(no subject)

Research is never futile. I say this with profound merriment and some sadness.

While my foray into old newspapers today didn't tell me a thing about chorissa in Melbourne in the nineteenth century, it did tell me two other items of highest importance. First, that a horse called "Kosher" ran in 1920s races in Victoria. (There are so many potential bad jokes in there I won't even start.)

Second, and more sobering, from 1943 to 1947 kosher meat was nearly banned in Australia. Not before. Not after.

The timing is the sobering bit. The actual sequence of who demanded what and when has its funny moments. Everyone was united on wanting animals not to suffer, but some of the abattoir people were also united in wanting animals not to kick them after they're dead. There was nearly a strike. The RSPCA got in the act and made a stand against kosher meat. The unions may have done unionish things. Two rabbis were reported on, but what they said was not.

Finally the Health Commission settled the matter by pointing out that a slightly different apparatus holding the animals would solve the problem. No pain for animals; no danger to employees. There was much grumbling about this: some groups maybe didn't want that problem solved.

One day I shall find out the full story, because this is the newspaper-headline version and is likely to be full of inaccuracies. I can already see a strong possibility of there being a Melbourne abattoir view ('We shall not kill!') and a Sydney one ('We shall not be kicked in the behind by a dead cow!').

That timing is also curious. How did it feel to be a leader in the Jewish community and fighting the potential loss of kosher meat while dealing with the influx of Holocaust survivors and sorting out the whole Shoah foulness?

I might have to explore Australian Jewish food history a bit more. It appears that the GST on matzah and challah is not the first time that Jewish food has been under negative scrutiny.

(no subject)

Dear CSFG

It's about crit grup tonight. The supper thing.

I used up leftover ingredients and made you two trays of biscuits. There was too much mixture, so I made a tray of muffins as well. Given I didn't measure or check a recipe or anything, I had to taste one of each, to see if they were edible. Cocoa and raspberry jam and spices and raw sugar are a volatile mix, after all.

Anyhow, I suggest you come very early if you want to get any. They keep disappearing, quite mysteriously.

I haven't put on any weight since you last saw me. Really.

Gillian

(no subject)

I've just finished writing my 'thank you for your condolences' cards. I have a lot of trouble with this kind of thing. Anyhow, now it's all done, I realised something important (apart from the fact that a simple card to someone who has lost a near relative can mean an awful lot).

I said that Les collapsed on the street etc, but I don't think I've talked about what he was doing. He was delivering his collection of genealogical magazines to a library, as a donation. In other words, he was doing something he loved for people he cared about. Not a bad last act, at all.

I miss him so much. Pesach won't be right this year.