By Kate Petersen
On August 1, local author Eva Moreimi will discuss her moving family story, Hidden Recipes: a Holocaust Memoir, at the Webber Park Library.
Hidden Recipes: a Holocaust Memoir, tells the story of suffering and survival experienced by the mother of local author, Eva Moreimi.
In late 1944 and 1945, thousands of prisoners were sent to various camps to work in German factories. Forced to work in a munition’s factory, Eva’s mother, Elena Kalina, secretly recorded the treasured recipes related to her by fellow prisoners. Ironically, at times the only available writing paper were the backs of labels for munitions and explosives from the factory where she worked. Imagine thinking and writing about food when you are fed only grass soup and crusts of hard bread! Kalina’s project helped the women create a social network even under such dire, cruel circumstances.
Eva Moreimi grew up in Czechoslovakia as an only child of two Holocaust survivor parents. Shortly after graduating from Economic School, she escaped from the communist regime and immigrated to the United States. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband near their three children and six grandchildren.
When considering her family’s legacy, Moreimi recalled the tin box in which her mother had kept her precious recipes. After serving as the basis for this moving memoir, the box and its fragile papers were donated to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. The recipes are now available online.
Moriemi’s presentation will be on August 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Webber Park Library, 4440 Humboldt Ave. N. This event is sponsored by the Friends of Webber Park Library.