Chapter 54, Chanukah Blessings

“Hey, Haim!” I heard Nehamah Lerner as I was lifting my chair to place it on top of the table before leaving for home. “The new music teacher is looking for you.”

“Me? Doesn’t he know what happened with Pnina, the old teacher? She practically had her heart broken.” 

Last year after winning the choral festival I stopped coming to rehearsals, every time finding another excuse. Until Pnina caught me playing “hands up” on her way home.

“Your Mom is sick?” she asked.

“Ahh …”

“I don’t want to see you again!” She said disappointed. I was banned from the choral for the rest of the year.

“Yes,” Said Nehamah Lerner, “but she is no longer here.” 

The new music teacher, I think, was a long lost relative of mine. His name was Yitzchak Tov. Tov is the root of the word “good” in Hebrew. And so is my last name – at that time they pronounced it “Tubi” because of a clerical mistake who extended the letter Yod to a Vav and there for changed the sound of last name. He was also from Tunisia, where my parents came from. I liked him, he kept us singing a lot of new popular songs while playing his accordion. Now he wants me to rejoin the choral again. To be once again the only boy.

“He likes your voice,” said Nehamah Lerner, “I think it was Ya’el Helbort who told him about you too.”

“Ya’el,” I thought to myself almost out loud “I love that blond.” She is pretty, she is a good singer and I saw her play the guitar, my favorite instrument. I never even imagined she noticed me. She was in my classroom, but we never talked. She lived at the rich neighborhood on the way to Avihayil, those people don’t look at us “low class Sfaradim”. It is still puzzling me how a people who’s been discriminated for all its history can be discriminating within its own people. 

“I heard a lot about you, young man,” said Yitzchak Tov. “You have a nice voice and can carry a tune.” 

“I guess, I could.”

“We need you to sing the blessing for the candles of Chanukah this year. Do you think you can manage it? 

“Sure!”

“This year I am planning also to have an orchestra playing with us. It should turn out very well. We had some new budget for new instruments, and we have some kids who are good musician. I am very excited about it. Yitzchak was proudly smiling as he was telling us about the changes. We started rehearsals right away. Of course, I was feeling very proud of myself and through the corner of my eyes I could see Pretty Ya’el almost smiling.

Two days before the Chanukah celebration I was woken up with the usual classical music at 6:00 Am and unlike every morning I heard an Aria from one of the Italian operas. I was so excited, I never heard that before. And the voice was so deep and strong I was trying very hard to imitate it. Avi my brother jumped in and joined me with his squeaky voice (Dad always made fun of his whining). 

“Can you sing like that”? He asked and changed the key (I had no idea what a key was at that time) back and forth. “I hear, only professionals can do that.” 

“Of course, I can,” I answered proudly. And we both walked to school singing off and on key different songs.

The next day, at the last period, our parents came to watch our Chanukah celebration. For the first time ever, Dad showed up and sat proudly in the front row. His son is about to sing the blessing in front of the whole school.

First the kids with the instruments walked up to the stage and everybody was cheering them up. Next the choral kids walked up and yours truly was the first kid in the first row. Standing proudly, trying to look tall. “I have a surprise for Yitzchak today. I will sing like a professional.”

We sang a few Chanukah songs and then it was my turn to step up to the “Chanukkiah”. The orchestra gave us a few introduction cords and I started the blessings, holding the candle in my right hand and started to light the first candle. When I got to the second candle, I decided it was time to show my “professionalism”. I changed the key in the middle of the blessing. The gasp I heard that came from the audience scarred me so much I dropped the candle. Lucky it turned off. I quickly picked it up, relit it and continued the blessing with the original key. In the corner of my eye, I could see Yitzchak brushing his hair in amazement or maybe frustration.

Once we finish and everyone clapped their hands, I heard Yitzchak tov yelling at me; “Tubi, remind me to talk to you about musical Keys!”

 

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Vegetarian Moussaka

 

Chanukah is a holiday about the time we defeated the Greek army 300 BC. The war when the small army won against the big army and when the Jews reclaimed the Temple. We won against the Greeks, so it’s just right to have Greek food for Chanukah. Now we have a little problem. Most Greek food is not kosher. I must come up with kosher meat, avoid mixing milk and meat and so many other restrictions. I made it my task to find natural replacements and keep the flavor. I made this dish vegetarian and replaced the milk with potato water.

Ingredients:

2 Eggplants

5 Potatoes

2 Celery Stalks 

2 Onions

1 Can of Beans

3 Garlic Cloves 

½ Cup Chopped Parsley 

3 TBSP Olive Oil

2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Cocoa Powder

¼ Cup Oatmeal

½ tsp Paprika

 

Preparation:

Cut the eggplant to flat slices, spread kosher salt on the slices and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator. Slice 2 potatoes and deep fry until lightly brown (a little undercook). Deep fry the eggplant.

Chop one onion and sauté until soft, add celery keep sautéing until the celery is soft. Crush and chop the garlic and ginger, add them to the pan. Add the beans and crushed tomatoes, one tsp salt, spices, cocoa powder, and oatmeal. Bring to boil lower the heat and simmer for one hour and let cool.

Chop the second onion and sauté separately Boil 3 potatoes and mash them together with fried onion and one tsp salt. Use the water of the potatoes to dilute the mashed potato to form a smooth paste.

Layer in this order; fried potatoes, beans mixture, eggplant, beans mixture, eggplant, and top with the mashed potatoes. Bake for one-hour 300f. You may brush egg on top and sprinkle with sliced red onion and raise the heat in the last 10 minutes to 400f to get a crispy look.

 

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