Harry R. Rubenstein

Jan 7, 2025 | myjewishlearning.com | Rachel Myerson |Harry R. Rubenstein

It wasn’t too long ago when Israel’s “bread cartel,” a group consisting of the country’s largest industrial bakeries, had undue influence over Israel’s baking industry. This group made sure that regulations such as having separate rooms for eggs and flour, and even requiring showers for workers, favored the larger industrial bakeries and, in turn, made it impossible for independent bakers to open boutique bakeries.

Dec 5, 2024 | myjewishlearning.com | Harry R. Rubenstein

Now look, nothing — and I mean nothing — beats a perfectly fried sufganiya fresh out of hot oil, dusted with powdered sugar, still warm enough to make the jam dangerously hot. That’s peak Hanukkah right there. But if you’re feeding a crowd or just don’t want to smell your house up with hot oil, here’s a pretty fantastic baked version for you. Fair warning: This is a rich dough that’s going to feel more like a very, very thick cake batter than bread dough when you first mix it.

Oct 10, 2024 | harrysbaked.substack.com | Harry R. Rubenstein

Shalom from Israel. One of my earliest attempts at cooking was (burning) Golden Frozen Cheese Blintzes in an overzealously buttered pan with the electric range cranked up high. The smell of burning blintzes is an olfactory memory that lingers long after the smoke clears. You also don’t forget the disappointment you feel when biting into it and the hot, crispy and dark (burnt?) golden exterior gives way to a semi frozen cheese core that tastes like broken dreams. To those nodding along, I see you.

Sep 19, 2024 | smithsonianmag.com | Harry R. Rubenstein

It is hard to imagine the United States without the Constitution. This short document, drafted in 1787 in a hot and stuffy meeting room in Independence Hall and amended, interpreted, and reinterpreted by generations of Americans, has served as the nation’s blueprint and the embodiment of its civic values and ideals. Born in revolutionary zeal and possibilities, the founding generation faced the challenge of how to establish a working system of government that honored the ideal of self-rule.