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March 19, 1943

From the article “No Rations! Purim’s Gustatory Goodies Limitless In Quantity for Joyous Celebration”

From March 19, 1943

Here is a whole Purim dinner of traditional components — yet calling for no rationed food — made to order for those who have always celebrated the occasion in proper gustatory fashion. Many items must be side-stepped this time out of respect for both the digestive processes and the OPA dicta.

A Purim poem, written by an Italian Jewish poet some time before 1700, makes vivid festival food predilections of the day: “Salted chickens’ necks and fat cakes, huge pigeons and partridges and pheasants and quails to continue the abandon of the day; fruits and fine preserves of every season, ever clime; preserves in alcohol, of many colors and much joy.”

So to the menu: if an elaborate meal is preferred, start with a fresh fruit salad, sweetened with raspberry or grape jam (unrationed) then;

Chicken or turkey soup with kreplach; the delicious three-cornered noodled dough pockets stuffed with a meat mixture. Next poultry, roasted with such accompaniments as mashed potatoes, fresh carrots sweetened with honey, cranberry or apple sauce; and for dessert Hamantaschen … Beverage to your liking, preferably the unrationed tea, sweetened with honey-nut candies.

March 11, 1977

From the article “Jehudit Herman Crowned” about a Purim beauty pageant

(From left) First runner-up Eva Mourad, Queen Esther Jehudit Herman and second runner-up Raquel Bitton

Jehudit Herman, a 16-year-old student at Capuchino High School, was  crowned Queen Esther at the recent Purim Ball, sponsored by Magain David Sephardic Congregation.

She is the daughter of Mae and Sam Herman of Millbrae.

First runner-up was Eva Mourad, a student, and second runner-up was Raquel Bitton, a professional entertainer.

Some 800 persons attended the event. Ms. Herman was chosen on the basis of her looks, personality and intelligence. She said she would like to belong to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra as she is a member of her high school’s orchestra as a flutist. Ms. Herman is also active with B’nai B’rith Girls and at Peninsula Temple Sholom, where she is a student in the Confirmation class.

Guest speaker at the dinner-dance was Liliane Levy-Winn, national president of the American Sephardi Federation.

Mrs. Winn told the audience: “It is the history of our relations with our creator, with its commitment and eloquence, that makes us different from our Ashkenazi brothers. In past centuries, we Sephardim have allowed ourselves to fall into a passive role with our influence on Jewish life being reduced almost to nothing.”

She explained that the world’s Sephardic community has two alternatives in the future, to maintain its “passive” role or to “wake-up” its communities because “only through prideful awareness of our heritage … can we be assured that our children and grandchildren will embrace our values.”