mi maestra de chocotorta / my chocotorta teacher

Steph holding the finished
chocotorta

Argentine's love sweets and I have a grown a larger sweet tooth while being here. One of the delicious Argentine desserts is called "chocotorta", basically chocolate cake. I have eaten many but have never made it before so I asked my good friend Steph (pictured right) to teach me how to make one. It is layers of chocolate and dulce de leche (similar to caramel but better) with a twist, aka DELICIOUS! We made it in my apartment this past weekend so I asked her to share a bit about chocotorta and why it is so amazing!

So what's the deal with chocotorta..?

The chocotorta, as many people think, does not mean "chocolate cake" but "chocolina cake". Chocolinas are the cookies that we use to prepare this amazing dessert. This cake was my birthday cake as long as I can remember, and I think I'm speaking for most of the argentinos here when I say there's no birthday without chocotorta. It's something that kids and grown ups enjoy equally, so I think that is why is so important to us (besides from the fact that is a cake that WE ARGENTINES invented, and are so proud of that). 

How do you prepare it?

I think this is the first thing that I ever learned how to "cook". I would make a chocotorta with my mom for every family birthday until I learned to do it on my own (sorry mom, but I think mine is better now). I gained a reputation among my friends for my chocotorta when I was in High School, and I will tell you how I make it. 

Ingredients:

Chocolinas

Dulce de Leche

Queso Blanco (Cream cheese)

Ground coffee
Milk (optional)

This is the easiest and most delicious cake you'll ever make. I'll give you the instructions to make it look pretty (cause it can get a little messy)

-Wrap a "tupper/cake mold" in plastic paper

-Disolve the coffee in cold water with some cold milk. This might sound weird but if you use hot water the cookies will fall apart. ---Then coat each cookie in the coffee and place it in the tupper to make the first layer.

-The filling is a mix of dulce de leche and queso blanco (just heavenly). With a spatula, spread the filling and cover all of the cookies. 

-Repeat! Add another layer of cookies and so on until you've run out of them or you feel like your chocotorta is high enough. Suggestion: make at least 4 layers of cookies.

-After you're done, place your chocotorta in the frigde for a few hours. If you can keep it there overnight, better!

-Once the cake is really cold, it's time for only "tricky" part of this. You have to unmold the cake. Turn the mold around on a tray and help yourself with the plastic paper to take it out. 

- Add a final layer of dulce de leche and queso blanco as frosting and decorate with crumbled chocolinas! 

- ENJOY!! 

Why is it called chocotorta?

The chocotorta didn't have a name at first, most of the people called it "Torta de chocolinas", until Freddo released an ice cream flavour a few years ago called "Chocotorta", recreating our famous cake. I think this is when everyone started calling it "chocotorta", I know I did at least. 

Any fun chocotorta stories to share?

I remember once, the chocotorta my mom had made was a little dry and she didn't know how to make it more moist. She works at a Pharmacy and we had syringes at home, so she had a brillian idea. She put the coffee inside the syringe and injected the chocotorta with some more coffee. It worked perfectly! 

Thanks Steph for sharing!

cena de shabat / shabbat dinner

One of my favorite things about living here is getting to meet young Jews from all over the world. Every so often, I love gathering with a mix of people for a very informal Shabbat dinner. On Friday night, eight Jewish friends from London, France, Argentina, Colombia, and the US gathered at my apartment for a pot luck style dinner. From sesame noodles to quinoa salad, guacamole to caprese, mango & pomegranate salad to hummus, and of course challah and chocolate chip cookies, we had all the fixings! We talked about our lives, laughed when everyone momentarily forgot the next verse of Shalom Alecheim, some of the less observant people asked the more observant people about certain practices on Shabbat, discussed the somewhat universal "Jewish accent", and talked until almost three in the morning. I am definitely not a religiously Jewish person but I love being able to share in a tradition and spend time with people that come from a common faith. It is so funny to me how Jews tend to find each other no matter where they are in the world. I love that I have come to a foreign country but have had the opportunity to meet Jews from other countries besides just Argentina. I can't wait for our next cena de shabat!

sorpresas y sonrisas / surprises and smiles

This past week another of our teens planned an awesome activity for teens involved with BBYO in Argentina. Daniel Korinman (everyone's pointing at him in the picture to the right) planned a fun interactive scavenger hunt that included a very special prize. Read on to see what he did:

Para BBYO tuve que hacer una actividad, elegi hacer una actividad sorpresa para mis amigos. Esta actividad consistia ir por los pisos de Hebraica consiguiendo pistas y los que llegaban al final conseguian un premio. Elegi este juego porque me parecia que ultimamente las actividades eran sentados y charlando y me gusto la idea de que corran y se diviertan. La actividad salio muy bien, se divirtieron y les gusto mucho el premio. El premio era unos mensajes de nuestros amigos internacionales, porque me parecio lindo recordarlos y saber que siempre vamos a ser amigos. Los internacionales me mandaron algunos mensajes muy lindos que decian que los extrañaban y que ojala se encuentren devuelta, etc. Me gusto mucho realizar esta actividad porque me senti muy bien cuando vi la sonrisas en la cara de los chicos cuando leian los mensajes. Gracias y espero seguir difrutando de las demas actividades en BBYO.

For BBYO, I had to plan an activity and I decided to make it a surprise activity for my friends. The activity consisted of using the different parts of Hebraica to find different clues and questions (scavenger hunt). Everyone that finished the scavenger hunt won a prize.

I chose this game because our last few activities have been seated and chatting so I liked the idea of an activity where everyone could run around and have fun. The activity went very well, everyone had a lot of fun, and really enjoyed the prize.

The prize consisted of messages from our international friends, because I thought it would be really nice to remember them and continue to know we will always be friends. The internationals sent me messages that included things such as how much they missed us and hope they could see us again, etc.

I really enjoyed planning this program because it was so nice to see the smiles on the faces of my friends when they read the messages from their international friends.

Thank you and I hope to continue enjoying all the other activities in BBYO.

Daniel Korinman, 17

Thank you Kori for an awesome activity that incorporated having fun and the connections the teens in Argentina have made through their partnership with BBYO!

el maestro de mate / the master of mate

Esteban, el maestro de mate

Everyday I see people drinking from gourd shaped containers filled with green leaves whether at work, in parks, on the bus, etc. Mate is a popular beverage in Argentina however mate is much more than a beverage. Drinking mate is a tradition and way of life. Although I have not bought a mate gourd yet, I do enjoy drinking mate socially with friends. I asked Esteban, my friend and resident "maestro de mate" ("master of mate") to help me explain to you all the glory of mate. Esti is the assistant director of pedagogy and education for the youth department of Hebraica and can always be found with mate and a thermos in his hand. Esti's original answers in Spanish along with a translation can be found below:

1) What is mate? How do you prepare it?

El mate es una infusión (una bebida a base de una hierba natural que toma sabor cuando se "infusiona" con agua caliente) típica del Río de La Plata. Es simplemente una porción de la hoja de la planta de yerba mate secada y molida, volcada en un recipiente también llamado mate, que puede ser de calabaza, madera, caña, metal u otro material, y se le agrega pequeñas dosis de agua que se van tomando mediante una bombilla de metal.

Para preparar el mate necesitamos entonces esos 4 elementos:

- Yerba mate

- Un mate

- Bombilla

- Agua caliente (a 80°C)

Hay muchas maneras distintas de preparar el mate que tienen que ver con gustos, costumbres y las diferentes regiones de Argentina y Uruguay porque cada zona tiene su secreto: se puede hacer dulce o amargo, agregarle algún saborizante, empezarlo con agua tibia, usar agua hervida, curar el recipiente con bebidas alcohólicas o brasas de carbón, etc. 

Mate is an infusion (a natural herbal based drink that you drink when infused with hot water) typical of Río de La Plata. It is simply a portion of a yerba mate leaf dried and ground, dumped in a container also called mate, which may be a gourd, wood, metal or other material, added to small amounts of hot water, and drank through a metal straw.

To prepare mate we need 4 elements:

-Yerba mate

- A mate (either made of a squash gourd, wood, metal, or other material)

-Straw

-Hot Water

There are many different ways to prepare mate having to do with different tastes, customs, and regions in Argentina and Uruguay because every region has their own secret. For example, you can make it sweet or hot, add a type of flavoring, start with warm water, iced water, or cure the container with alcohol or charcoal.

2) What are some of the traditions and customs surrounding mate? 

El mate debe tener origen en algún mestizaje entre árabes, españoles y criollos. Se toma en el desayuno o en la merienda, y también se puede tomar el resto del día sin problemas.

En relación a lo simbólico, para los argentinos el mate es símbolo de compartir, de fraternidad, de tomar todos de la misma bombilla, el patrón y el laburante, el hombre y la mujer, el viejo y el joven. Pueden leer un poco más sobre este tema en este link. 

Mate's origin comes from a mix of Arab, Spanish, and Creole roots. You drink mate with breakfast or tea time, but also can drink it the rest of the day without problems.

Symbolically, for Argentinian's mate is a symbol of sharing, brotherhood. Everyone drinks from the same straw including the boss and worker, man and woman, old and young. You can read a little more about this subject here.

3) What part does mate play in your life? 

Yo empecé a tomar mate para acercarme una chica en mi adolescencia y después no pude dejarlo más. Tomo mate todo el día, al menos dos veces. Casi 2 litros de mate por día. Tomo mate en casa cuando hago las tareas domésticas, cuando estudio, cuando trabajo, con mi novia, con mis amigos, con mis compañeros de trabajo, con mis alumnos, con mi abuela. Tengo un mate grande en casa, uno mediano que llevo a todos lados y uno chiquito en mi trabajo. 

I started to drink mate "getting to know" a girl as a teen and have not stopped drinking it since. I drink mate every day, at least two times a day and about two liters of mate every day. I drink mate at home when I am doing household chores, when I'm studying, working, with my girlfriend, friends, coworkers, students, and my grandmother. I have a large mate in my mouse, a medium sized one I carry everywhere, and a small one at work.

4) Can you share some mate advice with us?

Mi consejo es que todos deberíamos tener en casa un mate y que cada matero tiene su secreto y se debe respetar. Y al momento de hacer el mate, no se le puede negar a nadie que pida tomarse uno. 

Y lo preparo de la manera que me enseñó mi abuela. Aquí los paso:

A) Llenar el mate recipiente (en la medida de lo posible, de calabaza) con la cantidad de yerba que cubra 2/3 del mate.

B) Tapar la boca del mate con una mano y sacudir con fuerza para separar el polvo de la yerba y así evitar que se tape la bombilla.

C) Al sacar la mano, garantizar que quede la yerba inclinada hacia un lado, y en el lado "bajo" echar un poco de agua tibia (esto evita que se lave rápido la yerba, es decir, que pierda el sabor), de modo que quede un sector húmedo y uno seco..

D) Dejar que el agua tibia hinche un poco la yerba y en el lado húmedo colocar la bombilla de modo perpendicular al piso del mate y generar una leve inclinación antes de que la bombilla toque el piso.

E) Con el agua ya caliente a 80°, echarla siempre en el lado húmedo, cerquita de la bombilla (ésto garantiza que salga bien espumante y rico). 

F) Una vez que se empieza a notar la pérdida del sabor, retirar la bombilla y colocarla del lado seco y repetir el procedimiento.

My advice is that everyone should have a mate in their home. Also each "matero", person who drinks mate, has their secret and you should respect it. When drinking mate, don't deny anyone a cup who wants one.

I prepare it the way my grandmother taught me. Here are the steps:

A) Fill the mate container 2/3 full of the mate leaves.

B) Cover the top of the mate with one hand and shake vigorously to separate the dust of the mate and make sure the straw does not get clogged.

C) Make sure the yerba is leaning towards one side and on the other side, pour a little warm water (this prevent the yerba from losing its flavor), so there are both a wet and dry sector.

D) Allow the warm water to swell a bit and insert the metal straw into the wet side perpendicular to the gourd at first then tilting it a bit until it touches the bottom.

E) Fill the mate with the hot water (usually at 80°) putting it in the wet side (close to the straw) which will guarantee a rich taste.

F) Once you start to notice a loss of flavor, remove the straw, place it on the dry side, and start again.

5) Anything else?

Para todos y todas los y las que visiten Argentina, no dejen de probar el mate en todas sus versiones, incluido el tereré, que se preparar con agua bien fría y a veces con jugos de frutas (ese lo heredamos de los hermanos paraguayos).

For all who visit Argentina, don't forget to try mate in all of its versions, including tereré, prepared with cold water and sometimes fruit juice (we inherited that one from our Paraguayan brothers).

Make sure to try mate if you have the chance. Thank you Esti for sharing some mate insight with us! 

las decisiones de la vida cotidiana / the decisions of everyday life

The BBYO Argentina teens decided to change the structure of programming to one which more resembles BBYO in which teens plan programs for their peers each week. This is a huge step for BBYO Argentina because previously, the madrichim (coordinators) would plan programs for the teens. The project is now moving to a system where the teens can choose a subject they are interested in and use their creativity to plan programs for their peers. I am extremely excited about this change because generally in Argentina teens learn to plan programs for kids that are younger than them but never for people their age. BBYO gives these teens an outlet to create programs based on subjects that interest them and lead them for their peers, which is a lot different than leading for people that are younger than you.

Last week Tami and Juli, two of our teens, planned an extraordinary program for Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. I could tell you how amazing it was but I think its better if you hear it straight from them. Hopefully my translation will mostly get their points across!

What is the new structure of the BBYO project and what did you decide to plan a program about?
Desde el proyecto de BBYO Argentina decidimos que si de ahora en adelante alguién quería hacer alguna actividad sobre un tema específico, podia planificar para el resto de los integrantes del proyecto. Nosotras elegimos hacer una actividad sobre la Shoa porque es un tema que nos interesa y creemos que es importante transmitir los valores que ese trágico momento para la humanidad pudo enseñarnos.

As part of the BBYO Argentina project we decided moving forward people could choose to plan activities about a specific theme for the rest of the people in BBYO Argentina. We chose to plan an activity about the Shoa (Holocaust) because it is a theme that interests us and we believe it is important to transmit the values this tragic moment in humanity can teach us.

-Tami Kusznir, 16

Juli and Tami at the Western Wall

Tell us more about your activity and how it went.
En nuestra actividad tratamos el tema de la toma de desiciones y los dilemas que se presentaban diariamente durante el período de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Creamos una historia de un hombre llamado George Brandy y en determinados momentos en que el protagonista se veía obligado a tomar una decisión importante, les dejábamos a los chicos la tarea de discutir y ponerse de acuerdo. Por lo tanto, ellos tenían que ponerse en el lugar del personaje y construian su destino. 
La actividad salio buenisima, cumplimos con los objetivos de que ellos pudieran discutir y exponer y argumentar sus puntos de vista, pensar y refexionar este tema tan importante de transmitir como educadoras.

In our activity we wanted to use the concept of making decisions about dilemmas that were presented daily during the Second World War. We created a story about a man named George Brandy. In certain moments when the protagonist needed to make an important decision, the teens in our group would discuss the situation and agree upon a decision. They had to put themselves in the place of the person (George Brandy) and choose their destiny.

The activity went extremely well. We met our goals of having the teens discuss, exhibit, and debate their points of views, while also thinking and reflecting on this subject and how we can transmit it as educators.

-Tami Kusznir, 16

**Sidenote from Kate - Their program was amazing. In the moments of decision, the teens would debate and then agree on what path they wanted to take. Juli and Tami had written stories for both choices so depending on each choice the teens made, George Brandy's destiny could have changed. You could tell that so much thought and detail-oriented thinking had gone into the creation of this program.

Is Jewish education (formal or informal) important for you? Why?
Para nosotras llevar adelante la educación judía es un compromiso que asumimos porque creemos que continuar con la tradición y recordar nuestras orígenes y las injusticias que pasó nuestro pueblo (como por ejemplo, la Shoa) nos permite aprender a ser mejores seres humanos y también transmitirlo a los que nos rodean. Además, creemos que la educación no formal es un ámbito que todavía tiene mucho potencial y nos corresponde a los jóvenes practicarlo y promoverlo.

We pursue a Jewish education because we made a commitment. We believe that carrying on the traditions and remembering our origins and the injustices that happened to our people (such as the Holocaust) allow us to learn to be better humans and transmit it to those around us. In addition, we believe that informal education is an area that still has a lot of potential and it is up to us young people to practice and promote it.

-Juli Cohen, 18

Amazing job Juli and Tami! I am so excited to see the programs my teens come up with in Argentina, more to come!

la linda salta

This past weekend I took advantage of the long weekend (Argentina's labor day) and traveled up to the north of Argentina with my friend Allie. After an 18 hour bus ride, Allie and I arrived in Salta (red part of the map to the left). We spent the weekend seeing the incredible nature landscapes, horseback riding, wine tasting, and relaxing. We visited the famous "Cerro de los Siete Colores", Hill of Seven Colors, in Pumamarca and the Salines Grandes, salt flats in the province of Jujuy. We had to chew hojas de coca, coke leaves (legal in Argentina), so we wouldn't get sick due to the high altitude and also got to see certain animals that you can only usually find at high altitudes like llamas, alpacas, vacunas, and more. I was very excited about my llama sweater purchase and also that we got to see so many cacti. It was a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires. I am so glad I get the opportunity to explore these beautiful places while living in Argentina this year!

lo argentino / the argentine

At work yesterday I had to lead an activity about "lo argentino", the argentine. Each week two people lead activities about different themes we previously picked out of a hat. Everyone had a laugh when the American picked "lo argentino". It was interesting for me to plan because it made me think about what sorts of things characterize Argentines and what things set Argentines and Argentina apart from other places.

When I think about the things that set this country and these people apart from others, I think mostly of their passion and their pride. They are so proud of their identities, the unique landscapes around their country, the famous Argentine's around the world (the Pope, Messi, etc.), their delicious food and wine, and more. They are so passionate about their fútbol (soccer), politics, love, and more. We started our activity using this Buzzfeed article about 34 things Argentine's know to be true. I had translated it for my coworkers and they got a good laugh out of it. Next, we played a game where they had to think of things under seven categories and a specific letter. The categories were:

• Typical Argentine food
• Famous Argentine fútbol players
• Argentine presidents or politicians
• Places or natural wonders around Argentina
• Argentine writers
• Argentine wine
• Well-known Argentine's around the world

I learned some names of politicians and sometimes was the judge of whether certain foods counted as "typical Argentine foods". For example, I decided to give olives a few points because they frequently use olives in their typical foods. Afterwards we would choose two people to act out certain situations that they thought represented Argentina as we guessed. I laughed so hard at some of the situations they came up with such as:

• Two Argentine's getting into a huge fight over a fútbol match
• Preparing and drinking mate
• Standing in line waiting for the bus 
• Going to the psychologist (Argentina has the most psychologists per capita in the world)

We ended the activity discussing the things Argentine's are proud of on a more serious note and
everyone went around to say what they are most proud of either being an Argentine or living in
Argentina. This was a fun activity for me to plan and implement because I got to really think 
about the place I've been living these past eight months.