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Written by: Judie Dweck

Published: 04 April 2020

Created: 04 April 2020

Last Updated: 06 September 2023

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Due to the crisis, you probably won't have all the usuals around the table for Passover, which begins on April 8. Passover 2020 may be a virtual celebration with a smaller group but the theme of this holiday could not be more apt. We now have a new plague to add to the list of the ten in the Haggadah, that begins with blood and frogs and ends with darkness and the killing of the first born.

Many traditional dishes that are representative of past events will be served both at the Seders and for the week that follows. The common link that envelops the meals served during Passover are feelings of warmth among family and friends.

Following are some of my holiday favorites. With so many of us confined to our homes and with many markets offering delivery services, we are given the opportunity to spend lots of time in our kitchen preparing our holiday dishes.

We start with some suggestions for your Seder table.

Haroset Sephardic Style (1 quart)

3 pounds pitted dates
6 Tbsps. Passover sweet red wine (Concord Grape)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
Place the washed dates in a heavy saucepan and add enough water to cover them. Simmer, stirring until the dates are soft. Drain them and reserve the liquid. Cool. Place the dates in a food processor and process until smooth. Fold in the wine, cinnamon and nuts and mix. If you wish a thinner consistency add a bit of the reserved water. Cool and serve at your Seder. Any leftover is a perfect spread in lieu of jam.

Brisket with Apricots (Serves 6)

1 pound dried California apricots, soaked in 4 cups water for 1 hour
4 onions, chopped
3 pounds of brisket
2 Tbsps. vegetable oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsps. dark brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

In a Dutch oven, brown the onions and the meat in the oil. Add the salt and pepper, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon and apricots in the soaking water and cover and simmer for about 2 ½ hours until the meat is tender. Remove the meat and cool it. Slice it thinly and arrange it in an ovenproof casserole dish. Pour the sauce and the apricots over it. Reheat in a 350 degree oven and serve.

Tzimmes (Serves 6-8)

½ pound pitted prunes
½ pound dried apricots
3 cups boiling water
2 Tbsps. vegetable oil
3 pounds brisket cut into 10 pieces
3 onions, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
3 sweet potatoes peeled and quartered
4 carrots, 2 inch pieces
½ cup honey
1 tsp. cinnamon

Soak the apricots and prunes in boiling water for ½ hour. Heat oil in a Dutch oven and brown the meat and onions in it. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 1 hour. Add the undrained fruit and vegetables and remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 2 hours until the meat is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

Grammy’s Passover Stuffing (Serves 12)

1 pound matzos
1 pound ground chuck
2 onions, chopped and sautéed in canola oil
5 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp. canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups boiling chicken broth

Place 1 Tbsp. oil in a 9 by 13 inch oven proof baking pan. Set aside. Break up the sheets of matzos in a bowl. Pour the hot broth over it. Add the beef, onions, eggs and seasonings. Mix it very well. Spoon it evenly into the pan. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven covered for 30 minutes. Uncover it and bake until crisp on the edges and on top or about 20 minutes more.
For the many Passover meals after your 2 Seders I suggest several dishes for brunches or dinners during the week of Passover.

Individual Matzo Kugel (12)

5 matzos
6 eggs
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup walnuts
4 Granny Smith apples, chopped
Grated rind of 1 orange
¼ tsp. cinnamon mixed with ½ tsp. sugar
4 Tbsps. butter, melted

Butter 12 muffin tins and set aside. In a large bowl, crumble the matzos. Add a cup of water and squeeze dry. To the dry crumbled matzos add the beaten eggs, sugar, cinnamon, raisins, nuts, apples and orange rind. Mix well. Divide among the muffin tins. Sprinkle each with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees about 25 minutes or until browned on top. Serve with sour cream or yogurt.
With asparagus in season try our springtime Asparagus Soup.
Asparagus Soup (Serves 6)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbsps. olive oil
1 pound asparagus, rough ends discarded, in 1 inch pieces
1 potato peeled and diced
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsps. chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper, to taste

Saute onions in oil until golden. Add asparagus, potato, carrots and saute lightly. Add stock, wine, dill and salt and pepper. Simmer for about ½ hour or until vegetables are soft. Cool. Blend in a food processor or blender until smooth. Return to pot and heat and serve. You can garnish it with additional dill.
Every meal during the Passover holiday should end with something sweet. Here are 2 suggestions.

Pecan Meringues

3 egg whites
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsps. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Beat whites until very stiff. Mix together sugar and cocoa and gently fold it into the whites. Fold in the vanilla and nuts carefully. Drop in small mounds onto an oiled cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 275 degree oven until dry or about 25 minutes. Remove with a spatula carefully while they are still warm. Handle with care since they are fragile.

Passover Brownies

2 sticks butter
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup matzos cake meal
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
2 Tbsps. water
16 walnut halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 inch square baking pan. Melt butter and let it cool. Mix together cocoa powder and sugar. Stir in beaten eggs and melted butter. Stir in matzos meal and chopped nuts until smooth. Stir in water to form a smooth mixture. Spread into prepared pan. Arrange nut halves on top. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

With best wishes to my readers for a holiday filled with family and friends beside you --either physically or virtually --all in good health.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 26 March 2020

Created: 26 March 2020

Last Updated: 26 March 2020

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To the Editor,
Hello Joanne. How are you doing in this brave new world? Thank you for continuing to cover our community and keeping us informed as we collectively and independently deal with a pandemic that has come to our doors.

Over this past week, I have observed the installation of a testing site at the Scarsdale Medical Center on Heathcote Road around the block from our home on Brookby Road and the ever longer lines at the drive through at Starbucks in the Golden Horseshoe Mall. Family all over the country are checking in virtually,

I take walks with neighbors at a social distance, check on those who may need an item from the store and cannot get out themselves, remind the young bikers on our streets to wear their helmets and help Girl Scout troops whose cookie booths have been canceled sell their cookies. I know that many others in our community are doing much the same.

It is my hope that over these next few weeks (months?) that everyone will be kind to each other. Be kind to the spouse who may be annoying you, be kind to your children who are annoying you and be kind to those who have not been kind to you. I ask drivers to watch out for the pedestrians and bikers on our streets trying to keep a safe social distance from each other. Please throw the disposable gloves and masks in a trashcan and not on the streets.

This is a wonderful opportunity to come together as a community, fortunate in our resources to help each other through this new reality of isolation from each other. Now more than ever, we need each other.

B. Kathleen Munguia
58 Brookby Road
914-325-2729

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 18 March 2020

Created: 18 March 2020

Last Updated: 25 March 2020

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Dear Editor: This past week, the League of Women Voters of the United States issued a statement calling for a nationwide expansion of no-excuse absentee voting and mail-in ballots due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in order to address the health concerns of voters and poll workers, for the duration of the 2020 election cycle. The LWVUS further called on Congress to provide funding and policy mandates so that “all states are sufficiently prepared to administer an election that both protects the American public and also enables full participation by all eligible citizens, even – and especially – during a time of national crisis.” (www.lwv.org)

The League of Women Voters of New York State further recommended that Governor Cuomo move the April 28th presidential primary and consolidate the election with the June 23rd state and federal primary. In addition, LWVNYS recommends that New York State expand the availability of vote by mail, including streamlining the process for requesting an absentee ballot, allowing any at risk voter to apply for an absentee ballot and providing immediate funding to county boards of elections for the implementation of emergency measures. (www.lwvny.org).

The League of Women Voters of Scarsdale Board of Directors encourages New York State to adopt measures to ensure that all voters have the time and opportunity to request and return mail-in ballots in order to ensure the safety of voters and poll workers. The LWVS Board asks that the Governor or the appropriate individual authorized to speak on behalf of New York State clarify the use of absentee ballots in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the associated state of emergency, and recent executive orders restricting gatherings and public outings and encouraging social distancing. As stated in a recent letter by the LWVUS: “Our top priority must be the health and safety of the American people while simultaneously upholding the rights of all voters.”

The League of Women Voters of Scarsdale is monitoring the situation as it unfolds and will help to disseminate additional voter information and opportunities for voter advocacy. We encourage the community to visit our website, www.lwvs.org for current voter information.

Sincerely,

Board of Directors, League of Women Voters of Scarsdale

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 17 March 2020

Created: 17 March 2020

Last Updated: 17 March 2020

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Robert Berg, Village Clerk Donna Conkling and a Police Office at Village Hall on Monday March 16.(This letter was submitted by Robert Berg, Voter's Choice Party Candidate for Village Trustee)

Please allow me to comment on your article "Village Election Postponed Until April 28."

You post a photo of me speaking with Village Clerk Donna Conkling and a Village Police Officer in front of Village Hall. The photo is captioned "Candidate Robert Berg was drumming up support among voters on line." Your photo and caption suggest that my presence at Village Hall was somehow "improper" or constituted "electioneering" at the polling place.

Well, here are the "facts" behind the photo. I happened to be at Village Hall to say hello to a college senior who lives in Scarsdale who I had not seen in several months and who I had urged to vote by absentee ballot today. As we were chatting in line at the bottom of the disabled ramp to the entrance to Village Hall, Eli Mattioli, started shouting from the top of the line at me. As you know, Mr. Mattioli is one of the leading supporters and perennial leaders of the Scarsdale Citizens Non-Partisan Party. Mr. Mattioli yelled: "Bob, get out of here. You know you don't belong here." I responded: "What are you talking about?" He shouted again: "You're a candidate. You can't be here." I said: "Huh?" A police officer approached me and said that a man was complaining about my presence and his complaints caused a few others to complain as well. I explained to the officer politely that Village Hall is not a polling place for this election. Today is not election day. Village Hall is simply the place to pick up absentee ballots and deliver absentee ballots to the Village Clerk. I further explained that the actual polling place is at the Congregational Church and the election was to be held two days later. The officer said he understood, and he was not asking me to leave.

A few minutes later, Village Clerk Donna Conkling, and another police officer came down to where I was standing, leading to the photo and caption that you published. I repeated my explanation to Donna, who acknowledged that my position is legally correct. That should have been obvious to Mr. Mattioli who has been a practicing attorney for 48 years, and who, like me, is a litigator. So either Mr. Mattioli is either losing his legal acumen -- which I doubt -- or he was trying to make a scene and make me look bad among the residents in the line. That's what I suspect to have been his true motivation. He really should be embarrassed for pulling a stunt like that. Moreover, even if Village Hall had been an actual polling place -- and even if today had been election day --- I was standing more than 100 feet from the polling place entrance, so that I could not have been electioneering in any event.

I also find the comments by the Co-Chairs of the SCNP in your article to be somewhat disingenuous. They "applaud the Village's efforts in requesting a postponement which resulted in putting the interests of our friends and neighbors first." The actual facts are quite a bit different. First, the Governor's Executive Order tonight postponing all Village elections applies Statewide and had absolutely nothing to do with any request by our Village to seek postponement of our Village election. Why? Because our Village never requested the State to postpone our Village election. What happened is that on their own initiative, Mayor Samwick and Amy Paulin last week did contact the Governor's Office and did ask about the possibility of postponing the Scarsdale Village election in light of the spreading threat of the corona virus. It turns out that only Scarsdale and Tuckahoe investigated that possibility. But before going further, on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, at 2:41 pm, the Mayor reached out by email to the SCNP candidates and their campaign manager and to the Voters Choice Party candidates and their campaign manager and asked whether we ALL wanted the Village to pursue the postponement option with the Governor's office. Mayor Samwick wanted an answer from each side by 5 pm. He specifically stated: "The Village will NOT make a formal request to seek any action by the Governor to postpone the scheduled Village election unless BOTH political parties agree to seek a postponement of the election."

I responded later that afternoon, saying that I had several questions that needed to be answered before we could say "yes" or "no," including what steps the Village could take to insure the safety of voters and poll workers, how long the postponement would be, and whether certain absentee ballot requirements could be loosened. Mayor Samwick responded to me at 6:07 pm that evening, agreeing that my questions did require more than a yes or no answer. But he continued, "In the meantime, the Citizen's Non-Partisan Party has not consented to seeking a postponement from the Governor, so the criteria for the Village seeking a postponement has not been met and the election will take place as scheduled on March 18th." I attach a full copy of the Mayor's email to me below. I just believe the public should know the true facts here -- and I ask you to publish my comments. Most importantly, I ask our residents to abide by all the best practices recommended by the CDC for minimizing the chances of exposure to the corona virus, and I hope and pray that our residents will remain healthy during these difficult times.

Thanks,
Bob Berg