From Couscous to Kasha

From Couscous to Kasha is a memoir by Dr. Seymour Epstein (Epi), who, during his eighteen years of service in the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (Joint), worked with Jewish communities all over the world. After his service as a pedagogic consultant for the Joint in Morocco and serving for three years as a regional director in Paris, he went on to work in the former Soviet Union as the Iron Curtain began to lift. He eventually ended his career at the Joint as its world director of Jewish education and a country director for the various time zones of Siberia. This humorous and often moving account of Epi’s international adventures deals with the role of community in late Twentieth century Jewish life. It explores the disintegration of North Africa’s rich Jewish past alongside the spontaneous development of new Jewish communities in Russia. These stories contain profound lessons that, it is hoped, can be applied to Jewish community life worldwide.   About the Author Dr.