Making Oogeeyot shel D'vash

After a two-week break from our Hebrew cooking elective (thanks to the Thanksgiving week holiday and then to "Bring-A-Friend" days), we are back in action. This week, we prepared our version of the Ashkenazi treat called "Taiglach," which is basically a honey and nut candy. Since Isaiah is a "nut-free zone," we left out the nuts, and since we don't have a kitchen with a range on which we could have boiled the taiglach, per the traditional recipe, our "taiglach" are actually honey cookies. But it gave me the opportunity to share what taiglach are with the students, none of whom had ever heard of the treat before. Hopefully, they'll have a chance to taste the real thing one day, which can be bought in most Jewish delicatessens.

For the first time since we started this cooking elective, I had only review words to write on the board. There was no new vocabulary since all the ingredients and directions were used in previous recipes.

As you'll note on the vocabulary list, the first words I always use as the students enter the classroom are "leerchotz yada'eem" (not seen on the board are two words I almost always add in, "eem sabon!" - "with soap!). This is just the third of our six classes in the second session of the elective, but almost all of the students have already washed their hands before coming into class.

This is a very simple recipe:

La'seem kemach ba'ke'ara ha'g'dola (Put flour in the big bowl)

Az l'hoseef sookar ba'ke'ara ha'g'dola (Then add sugar into the big bowl)

Achshav, l'hoseef avkat afiya v'keenamon... (Now, add the baking powder and cinnamon...)

...v'l'arbev otam b'yachad ba'ke'ara ha'g'dola (...and stir them together in the big bowl)

Leeshbor sh'loshet ha'beitzeem, v'l'hoseef otam ba'ke'ara ha'g'dola (Break the 3 eggs and add them into the big bowl)

V'az l'hoseef et ha'shemen v'ha'd'vash... (And then add the oil and the honey)...

...v'l'arbev et ha'kol b'yachad (...and stir everything together)

Koolam l'arbev! (Everyone stir!)

Achshav, la'asot oogeeyot me'ha'batzek (Now, make cookies from the dough)

V'la'seem et ha'oogeeyot al ha'tavneet (And put the cookies on the cookie sheet)

Since we only have half an hour for our elective, the cookies bake while the students go to hafsaka (recess), to tefillah (prayer service), and then to the Edot, Shira or Y'tzira track. The cookies (or whatever else we prepare each week) are ready for them to pick up and take home (if they're not eaten right away!) just before they go home.

This Hebrew cooking elective has proven not only to be a very effective way to teach Hebrew vocabulary and allow the students to hear Hebrew spoken in preparation for when we formally introduce Hebrew literacy to them in the sixth grade, but is also a wonderful communal period, when students in the different tracks have the opportunity to get to know each other in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere (as you can see reflected in the photos).