I remember our grandfather, Menasha Briss. He used to sell and deliver bread and bagels baked by a Jewish bakery to a number of Jewish customers living in Wynberg, where we were born. He did not have a car or cart, but used a type of wheelbarrow. At Pesach time he sold matzos, and my father, who had a horse and cart, helped him to deliver his orders, and we, his grandchildren, also helped.

I still remember that, on Friday evenings, after supper, he took us grandchildren to the local café owned by a Jewish family. We were allowed to have an ice cream cone and some sweets. Grandpa did not pay for our goodies that evening, as it was Shabbat, but he must have settled up during the week. This took place many, many years ago, but I remember how we kids looked forward to this outing. Zaida, as we called him, was very fond of all his grandchildren.

I still make what I call a "herring bapke" that I learned from my mother. As a matter of fact, I had this dish when I visited the States in 1962. Phil Briss's father made it when I visited him in his apartment. I make a special sauce to go with the herring bapke. It is made with boiled sliced onions, syrup, and lemon juice. It has a sweet/sour taste to pour over the bapke. Everyone enjoys it when I make it on special occasions.

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