Time to send a piece of the pie
A Thanksgiving dessert for IDF soldiers
How can you send your family and friends in Israel a taste of Thanksgiving? Why would you even want to? Last November, 150 American Jews enjoyed a Nefesh B’Nefesh Thanksgiving dinner in Tel Aviv. Many others hosted their own celebrations at home. Clearly Thanksgiving has taken root in Israel. It is now possible to include people you care about in your Thanksgiving festivities by shipping them a scrumptious artisanal pie from Bakery 29 in Tel-Aviv. Apart from being decadently delicious, these pies support a good cause. All of Bakery 29’s proceeds go to the IMPACT! Scholarship Program sponsored by Friends of the IDF.
Thanksgiving traditions arrived in Israel with North American visitors and residents. The original Thanksgiving dinner may have been inspired by Sukkot. In 1621, the Wampanoag Native Americans helped the Puritans survive the brutal North American winter in Plymouth, Massachusetts. They taught the Puritans how to fish. The Wampanoag shared seeds for corn and squash with the colonists. That fall, the Puritans were grateful for a good harvest. These English colonists were motivated to create the Thanksgiving feast by the descriptions of Sukkot in Exodus and Leviticus. Thanksgiving is a secular holiday celebrated on the last Thursday of November each year. Observance of Thanksgiving is halachically permitted for Jews. North American Jews love the family gatherings and festive meals associated with Thanksgiving.
Bakery 29’s Thanksgiving offerings include apple pie, chocolate pecan pie and, of course the venerable pumpkin pie, so closely associated with Thanksgiving. At Bakery 29, every pumpkin pie starts with a locally grown, organic sweet pumpkin. These pumpkins are cultivated from heirloom seeds imported from North America. Each pumpkin is individually roasted in the oven for more than an hour. The flesh is then pureed, sweetened with raw honey and delicately scented with freshly grated ginger. The flaky crust is prepared from scratch. Netta Korin, Bakery 29’s proprietor, uses a special family recipe.
Netta Korin was born in Israel. Her family moved to the United States when she was a young child. Korin had a stellar career on Wall Street and by age 25 she had become successful enough to be the master of her fate. She decided to move to Israel in order to pursue her other passions: baking and supporting the FIDF. These impulses led to the creation of Bakery 29. All proceeds from the sale of her artisanal gourmet goods go to support the IMPACT! Program, a college scholarship program for low-income combat soldiers. These scholarship recipients are required to contribute 130 hours of volunteer time to one of fifteen organizations selected by the FIDF. “So in essence, the program creates a cycle of good,” explains Netta Korin.
“Soldiers who become students are able to raise themselves to a higher life standard by improving their socioeconomic conditions, and they also help others. They learn how much they are worth because they see how much they can give to others. It’s beautiful!”
Bakery 29 is kosher dairy, with certification from the Tel-Aviv Rabbinate.
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