Kugel is a traditional Jewish dish often served on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. The recipe my family uses consists of egg noodles, different dairy products, and raisins for a sweet touch. Even though my immediate family is not Jewish, my great-grandmother was a Russian-Jewish immigrant. She passed away when I was young so I never got to know her as well as I would have liked, but the kugel recipe we eat every holiday makes me feel like she is still with us at every meal. I have always been closer to my mother’s side of the family, which is where we got the kugel recipe from. My grandmother on my mother’s side was always trying to keep our heritage in our family. When I was around 3 years old, she was diagnosed with ALS which slowly brought on loss of mobility and dementia. As her disease progressed she was unable to come to any holiday dinners, and without her there it felt so empty. In my freshman year of high school she passed away, and ever since holiday dinners and the kugel have never been the same. My grandmother suffered so much with her illness, and I know now she is always watching over me. My mom and I still continue to make her kugel every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas and it is a recipe I will use for many years to come.

– Riley Eckhardt

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more