plans and priorities.

“In the last couple of years, we wanted to shake up our lives a little, without completely going out of our comfort zones.”For the Braskys, this meant considering moves to New York suburbs or to another state.

Wherever they would live, having a strong connection to Judaism and Israel would be important. While Sarah reports that their lives were filled with many of those elements, including camps, Hebrew-language programs, Shabbat, and PJ Library, “To some degree it wasn’t satiating our desire for a stronger connection,” she notes.

After spending one month in Israel last summer, where they lived in a home in Jerusalem, the children attended Ramah day camp, and Mike worked part-time from his law firm’s Tel Aviv office, the idea of moving to Israel began to percolate.As their summer in Israel began to wind down, they began to realistically explore Israel as an option. Says Sarah, “Only at the tail end, I said, ‘Maybe we should explore having the firm give permission to work out of the Tel Aviv office. It didn’t take Mike much convincing! We did not make much progress at first, then Oct. 7 came – that did not dissuade us one iota!”

After a “pause” of two to three months, Sarah reports, “We have been full steam ahead for the past few months.”

She acknowledges that friends often ask, “Are you sure now is the right time?” Sarah replies, “I feel good about it.” She adds, “Oct. 7 is not a factor whatsoever. That probably is the Zionist in me, with two parents and four grandparents who love Israel very much.” Sarah reiterates that she is “excited to live there right now” and offers that “what Oct. 7 changed was not our desire but our feeling of how important it is to instill love of Israel in our kids and not take it for granted.”

The Braskys appreciate the role NBN has played in their aliyah process. “We said we want to do this, but can’t devote full brain space – that’s where NBN comes in. They helped with the bureaucracy, and they gave us an adviser who was great giving us reminders about deadlines, guidance on apostilles, and other things.”

Sarah reports that Mike has primarily been responsible for all of the paperwork, while she has taken on all aspects related to “lifestyle,” including where to live and schools for the children. The Braskys plan to live in Tel Aviv when they arrive in mid-July.

“The idea of… meeting people from all over the world and speaking Hebrew” is appealing, and the Braskys have already begun preparing the children – and their 50 pound dog – for aliyah. “We waited till a couple of months ago, until we were sure.”

Sarah reports that the seven-year-old was a “little shocked,” then comforted when he learned he can still keep in touch with his best friend through video chat, and that he will make new friends through playing basketball and other structured activities.

Howard Friedman, a Teaneck pediatrician, and his wife, Paula, are making aliyah at a different life stage and with a very different approach than the Braskys.

While the Braskys are rushing to pack up their Brooklyn brownstone, which they hope to sell before their aliyah, and will be in search of a Tel Aviv apartment, the Friedmans are moving to the Baka (Jerusalem) home they have owned and visited regularly and frequently for the past eight years.

“It will make our absorption a little more familiar,” reports Dr. Friedman.

And they will be closer to three daughters, their spouses, and grandchildren, who all live in Ramat Beit Shemesh.

The Friedmans will keep their Teaneck house for now and likely pack up and sell it in the future. Unlike Mike Brasky, who can work for his US law from its Tel Aviv office, the experienced pediatrician is obtaining an Israeli medical license and proper orientation and training in order to practice medicine in Israel.

For Dr. Friedman, the aliyah process started at MedEx, a Nefesh B’Nefesh event, this past March, geared to help medical professionals transfer their medical licenses and meet with representatives from the Health Ministry Licensing Division, the Israeli Medical Association, Israeli health funds and hospitals. Friedman then completed most of the required paperwork for aliyah online through the NBS website.

“We paid a guy for the apostille, and came to the all-in-one fair for our Jewish Agency interview.”

Friedman reports that the process of obtaining his license through MedEx went “rather smoothly.”

He has already started his three-month period of histaklut [observation] where he is observed in action by other doctors. While in Israel in April, he spent one month in the pediatric emergency room. “It was fun and all very positive. I began learning how Israel does pediatrics and medicine.”

When this process is complete and the Friedmans are settled in Israel, he can decide between employment in a health fund, at Terem (urgent care), or in private practice.

Paula, who worked in his office for decades, will consider options for possible employment once she arrives in Israel.Paula and Howard report that they always “thought” about aliyah, though they note that when they married while in medical school, they knew they “had a long road ahead.” In addition, they had no family at the time in Israel. “There was a desire but not a drive,” reports Howard.

He playfully notes “I guess we did something right,” when he recounts the aliyah of three children within a five-year period.

The Friedmans were planning to make aliyah regardless of the current situation in Israel, but note, “It increased our desire to move to Israel.” On September 18, the Friedmans plan to be on a plane for their own aliyah.

WHEN MIREL Horowitz, the Brasky family, and the Friedmans make aliyah, they will follow in the footsteps of the 1,500 people from the United States and Canada who have made aliyah with the assistance of NBN since October 7, 2023.NBN offers the following breakdown of olim in the time period, by age:

0-17 – 24418-24 – 43225-34 – 33235-44 – 11745-54 – 7055-64 – 12065+ – 239

NBN reports that it has received over 9,700 requests to open aliyah files since October 7, which is an increase of 76% compared to the corresponding period last year (i.e. from October 7, 2022, through mid-May 2023).

Marc Rosenberg, NBN’s vice president for Diaspora partnerships, is pleased and optimistic with the increased interest in aliyah, and observes that people are “coming despite uncertainty, restrictions, and issues with flights.”

Rosenberg points out that “the next few weeks are critical” in understanding aliyah numbers and trends. He points out that most people who make aliyah come in June, July, or August, and points out that there was a similar increase in aliyah in 1968 and 1969 (following the Six Day War of 1967) and in 1974 and 1975 (following the Yom Kippur War of 1973).

He offers that the typical timeline for people making aliyah is 12-18 months. He observes that “most people have turned the dial 1 degree closer to Israel,” and that the current situation has “helped move people closer to exploring Israel.”

Yitz Motzen, an aliyah adviser in the aliyah guidance division of NBN, is seeing this increased interest in aliyah in his daily work.

“We are definitely seeing an uptick in aliyah interest in our day-to-day work.

“In terms of the why: I have been seeing a strengthening of people’s Zionism since October 7. People are prouder than ever to be Zionists and looking to come to Israel and to help the Jewish homeland, not just in the short term, with volunteering, but in the long term, via aliyah. I think it [Oct. 7] awoke in many people an understanding that this is our only homeland, and they want to be on the front lines of Jewish history as it unfolds. When something happens to your family, you don’t run away. You do the opposite. You want to be closer to them.“People not only want to stand with Israel. They want to stand in Israel.”

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The original article is published at JPost.com

A collective sharing of traumatic memory which finds the balance between the devastation of what these people experienced and the incredible force of hope and resilience they embody.

If you arrive a little early at  Actor’s Temple Theatre in Manhattan to see October 7 – A Verbatim Play, you may find yourself confused.

Five of the play’s 13 actors are already on stage, slowly dancing and swaying with their backs to the audience. Soon, four more actors walk through the befuddled crowd toward the stage, where they look up at their fellow actors. 

Worriedly, I approach an usher who informs me, “It’s the pre-show Nova,” referring to the rave/nature party that thousands of Israelis were attending in the early morning hours of October 7 at Re’im in the South.

Survivors’ stories

The play, written by Irish journalist Phelim McAleer, tells the story of October 7 through the words of people who experienced the day from up close.

The diverse group of Israelis introduce themselves at the start of the show. Tali is a Nova producer; Shani stopped in Beersheba on the way to Nova “to get ready with glitter” and prepare to teach a yoga workshop. Itamar is an Ofakim border patrol officer; Zaki, a religious man from a moshav 8 km. from the festival, delivers Coca Cola to the Nova festival. Ayelet is a Kfar Aza resident.

Scenes from October 7 inside the theater and out (credit: Aaron Houston, HOWARD BLAS)

The audience experiences the chaotic, tumultuous, intense, and bloody day unfolding hour by hour as piercing sounds of gunfire and cries are heard. Confused concertgoers on drugs describe paragliders flying overhead.

A young girl recounts sirens at 6:30 a.m. and informs the audience how residents of the Gaza Envelope have 15 seconds to seek shelter.

Yasmin tells of terrorists in her home at 10:30 am. We also meet a policeman armed with a pistol and nine bullets who killed several Hamas members; a mother who hid for hours, wondering if her family had survived; and an off-duty IDF soldier who was shot five times by three terrorists as he fought to protect his village and others fleeing Nova while hiding under cars, in street shelters, and in trees.

Zaki and his wife describe breaking the Sabbath and Jewish holiday in order to save fellow Jews. Zaki makes numerous trips to the festival site to bring nearly 100 young people to his home for refuge.

Amid the fear and terror are moments of humor and painful irony.

 “I remember a South Park episode when they were told to put their heads under the desk and their legs up – then came the volcano!” remarks one character. “I could have sold the footage to Spielberg,” another reports after his jeep flew through the air as he tried to flee Hamas terrorists.

One woman, surrounded by four Hamas terrorists, said they were so close that “they were either going to kill me or it was sexual harassment.” One parent commented that he was “pleased” that his daughter was killed and did not experience rape, unlike so many others.

The audience sees many deaths and learns about survivors’ experiences, as well as their attempts to find perspective and answers. Comments include: “They are not people. They came to kill everyone, including little children,” “October 7th was a wake-up call. We are a different country now,” and “I started keeping Shabbat.” 

A female Soroka Hospital doctor reports, “I am Muslim. Evil has no religion. The division is between people who believe violence is the answer and those who believe in humanity, kindness, and peace.”

Director Geoffrey Cantor describes October 7th as “testimony.” He adds, “It is a collective sharing of traumatic memory,” and acknowledges “finding the balance between the devastation of what these people experienced and the incredible force of hope and resilience that they embody, [which] was something that we explored every day in the rehearsal room. We committed ourselves as a company to ensuring that the authentic voices of these remarkable people are heard so that the audience might be touched by their humanity and extraordinary resilience.”

Telling the untold stories

TO WRITER and producer Phelim McAleer, who reports that he “had no connection to Israel” before 10/7 and had never visited the country, it was important that the “stories get told.” McAleer, who was in Ireland on 10/7, reports that he “saw how good people were talking about how Israel was shutting off the electricity in Gaza and were calling for a ceasefire but were not talking about October 7th. They were talking as if the world started on 10/8. It was unacceptable to us that the media and elites wanted us to forget. I want the world to make up its own mind.”

McAleer and his wife, Ann McElhinney, founded The Unreported Story Society in 2017 “to tell the stories that the mainstream media ignores through art and modern media.”

“It was very important to us that this was a verbatim play,” adds McElhinney. “We gathered stories from people who lost people, survived, rescued people, or fought back against those who wanted to wipe them out.”

The play, which takes place a few minutes’ walk from Broadway, has been seen in previews in recent weeks. It officially opened on May 13 and continues through June 16.

The show’s press release cautioned that the 90-minute play “is under NYPD (New York Police Department) protection. It is the only production in New York that the NYPD is protecting, setting up barriers and stationing officers outside, amid campus protests and rising antisemitism in the city.”

During the last night of previews, there was no visible NYPD presence, although the 50 or so people in attendance had to pass through a metal detector, which is very uncommon for on- or off-Broadway shows, and four very professional guards clad in suits.

Actor Jeff Gurner, who plays Coca Cola vendor Zaki and other characters, reports, “It’s been a blessing to be part of the journey of this play – not just because I’m deeply honored to help tell these stories, but also because of the balm that is the kinship among our team.” 

For Gurner, appearing in October 7 was also a way to take a stand on an issue very dear to him and to “do something” during these difficult times.

“The stories of 10/7 seem perilously close to being entirely swept under the rug amid the chaos on university campuses and all of the divisive political noise,” Gurner said. “Like so many of my Jewish friends and family, I’ve been absolutely flummoxed by how quickly we went from the horrors of that day to suddenly finding Israel branded the villain. The sheer amount of misinformation, propaganda, and outright lies that blossomed almost immediately and were inexplicably embraced here and abroad was jaw-dropping. Within my own industry, I saw how quickly and decisively the knee-jerk condemnation of Israel and absurd moral equivocation took hold, and like the Jewish students on college campuses, I felt very much alone among my colleagues – relegated to mourning privately (or at least very selectively) for fear of being maligned professionally or being forced into an endless, impossible loop of defending 10/7 to people who are being intellectually dishonest or willfully ignorant. 

“Being part of this project, though, suddenly put me in a room with other artists who not only understood my feelings of isolation, but steadfastly and with full-throated passion reminded me that Never Again is Now and that I didn’t have to be silent any longer. It’s been a gift to join this cast and crew to honor those who suffered the atrocities of October 7th, and I’m grateful for the daily reminder that the stories of the heroes and innocents we are recounting in the play is all that matters. I hope our voices can help, in some small way, to drown out the dangerous and disgusting wave of antisemitism that has proliferated in the wake of their pain.” 

Scenes from October 7 inside the theater and out (credit: Aaron Houston, HOWARD BLAS)

Manhattanite Mark Chessler enjoyed the show and the acting, though he found it to be an intense experience. 

“The play was really effective at pulling the audience into the events of the day in a very visceral way. The pacing made my heart race until the end, when things stopped and we were given time to process what we witnessed. It offered me (and I’m guessing other audience members) a window into the trauma being felt right now in Israeli society.” 

Henry Mendelsohn, 76, a Vietnam veteran who attended the University of Haifa in the late 1960s, was looking forward to the show. However, he says, “If I were 50 years younger, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you – I’d be in the Israeli army!”

At the conclusion of the show, as people in the audience waited outside to greet and congratulate the actors, Mendelsohn adds, “I think they should take this show to all of the colleges!”

McAleer indicates that plans to take the show on the road to college campuses including Harvard, Cornell, and Columbia – schools that have experienced anti-Israel protests, unrest, and “Palestine” encampments in recent weeks.

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The original article is published at JPost.com

Much more than a cookbook, ‘Portico’ also offers rich photography, historical facts, and insight into aspects of Roman Jewish culture

When Leah Koenig was a 22-year-old college graduate in 2004, she traveled to Tuscany to spend a month at an organic winery, planning to learn about sustainable viticulture. On that trip, she visited Rome and fell in love with the Coliseum, the Sistine Chapel, “the labyrinth of tiny streets,” and the food. Her brief foray into the Jewish Ghetto whet her appetite for Italian Jewish history, culture, and food.

When she returned five years later on her honeymoon, she and her husband “wound our way up and down Via del Portico di Ottavia’s smooth cobblestones, eating our weight in fried artichokes.” She adds, “My connection to my Jewish heritage was more fully developed, and my interest in the link between food and Jewish history was in full bloom.” This love affair in Rome led to a professional career “studying and sharing Jewish cuisines from around the world.”

Koenig’s latest cookbook, her seventh, is Portico: Cooking and Feasting in Rome’s Jewish Kitchen, named after the remains of the ancient structure in Rome known as Portico d’Ottavia (Ottavia’s Porch), built in the 1st century BCE by emperor Augustus in honor of his sister. Over time, it has served as a Roman temple, library, open-air art museum, and public square. 

In the 12th century, it became the home of a fish market, which operated until 1871. Koenig notes that this market was “a major source of nutrition for Rome’s Jews during the Ghetto period.” She describes the portico as “the most iconic structure in the Jewish Ghetto neighborhood” and knew from the earliest stages of researching the book that “portico” would appear in the title.

Koenig has wisely included photographer Kristin Teig in Portico; her exquisite photographs of food markets, streets scenes, shops, people, and dishes appear throughout the book. Photos and recipes are interspersed with historical facts, as well as informative descriptions of Rome’s past and present Jewish culinary scene.

FEAST TABLESCAPE. (credit: Courtesy Leah Koenig)

The history of the Jews in Rome

KOENIG BEGINS by chronicling Rome’s Jewish history, including the arrival of Jews in four distinct periods. The first wave of Jews arrived to Rome in the 2nd century BCE as diplomatic envoys of Judah Maccabee. The Italkim (Italians) came next, after Hadrian destroyed the Second Temple in 70 CE. Jews from Spain, Portugal, and southern Italy fled to northern Italian cities in 1492 during the Spanish Inquisition. 

Nearly 500 years later, in 1967, Jews from Libya settled in Rome, as conditions for Jews in Arab countries became difficult in the wake of the Six Day War. Each of these historic events influenced Roman Jewish cuisine, and Koenig places each of her recipes into historical and cultural context.

That third group of Jews faced difficult times as “papal attitudes toward the Jews tended to oscillate between tolerance and distaste.” Things got even worse in 1555 when Pope Paul IV created the Roman Ghetto, an enclosed “four-block wide gated slum in one of the city’s most undesirable, and virtually uninhabitable, locations” where the Jews were forced to live. The ghetto was kept locked from dusk until dawn each day; men were forced to wear yellow hats, and women yellow kerchiefs.

This fascinating and not always glorious history is significant, as it impacted on food selection and preparation. For example, by papal decree, Jews were not permitted to purchase larger species of fish. As a result, Jewish families were forced to live on fish scraps (heads and spines) and on smaller fish like mackerel, sardines, and anchovies. As a result, the community became creative in preparing foods like endive and anchovy pies and anchovy stews. 

In addition, the cheaper “throwaway” parts of animals were utilized and “simmered into enticing dishes,” sometimes with ingredients such as sautéed onions, artichokes, and lamb entrails. A wide range of dishes were also created from the abundance of locally produced olive oil.

Today, there are an estimated 16,000 Jews in Rome. Fortunately, fish, meat, and produce are in abundance, and culinary choices are essentially limitless.

KOENIG LISTS 20 staples for a Roman pantry, which includes anchovies, olive oil, and ricotta cheese, as well as baccala (salt cod), carne secca (cured meats), casalino tomatoes, cicora (similar to dandelion greens), and sour cherry jam. The recipes in Portico include substitutions for ingredients that are hard to find or out of season.

Of course, no Roman kitchen is complete without artichokes, especially the regionally grown purple and green variety. Koenig devotes eight pages to every facet of artichokes, including how to clean them, and a fascinating kosher controversy that arose around the beloved Roman Jewish staple food.

Portico is divided into six sections: Vegetables; Soups; Fritters; Pasta and Rice; Main Dishes; and Sweets. We challenged ourselves with preparing a multi-course Roman Jewish Shabbat dinner which included appetizers, sides, a main dish, and dessert. The recipes proved straightforward and relatively easy to follow.

We made concia (Silky Marinated Zucchini), which involved slicing zucchini into long strips, frying them in olive oil (a bit messy), marinating in vinegar (we used less than directed due to personal preference), and tossing with garlic and whatever fresh herbs we had on hand. The result was a deeply flavorful, deceptively simple dish that was a delicious appetizer at dinner – and even more tasty served the next day on the Roman flatbread we prepared from a foolproof, easy-to handle dough.

We used plum instead of casalin tomatoes for the pomodori a mezza (Roasted Tomato Halves) and were mesmerized by the caramelized flavor of the slow-baked tomato and garlic dish. We were able to source cipollini onions for the Cipollini al Forno – another dish that emphasized the sweetness of a slow-roasted vegetables prepared in a simple and elegant way.

We roasted a mixture of seasonal vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini, and potatoes for the Verdure al Forno, a colorful side dish that turned out perfectly cooked. The Pollo con Peperoni (Chicken with Peppers) had just a few ingredients but yielded a bright, tasty main dish with a delicious sauce.

WE ALSO had the opportunity to prepare the Malignane Scinicate (Stewed Eggplant and Onions), which Koenig modernized from a traditional Roman Ghetto dish by adding tomato, vinegar, and herbs. The dish was easy to prepare and was a flavorful addition to our lunch, served alongside the zucchini with the Roman flatbread. 

We also enjoyed Cershi Bel Hal (Garlicky Pumpkin Spread). We substituted butternut squash, and found the spicy and sweet dish to be a truly unique way to prepare this humble vegetable. It is one of the recipes in Portico derived from the Libyan-Jewish community of Rome.

We prepared three types of cookies for dessert: the Roman classics Pizza Ebraica (Dried Fruit and Nut Bar Cookies); Amaretti (Chewy Almond Cookies); and the Chocolate Orange Cookies inspired by a contemporary Roman kosher bakery. The instructions for these were clear and easy to follow, and yielded sweet accompaniments to hot mint tea. We didn’t have a chance to try the cakes (almond, semolina) and pies (sour cherry, chocolate ricotta), but they look tempting.

We’d love to try some of the soups, meat, fish and dairy dishes in the very near future when we use Portico again. Pasta squares and spinach in broth (with clear instructions for rolling out and cutting the pasta into squares), beef brisket stracotto, whole roasted fish with raisins and pine nuts, and, of course, eggplant Parmesan are high up on the list.

Portico is a delightful addition to any cookbook shelf, offering clear directions for preparing unique, flavorful dishes from relatively simple ingredients. But it is much more than a cookbook – it also a coffee-table book offering rich photography, historical facts, insight into aspects of Jewish culture not well known outside of Rome, and inspiration for your next trip. Be prepared to buy two copies: one for the kitchen likely to get food stained from overuse, and one for the coffee table to show friends. 

  • PORTICO: COOKING AND FEASTING IN ROME’S JEWISH KITCHEN
  • By Leah Koenig
  • W. W. Norton & Company
  • 336 pages; $29

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