From the fans...

I am so sorry to read that Peppy passed away, as I was to read last year when Rose died.

I watch the DVD so often, when I need a laugh, a little “pick-me-up” or just for no reason at all. Those three lovely ladies just made my day!

As a Jew by Choice, I never had the opportunity to witness or be a part of this major family undertaking: the laughing, joking, disagreements, horseradish that could put me under the table, etc. I use your family’s experience, via the DVD, to transport myself to Peppy’s kitchen--the aerobic exercise of lifting the cholent, adding salt (too much, by one sister’s assessment) to the fish, the schmaltz to the radish………I thank you for that experience.

May all of their memories be a blessing to you..they are to me and I never had the honor of meeting them!

Take good care.

We were captivated! A loving tribute to your special family. Loving Jewish families everywhere will want to watch this poignant, hilarious and phenomenal celebration. Heartfelt thanks for rekindling our own family memories.

This is one of the most delightful shows I have ever seen. Every bit of it!!

Can I come for Pesach next year?

I turned on PBS while sipping a cup of tea and thought, "it is meant to be that this documentary is on now". I continued watching with the mug of tea in one hand and a wad of tissues wiping the tears in the other.
Passover was always my favorite holiday. I still have my mother's set of green fire king glass dishes that we used for the eight days. I remember the Sedars at my Bubbie and Zadie's apartment in Brooklyn with my aunt's, uncles and cousins on my father's side. I loved chanting the four questions and had that honor until my younger brother took over. At this time of year, I feel the loss of my parents and my grandparents very strongly.
My sister has continued the tradition of the Sedar throughout the years. I have new insight and humor into the moments of family negativity and bickering that was(and sometimes still is) such a constant. I guess that is part of the tradition too!

Thank you for a wonderful program which brought back sweet memories and made me realize that the present will one day also be a lovely memory for me.
I am so proud to be Jewish!

A Zissen Pesach to all!

How lovely it would be for an aging cook to meet these wonderful women, spend some hours and learn!

I first discovered this program one night last year (2010) when I was suffering from a bout of insomnia. I was so glad to have had the viewing experience of this wonderful family!

I just wanted to say thank you to the creators of this documentary for showing that families still honor age old traditions. You've captured your family in such a way that it truly touched my heart!

I've already set a reminder time for this year's viewing and I can't wait to watch it again.

Laura Cox

Every year, it is my tradition to play, "The Gefilta Fish Chronicles". It wasn't my home but it reminded me of home. The fighting ...the loving...the warmth... this family travels thru the DVD into your heart. Want a big happy Passover meal without the heartburn? Buy this DVD.

My Polish Catholic family ate Gefilte fish on Christmas Eve. My babcia, a solid peasant woman, would make it with the help of her four daughters beginning a few days before. It was her signature dish and always served with fresh horseradish and rye bread. I remember going with Babcia to the fish mongers in N.Y.City and watching her argue with them, in her preferred Polish, the finer points of fish freshness. As far as I knew, the family always ate gefilte fish on Christmas Eve since forever. So, the old wheeze, "You don't have to be Jewish" really has legs in my family. An ethnographer would love this story of crossed traditions.

I'm so sorry to hear of Rosie's passing----as I have often watched "TGC", I have fallen in love with the feisty dames who prepared the Seder feast and Rosie and Peppy seemed especially close, Rose parlaying Peppy's good-natured barbs, and laughing uproariously. How you all must miss her!!! How is Peppy? She is the last of The Old Guard, may she live forever. One day, all the children will be with their beloved parents in Heaven. May the Creator bless all of you!

Growing up, I was Catholic, my best friend Jewish. We lived out of each other's homes and at age 55 we still are in touch once a week and love each other more than ever- since age 5, no less! She says laughingly that I am a better Jew than she is! I especially want to learn to make great cholent, brisket and honey cake. She lives in New York City now, and has lots of options for good home cooked food. I am happily getting ready to learn the fine art of Jewish cooking so I can have those dishes long remembered. Your video with your family is amazing. God bless all of you for generations to come!

Unfortunately I have not seen the video but saw the Patasnik name while I was searching for my first girl friend, Myrna , when we were very young in the 1940s at about ages 4 and 2. I know her Daddy, William (Bill) was from Boonton and still had family there when I was a kid. Momma Sara's family, the Rosenbergs, also lived in the same 4 family building at 290 Grafton St as they did including younger sister Rhona. Bill drove a cab and 25 years later I remet the Patasniks when they owned a dry stationery store in the Trump Village Shopping Center on Neptune Ave in Brooklyn. Would like to connect with Myrna, Rhona or any of the Rosenberg family children: the Maclins or the Mastrangelos.

I recently saw your program on KCTS Channel 9 out of Seattle, and it struck such a strong chord of hope with me. I'm not Jewish and know very little about the seder, but I saw my Romanian childhood in your family's love and closeness. That experience is exactly what we ALL need today. Bless you all for sharing your wonderful example -- the hugs AND the bickering -- with the rest of us.

I enjoyed this program more than any other I've seen in a long time. The importance of family, and of tradition is made so clear by this amazing family.

Thank you, all of you, for bringing me back 60+ years to my father's family (especially my Aunt Dottie). I had all but forgotten some of those Friday night dinners in Brooklyn at my grandparents' home...

I just adored watching the sisters, their love of family and tradition, their closeness, and their humor and knowledge. What a pleasure to watch again and again. I will be ordering both DVD and cookbook. I am Catholic and their love of their mother and father reminds me of how much I love and miss mine. I'm not Jewish, but boy I sure wish I was!

I loved this...OMG...& I'm an Irish Catholic gal...I watched this on Easter & had such a great time...LOVE your family...and was very hunger after the show...pls chronical more of your fablous families, well maybe not that bris thing..a weeding would be nice!

I watched your show tonight. WOW!! I do most of the cooking in our house, and have several Jewish cookbooks. I look forward to adding yours to my collection. Yes, I do use everyone of them all year long. Next year (2011) I plan to suprise my wife with your recipes. I can not count the number of times she said "that is my Grandmother", or "What memories this show brings back" (through many tears, of course). I want to thank you for sharing, and can't wait to tell you (a year from now) how it turns out. God Bless you all.

Although I'm just a goy, I throughly enjoyed your program. I only experienced one Passover seder, and never realized the significance of my religon and the fact that the Last Supper in Christianty was most likely Passover. I ponder this each year at this time, and the parallel paths, we all as people of faith, take. And that everyone should take part in a Passover Seder once in their lives.

But enough about religion, the food ladies - oh my! Growing up in Queens NY - I know good food and oy, my mouth was watering watching the meals your family created with care, humor and "just a bit more salt". And my eyes teared when I realized that it was not the meal, but the history and tradition and love that sits around the table that makes it all special. Many blessings upon your home and family and loved ones, today, and every day and may you continue to celebrate together - forever!

My grandfather Sam ground Horseradish (Chrain) for his south Philadelphia neighborhood for decades until he retired. Then he taught me and I ground Horseradish for my extended family and friends until everybody moved away to different states. Watching your video made me cry, your Seder was so wonderful. God bless you all!

I enjoyed this show very much. It made me think of my family, though I am Italian not Jewish, but things are very similar in both ethnicities: family and food. I turned it on half way through and now I will look for it again to watch it from the beginning. Happy Passover!

I watched The Gefilte Fish Chronicles today (23 Mar) for the first time and I was so moved by the joy, the family togetherness and the love throughout. I laughed and cried it moved me so. I never experienced a Seder with family but I intend to start doing this with my own son and his fiancee G*d in Heaven willing, this year.

Thank you so very much for the blessing your show and family has given me.

Shalom,
DonP

Would you want to invite me to your kitchen? I remember when my mother cooked, especially for the big Jewish holidays, she always sang in Yiddish.Do you sing? My mom would say, mastering her gefilte fish, in Yiddish, -Mi daf arangileigen a neshume zale ubn a fish a yiddisher tom”
In my free translation to English: - It doesn't matter whether this fish is from the river or the sea. But you need to give it an Yiddishe zest.”

And this is exactly what your program is about - an Yiddishe zest and aroma!

Elizabeth, Florida

I met "the girls" when I first moved to Boonton in 1968 and Rose, Fritzie, Sophie and Helen were all active in the Sisterhood at the Boonton Jewish Center (of which the Dubroff family were fouding members). I remember Mrs. Dubroff on Yom Kippur, sitting near the window on the right side of the Temple so she could see, silently praying and "shuckeling" and fasting ALL DAY LONG! The sisters always presented themselves as classy, well coiffed, dressed, bedecked and bejeweled. What a joy! The DVD revived such wonderful memories. Thank you.

Barbara Jerchower

During a chance flip "ON" of the TV clicker to my favorite Milwaukee PBS station I was blessed by seeing a about 15 minutes of the end of The Gefilte Fish Chronicles. Since then I've been accused of looking more like my waddling, ever-begging & drooling basset hounds as my salivary glands have refused to settle down since seeing the delightful show. My previous husband Michael is deceased. It was his mother Lorraine Maultz Rocca, her friend Rita, and her family who shared my first Seder dinner with me, a Goy, and my sister-in-laws Cathy Rocca & Priscilla Perl Rocca (Dennis) who gifted me the meanings of Pesach and made my Seder dinner memories deep & meaningful even in the framework of my Christian Faith. For through these experiences I learn we have so much more in common that binds us together and we can learn to celebrate and focus on that as we educate each other on those few differences. In the meantime GFC... Now that you roused my memories & basset hound salivary glands..SEND EMERGENCY CARE PACKAGES STAT! Gefilte fish, Matzo Ball Soup, and Chopped Liver. HELP! Am a GOY WHO CAN'T COOK !!! Sandra Seyfarth-Lechner (formerly Rocca of Lincolnwood, IL)

Thank you so much for the clarification (about the cucumbers!) and the additional advice!
We really appreciate the prompt shipping and the lightning response to our question.
The "Gefilte Fish Chronicles" is a delight and we are grateful to you and the entire Dubroff clan for sharing your experiences and your recipes with the world!

As we wrote in our first e-mail after watching the GF Chronicles:
We laughed.
We cried.
We got hungry.
We ordered the DVD and the cookbook.
And we're so glad we did!
All the best,
Chuck & Lee

I love it! Touching and fun, and what an amazing family you have. Thank you for having the love & smarts to share it with the world. I'm as impressed with the way it's put together as I am moved by it. Really good stuff on the website too - looks great.

AND get this: so I'm sitting here watching the dvd and loving it... so I call my mother-in-law to say how she needs to see it... and she points out that our Cousin Nancy saw it on PBS and it's completely the reason we had a huge family reunion for Seder this year... totally changed the family's approach to this holiday. How funny is that? :-)

I laughed, I cried. What a great story and family. The two remaining sisters are dynamite! Humor, love (or reverse the order) and all the wonderful attributes this has... Thanks to the producer...

Thanks so much for everything! Almost instant shipping. I don't know if Kai is the distributor or also the producer/director of this documentary...but if anyone can hear me out there, this has given my 85- and 88-year-old mom and dad, respectively, so much joy, that I had to let you know. They are both originally from Brooklyn and out of necessity transplanted to Maryland, so it's great to give them a touch of home, which this did and then some. We've watched together twice and we keep hearing something new and different. The only thing is...maybe it needs a little more salt :) Thanks again. Linda

Today (Wednesday April 15th) in an effort to clear the past year's listings on our GOOGLE Checkout account, some of you may have accidently received a "SHIPPING & CHARGES" notice from GOOGLE concerning your purchase of Gefilte Fish Chronicles over the last year. You are NOT being charged anything -- unfortunately, in a bid to "archive" these dormant files, Shipping notices were sent to you. Please think nothing of it. You aren't being charged a second time. Once is enough, right!? Thanks for your patronage, and we're sorry if this caused you any minor inconvenience.

David B. / The Gefilte Fish Chronicles

Hi Ya'll, I didn't see the film on PBS as I am living in Austin, TX since last summer. However, I was part of the family in Boonton, NJ. I was Sheila's BFF and went to many seders at the Patasnik residence, knew all the cousins well, babysat their children , worked at Boonton Handbag one summer. My sister, Gail Pollack Levin was a close friend of Iris' and I knew her as well. Aunt Rosie
(and Uncle Milton), Aunt Helen (and Uncle Phil), Aunt Fritzie( and Uncle Eddie) and Aunt Shopie (and Uncle Joe) were my mother's best friends and they werea part of my life growing up in a small town with few jewish folks. We were part of a small community. I stayed at Aunt Peppy's house with Sheila to visit with Lovey on a couple of occassions and the 3 of us would hang out whenever Lovey was in town. Just reading everone's comments brought back many fond memories of my youth and sharing in the families traditions. Cant' wait to see it. I was messing around on FB and Jeffrey wrote me back about Iris's blog. So, my love to all. I am a Nana now, finally! Had some gefilte fish last night...and it was not the same! Sara Pollack Pinkman

My family is very small - I only have my 88 year old mother and 90 year old stepfather. They live in Florida and I'm in Washington, D.C. Their days of holiday preparation, let alone any meal preparation, are long over.
So this week was kind of lonely for me. I have good friends, but it's not the same.
Last night I was channel surfing and came across the 3 sisters cooking in the kitchen. I had no idea what I was watching -- and I was loving it. Couldn't stop. Then I checked the info button, only to see I was watching PBS and I cracked up when I saw the title of the show. I don't know how far into the show I tuned in, but it was long before the meat grinder broke. Watching those bubbies arguing over which way the blade should face and then trying (successfully!) to put together the new one from Home Depot was priceless. Even though my family has always been small, I have childhood memories of my late father leading the seder at my grandparents' home in Florida. Since he passed away in 1969, Passover has never had the same meaning for me. Until watching the show last night. I've never seen anything like this in my life. Old world meets 2006 (I saw the copyright date). Old family pictures. Remaining sisters (it broke my heart when they said that one of them had passed away since the filming) cooking "with love" and kibbitzing. This needs more salt. No it doesn't. Hysterical! Everyone sharing memories of past Passovers. Mentioning past seder leaders and introducing the new ones. And the eloquent speech made at the beginning of the seder.
For a while, last night, I felt as if I was part of a beautiful celebration, even if it was from my sofa.
I laughed hysterically and I cried, too. I was sad for all those times that can't be recaptured.
You asked if I liked the show? Now you know! I loved it.
Was that the only show that was filmed? The credits were hysterical.
I bought the DVDs and cookbooks for my 2 best friends from childhood, my mother and me. Since my mom doesn't cook anymore, I didn't get a cookbook for her.
I hope that the family tradition never dies in that family. And I hope that everyone appreciates all the love that surrounds them.

I just caught most of your documentary on our local TV station and was enjoying it so much, thinking how much it reminded me of the way holidays are with my own family and missing them this Easter... and then I was amazed to see how close you are to us! The Yanarellas across the river in Beacon have always done holidays very much the way you do (except for the religious elements -- we're mostly-Catholic Italians!), and between a handful of aunts and cousins, we try to keep all the 500+ of us together as much as we can. I'm so sure some of must us have met some of you, so perhaps I should say greetings friends! It's so funny knowing two families so close together are so alike this way, even though we come from such different ancestral backgrounds. I wonder if it's something in the water? ;)

I just wanted to add something to my previous message: the sharing of and passing down family traditions and stories. I am so fortunate to have shared that with my grandparents, great-grandparents, aunt, uncle, parents....
And I saw that in the program.
Family, to me is important not only for the love/sharing but, IMO, it's important to continue the traditions from one generation to another.
Unfortunately, I think we're losing that in our mobile/throw-away society....and, IMO, we CAN NOT.
The family is, IMO, one of our national treasures. Whether your Jewish, Christian, etc.... yes, we need to get along with others and use tolerance but we also should have PRIDE in who we are and from where we came.
God bless, Happy Easter/Passover...and God bless out great country!

I watched the film on PBS a few days ago, and I laughed and wept through it all. I could almost smell the horseradish! What a wonderful film; I felt like a guest at the Seder, and rejoiced at the unity of family. Thank you!

Absolutely loved watching you girls prepare the gefilta fish for Seder. I am Catholic, and really appreciated all the effort and love that goes into preparing this meal. You made me laugh so much and reminded me of my relationship with my older sister, who recently passed away. We were much like you sisters, disagreeing a lot of the time, and laughing about it later. It just shows you that whatever religion or race you are we are all the same inside.

Absolutely loved watching you girls prepare for Seder. I'm Catholic, but I so appreciated all the work and LOVE that goes into your gefilta fish. Also learned a lot about your faith and cooking. You reminded me of my relationship with my older sister, who recently passed away, and how she and I interacted with each other. We are all the same no matter what religion.

Hi!
I watched the program last night and thoroughly enjoyed it! To quote Tolstoy: "all happy families are a like"...and no matter your ethnic or religious background, that is certainly true! I come from a very close-knit Protestant/Catholic family which values family, good food, and love. I learned a lot about the Passover traditions but also saw that the family is THE most important unit in our lives.
God bless and I wish everyone a blessed holiday season....whether it's Passover or Easter. Enjoy with family and friends....and bon appetit!

This year, this wonderful film is not available to be seen in the NY metro area on television. My husband and I with the wonder of the Internet, we found the website to be able to own our own DVD of the film. And why not the cookbook too! Can't wait for the package to arrive!
Thought I am a Russian Orthodox Christian, grandparents from Russia, Germany and Poland, I see so many similarities in how familles interact with each other. The gratefulness of being together warms my heart.
Happy Passover and God bless you to the Dubroff family!

Dear Mavens.............
It's almost 2 am on Tuesday April 7,2009 and I just watched your film for the first time...I laughed so hard I cried....I have some very dear friends who are Jewish and have fond memories of the first Passover I cooked for.....I was raised a catholic, but have always believed I was really Jewish....I am Italian and as many have said the Italians and the Jewish people are alike in many ways.. I plan on ordering the DVD and cook book...Thank you for reminding us how important family is............I wish health and happiness for your entire family this Passover....

I don't know what was funnier, watching the "girls" as they cooked and kvetched and kibbutzed, or reading the credits at the end of the show. This was just wonderful and I enjoyed every second of it. Boy, did it bring back memories. As a girl who was raised by her Jewish grandmother, and then married an Italian, I can tell you that the two cultures are very similar. But it did make me long for the days of sitting in my grandmother's kitchen watching her cook. We used to tell her to make sure she kept the lid on the pot with the matzoh balls because hers were so light they would float away. She would send me across the street to Sam the Fishman (In Philly) to pick up the fresh fish for her unbelievably good gefilte fish.

I miss you Grandmom!

Have a wonderful Pesach everyone!

Saw The Gefilte Fish Chronicles on PBS here the other day and thoroughly enjoyed it. Made me cry to enjoy the family traditions of your yearly Seder. God bless you all!

What a marvelous story of love, tradition and family!!!

I just finished watching your moving documentary on PBS while doing my Pesach baking. Thank you for sharing your beautiful family with us - it felt like my own family, though my mother was an only child after losing her mother and brothers in the war. Our seders were always fairly small, but she, single-handedly, kept Pesach alive and it became our family's most favourite and special holiday. After her passing 15 years ago, my sister and I strive to make Pesach a time of incredible memories for our 9 children. I look forward to the day, 40 years from now, when we bicker over the amount of salt in the fish and, G-d willing, welcome our grown children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. May G-d bless you and your family. I thank you for sharing your story with me.

I am sad because I sit on my sofa alone, missing my brothers and sisters and mother and father who all live in the same city two hours from where I live. I am sad because daddy had a stroke and cannot speak. I am sad because I am divorced and don't have that lifelong partner to celebrate with. I am sad because I miss my family and feel isolated. I am sad because I don't feel like I belong anymore.

Watching your film was like turning back the clock fifty years, to the kitchen with my grandmother, my mother and my aunts...All of the food, the loving bickering, the "needs more salt", the schmaltze, the gribennas in the canedelach...and, although you didn't use the term, the retach (black raddish). My stomach ached and my eyes watered.

Happy Pesach!
Lou Cohen, Foxboro, MA

Here is the preliminary listings for this year's broadcasts. Please share with your friends and family:
The schedule is as follows:
WETA in the Washington area April 9 @ 9:0Opm
WGBH in Boston April 5 @6pm on channel 2 and 10:30pm on 44
WPBT in Miami and Boca April 5@6pm
KCPT in Kansas City April 8 @10:30pm
WCNY in Syracuse April 2 @ 9pm
WCVE in Richmond April 1 @ 11pm and April 2 @ 10
Vermont Pub TV April 5 @5pm and April 6@9pm
WSBE in Providence which reaches the S of Boston, the Cape and Vinyard
April 1 @ 8pm
April 3 @ 12am
April 5 @3am and 11pm
April 6 @ 2pm and 4am

I just had to write to you to tell you again how much I love your
documentary. It's been a couple of years since
I first received your wonderful documentary DVD ("The Gefilte Fish
Chronicles"...just love the title) about your family's preparation for
the Seder celebration and I just love watching it over and over again.
You have a very warm family bond that shows through in your video. I am
a first generation Chinese descendant but every time I see your DVD, I
get a very warm and loving feeling inside that transcends racial
boundaries. I can't say enough how well done your documentary is
and how much I enjoy watching it. Sophie, Peppy and Rosie are just
wonderful. Seriously, you should have gotten an Emmy Award for it.

You have a wonderful family and I hope you all have a very full and
prosperous life, filled with many
years of Seder together. Take care.

What a wonderful film and family. Everyone should see it to understand what 'family' means...Jewish or not....

What a terrific film! I'm speechless! I grew up with Honey and Rosalie as good friends. How great to see the whole family again.

Man oHH man the girl that ate all those matzoh balls is so cool. And the little boy and the girl who sang the 4 questions were so cute. I wish i was in the Family. Peace be with you all and a Happy 2009 passover

I saw the "Gefilte Fish Chronicles" on Channel 13 last year around the start of Passover and fell in love with the show. I am a 31 year old Italian man who is a practicing Catholic, but as a child I was always with my grandmother learning how to cook the different traditional foods of our heritage. I would love to listen to (and still do) stories about the family and the recipes that my grandmother and her sisters learned to make from their mother. I was always told that Italians and Jews were very similar when it came to traditions involving family and food. After seeing this show, and now owning the dvd, I am sure of it! God bless Peshie, Rosie and their families. May they continue to do this for years to come.