Miriam's Kitchen - by Elizabeth Ehrlich (Paperback)

About the Book

This National Jewish Book Award winner recounts the painful stories of life in Poland, related by the author's mother-in-law, a Holocaust survivor, and of Ehrlich's new appreciation of the heritage she rejected as a young woman. 24+ Kosher recipes.

Book Synopsis

Like many Jewish Americans, Elizabeth Ehrlich was ambivalent about her background. She identified with Jewish cultural attitudes, but not with the institutions; she had fond memories of her Jewish grandmothers, but she found their religious practices irrelevant to her life. It wasn't until she entered the kitchen--and world--of her mother-in-law, Miriam, a Holocaust survivor, that Ehrlich began to understand the importance of preserving the traditions of the past. As Ehrlich looks on, Miriam methodically and lovingly prepares countless kosher meals while relating the often painful stories of her life in Poland and her immigration to America. These stories trigger a kind of religious awakening in Ehrlich, who--as she moves tentatively toward reclaiming the heritage she rejected as a young woman--gains a new appreciation of life's possibilities, choices, and limitations.

About the Author

Elizabeth Ehrlich lives in Westchester County, New York