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READING, WRITING & RUGELACH
Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe
Syosset, New York
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Sophie Ruskay ("Horsecars and Cobblestones," published in 1948) wrote, "Reading, Writing, and 'Rithmetic were the staples of instruction in the public schools of New York City fifty years ago--these and 'deportment.' When teacher called out in her sharp, penetrating voice, 'Class,' everyone sat up straight as a ramrod, eyes front, hands clasped rigidly behind one's back. We strived painfully to please her... We had to learn our lessons by heart, and we repeated them loud until we memorized them. Playgrounds were non-existent, toilets were in the yard, and gymnasiums were an unheard of luxury."
F-a-s-t forward to 2011. For some of us, the 3 Rs are Reading, Writing and Rugelach.
The Museum at Eldridge Street's Yiddishe Mamas tour advertised as follows:
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Kick off this Lower East Side walk with
complimentary Mimosas, coffee, bagels
and RUGALACH. Then hit the streets
and tour the stomping grounds of historic
local luminaries like political activist, Emma
Goldman and social worker, Lilian Wald,
as well as the everyday Jewish women
who made the 'hood' their home. Meet at
12 Eldridge St. between Canal and Division
Sts...$25.
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"Rugelach"--the horn-shaped pastry--has many spellings. Rugulach. Ruggelach. Rugala. Rogelach. Rugelah. No matter how you spell it, it is pronounced "batamt" (delicious!) It's also called "kipfel."
Ellis Weiner and Barbara Davilman ("Yiddish with Dick and Jane") defines rugalach as follows: German pastry consisting of small, rolled-up flaky minicrescents baked with nuts, raisins, chocolate, cinnamon, etc. Great with coffee. No matter how often you put them out intending them to be a nosh, you always end up fressing them.
There's even a gentlemen named Leon Greenberg, who launched his internet-based business called "The Rugelach Man." (Visit www.therugelachman.com) He creates kosher-style rugelach for "der klal" (public at large).
Greenberg says that "Baking rugelach is a labor-intensive process, compared to chocolate chip cookies, in which the ingredients are cheaper and take a fraction of the time to bake." (Note: The Yiddish word for cookies is "kikhlekh.")
What steps are involved in making rugelach? Greenberg says that first, he whips up the dairy-based dough with cream cheese and butter. Then, he lets the dough chill and firm up. Once "hart"(hard), he spreads out the filling, a blend of sugars, spices, "tsimering" (cinnamon), chopped walnuts, and raisins, combined with either apricot ("aprikos")-- the traditional rugelach filling--, chocolate ("shokolad"), cinnamon sugar, or raspberry ("malene") flavor. Finally, he rolls up the dough and and freezes it.
And what does his "muter" (mother), the person who taught him how to make rugelach, think of his new venture? "She thought I was crazy at first," Greenberg said,"but she thinks it's really something now that it's taken off."
Perhaps you've heard this humorous Ruggelach story:
Sid was lying on his deathbed. Marty, his oldest "zun" (son) was at his side. His wife, Leah, was in "di kikh" (the kitchen), baking her famous ruggelach. The delicious smell drifted from the kitchen to "der shloftsimer" (the bedroom). Sid takes Marty's hand and says to him, "Marty, be a good 'yingl' (boy)...go bring me one of Mama's ruggelach. I should die a happy man with that taste on my tongue..."
So, Marty being a "gut" boy, goes into the kitchen and reaches for a ruggelach from the plate. Before Marty can even touch it, Mama slaps his hand away.
"DON'T TOUCH THOSE RUGGELACH!" she says to him.
"But Mama," says Marty, "It's for Papa. He only wants to have the taste of your baking on his lips when he dies."
"Get out of here!!" she scolds, shooing him
out. "They're for the shiva!"
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Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe remembers when
her mother, Jeanette Gottlieb, used to say
to her, "Ess. Ess. Look how think you look."
In those days, parents wanted children who
were a little "zaftik."
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