However, it didn’t take long for Zara Zahava to soon find success, with her third video hitting almost half a million views, after she posted a clip recounting an experience she had as a resident advisor at college. “I told the story from when I was a resident advisor at my school, and how we would leave out free condoms and lube to promote safe sex. One day I overheard this conversation between two people, where one asked the other: ‘do you think this is enough lube to slide down the hall like a penguin?’  When I ran out of my room to tell them not to, they were already gone along with a 2-gallon tub of lube. I retold the story on TikTok and said that I live in constant fear that I will see them sliding down the hall like penguins.”

That clip was the start of Zara Zahava’s viral TikTok fame.

Growing up in the Conservative movement and attending a Solomon Shechter school in Massachusetts, Zara Zahava is highly knowledgeable about Judaism. However, in her first few months on TikTok she did not speak at all about her Jewish identity, but when she hit 40,000 followers, that changed.

“The first video I posted about Judaism, was a clip discussing whether a vampire could keep kosher,” she recalled. Her TikTok about “whether Furby is Kosher” generated hundreds of thousands of views and hilarious comments and feedback.

Zara uses her platform with great success to provide Jewish answers to obscure and often crowd sourced questions. These questions come from a variety of sources, often from comment responses to her previous videos.

“When I posted my first TikTok about Judaism it was in response to one of the comments. But people said the answers were fascinating and asked me new questions. Most of these questions come from complete strangers,” she said.

In addition, she has many non-Jewish friends. “They love learning about Judaism in a fun way, so sometimes they will comment their questions knowing I will see it,” she enthused. Despite having excellent Jewish knowledge, her answers are often the result of extensive research.

“I fact check everything I say, even if I think I know the answer, I appreciate that it is always possible that I was taught incorrectly. I also like to provide quotes and citations. I also try my best to be as non-denominational in my answers as possible,” Zara Zahava said, noting that she will cover off a range of Jewish perspectives.

However, being on TikTok as an openly Jewish creator is not all fun and games. In addition to cyber bullying and nasty comments, there is blatant antisemitism. It is for this reason Zara Zahava preferred that Jewcy not use her full last name, as she has previously been doxed and sent antisemitic abuse when people have been able to link her account using it.

“I get comments about blood libel. I always thought people stopped believing that” she said. “Sure, there are antisemitic stereotypes that exist, but in person I have never experienced the antisemitic accusations of blood libel. I thought it was known to be definitely fake! But it come up all the time on TikTok. So, then I wonder: is it the product of misinformation?”

She also takes precautions against antisemitic comments, including utilizing a TikTok feature that allows her to ban certain people from her comments section. In addition, she has banned antisemitic words from appearing in her comments section and will block those who use such words against her.

Zara Zahava also ensures she takes regular breaks from social media to ensure her sanity.

“It’s hard because, because for every 100 comments I get, maybe 5-10 are bad, but the bad ones are really bad, so sometimes I have even considered quitting TikTok because of how those comments stick with me,” she recalled.  “When that happens, I’ll take a few days off TikTok for my mental health.”

But her TikTok fans certainly hope she won’t be quitting any time soon! In the past few weeks, her rise on the app has been meteoric.

“I hit 50,000 followers in January 2022 and then I hit 100,000 followers by February 2022,” she said.

But despite her success, she has no plans to monetize her content which is clearly resonating. While she knows she has the capabilities to pivot and do something in social media, for now, she wants it to remain a hobby. 

“I don’t think it interests me, not every hobby has to be monetized,” said Zara Zahava. “Our generation thinks that you if are good at something you should make money off it. But this then creates huge pressure that makes these hobbies less fun,” she reflected.

Zara Zahava isn’t sure what her next step with TikTok will be, but she has some new job prospects to consider. “I have gotten comments that I should become a rabbi. In response, I made a video about why I don’t want to become a rabbi,” she recalled. But the response to her video was even more interesting. “A person stitched the video I made saying that I could bring so much to the community. Originally, I thought people were saying it as a joke but then I realized that people were being serious.”

When asked whether she is considering a potential new career in the rabbinate, Zara Zahava was reflective, “it’s still something that I don’t think is my path in life, but I have received comments from rabbis and cantors telling me that if I genuinely want this as a career we can talk.”

At least for now, Zara Zahava will stick with her TikTok content creation, “I don’t fully care if it keeps growing, as long I get to keep saying what I am saying, and people think it’s cool!”

The post The Mashgicha of TikTok appeared first on Jewcy.

Stop us if this sounds familiar: A prisoner learns that Jewish inmates are entitled to kosher meals, more expensive to the state, prepared separately, and, perhaps, better than the food produced in far greater bulk. So they claim they’re Jewish, and since the state can’t impugn on their religious freedom, get the kosher meal. And then, word spreads, and soon, a large number of crypto-Jews comes out of the woodwork, frustrating a prison system that doesn’t like spending more than the bare minimum.

This may be familiar for a couple of reasons. The first, is that it was a plot-line on Orange is the New Black, a couple of seasons ago. And now, prisoners in Scotland are following suit, and over 100 inmates in an institution in Edinburgh are claiming to be Jewish, racking up a food bill of an additional £242,000 ($313,000). Authorities are beginning an investigation to disentangle the delicate mess of not infringing on religious freedoms, but not let nonbelievers game the system. (On Orange is the New Black, for what it’s worth, they brought in a rabbi to quiz the inmates and then filter them, and one eventually underwent a sincere conversion.)

There are about 6,500 Jews living in Scotland, and with about nine of them incarcerated throughout the entire country (about 2 in the Edinburgh prison in question) before this trend began. That makes them very roughly equally represented (slightly underrepresented) in the general Scottish prison population.

But here’s the second reason this story may have been familiar: This has happened before. Last year, a prison in Clackmannanshire (say it five times fast) reported a similar number of prisoners claiming to be Jewish (for a smaller prison population overall, so a higher percentage of inmates), in addition to smaller numbers of other prisoners throughout the U.K. It looks like the problem, once it faded from the news, has slowly been spreading, now reaching a boiling point where it’s in the spotlight once again.

The story hits on everything from religious liberties, to prison reform, to arguing over the use of public funds. But the biggest issue of all is the irony that non-Jews are scrambling for access to kosher food, assuming that it’s better. Talk to most secular Jewish New Yorkers about buying good pizza and they’ll tell you to avoid the kosher stuff at all costs.

I’d say that kosher business should adapt a new business model of selling to prison commissaries, but after the Bernie Madoff prison hot chocolate racket, we probably don’t need to risk the anti-Semitic backlash.

Screenshot from Orange is the New Black via Previously.tv

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I was recently invited to a friend’s for a potluck Shabbat dinner, and decided to bring homemade challah. As I was shaping my loaf, I was thinking about how beautiful it would be to have a rainbow challah. Growing up, my mother would occasionally dye the braids different colors to celebrate different holidays (Halloween was orange and black; Memorial Day and July 4 were red, white, and blue; Valentine’s Day was red, pink, and white in a heart shape) or big sport weekends (maize and blue for Thanksgiving Shabbos, orange and blue for Tigers opening day, red and white when the Wings made the playoffs, etcetera). But I thought of the color scheme too late to dye the sections.

I then thought I could dye sesame seeds and put them in a stripe pattern, inspired by the seeded challahs at Breads Bakery and My Most Favorite Food. But I didn’t have enough food coloring, so I had to do something else. Fortunately, I was struck with a great idea: make a stenciled message! So lo and behold, I made a Hebrew stencil.

You can use most any challah recipe you’d like for the dough (though check out the award-winning one from my family below), and then follow the instructions below to step up your challah game.

Some inspiration for messages include Shabbat Shalom (this one says so, in Hebrew) or Good Shabbos in Yiddish/English, heart shapes or peace signs, the name of the weekly parsha, an edible wedding proposal, or simple stripes of seeds. Do whatever you feel comfortable with, and it will be great.

1. Prepare a stencil (cut the letters out of wax paper with a utility knife).
2. Brush braided and risen challah with egg wash. Then lay the stencil on the challah.
   
3. Carefully pour/place seeds over stencil.
4. Blow or shake off extra seeds. Careful— they may go onto uncovered sections of your challah.
   
5. Remove stencil (gently!). Disclaimer about using a lot of small seeds: you will need to sweep.
6. If desired, carefully fill the void around stenciled design. This is unnecessary and purely aesthetic, but the black-on-white looks good.
7. Sweep up or vacuum the floor, which may by now be covered in seeds.

You can use any recipe, but I have been using my mother’s for as long as I could make a braid, and you’re welcome to it, too.

It has never lost a challah competition (but it has tied for first in a handful)!

Davida Robinson’s Challah recipe

• 2 packages of dry yeast (4.5 tsp)
• 3/4 cup + 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups hot water + ¼ cup
• 3 eggs
• 7 – 8 cups flour (can split it whole wheat and white, but all white works too)
• 1 tablespoon honey

1. Dissolve yeast with one teaspoon of sugar in warm water.  Let stand 10 minutes to “proof.” (It will bubble up.)
2. Mix sugar, and oil in hot water.  Beat in 2 eggs, and then add proofed yeast mixture.
3. Gradually add flour and knead until smooth (not sticky).
4. Place dough in greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about one hour.
5. Divide dough in half to make two challot. At this point you can braid, wrap or knot your dough into whatever shape you wish and let rise on cookie sheet with parchment paper for another hour.
6. Brush with egg yolk and honey mixture and bake in oven at 350F for 30 minutes.  If you push in the top and it springs back it is done.

Feel free to share pictures of your decorated Challah! Tweet @JewcyMag, or tell us about it in the comments below.

Avery Robinson is a culinary historian from Detroit. He limits his baking during the summer to special occasions and when his roommate is not home.

Images courtesy of Avery Robinson

The post Not Your Bubbe’s Challah: Poppy Seed Writing appeared first on Jewcy.

Seems every couple of years there’s a new “it” pastry in New York City, from the humble cupcake of the early 2000s, to the cronut frenzy of 2013. (Remember when those babies were selling on the black market for $100 a pop?) Well, good news, Jews and gentiles: it looks like 2015 is shaping up to be the year of the “doughka,” which is exactly what it sounds like, A BABKA MADE FROM DONUT DOUGH. (Cue singing angles and all caps.)

I know, I know—the concept is so mind-blowingly delicious you’re wondering, “Why didn’t I think of that?” But, alas, you didn’t. Fany Gerson—the Mexican-Jewish dessert genius behind Dough and La Newyorkina—did, so she gets all the glory and gelt and long lines of disgruntled tourists!

There are three flavors available at Dough’s Flatiron outpost right now, quoth Grubstreet: “Mexican chocolate, filled with a bittersweet-chocolate spread, and dusted with Mexican cinnamon-sugar and Mexican chocolate; Lemon & Olive Oil, studded with candied lemon, rolled in lemon sugar, and brushed with olive oil and a touch of salt; and Sticky Banana, which is a sticky-bun-meets-babka situation stuffed with cinnamon, toasted pecans, and a sticky frosting.”

But if you’re not in New York City—or if you’re partial to a more traditional babka—here are seven of our favorite recipes that you can try at home right now:

1. Smitten Kitchen’s Better Chocolate Babka (these pictures are just to die)
2. The Nosher’s Nutella Babka
3. Lazy but delicious: Babka Bread Pudding (with store-bought babka)
4. The Babkallah, Bon Appetit’s Challah-Babka hybrid
5. Nothing traditional about this Pecan Pie-flavored babka, but it sounds amaaaay-zing
6. And this is literally a Babka pie. My God. Yes.
7. Last but not least, our very own recipe for chocolate and cinnamon babka cupcakes. That’s, like, 17 food trends in one bite.

Let the babka revival begin!

(Image by Alpha, via Flickr)

The post Could New York City’s Next “It” Pastry Be a Babka/Donut Hybrid? appeared first on Jewcy.

The folks at Buzzfeed have stumbled onto a veritable viral goldmine with a few of their latest videos, in which Americans sample (or attempt to explain) aspects of Jewish culture, with little background knowledge. First there was the Jewish Food Taste Test, then there was Hanukkah Explained By Christians (and the concomitant Christmas Explained By Jews). Now, in “Americans Try Israeli Snacks,” Jews and gentiles sample classic treats from the Holy Land for the very first time.

In just three days the video has amassed over one million views, which I find fascinating and a little surprising. (By comparison, this seminal Marmite Vs. Vegemite taste test, uploaded way back in August 2014, has 1.2 million views.) (An egregious oversight, citizens of the internet.) I mean, this is literally a video of people eating snacks! That’s all! Why is it so compelling?

Perhaps because it speaks to our nostalgia for the comforts of childhood—anyone who grew up eating Bamba will know what I’m talking about. It’s the Jewish madeleine. Just the sight of the bubble font on the packet sends me back to the early 1990s. And for those unfamiliar with Israeli snacks, the video is a benign, cute, soundbite-y take on the ‘other’—much like this one of Americans trying Indian snacks for the first time. It’s a safe, if shallow exploration of non-American culture. Also, Israeli snacks are just really delicious. Milky is pretty much the finest chocolate pudding on the face of the earth.

Still, there are some oversights! Wither shoko b’sakit? Klik malt balls? The egozi bar?

And why was “Chosson Kallah Mazel Tov”—a wedding song—chosen as the soundtrack?

Leave your thoughts, recommendations, critiques in the comments.

The post Watch Americans Taste Classic Israeli Snacks For the First Time appeared first on Jewcy.

A kosher restaurant will open to the public in Tokyo next month, reports JTA. The restaurant, which is located at the Chabad house run by Rabbi Mendy Sudakevich in the Takanawa neighborhood, has been feeding customers for several weeks—but by appointment only. Once it officially opens, “Chana Place’s” will serve classic Israeli/Middle Eastern cuisine to up to 14 guests at one time. And believe it or not, they’ll have competition—there’s already a kosher felafel cart operated by the other Chabad rabbi in Tokyo, Binyomin Edery.

Tokyo might seem like a surprising place for a kosher restaurant, but there are a few hundred Jews living in the city, and thousands of Israeli tourists pass through Japan each year—plus there’s plenty of interest from Japanese diners, who have already embraced several non-kosher Jewish eateries. The two countries have positive diplomatic relations, with a new reciprocal one-year work-holiday visa program, and a concerted marketing effort to woo Japanese tourists to the Holy Land. (We’ve been following the anime series Israel, Like! with delight for the last couple of months.)

Behatzlacha and itadakimasu!

(Image: a_b_normal123/Flickr)

The post Tokyo Has a New Kosher Restaurant appeared first on Jewcy.

What’s an apikores to do on Yom Kippur? If you were an anarchist in London, New York, or Warsaw in the early 20th century, there’s a good chance you would have attended a Yom Kippur ball for the express purpose of eating, drinking, and thumbing your nose at tradition and the religious establishment.

The creators of the new comedy series YidLife Crisis have captured that heretical spirit, added a dash of irony and Yiddish profanity, and served it up for free online—with a side of poutine.

YidLife is the brainchild of Canadian comics Eli Batalion and Jamie Elman, who play Leizer and Chaimie, respectively. The web series follows the two thirty-somethings as they contemplate the modern Jewish condition against the backdrop of Montreal’s iconic restaurants. The best part? YidLife’s dialogue is spoken almost entirely in Yiddish.

In “Breaking the Fast,” the first episode of the series, Chaimie tries to persuade Leizer to ditch the whole Yom Kippur thing and indulge in some poutine, which, for the uninitiated, consists of French fries slathered in cheese curds and meat-based gravy—essentially a very delicious, very treyf heart attack in a bowl. Leizer doesn’t need much in the way of convincing, though he makes sure to keep his cheese curds and gravy separate. As Leizer himself puts it (in Yiddish), “If I have to break the fast, fine, but I will not mix milk and meat!”

Watch  “Breaking the Fast” below, and stay tuned for an interview with Batalion and Elman!

Related: Jews, Proselytizing, and Comedy Collide in ‘Jewvangelist’

The post New Web Series Celebrates Poutine, Lactaid, and Jewish Angst—in Yiddish appeared first on Jewcy.

Looking for a fun, easy Rosh Hashanah baking project for the little human(s) in your life? May I present the humble Australian party classic, the Honey Joy. It’s sort of a cross between a Cornflake cookie and a Rice Krispie treat, and it tastes just like it sounds: sweet and happy.

Honey Joys are de rigueur at Aussie birthday parties, and they’re super-easy to make. (In fact, it was the very first recipe I made on my own.) Kids aged 8 and up can wing it solo, but they might need a grown-up assist at the oven end of the business. Littler ones will love helping older siblings with the measuring and mixing. And everyone will schep nachas when these are served up at the Rosh Hashanah table or as a shul treat.

Let’s get this sugar high show on the road!

Ingredients:

4 cups cornflakes
1 tbsp honey
⅓ cup sugar (you can probably use a little less, adjust to taste)
3 oz. butter or margarine

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Line two cupcake trays with 24 cupcake liners. (Cookie trays are fine too.)

2. Melt butter, sugar, and honey together in saucepan until frothy. (Kids can do this in the microwave.)

3. Combine liquids with cornflakes in big bowl. Mix together with wooden spoon. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cups.

4. Bake Honey Joys at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Optional: top with coconut flakes, sprinkles, decorative cake balls.

5. Let cool. Eat!

(Image: Clara Alim, via Flickr)

The post Honey Joys: Easy Rosh Hashanah Recipe for Kids appeared first on Jewcy.

Having a traditional, sweet dessert on Rosh Hashanah is almost a bit passé: you need a little something extra for it to be amazing. Maybe I’m just getting older, but I’ve come to realize that apple dipped in honey isn’t quite hitting the spot, and neither is your run-of-the-mill honey cake or apple pie. Life is a bit too complicated for things to just be “sweet,” and I think the finale of the Rosh Hashanah meal should reflect that.

Instead of creating a twist on an old-fashioned classic, I decided to do something a little more modern: a Salted-Caramel Apple Galette. With a light flaky crust, slices of baked apple, and a salty caramel drizzle, this is one delicious—and complex—dessert. A good amount of sweet and a tasteful amount of salt brings all the ingredients together and elevates the flavors to something better than just sweet.

Ingredients

The Crust

1¼ cups all purpose flour
½ tsp sea salt
Pinch of pepper
½ cup unsalted margarine (cut into cubes)
¼ cup non-dairy creamer
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vinegar
¼ cup cold water

6 red apples (peeled, cored, and sliced thinly)

Salted Caramel Drizzle

⅓ cup sugar
2½ tbsp unsalted margarine (cut into small pieces)
½ tsp coarse sea salt
2½ tbsp non-dairy creamer

Directions

​Start by making the crust. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in your food processor with the dough blade in it. Turn the food processor on, and gradually add the margarine, mixing between additions. In the end you should have crumbs of dough with a mealy consistency.

In a small bowl combine all the liquids for the crust. Turn the food processor on and gradually pour in the liquids until the dough is a very sticky  solid.

Oil the sides of a large bowl and place the dough inside. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and let the dough rise for 1 1/2 hours.

While you wait for the dough to rise, start making your salted caramel drizzle.

Place a medium pan over a medium high heat. Place the sugar in the pan, allowing it to melt and brown. After about 5 minutes the sugar should turn a deep copper color. Remove the pan from the heat and add the sea salt and margarine, stirring constantly until it is completely incorporated. Gradually add the non-dairy creamer to the pan, stirring consistently. Don’t be startled if the pan sizzles. You should end up with a solid, bronze-colored sauce. Pour the sauce in a glass bowl and set aside for later use.

When your dough is almost done rising, peel and cut your apples. Place them on a large plate or cutting board so that you will have easy access to them when laying out the dough.

Once the dough has risen, place it on a flat and floured surface and roll out until you have a circle about a foot in diameter. Place the apple slices in an overlapping circular pattern across the center of the galette, leaving about 4 inches of dough around the edges. Once the apples are in place, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and fold the “apple-less” edge over the apples, pleating the pastry together as you go.

Place the galette on a flat baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and flaky.

Take the galette out of the oven and set aside. Heat the salted caramel sauce again so that it will be easier to spread. Once warm, drizzle it in a pattern across the galette. Serve while hot.

Shana tova!

Related: Jewish Mothers Cooking: Healthy Rosh Hashanah Apple Cobbler

(Image by the author)

The post Not Your Bubbe’s Rosh Hashanah Dessert: Salted-Caramel Apple Galette appeared first on Jewcy.

Last Friday at 5am I awoke to a moment of clarity: challah-shaped pretzels. Or pretzel-style challahs, if you will. What could be a more perfect way to start Shabbat than a hot pretzel straight from the oven?

I tested my theory and it was a success (if I do say so myself).

I adapted the kitchn’s recipe for soft pretzels. My recipe makes approximately five small braided challahs, so you will likely want to double the recipe. You can also make larger challahs by rolling thicker and longer ropes, but keep in mind that you will need to be able to manoeuvre the challahs in and out of the water bath. You will also need to adjust the baking time accordingly.

For added authenticity, serve the challahs with shot glasses of mustard. L’chaim!

Challah Pretzels

Ingredients

1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ cup baking soda
1 tablespoon molasses or dark brown sugar
Coarse sea salt

Directions

1. Combine the warm water, sugar and yeast in a large bowl. Let stand for a few minutes, then stir to dissolve yeast. Add the flour and salt. Mix on a low speed using a dough hook attachment or wooden spoon to combine.

2. Knead the dough by using a dough hook at a low speed for 5 minutes or by hand on the counter top for 5 to 7 minutes. The dough is ready when it is able to form a ball shape and is only slightly sticky. If your dough is too sticky, add an additional tablespoon of flour and mix until combined.

3. Coat a large, clean bowl with oil and put the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place to rise for an hour.

4. To make braided challahs: Pinch off three golf-ball portions of dough. Roll each piece of dough between your hands to form three ropes. Lay down the ropes so the tips of each of the strands are stacked on each other and the tails are fanned out. Pinch the tips together and then braid the strands together. When there is no more dough to braid, pinch the tails of the ropes together.

To make snail-shaped challahs: Pinch off an egg-size amount of dough. Roll the dough between your hands to form a rope.  Shape the dough into a spiral, starting from the base and winding up.

5. Place the challahs on parchment paper, cover the challahs loosely and leave to rise for 20-30 minutes.

6. While the challahs are rising, pour 8 cups of water into a wide pot and bring to a rapid simmer. Add the molasses and baking soda. The baking soda will foam up.

7. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (230 degrees Celsius).

8. Lower one or two challahs into the pot. Use a slotted spoon to flip the challahs after thirty seconds. After a further thirty seconds, remove the challahs from the pot and place them on a tray lined with baking paper.

9 Sprinkle coarse salt over the challahs and place them into the oven. Bake for approximately 12 to 15 minutes, until the challahs are deep brown. Rotate the tray after 8 minutes of baking.

10. Place baked challahs on a cooling rack.

11. Serve while challahs are warm. To freeze, wait until challahs have cooled and place in an airtight container. Once thawed, reheat in an oven before serving.

Ari Perlow is an antipodean Jewess who is obsessed with vegan analogues and digital media. She co-hosts the podcast Yeah Nah But and tweets at @ari_perlow.

(Image by the author)

The post Not Your Bubbe’s Recipe: Challah Pretzels appeared first on Jewcy.