Of Doughnuts and Dreidels
This week Rachel and I are thrilled to share our column with our friend Rinat to tell us about a unique Hanukkah tradition involving women.
Last Thursday, Rachel and I fried up some burmuelos and took photos for The Jewish Journal. I was hungry and ate more than my fair share of these delectable cloud puff doughnuts!!
Shabbat was spent hosting my cousin Rachel, her husband Baruch and their sons who were visiting from Australia. In the afternoon, we went to hear the incredibly heroic and brilliant Rawan Osman speak about her journey from a Sunni and Shiite family in Lebanon to becoming an Orthodox Jew and an outspoken advocate for Israel.
On Sunday morning, I drove Rawan to the airport. I told her of my conflicted love for Arabic, because it holds dear memories of my grandparents, as well as being the language of Hamas terrorists. She told me of her plan to change this dynamic by creating a forum where a Jewish woman will be paired with an Arab woman online and each week, she will teach 18 words in Hebrew and vice versa. What a brilliant way of tearing down the invisible wall that separates our two peoples! It speaks to the power that women have in holding each other up and building community.
This week Rachel and I are thrilled to share our column with our friend Rinat to tell us about a unique Hanukkah tradition involving women.
—Sharon
When others are trying to rewrite Jewish history, it is especially urgent to reconnect with our past. Particularly with traditions and customs that seem to have been lost to the past.
I am a children’s book author and my family heritage, rooted in Iraq, Libya and Tunis, is the source of much inspiration. I am passionate about exploring and sharing Jewish history in literature to excite and educate young Jewish minds.
For the past 15 years, there has been a movement to revive aspects of Jewish life that have been forgotten, especially the ancient traditions of North African, Middle Eastern and Sephardic Jewry.
One of these unique customs is called Eid El B’nat, the festival of daughters in Judeo-Arabic. Celebrated on Rosh Chodesh Tevet, during Hanukkah, it is a special way to highlight the strength, wisdom and sisterhood of women. It honors Judith, the heroine of the Hanukkah story, as well as Queen Esther and Chana.
Across the Jewish communities of Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Turkey and Greece, women would gather to light the candles and enjoy a festive meal. They sang, danced and told the stories of female biblical characters. While each place had their own unique customs, the overall theme was of women’s empowerment.
I have been working on an Eid El B’nat story and I wanted to share my research with my LA community. In the past, I have participated in Eid El B’nat Zoom celebrations, but never in person. So I decided to organize one here in LA. I immediately thought of the spectacular Sephardic Spice Girls.
Many years ago, I met Sharon’s sister-in-law Lemor and I knew instantly that we would be close friends. Sharon’s family has adopted me and my family as part of their warm, extended Iraqi family.
When I shared my idea with Sharon, she encouraged me to go ahead! I am so excited that for our Eid, Rachel and Sharon will share some traditional S’fenj, burmuelos and rosquitas recipes, there will be a musical performance by the Balter sisters and a D’var Torah from Rebbetzin Bassie Muchnik from Chabad of Picfair Village. Our Eid is partially sponsored by Jimena, a nonprofit dedicated to educating about, and advocating for, the history, heritage and rights of Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews.
I hope you can come to our party (Dec. 22 from 6-8pm at Chabad of Picfair Village.) I hope you feel inspired to celebrate with the women you admire and love. Invite them to light candles, enjoy a new recipe — maybe s’fenj or burmuelos. But always retell stories from our rich and diverse Jewish history; you can always find good gems there.
—Rinat Hadad Siegel
What is Hanukkah without doughnuts? And if you’ve never fried doughnuts before, this is the recipe for you!
The ingredients are pantry staples and everything goes into one bowl. First, you proof the yeast with sugar and warm water. Then, after ten minutes, you add salt, an egg and the flour. Mix into a smooth batter, cover with a towel and leave it to rise.
When you’re ready to start the frying, use an ice cream scoop to drop the dough into the sizzling oil. Then watch as they expand into deliciously puffy golden balls. (Don’t forget to put a few sticks of carrot into the oil to attract the little particles, leaving you with clean oil and perfect golden burmuelos.)
Traditionally, burmuelos are dipped in a warm honey syrup scented with lemon or orange zest. But this time, Sharon and I served them with a quick “crème anglaise” (made by melting Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream), melted chocolate chips with a drop of coconut or avocado oil and sprinkles for colorful fun. You could also serve them with a generous dusting of powdered sugar or warm raspberry jam from the microwave.
My Hebrew birthday is the 21st of Kislev, so my English birthday always falls around Hanukkah. This year, my birthday will be on the second night of Hanukkah. It will be bittersweet without my father. I don’t feel like celebrating, but at the same time I’m so thankful to have made it to 60 and to be blessed with a wonderful family. I keep reminding myself to focus on today and the future. In my heart, I know that my mother and father shaped me into the person that I am. And I hope to carry all their beautiful traditions for my children and grandchildren.
—Rachel
Burmuelo Recipe
1 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
Pinch of salt
1 egg
Zest of one orange (optional)
2 cups warm water
3 cups all purpose flour
Canola or vegetable oil, for frying
Baby carrots, for frying
In a large bowl, mix ½ cup of water with the yeast and sugar.
Allow the yeast to bloom.
When yeast is foamy, use a wooden spoon to mix in the 3 cups of flour, egg, remaining water and salt. Dough will be sticky and wet.
Cover the bowl with a dish towel and allow to rise for two hours.
In a deep frying pan, warm 1 inch of oil over medium heat. Add a baby carrot.
When oil begins to sizzle, add a pinch of dough. Oil is hot enough when the dough floats to the top.
With two tablespoons or a small ice cream scooper, drop balls of dough into the hot oil. Dough will puff up and rise to the top quickly.
Fry for 2 to 4 minutes until golden. Remove from oil and place on a wire rack or paper towel to drain any excess oil.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar,
Or serve with warm honey, melted chocolate, or crème anglaise.
Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff have been friends since high school. The Sephardic Spice Girls project has grown from their collaboration on events for the Sephardic Educational Center in Jerusalem. Follow them
on Instagram @sephardicspicegirls and on Facebook at Sephardic Spice SEC Food.
