Kiddush Kugel Feeding Thousands

Larisa’s Story: A Welcoming Immigrant Story

Larisa poses with her kugel creation. Image courtesy Larisa Gershkorich Aginskaya

The Beth Shalom Synagogue kitchen is home to Larisa Gershkorich Aginskaya! She is the kitchen maven who since 2000 has cooked Sabbath meals and catered for Jewish holidays, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, and special events for the congregants of the synagogue throughout the year. She plans, shops, cooks, and serves thousands of people every year. Larisa was born in Kazakhstan in 1944. She came to America with her husband, Chaim (OBM), and her youngest son, Toly, on February 4, 1997.

Larisa’s parents, Miriam and Moishe Gershkorich, are Holocaust survivors from Romania. Her father and his sister, Hannah, were the only survivors from that side of her family. Larisa grew up in the town of Kharkov, Ukraine, where she felt like a hidden Jew—there were no synagogues, rabbis, schools, or Jewish businesses.

Larisa in the 1940s. Image courtesy Larisa Gershkorich Aginskaya

She moved to Uman, Ukraine as a young woman and re-discovered her Judaism after her parents passed away. Uman is noted for being the home of the grave of Hasidic Rabbi Nachman. At Rosh Hashanah each year, Jews from all over the world journey to the Jewish cemetery in Uman to visit Rabbi Nachman’s grave. Larisa was one of the Kosher chefs in the kitchen of the Hasidic Center. She and Haim cooked and fed close to 40,000 people during each of the eight Rosh Hoshanahs they lived in Uman. She now cooks those dishes for Beth Shalom Synagogue for Kiddush luncheons (lunch served after Saturday morning Sabbath services): egg salad, tuna salad, kugel, and cholent.

In addition to working at the Hasidic Center, Larisa trained as a mechanical engineer and worked for a company where there was much antisemitism. During her time in Uman, Ukraine experienced economic unrest and supply shortages, which exacerbated persecution against Jews. Over time, the HIAAS brought thousands of Jews and Christians from the Soviet Union to the United States. Larisa has about 40 family members that are now in Columbia from the former Soviet Russia and Ukraine. Larisa and Chaim were sponsored by her sister, Raisa Rabinovich. They came first to New York before being welcomed to Columbia with open arms. The Jewish community provided housing, jobs, financial and emotional support. Larisa said she was shocked at the huge apartment sponsored by Alan Kahn on Decker Boulevard that was stocked full of food and linens for her family from the Jewish community. Her son, Toly, was 20 when they arrived and remained in New York to study at the Yasheva. Her eldest son, Constantine, arrived later; with him, Larisa bought a house near Forest Drive, although she now lives near the St. Andrews neighborhood.

Prior to becoming Beth Shalom Synagogue’s Kitchen Coordinator, Larisa worked for the Rosansky family, which welcomed her as if she was family. She also became close with the Millers and Goldbergs, who also immigrated to the United States after surviving the Holocaust. Luba Goldberg (OBM) helped her learn English and assisted with her application to become a US citizen, which she and Chaim obtained in 2000.

Laris and Chaim after being sworn in as US citizens. Image courtesy Larisa Gershkorich Aginskaya

Larisa loves to feed people. She says that “the synagogue kitchen feels like my home, and I invite everyone over for a meal and cook. It nurtures me and is a warm giving feeling of belonging. I am part of a community.” Larisa, who is presently assisted at times by Debbie Harrison and Debbie Weaver, says that cooking for hundreds each week is easier than cooking individual meals for her family and friends!

Larisa with Debbie Weaver and Debbie Harrison. Image courtesy Larisa Gershkorich Aginskaya

Larisa cooks by taste, texture, and memory, but also loves creating new recipes. The Jewish dishes she serves today—kugel, eggplant, and soups—remind her of her home in the Ukraine and her parents, but they’ve never been written down. Here, she shares (via Lyssa Harvey) two of her favorites:

Larisa’s Barley Mushroom Soup

(as told to Lyssa Harvey)

Saute onions, mushrooms, (diced carrots if you want) in oil in a pan. Cook until slightly browned and onions are translucent.

In a large pot: Add cream of mushroom soup and chicken buillon.

Add instant barley.

Taste with salt and pepper.

That’s it.

Larisa doesn’t measure.. she knows the amounts of ingredients from experience. This is whether she is cooking for three people or hundreds. Her innate ability as a cook allows her to taste and see if the recipe is going to turn out well. This is a very popular recipe that is often requested from Larisa at synagogue functions.

Larisa’s Kiddush Luncheon Kugel

(As told to Lyssa Harvey)

Boil eggs noodles (medium wide) in a large pot. Turn off after boiling and wait until the noodles are soft. Drain well while they are hot.

In a large bowl mix drained noodles, butter, cottage cheese, sour cream, vanilla, sugar, crushed pineapple, raisins or dried cranberries. Taste to salt.

Grease a large baking dish put in noodle mixture.

Mix together melted butter and cornflakes and a little brown sugar and put on top of the noodle kugel to keep moist.

Bake 350 minutes for 40 minutes. Do not overcook or it will dry out.

Freezes well.

Larisa with Terri Hodges. Image courtesy Larisa Gershkorich Aginskaya

Larisa also serves as the Kitchen Director for Bubbie’s Jewish Food Festival. Each year, Bubbie’s, led by Terri Hodges, Debbie Weaver, Beth Friedman, and countless volunteers, provides delicious traditional European and Israeli foods for Columbia’s community.

This year, Bubbie’s Food Festival is happening on Sunday, November 10th, 2019. Once again Larisa will feed thousands!