360 Hamentashen and Counting ... 360 Hamentashen and Counting … When I was in my early teens, the smell of freshly baked hamentashen would pervade the house, starting at least four or six weeks before Purim. And I’d see these little slips of paper all over the kitchen that said “48 apricot, 4 “rejects,” seventh batch, Feb. 1 … 49 prune, three “rejects,” seventh batch, Feb. 1. My father loved the rejects … he would often come down to the kitchen while my mother was baking to ask how the hamentashen were coming out and slyly ask if there were any my mother couldn’t use…before she packaged them very neatly and put them in the freezer. Actually, in later years when I joined my mother in this venture (more about that later), I remember fondly bringing up the rejects to my dad while he was sitting upstairs. This became especially important when he was ill. This was one of the few things that he remembered and it would make him smile. My mother’s goal every year was 1,000 hamentashen to give out to her neighbors, shul-mates, shop owners, etc. In her synagogue, they exchange packages of shalach manot in celebration of Purim. Everyone looks forward to my mother’s hamentashen, which are known as the best in town. In my late teens, I joined my mother in her hamentashen endeavors and loved every second of this backbreaking activity. She never complained … I did! This year, at 88, she is still going strong, baking hamentashen in her home. It is one of my greatest joys to work side by side making these exceptional hamentashen with my mom. It inspires me to work side-by-side making The Exceptional Hamentashen with my business partner. Chag Purim Sameach!

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