PTPI Blog

Question answered by Eileen Purkeypile, Coordinator of Membership Services at PTPI.

9. What theme appealed to you most in Sarah’s Key?

Although it was difficult to read about the circumstances Sarah was thrown into, I was attracted to the theme of the loss of innocence in Sarah’s Key. Sarah was forced to grow up in a few days, as she faced the realities of hatred and insecurity. From her naïve attempt to save her brother in the cupboard, to her desperate plea to her parents to make things better, Sarah experienced every element of the Holocaust.

I believe this theme to be an important one to the story, because it portrays a part of the Holocaust seldom told – it portrays the effects of the Holocaust on Jewish children. Together with adults, the children suffered every part of the war. Injustice, hate, hunger, separation… What sets them apart is the fact that they did not and could not understand what was happening to them. They were in no way prepared for such a devastating event.

As we look at the life of Sarah beyond her childhood years, we can see the telltale marks of a person who lost her innocence much too early and by force. She became a person many of us cannot understand. She lived a life that was forever marked by her brother’s death, and eventually died because of it. The loss of innocence in Sarah’s Key embodies the most tragic part of this story. It represents Sarah’s unsuccessful attempt to save her younger brother and the impact that loss had on her.

 People to People International’s Global Book Club is a way to connect with your global community. Global Book Club members communicate about valuable, international topics and gain unique insight and understanding of various cultural views in relation to those topics. For more information on People to People International, visit www.ptpi.org

The opinions expressed by PTPI staff and other book club members are entirely their own and are not necessarily the views of PTPI or its Officers, Board of Directors and Board of Trustees.

Question answered by Rebecca Nunn, Manager of Administration at PTPI.

8. Try a recipe that Sarah and her family might have enjoyed while they were living in France in the 1940s – Matzo Ball Soup.

Although we don’t read too much about what Sarah ate in the book, I thought it would be fun to try a traditional Jewish dish that Sarah might have enjoyed in her early childhood.  The recipe was found through www.butterybooks.com .

The recipe itself wasn’t hard, but it took me a while to get an actual ‘matzo ball’ once it went into the water.  I added some celery to the soup part as well.  The soup turned out really well and was very filling.  Even though the winter here in the Midwest has been very mild this year, I am always looking for good easy soup recipes for a cold night.  Please let us know if you try the recipe!

Prep Time: 15 minutes Refrigeration Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1 cup matzo meal
• 8 – 10 cups of chicken broth
• 3 medium carrots, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill, in all

Instructions

* In bowl of food processor, add oil, eggs, 1/4 cup chicken broth, 2 teaspoons of salt, and pepper. Add the matzo meal, and pulse just to mix. (I used a mixer and it worked just fine) Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

* Bring 8 – 10 cups of chicken broth to boil in a large pan. Add carrots and reduce heat to simmer.

* Using two teaspoons, scoop some matzo meal with one spoon and push into boiling water with the second spoon. (According to Joan Nathan, “French matzo balls have a more abstract, irregular shape than American ones.”) Add 2 tablespoons of dill, cover pot and simmer for 30 minutes.

* Add remaining 2 tablespoons of dill and serve.

 

Bon Apetit!

 Recipe adapted from the Boulettes de Pâque, Knepfle, recipe in Joan Nathan’s Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France (Alfred A. Knopf, 2010)

People to People International’s Global Book Club is a way to connect with your global community. Global Book Club members communicate about valuable, international topics and gain unique insight and understanding of various cultural views in relation to those topics. For more information on People to People International, visit www.ptpi.org

The opinions expressed by PTPI staff and other book club members are entirely their own and are not necessarily the views of  PTPI or its Officers, Board of Directors and Board of Trustees.