The Charlotte Jewish News- June / July 2025- Page 20
The Charlotte
JEWISH NEWS
I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!
I love ice cream. There’ s truly nothing better on a hot summer day than a cold, creamy ice cream cone— especially when it’ s chocolate, my favorite flavor!
Color the Banana Split! What flavors would you choose?
Did you know there’ s a rich Jewish history behind some of your favorite ice cream brands? Reuben Mattus began selling ice cream in the 1920s in New York City. When sales were slow, he dove into learning the craft of ice cream making and revamped his recipe. He also rebranded his product with a name that sounded distinctly European: Häagen-Dazs. As Mattus explained,“ The only country which saved Jews during WWII was Denmark, so I put together a totally fictitious Danish name and registered it.”
You’ re probably also familiar with the iconic duo Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. In 1978, they opened the first Ben & Jerry’ s scoop shop in Burlington, Vermont— and the rest is delicious history.
More recently, in 2009, a mother-daughter team founded Chozen, a Jewish-inspired ice cream company featuring flavors like rugelach, matzah, halva, and babka. Talk about a sweet way to celebrate culture and tradition!
June is the perfect time to enjoy a scoop( or two). We begin the month with Shavuot— a holiday traditionally celebrated with dairy treats. What better excuse for ice cream?
I’ m also thrilled to share that Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte and the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library are teaming up for a sweet summer reading adventure! Starting in June, children ages 2 – 12 are invited to join our Sweet Reads Summer Reading Program. Stop by the library to pick up your game board. For every book you read, color in an ice cream cone. After 8 books, you win a prize— and if you read 16, you’ ll earn a grand prize( a free TCBY frozen treat!).
Reading and eating ice cream? I can’ t think of a better way to spend the summer! ~ Miss Sara
Help the Penguin Reach the Ice Cream
How to Make Ice Cream in a Bag
Ingredients: 1 cup half-and-half 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar 1 / 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 3 cups ice 1 / 3 cup kosher salt Toppings of your choice
Directions:
In a small resealable plastic bag, combine half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla. Push out excess air and seal.
Into a large resealable plastic bag, combine ice and salt. Place small bag inside the bigger bag and shake vigorously, 7 to 10 minutes, until ice cream has hardened.
Remove from bag and enjoy with your favorite ice cream toppings.