
Plato Judío Relleno (Stuffed Jewish Dish)
If the name of this dish sounds a bit curious, it’s because it is no ordinary one. In fact, it may be the oldest written Jewish recipe in the world! Ph.D. candidate Hélène Jawhara Piñer of the European Institute for the History and Cultures of Food in Tours, France, found it in the course of her studies of Arab cuisine in 13th to 15th century Andalusian Spain. Piñer, whose father’s family descends from 14th century Spain, is seeking to trace the ways in which Arab Muslims, Ca

Tisha b'Ab: Bore Ad Ana
The Western Sephardic melodies for Tisha b’Ab, including the book of Ekhah (Lamentations) and the Kinnot (elegies), are unique, haunting, and beautiful. One of the most poignant Kinnot is Bore Ad Ana, which personifies the Jewish people as a wandering dove, searching for her father and crying out for his love and protection. Recordings of the New York, London, and Bordeaux versions of the song can be heard in the links below, and you will see their subtle differences: New Yo