Ita Malka
06.04.2014
To Oma & Bella
Last year my australian cousin called me really overwhelmed! She just had seen the documentary Oma & Bella in Melbourne thanks to the Jewish International Film Festival.
“It’s awsome! she told me! This two ladies rocks! So vivid and full of life! You would love it she concluded. Yes me and my cousin we share a passion for food and specially eastern jewish recipies! When i last visited her, I learnt a lot watching her cooking even though she will argue she was not…
So i made some research. Who are Oma & Bella?
The 80 something Oma & Bella are two friends and there are living together in their appartment in Berlin for more than five years. One is from Poland, the other from Vilnus. They go to the market together and cook as it used to be in their home before the war, with passion, without recipies or graduation measures…!!!!
Oma’s granddaughter Alexa decided to make a movie and to catch these instants of life, humour, cooking and above all friendship.
During the war, Oma went to camp, and Bella escaped from the Vilnus ghetto. They lost everything and instead of flying away as many after the war, they stayed in Berlin because it was their home…
In the past two years, Oma & Bella ‘s story travelled to New York, Beirut, Melbourne, Sydney, Tel Aviv… A cook book is now available written both in German and English. Last month the movie won the Grimme Price in Berlin!
Today, i’m sorry to tell you that Bella passed away… She will be forever in our hearts.
“Bella taught me what it means to love, to be a friend and to stand by what you believe, no matter the consequences. She will be so missed and forever remembered. Please send all your love and strength to my grandmother. And please, if you see her around the streets of Charlottenburg, always say hello.Thank you.” Said Alexa Oma’s granddaughter.
Lomir tanzn, lomir singen, lomir lachn with Oma & Bella forever! Lchaim!!!!! To life!
26.01.2014
Je chante la France
Dear France,
I’m sad tonight.
I shouldn’t. My country is going mad.
It has been like that for some times now.
I’m sad tonight.
There was a protest march today in Paris and words were said against Jews, words from another century.
They don’t hide anymore.
Did they ever? Or was I depth? Or blind? Or both?
You can go to a diner party nowadays and hear regular folks defending the worst abomination and saying “can’t we laugh anymore?”
CATEGORIES: Antisemitism
06.11.2013
Why Yiddish today????!!!!
To my dear cousin from my America,
I can’t focus on my yiddish exercices tonight, too tired… but listening to Isaac Bashevis Singer’s Yiddish speech in Stockholm (1978) makes me feel so good!
31.10.2013
But who is Ita Malka?
Once upon a time in a beautiful orange kitchen from the early 80′s, were sitting a grandma and her little daughter. The little girl didn’t want to eat. She claimed for a story instead. Please tell me the one when you cross the demarcation line. You have to know that the little girl knew the story by heart. But it did not matter it was a really good story. So says the gradma: “i had to take off my yellow david star from my coat when i was on this train taking me to Vierzon. Then I met the lady that helped me cross over the line. It was a dark night and the german soldiers were up on the bridge. We had to be careful and quiet because each moves could cost both our lives. But what happened, asked the little girl? We managed it and when i was on the other side of the bridge i cried , i couldn’t stop.
But where were you going to? the little girl asked. To Avignon, into the free zone to meet your great great grand father who had managed the journey. And then I met your grand father, I fell in love with him and I could eat jams a lot thanks to his mum. Is that what love means? Eating jams? asked the little girl. The grand mother laughed and said ” you know we had nothing to eat at this time so everything was good”.
But where was your mum? the little girl asked. Why were you on her own at 18 dealing with such “tsoures” (problems in yiddish).
Finish your dish answered the grandma . I tell you later the story of Ita Malka, your great great grand mother.
Ita Malka means little queen in yiddish .
