Chopped Liver Wars: Passover with the Levinsons
By Stefanie Levinson and Jake Bialos
My Southern Passovers with the Levinson family are a treasured gift that I am proud to share. Arnold and Faye Levinson represent a second helping of joyous Jewish tradition that was an unexpected bonus for this New York city boy. It was my good fortune to marry a Southern Jewish girl and become part of her family. The first helpings of childhood Seders up north were an occasion for celebration, but also of dread. I had an extended family, and our Seders were large affairs conducted in Hebrew by my father, very long, very prayerful, and very dry. My mother’s brisket was juicy in contrast.
Beautiful Seder tables were special. Image courtesy Stefanie Levinson and Jake Bialos.
When I fell in love with Stefanie, Passover with her family was a must every year. I was pleasantly surprised at the difference in the observance and mood of the holiday in Columbia. It meant every year, for over two decades we flew south for festive Seders. Usually, we’d arrive early so Stefanie could join her mother and sisters for the preparations. Springtime in Columbia is always so stunningly beautiful with blossoming azaleas and dogwood everywhere. The air is fresh and sweet, and the sky is blue and wide.
From the moment we landed we were caught up in the whirlwind of scheduling visits with relatives and friends. Arnold and Faye took such loving pride in sharing Seder. The joy they took in hosting and catering to family and welcomed guests was impressive and genuine. They were focused on the people they loved and knew what made folks relax and feel like family. To contrast my southern Seders with my own family’s I must say . . . the Levinsons had MORE FUN. The Seders were not solemn affairs by any stretch. The emphasis was on showmanship, laughter, and the deluxe decorations of the table settings. The kids were pushed gently to put on skits which were scripted, costumed, and hysterical. Needless to say, when you join a Jewish retail clothing family everyone at Seder was fahpitzed (decked out)! We wore suits and ties, and women were chic and that was part and parcel of the joy of celebration. Even the kids looked smart. There was no tedious Hebrew davening, (praying) at these Seders. The food was bountiful and tasty, the singing and reading was done enthusiastically at full strength, and by the end of the meal, as we belted out another rousing round of Had Gadya (Passover song), there was a real satisfying feeling of accomplishment and ritual fulfillment that filled the house. It established a commitment to joy that lasted the whole year to come.
Left to right: Arnold Levinson and grandchildren, Charles, Chase, Alex, and Carly hold the "Afikoman" (hidden matzo) high. Image courtesy Stefanie Levinson and Jake Bialos
Left to right: Faye Levinson and granddaughters, Carly and Emily, enjoying the Seder. Image courtesy Stefanie Levinson and Jake Bialos
Passover food at the Levinsons’ was plentiful and traditional for South Carolina Jewry. The showcase brisket, nice, and gedempte (well cooked) took pride of place. After the opening rounds of chopped liver and soup, people served themselves unless someone volunteered to “fix me a plate?” which was a level of trust and camaraderie that was not lightly or universally bestowed. Everyone had a favorite food that was common knowledge or a hated food that they would skip. Faye was known for her geshmak (delicious) chicken soup with matzoh balls and was no slouch at desserts. The food was almost identical to the food I grew up with one significant exception, Haroset (Seder dish), which down south is made with pecans versus the walnuts my mother used. It was delicious, oozing with sweet Manischewitz wine, and undeniably better the Southern way. The majority of the food was lovingly prepared by Faye and frozen in advance which made the sequence of reheating as precise as the Seder service in terms of getting the timing right. Things HAD to come out of the freezer and onto or into the stove at just the right time. It took teamwork. Every year a few things remained to be done before the big meal. As I graduated from son-in-law to family member, my love of cooking was recognized, and I began to help Faye in the kitchen with several things she didn’t love doing like prepping the chicken livers and dicing onions. I remember spending time chopping on the butcher block in the kitchen and one year even making homemade matzoh (unleavened bread) and with Faye I grated fresh horseradish root, another eye watering hit.
Passover was never just about the Seder but a whirlwind, three or four days of family-centric activities. Mr. Britton’s BBQ at Little Pigs Barbeque was another fun tradition on the first night in Columbia. We’d pack into a couple of cars to have some good old treyf (non-Kosher food) BBQ and unlimited sweet tea. It was an indulgent sacrilege that we felt was a celebration of being Southern along with being Jewish. We would always run into other Jewish families at the BBQ joint, it was an incognito treat. Besides all the incredible meals, there were games and activities for the kids including the annual backyard Easter egg hunt, where more friends and family hung out and caught up.
Easter Egg Hunts were fun with friends and family. Image courtesy Stefanie Levinson and Jake Bialos
All in all, a good time is a good time for so many reasons. I am only able to share a fraction of them here, by no means all. The one thing that I have taken with me from Seders I celebrated in Columbia is that Judaism is a glorious tradition wherever you put the generous fellowship and love into it and make it your own. I learned that in my years at the Levinson’s at 3516 Northshore. Happy Passover to your family this year.
Many thanks to all the Levinson family: Arnold (OBM), Faye (OBM), Stefanie, Lucky, Susan, Stacy, Perry, Charles, Carly, Alex, Chase, and Emily and all of the friends and relatives with whom I was blessed to share my southern Passovers.
Chopped Liver Wars
As a Yankee looking to fit in down south, I was well aware of the long-standing rivalry between the two. I wasn’t as aware of the more friendly North/South divide between the Carolina’s until I saw it played out in the chopped liver wars. For the first night seder in Columbia, we had Faye’s incredible chopped liver, an oniony, creamier recipe. Second night was often in Charlotte with Aunt Margi Goldstein and family, where we looked forward to her classic eggier blend with a lovely crumb-like texture. In between, when on a health kick someone would throw in mock chopped liver. The chopped liver wars would rage on every Passover. The result? Everyone won!
Mock Chop Liver
1 can of Le Sueur peas young peas, drained
1 cup of walnuts, finely chopped
2 onions, sauteed
6 hard boiled eggs, whites only, chopped
Blend together. Prepare ahead. Its better if it had a day to rest.
Faye’s Chopped Liver
1 pound of chicken livers (3 to 4 pints)
4 large onions, minced (4 to 5 cups)
3 hard boiled, peeled eggs
Several tbs of vegetable oil (or chicken schmaltz in earlier years)
Salt and pepper to taste
Clean the liver, cut away the fat and roast on a roasting tray or cookie sheet until well done (not pink). Mince the onions, and sauté for 20 minutes or more until the onions cook down and are deep brown. Put the onion mixture in a bowl, add the chopped liver and combine. Faye used an old-fashioned chopper for the liver and eggs not a machine. If not moist enough add a bit of additional oil. The mixture at the end should be finely chopped, creamy.
Margi’s Chopped Liver
1 pound of chicken liver
16 hardboiled eggs
3 onions
Safflower oil (makes a lighter mixture), can substitute canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Broil the liver, watch carefully, overdone liver will get tough and hard to chop. Sauté onions in the oil until golden brown. Use a hand chopper. A machine will make the mixture too much like pate. Final mixture should have a crumbly texture.
Tip: When trying to peel this many eggs, after boiling put ice in the pan all over the eggs and let cool for 20 minutes. They will then peel easily.