Many centuries ago, just before Purim eve, two Jews ran into each other (literally) as they were rushing home for the holiday. At the time, each of them
was carrying an oversized 3-corner hamentashen* pastry. Fortunately, neither of them was injured, but their 3-cornered pastries collided frontally in a way that produced a large pastry cookie in which formed the shape of a 6-pointed star! Since one of these fellows was named David, of course it became known as a "Star of David."
Since then, a custom arose in which Jews would rush to greet each other on the Eve of Purim, while each carried such an oversized, 3-cornered pastry. With good humor, friendly intentions and much fanfare, each neighbor colliding with another one would produce such a "Star of David". They discovered that since Poppyseed or "mohn" filling was least likely to leak or squirt onto these neighbors' clothes when they collided, this became the preferred filler. Since local farmers sometimes used their latest crop of prunes, peaches, apricots or strawberries as fillings, today these fillings are also commonly used. However, since such annual "neighborly collisions" could be so forceful that they might even result in injury, people eventually decided to modify this custom and for safety's sake instead, they began the practice of sending a dish or basket carrying a minimum of 2 smaller hamentashen per plate along with other goodies to neighbors' homes. Thus, each neighbor, if he wished to do so, could safely enjoy making, sharing or eating his or her own "Star of David" pastry for Purim. Otherwise, they could also just leave them as simple, triangle-shaped hamentashen for the holiday.
There's another variety of pastries subsequently discovered that's also worth mentioning here, called Sufganiyot (its plural "soof-gah-nee-yoht", sufganiya is singular). These are jelly- or cream-filled solid "DONUTS-without-a-hole". Today these are quite popular and in wide use among Israelis and other Jews for Chanukah and at times, also for Purim. Interestingly, long ago someone discovered that if you take two of these warm sufganiyot right out of the cooking area in your kitchen, attach them with a long "loksh " (noodle) and carefully place one over each ear while they're held by the noodle placed over the head, your ears will stay warm and protected while walking home in cold wintry weather, during Purim season. This not only warms the ears, but when small amounts of oil on occasion drips from them onto the ears and cheeks of the person "wearing" them, they have an added benefit of preventing one's face and skin from becoming dry or chafed in the cold air. And thus, earmuffs produced from sufganiyot, were also discovered.
Now we know how these two popular foods for celebrations were added to Jewish tradition, created with unique shapes, flavors and recipes and how the Star of David and ear muffs were discovered, for later generations to embellish and enjoy!
Ahhhh! What a people! What traditions! What serendipity (sounds almost like a Yiddish word)!
Happy Purim, to one and all!
Allan M. Levine, Ph. D., Purim, 2014 (Valley Village, California)
