Josh “Socalled” Dolgin and his Quartet
Josh “Socalled” Dolgin is a pianist, accordionist, and producer in Montreal who has performed at countless Jewish music festivals on every continent, including Carnegie Hall… twice! Josh was the subject of “The Socalled Movie”, a 2010 feature documentary produced by the National Film Board of Canada. His original Yiddish gangster puppet musical (yes, you read that right!), “Isaac Babel’s Odessa Stories” garnered critical acclaim. Josh sings traditional and original Yiddish song accompanied by his string quartet in his ground- and heart-breaking “Di Frosh” program, which we’ll experience on this night. His Ottawa-based quartet is headed by the highly-sought Erica Miller, the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra’s Concertmaster, and violinist in the NAC and Montreal Symphony Orchestras.
Michael Wex, Yiddish Author & Comedian
Michael Wex, a mainstay of the contemporary Yiddish scene, authored “Born to Kvetch”, the best-selling book ever written about Yiddish, and more recently, “Rhapsody in Schmaltz”, a study of Ashkenazi food wherein the Yiddish is as tantalizing as the delicacies themselves. He is hailed by the New York Times as “wise, witty, and altogether wonderful”. Michael’s Yiddish translation work has been called “the finest around”; there’s virtually no area of Yiddish in which he isn’t experienced. His one-of-a-kind translations into Yiddish include “The Threepenny Opera”, songs by Irving Berlin, Bob Dylan, and (although uncredited) Mandy Patinkin’s “Mamaloschen” album. Michael brings witty, comedic storytelling and a hilarious understandings of Yiddish to the KBI audience
Dodo & Liney Bronstein
With Compliments from Dodo & Liney Bronstein
Jeffrey Greenberg
With compliments from Jeffrey Greenberg
Agnes Klein
With Compliments for the wonderful programming
Gillian & Neil Presner
Heynt dem ovnt, un dank, Chazn Green for all the help and encouragement
Donna & Jacques Shore
Congratulations on putting together this great event!
Our Chai membership is an $1,800 voluntary donation above and beyond KBI membership which supports and sustains enhanced programming at KBI. It includes free participation in most of our programming throughout the year, including this evening’s event. Thank you to our Chai Members:
Committee members:
Volunteers:
Kitchen Balabustas: Janice Pleet, Donna Strauss, Sheila Osterer, Flo Morgan, Judy Aranoff, Sylvia Aikins.
Guest entertainment: Batia Winer & Kate McGregor
Setup on the day: Batia Winer
Registration/check-in, help with book sales: Myra Wein
Kitchen support: Hen Tomer/Cater4U
Thank you also to:
Wayne Duncan, Duncan Pro Sound
Our outstanding custodial team led by Hung Ling
Jeremy Rudin, KBI President, for his donation of Michael Wex’s airfare
The KBI staff for excellent administrative and creative support
Produced by Cantor Jason Green
KICHEL / NOTHINGS
In the mood for a light sweet, but not too sweet snack? Maybe what you are craving is a kichel, also known as a nothing. Nothings are light, puffed up, sugar coated, roundish cookies, with a hollow inside, and a not too sweet taste. There was always a cookie tin filled with nothings in my Bubbe’s kitchen, waiting for her kinder to visit. Sound good? Here’s how to make some for yourself. This recipe will yield approximately 50 small cookies, and maybe 20 to 25 large ones. Feel free to double or half the recipe as needed.
Ingredients
4 large eggs
2/3 cup of canola or other vegetable oil
3 Tbsp white sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
Sugar to roll cookies in before baking
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Beat eggs, oil and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment. Start on low speed until just combined, then increase speed slowly to high, and beat for 4 to 5 minutes until mixture is light and fluffy.
Add salt and flour, mixing on low speed until just combined, then increase speed to high, and beat for another 5 to 6 minutes. The mixture will become very sticky and elastic. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
Spread sugar on a flat plate.
Depending on the size of cookie you want, use one spoon to pick up dough from the bowl, and another to push it off the first spoon and into the plate of sugar. Because the dough is very sticky, it may be helpful to grease the bowls of the spoons to help the dough slide off.
Roll each portion of dough in the sugar to coat all sides, then roll between greased palms to make a ball, and place the ball on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Don’t place the balls of dough too close together as they will puff up while baking.
The baking time will vary greatly depending on the size of the cookies you’re making. We baked ours (about 1 teaspoon of dough per cookie) for 6 minutes at 375, turned the heat down to 300 for 6 more minutes, and then turned off the heat and left the cookies in the oven for 15 minutes more. We then removed them from the oven to cool. Note that larger cookies will need more time in the oven. They will be puffed and golden brown when done. Larger cookies (maybe 2 or more teaspoons of dough), would also benefit from being left in the oven with the door closed for about 30 minutes after the heat has been turned off, to allow the inside to completely bake and puff up.
Es Gezunterheyt! (Enjoy in good health!)
