A Brit

We attended a Brit yesterday morning. Had to get up at 6AM and drive for 45 minutes and we still missed the main event. But it was nice to see family members and wish each other Mazal Tov on the newest addition to the Jewish nation.

As we were munching on bagels and lox, the baby's father spoke about the name they chose for their son. They called him Avraham, after the father's maternal grandpa (his mother's father), who happens to have been my great uncle. Oren spoke about his zaidy's life in Europe, his escape to Siberia during the Holocaust, his life in a displaced persons' camp, his journey to America and how he settled in Wisconsin. Then he told of how the high level of intermarriage in Wisconsin worried grandpa so much that he moved his family to Queens, NY and accepted a life of hard work and constant economizing just so he can give his kids a Jewish education and live in a Jewish environment. He compared his grandpa to the original Avraham, who also accepted personal sacrifices in order to promote Jewish education (it's complicated to explain, but trust me, it made sense.) And here is the newest Avraham, sleeping in the next room, who will be as committed to a Jewish life as his ancestors were.

In this week's parasha, Moshe says (D'varim chapter 29, verses 13-14) : "Not just with you alone I am making this brit, but with those who are here today and with those who are not here with us today." Who was there? Well, duh, the Israelites. Who was not there? Well....us. So all future generations are also committed to the covenant. But who else was not there? Those who came before. The brit between G-d and the Jewish people is between ALL the Jewish people. Past, present and future. Everyone is committed, everyone is included, everyone counts. We are all connected.

The proud grandma, my second cousin Hadassa, is an excellent example of 'past present and future' as well as of 'everyone is included'. Her family are all devoted Jews. It's one of those families you look at and sigh with pleasure (and envy, I must admit). They all get along famously (and we're talking 4 sons and three daughters in law, as well as quite a few grandchildren, who all vacation together, if you can imagine. By choice.) And so the connection between past, present and future is very clear, very strong and very vibrant. Those kids are very strong on who they are, where they are coming from and where they are going. And cousin Hadassa is very inclusive. She is always having guests over, welcoming any level of observance (or non), cheerfully and lovingly accepting everyone as they are. We are all family, seems to be her motto.

Also, she cooks great stuff. 


Hadassa's chicken with orange (that's the color, not the fruit) sauce

2 cut up chickens
8 oz french salad dressing
8 oz apricot jam
3/4 of a packet of onion soup mix


Mix salad dressing, jam and onion soup mix. 
Pour over chicken pieces.
Bake at 350F for 2 hours, basting every 30 minutes.



Serves 8.






Years ago I ate this dish at my cousin's house and I thought it was awesome. I found out later that it's pretty common but that's the great thing about Hadassa: she doesn't cook anything mind boggling or weird; but what she does cook, she cooks really well. In cooking, as in life, you don't have to produce fireworks all the time. It's the simple, everyday things that need to be done well, and with love. We don't need fireworks to connect us. A simple meal, with smiles and love, accepting everyone as family and remembering that we are all connected through the brit we have all committed to. It's enough.