L’Dough V’Dough - JFNH 2024 Holocaust Remembrance
By Melissa Potter, with Michel Adler
On January 28th, Michel Adler and Melissa Potter travelled to Manchester to participate in a different sort of Holocaust remembrance program, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of New Hampshire and Keene State College’s Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies.
In this program, Holocaust survivors (and others with a personal connection to the Holocaust) are seated at tables with students, community members, and other participants to share personal stories while braiding challah.
The name for this event is a play on the Hebrew phrase "l'dor v'dor," which means "from generation to generation." Thus, L'Dough V'Dough programs are meant to cultivate deep relationships and forms of remembrance across generations.
Mike is part of a NH Holocaust survivors group that meets monthly. He was invited to speak and was allowed to bring a guest. He chose our master baker Melissa Potter, and let the organizers know about her challah braiding mastery. They eagerly invited Melissa to share her expertise.
After greetings and introductions, approximately 60 participants, seated at seven tables, were each given a ball of challah dough. Melissa, our challah maven, gave instructions on braiding the dough into a loaf. The loaves were packaged and labeled so that each person could bring theirs home afterwards to bake.
After a motzi and a light lunch, each survivor shared stories of the pain and losses they endured. The other people seated at their tables were encouraged to ask questions.
Mike and Melissa represented BHC at this annual JFNH event
Melissa offers tips and tricks on braiding challah. She is sitting with Dr. Kate DeConick
Michel shared his family’s Holocaust story with his table, which included three high school students. They listened intently to Michel’s family story, which his father, Camillo, recorded in his book and Michel translated and published as “I Am a Refugee.” The students were disheartened to hear that, after escaping German-occupied France and living in refugee camps in Switzerland, Michel was only able to see his parents every six weeks.
The high schoolers were guests of the 2023 White Mountain Jewish Film Festival (WMJFF) guest speaker Evan Czyzowski, Humanities and Holocaust Studies teacher, who introduced “March 1968.” Dr. Kate DeConinck, Director of Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, and guest speaker introducing the film “Plan A” in the 2023 WMJFF season, also attended this event.
Mike and Melissa agreed that the soup, provided by the local Chabad group was excellent. And, yes, the event was lots of fun.
JFNH 2024 - Family Members and Speakers. Standing left to right: Milt Zweig, Jay Kahn, Lou Yelgin , Michel Adler and Laurie Medrek Seated: Kati Preston, Sherry Nassauer.
Melissa Potter is the BHC co-president, Michel Adler is BHC’s treasurer.