60 | HOLIDAYS mother. We occasionally came in to peel apples or lick the remainder of whipped cream from the mixer, but for the most part – dishes just came out complete to the dining table served by my mother. She was a wonderful cook and became famous amongst the grandchildren before they became vegan for her schnitzels, which she used to beat until they became the thinnest ones on earth, her puree with fried onions, her incomparable fried cauliflower, the soups, and many of the cakes, especially Floumen kuchen – plum cake, which I love to make from time to time. In our days people adopted the Mediterranean tradition of taking lunch breaks from work, usually from 14:00 to 16:00. I always remember my mother rushing from work, cooking a hot meal for us, washing up and then running out again to complete her workday while we were off to a little siesta. I remember fondly our Saturday breakfasts. In my house it was not allowed to wake anybody up for any reason. Orit and I, like any young adult, could sleep quite late on Saturdays, but no matter when we did – the table was set with a full breakfast setting, including, grapefruit, challah and coffee. This was a treat I will always cherish. I absolutely adored the relationship between Vered and Tova. From day one my mother loved Vered like a daughter and this love just kept growing, together with respect and even admiration for Vered’s evolving career while being the amazing parent and wife that she is. On her side, Vered adopted Tova as the grandmother she did not have since losing Granny Gertie at the age of seventeen. I enjoyed and appreciated very much how Tova became part of the Levy family – she was always welcome at the famous Levy Reunions and Holiday celebrations, and everyone treated my mother with respect and love. I will always be grateful to Doreen and Eitan and the entire family for this precious relationship. We don’t know what holiday is being celebrated, or what Itamar is preparing to eat, but it is such a beautiful picture we had to include it.
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