Updates:
Happy May Day, everyone! As you may have noticed, our website has had a facelift to make our site more accessible and user-friendly. Please feel free to peruse our site to easily browse past work and upcoming projects! As always, you can also subscribe to our newsletter to get Dandelion Diaries sent directly to your email!
The last two months have been quite busy for us as we are preparing for two major undertakings! First, we are in the midst of promoting our summer camp that will take place in July! We want to continue to expand and grow our company so we will be combining our annual In Bloom Festival with a unique summer camp experience in which children aged 8 and up will learn about acting, writing, and directing in preparation for a final show to present their original creations. If you have or know children that you think would be a great fit for this program, send them our way! We would be happy to answer any questions that you may have about our new endeavor!
More immediately, if you follow us on social media, you will see that we are extremely close to our album launch for Sinai Sessions on May 9th at Big Crow. Join us to celebrate with live music, comedy, food, drinks, and an exciting silent auction! We have exciting auction items like jewelry, art, and edible goods. Come to find out more about what we’ve got in store for you all! You can buy tickets on our website for only $15!
Recommendations:
Here you can find recommendations from Dandelion’s team members! Each diary will include a new list of our updated favourites! Have you watched or read something that you think we should know about? Shoot us a message on our facebook, instagram, or twitter with your recommendations!
Book:
The War on the Uyghurs: China's Campaign Against Xinjiang's Muslims
“As I’m finishing reading “The War on the Uyghurs”, I can’t help but realize how little of this topic is covered in media. It’s written by George Washington University professor Sean R. Roberts, and accounts how the Uyghur people have been oppressed by China for over two hundred years.
“The War on Uyghurs” is extremely educational but also extremely depressing. The book is split into six different parts. The first illustrates how the Uyghur people came to be, and how China has taken advantage and colonized their land. The next three chapters show how Americas “Global War on Terror” after 9/11, gave China the green light to accuse the vast majority of Uyghur Muslims to be extremists. The final chapters paint a very somber and painful view of how life has been for the Uyghur people living in the “Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region”, formerly know as Eastern Turkistan by its original inhabitants.
As a Jewish artist living in a free country, it’s incredibly painful to see another group of people having its identity eradicated slowly but surely over time. It’s heartbreaking to see a cultural genocide happening over seas and being powerless to stop it. If you don’t have the time to read this entire book, you should definitely be doing some research on what’s happening in Xinjiang. With all the ridiculous culture war stuff that permeates the media at times, it’s extremely troubling that something so major never sees the light of day.
I’ve attached some educational and extremely insightful videos below regarding how the Uyghur people have been treated, and how they’re now being sent to “re-education camps” to further stamp out their own unique identity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmId2ZP3h0c&ab_channel=BBCNews” - Joshua Sidlofsky (Associate Artistic Director)
TV Show:
Abbott Elementary
“Abbott Elementary is a new sitcom that mimics the style of The Office but takes place in an under-funded elementary school in Philedalphia. It follows the lives of quirky teachers with a lot of passion and determination to support their young students.
As an educator, I was immediately drawn to the show because I could relate to the main character who is a new teacher eager to shape the minds of young individuals while also trying to fit in with other teachers, navigate a new environment, and make a change in education with limited resources or support beyond the classroom.
Though this is a silly sitcom with funny situations and cute kids, it also delves into a large issue in American education (and Canadian, for that matter) in which many public schools are under-funded and under-supported, causing high stress for teachers that leads to either under-staffing OR teachers who continue to teach without hope or passion for the work they are doing.
I recommend this show if you are also an educator or if you just want to know what goes on behind the scenes of teachers lives! This is a very funny and true show that I’m sure all will find joy in!” - Emily Doucette (Managing Director)
Recipes:
A Dandelion tested and approved recipe sure to bring joy to your afternoon picnics or midnight snacks!
Max’s (Mom’s) Passover Potato Kugel
Ingredients:
12 medium potatoes
3 yellow onions
3/4 cup schmaltz
7 eggs
6 cloves of garlic
Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Peel onions and potatoes. Chop them into quarters. Crush and peel garlic cloves.
3. Grind potatoes, onions, and garlic in the food processor, adding gradually. Careful not to overfill it! Grind until mixture is almost smooth. You will probably end up with a chunk or two, that’s okay!
4. Put schmaltz in a large glass baking dish and heat in preheated oven until sizzling (usually 3-5 minutes)
5. Meanwhile pour your processed mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add eggs and seasoning. Carefully remove the schmaltz from the oven and pour about 1/3 of it into the potato mixture. Mix thoroughly.
6. Carefully swirl the rest of the oil around the sides of the pan so the whole thing is coated. Pour the batter into the pan.
7. Bake kugel one to one and a half hours until crispy and golden brown.
8.Enjoy!