Recipe

YAPCHIK LATKES

Recipe by Tova Lowenthal Styling and photography by Faigy Murray

Upgrade your standard potato latke to something truly special. Once you try this, you will have a hard time going back to your original recipe.

Yield: 12-15 latkes Meat

Ingredients • 3 large potatoes • 1 small onion • 2 eggs • 1 tsp salt • ¼ cup matzah meal • 2 Tbsp mayonnaise • 1½ Tbsp mustard • 6 Tbsp duck sauce • 9 oz pastrami or corned beef, cubed • Oil for frying

Preparation 1. In a food processor or in a bowl using a hand grater, shred potatoes and onion. 2. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add salt and matzah meal. Add the grated potatoes and onion. 3. In a separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, and duck sauce.

Add diced meat and mix well. 4. In a frying pan, heat oil over mediumhigh heat. Place an overflowing Tbsp of potato batter into the frying pan. Place a tablespoon of meat mixture above it.

Then place another tablespoon of potato batter to cover the meat mixture. Fry until the bottom is browned (about 4 minutes). Flip over and fry until the other side is also browned. Repeat for the rest of the latkes. 5. Line a plate with paper towels. Remove latkes from frying pan and place on the plate to drain.

By Susan Schwamm

As frum Jews, we pray three times a day for our Holy Land. Our brothers and sisters in Israel are always on our minds.

Living in the United States, though, we sometimes wish we could do more to help preserve the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael. And we sometimes wonder if there was more we could do for our brothers and sisters in Israel.

Rabbi Pesach Lerner, of Far Rockaway, NY, had those same questions – and he decided to act on them two years ago.

It was then that, sitting in the office of a prominent activist, Rabbi Lerner noted that the charedi community in the United States was not included in the World Zionist Congress.

Although the World Zionist Organization may sound like an obscure organization, like many others which were created to improve Israel’s standing in the world, it is anything but that. Yes, it was established with the goal of uniting all Jews around the world with the shared mission of advocating for the Holy Land and for Jews worldwide. But, in order to make the organization viable, when it was created in 1897, it was used as the primary tool to distribute funds necessary to advance Israel as a Jewish state. In 1948, when the modern state of Israel was formed, the WZO was not disbanded. Rather, it was made stronger – the Israeli government sanctioned it as the outreach arm of the State.

Backed by the State of Israel, it became even more important and powerful. Even so, for many years, the WZO flew under the radar of charedi communities. While we at times watched with dismay how certain cultural phenomena were taking place in Israel, we didn’t realize that, often, the organization that can effectuate positive and negative change is not necessarily the Israeli government but the WZO.

Recently, progressive movements have been attempting to hijack the Holy Land with their left-wing value systems. Although this theological battle has been fought in America for years, and the left is slowly losing the fight in spirit – if not in numbers as well – it is a battle that is only now taking shape in Israel. With the left gaining power in the WZO, they asserted to the leaders in the Holy Land that they represent world Jewry and their value systems should reign supreme in Israel as well.

And so began Rabbi Lerner’s quest to put together a charedi slate in the

U.S. to run in the upcoming elections for the World Zionist Congress. Rabbi Lerner, of course, faced an uphill battle. The word “Zionist” is not always palatable to the charedi community. But armed with the brachos and encouragement of gedolei Yisroel – among them Rav Chaim Kanievsky, Rav Gershon Edelstein, and Rav Elya Brudny – Rabbi Lerner set out to create a charedi slate of ohavei Eretz Yisroel. The gedolim expressed that even though participating in the WZO may have negative, semantic connotations for some, it is an available vehicle to advance our paramount cause of enhancing Kedushas Ha’Aretz and fighting a theological battle that is only beginning.

Named Eretz Hakodesh, Rabbi Lerner’s slate generated a revolution when, just months after being formed, EHK managed to secure 25,000 votes in the World Zionist elections in 2020. Nabbing third place behind Reform and Mizrachi, Eretz Hakodesh – with 25 delegates to the Congress – tipped the balance of the World Zionist Congress in favor of the “right-wing” parties, who are aligned in their mission to preserve traditional Judaism and values in Israel.

But even more than tipping the balance, Eretz Hakodesh highlighted how important, energized, and influential charedi Jews are in the United States. No longer could the liberal, left-wing, progressive movements boast that they represent American Jews. It was clear to members of the Knesset and Israeli leaders that the makeup of American Jewry does not slant all the way to the left. For example, when left-wingers attempt to get the support of a member of the Knesset to support a policy change in geirus or kashrus or the Kotel, there is now a loud voice in the room reminding policymakers that many Jews in the Diaspora do not support – and oppose – those progressive changes.

Eretz Hakodesh’s 25,000 votes also earned them key seats on certain committees in major agencies in Israel. Now, charedi members of EHK sit on the board of the American Zionist Movement, ensuring that charedi voices are heard when programs and funds are being allocated.

Yisroel Schwebel represents Eretz Hakodesh in the World Zionist Organization. According to Schwebel, “The voice of religious Diaspora Jewry is finally being heard.”

Programs such as trips for yeshiva and seminary students, festive events over chol hamoed Sukkos, and a Shabbaton for new olim to Israel were instituted because of EHK’s voice in the WZO.

Not only that, but EHK has representation in KKL-JNF, which owns vast amounts of land in Israel. Shmuel Litov is the vice chair of the JNF Education Committee. Because of EHK’s efforts, for the first time, all JNF lands are observing Shemittah this year. Additionally, JNF funds are being used to purchase lands over the Green Line – purchases that were not allowed when the liberal camps were in the majority in the JNF.

Last Shabbos, Parshas Vayeitzei, was a celebration of Eretz Hakodesh’s efforts over the last two years. Hundreds joined in the spirited Shabbaton held in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, where Schwebel, Litov and others spoke of Eretz Hakodesh’s accomplishments.

Yaakov Hagoel, chairman of the World Zionist Organization and acting chairman of the Jewish Agency, also attended the weekend. Hagoel, with his white-knitted kippah, is a supporter of EHK and was effusive in his praise of the group’s efforts over the past two years.

R’ Nechemya Malinowitz, who is the director of EHK in Israel, impressed upon attendees how he has access to Israeli leaders who are committed to hearing his requests because of the revolution that EHK created. He spoke about his successful efforts to bring thousands of yeshiva and seminary students into Eretz Yisroel during Covid. Without EHK, all those boys and girls wouldn’t have been allowed into the Holy Land during those months of lockdown.

R’ Yitzchak Pindrus, member of the Knesset, spoke of his love of Eretz Yisroel over Shabbos. He highlighted the importance of maintaining the kedusha of Eretz Yisroel. Traditional Jews, he noted, have some semblance of Yiddishkeit. But there are many Jews in Eretz Yisroel who, sadly, are very far removed from their Jewish heritage. It is for all Jews that we need to fight to maintain the holiness of the Holy Land, especially those removed from tradition because they are the most vulnerable to being influenced by changes proposed by progressive movements.

Rabbi Lerner, in his remarks over Shabbos, spoke highly about the dedicated EHK team in Israel, who work tirelessly for the cause. He marveled at the overwhelming amount of votes EHK managed to garner over such a short time in last election and set his sights on an even more lofty goal: 100,000 votes in the upcoming election.

With such a dedicated team and with so much accomplished in just two years, EHK is intent on tipping the balance in an even more powerful way – ensuring the advancement of kedushas Ha’Aretz for years to come.