From Hell to Challah: Rising from Fragile to Fearless, One Grain at a Time by Shari Wallack; © 2021;Radius Book Group; ISBN 9781635-769128; 208 pages, $24.99.
By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO – In her zany account of her travels out west from her home in Plantation, Florida, Shari Wallack never got to San Diego, so I didn’t get the chance to see how her impressions of my hometown might match up with my own experiences. If the two jibed, then I’d probably put utmost faith into her accounts of other places. As it was, I simply had to enjoy her impressions of diverse locales between New York and Utah. Also, I was astonished by her reliance on serendipity and good Jewish cooking to turn even prosaic locales into adventures.
Wallach’s company specializes in selling incentive tours to big companies. It’s not unusual for her clients to book all the cabins on a cruise ship as rewards for their more productive employees. It was a wonderful business until the coronavirus pandemic shut the cruise ship industry down, along with her Buy the Sea agency.
Ever a worrier, Wallach fell into a depression, announcing in her gloom that she might kill herself. Those close to her took her seriously and she was taken to a mental ward where she was put on a 72-hour watch. It turned out that she wasn’t really a danger to herself, but the enforced time off prompted her to rethink some of her priorities. She decided if life is a journey, rather than a destination, it was time for her to hit the road.
Sometimes she flew; other times, she rented a car. Often she would stay with friends or business acquaintances and make herself welcome by baking them challah, teaching them how to say traditional Jewish blessings like the ha motzi over bread. She also cooked in their kitchens such Jewish favorites as matzo ball soup, brisket, blintzes, and at least two dishes you’d never find at an Orthodox luncheon: mussels provençal and linguini with white clam sauce. Again and again, Wallach commented that she’s Jewish but not observant. She includes her recipes in the fast-paced memoir.
Adventurous, Wallach seemed willing to give anything a try, though camping in the woods – sans plumbing – proved disastrous on two different occasions. She more than made up for the privation with occasional mani-pedi cures and scented massages. And then there was eating, not only the food she so lovingly prepared when she stayed at other people’s homes, but also that which she sampled at restaurants all across her route.
What I found most charming about her memoir were some of the factoids she dropped into the book. For example, she commented that she loves the Chicago River, “especially when they dye it green for St. Patrick’s Day.” Also, Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store sells every candy you might have enjoyed in your youth including “candy button on steroids, candy necklaces, Valentine heart candies, licorice tacos, Disney-themed Pez dispensers with every flavor pellet, jellybeans, gummies, cookies, chocolate!”
In Idaho, she stayed with a Mormon family, prompting her to observe: “The one thing I know is that this religion celebrates family time. They enjoy being together. They are upbeat and warm … I was welcome, and I was not judged even though my beliefs differed from theirs. It felt wonderful, and I gained so much respect. I will not be converting, but I will forever appreciate their way of life.”
She was not nearly so approving of Jackson Hole, Wyoming: “There was no diversity to be found. Not a single person of color, nor a same-sex couple holding hands. Just lots of straight white people with money to burn. And MAGA hats everywhere.”
In Sedona, Arizona, she spotted a McDonald’s with a green, rather than yellow, M. ‘The only way the city would permit it was if the company complied with the local rules stating that all buildings must be done with a color that reflects nature. I suppose green is more natural than yellow? But isn’t the sun yellow?”
In all, her 95-day adventure gave her much to write about. Vicariously traveling along with her is enjoyable.
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com