Aunt Eleanor’s Chopped Liver L’dor V’dor

From Lyssa Harvey:

This month Kugels & Collards is honoring the 100th Anniversary of Women's right to vote! When I was a college student at the University of Georgia (1972-76), I remember my husband's mother Hannah Harvey (OBM) referring fondly to her good friend, Jeannette Rankin who was a regular dinner guest at the Harvey home. On this milestone anniversary, I am reminded of Ms. Rankin's place in history. Jeanette Rankin (1918-1973) was the first woman to hold federal office in the United States. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican from Montana in 1916, and again in 1940. Today there are 101 women in the US congress, and 27 women in South Carolina's legislature. Among the SC representatives is Beth Bernstein, who is contributed this month’s story. Beth Bernstein is a resident of Columbia, South Carolina and a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing House District 78, Richland County, Columbia, SC. She was first elected in November 2012 and has sponsored bills that affect our voting rights, women and children's rights and protecting our religious rights. Beth is the first Jewish woman from Columbia, SC to be in the House of Representatives. Jewish women who preceded her include Irene Rudnick (Aiken County) and Harriet Keyserling (Beaufort County). We are proud of Beth and the outstanding work that she has done on behalf of all South Carolinians. Her Kugels & Collards post honors the women in her family who established a legacy of leadership from generation to generation.

‘L’DOR V’DOR: Applies to Traditional Jewish Meals, Too!’

By: Representative Beth Bernstein, SC House of Representatives 

While I have previously referenced l’dor v’dor “from generation to generation” in the context of describing my mother, Carol Osterweil Bernstein (OBM), as a role model for my siblings and me and a trendsetter for the women at Beth Shalom Synagogue, I am using it in this article to apply to the traditional Jewish meals we had together as a family and how those meals preserved my Jewish identity.

Hilary Bernstein, Beth, Bernstein, and Carol Osterweil Bernstein (OBM).

Since the Jewish community in Columbia encompasses a small number of Jews, a significant portion of my Jewish identity was founded on spending the Jewish holidays with my extended family at the home of my father’s sister, Eleanor Bernstein Hammer (OBM) and Henry Hammer (OBM). My paternal grandparents came to this country from Eastern Europe around 1907, initially settled in Summerville, SC, and by the end of the 1920s settled in Columbia via Swansea. They kept a kosher home, and Aunt El learned how to cook many traditional Jewish meals from my grandmother, Bessie Bernstein (OBM), for whom I am named.

Beth Bernstein and her daughter, Caroline, at Passover in 2005.

Three generations of Bernsteins at Passover in 2014: Hilary, Isabel, and Eleanor “Aunt El” Bernstein Hammer (OBM). Aunt El died just a few days later.

Aunt El felt more like my grandmother to me, as she was 50 years old when my twin sister and I were born. She and Uncle Henry would host Rosh Hashanah dinner and Passover Seder every year since well before I was born until her death in October 2014. After that time, I attempted to continue that tradition by hosting those holidays at my home. Some of the recipes that our family favored were her chopped liver, homemade gefilte fish, and her sought after mandel bread. Unfortunately, I never perfected most of those dishes, but I do prepare her beloved chopped liver. It’s the first thing we eat when we break from services for lunch during Rosh Hashanah as was custom. We eat it from the same large, glass green bowl with Tam Tam crackers.

Although my mother was not someone whom you thought of as being in the kitchen preparing extravagant Jewish meals, I do have vivid memories from my childhood of my mother preparing many desserts for Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and Oneg Shabbats when Beth Shalom used to rotate through its membership for hosting the Oneg for Friday night services. The only cookbook I really remember her using consistently was The Stuffed Bagel with many of her favorite recipes highlighted and earmarked. The same The Stuffed Bagel is a staple at my own house today.

Carol Osterweil Bernstein’s copy of The Stuffed Bagel.

Twins Beth and Anne Bernstein in the kitchen.

Throughout their lives, my mother and aunt always remained passionate in their commitment to family and the Jewish community. My mother was the first female president of Beth Shalom Synagogue, president of Hadassah for many years, and served in many other leadership roles. My aunt was very active in the Sisterhood and served as its president. They both led by example and exuded values of integrity, dignity, humility, justice, open-mindedness, and acceptance, which were instilled in my siblings and me. That legacy is now passed down to our own children. L’dor v’dor.

Aunt El’s Chopped Liver

The original receipt called for schmaltz which she later changed to Mazola oil.

• 1 lb. chicken liver

• 2 onions

• ½ celery stick for crunch

• 2-3 hard-boiled eggs

• Salt and pepper to taste

Broil liver for 5 minutes on each side. When done, chop the liver and eggs together in a bowl. Slice onions into small pieces and sauté with celery. When done, pour onions, celery and remaining oil into bowl with liver and eggs. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill and serve with Tam Tam crackers.

Carol’s Chocolate Mousse Cake

This is one of my mother’s most popular desserts which she would prepare for Bar/Bat Mitzvahs.

Crust:

• 3 cups chocolate wafer crumbs

• ½ cup unsalted butter melted (1 stick)

• Mix crumbs and butter together

• Press into springform pan – spray side and bottom of pan

• Chill for 30 minutes

Filling:

• 1 lb. semi sweet chocolates

• 2 whole eggs

• 4 egg yolks and 4 egg whites (room temperature)

• 2 cups whipped cream (real whipping cream)

• 6 tablespoons powdered sugar

Soften chocolate in microwave. Add whole eggs and mix well. Add egg yolks and mix until blended. Whip whipped cream and powdered sugar until soft. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Mix whites and whipping cream together and fold into chocolate. Pour into crust and chill at least 6 hours. Whip 2 more cups whipping cream with 3 tablespoons sugar until stiff and spread on top of chocolate and sprinkle grated chocolates on top around it. Loosen edges with butter knife and serve.

All images courtesy of Beth Bernstein