food & dining
KERI WHITE | SPECIAL TO THE JE
e recently had a house
guest whose spouse is on
a low-salt diet for health
reasons. I asked him about his dietary
preferences for his visit, and he said,
semi-jokingly, “When I’m away, I’m on
a high-salt diet!”
Obviously, I didn’t want to serve up
high blood pressure with dinner, but I
did focus on ingredients that he prob-
ably can’t have at home — things like
soy and miso, which are delicious but
do have a fair share of salt.

Because we were at the beach, and he
is from Colorado, I also wanted to off er
some local fi sh that he doesn’t oft en
fi nd at home.

Tilefi sh is a delicious variety that is
caught off the Jersey coast and worked
beautifully with this meal — but any
fi rm fi sh like grouper, halibut, cod,
salmon, haddock or tilapia would be
a fi ne substitute. Just be sure to adjust
the cooking time for the fi sh; the tile-
fi sh was about an inch thick, but as a
thinner fi let, tilapia would require less
cooking time.

We served this with sushi rice, which
is a bit sticky and has a diff erent texture
from regular rice. Th e sauce coated it
well, and the rice rounded out the meal
nicely, keeping with the “eastern” vibe.

If sushi rice is not convenient, any type
of rice or noodle would be enjoyable
with this dinner.

Soy-Ginger Glazed Fish
Serves 4
The glaze can be made a day ahead
and stored in a sealed container
in the refrigerator. If you use this
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20 JULY 21, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
ALLEKO / iStock / Getty Images Plus
W Summer Supper Featuring
Soy, Ginger and Miso
method, the fi sh will need an extra
10 minutes in the oven to compen-
sate for the cold glaze. The hot glaze
poured right from the skillet acceler-
ates the cooking process.

1.5 pounds tilefi sh or other fi llet
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1-inch piece ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon chopped chili pepper
or 1 teaspoon hot sauce like
Sriracha Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon sesame oil
¼ cup water
Heat your oven to 275 degrees F.

In a large skillet over medium,
heat the canola oil, and sauté the
onion, garlic, chilies and ginger until
fragrant and soft, about fi ve minutes.

Add the soy, sesame, water and lime
juice, and toss the lime rinds in as
well. Cook over low until the sauce
thickens, about eight minutes.

While the sauce simmers, place
the fi sh in a baking dish with a
cover. Remove the lime rinds, pour
the sauce over the fi sh and bake,
covered, for 20 minutes, or until the
fi sh is opaque throughout and fl akes
easily. Serve immediately.

Salad with Miso Dressing
Serves 4
This simple salad was a hit and com-
plements the fi sh nicely. It would
also be nice as a bed for grilled
salmon, tuna, chicken or fl ank steak.

I used the micro sprouts and pea
shoots that I found at my local farm-
ers market from the gifted folks at
Taproot Farm, but if you can’t fi nd
them, just add an extra cup of greens.

6 cups baby greens (spring mix,
arugula, mache or tatsoi)
½ cup microgreens sprouts such as
broccoli or radish sprouts
1 cup pea shoots
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 carrot, grated
1 scallion, white and green parts,
chopped For the dressing:
¼ cup miso (any type)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons canola or
vegetable oil
Place all the salad ingredients in a
large, shallow bowl. Mix the ingredi-
ents well, making sure to break up
the miso, and thoroughly blend to an
even consistency, either with a fork
or a blender. Toss it over the salad
just before serving. JE



arts & culture
Philadelphia Native Details
Disney Labor Disputes
T SASHA ROGELBERG | STAFF WRITER
he man who helped create
Disney Studios’ golden age was
the same man who helped end it.

Art Babbitt, a Jewish animator for
Disney Studios, worked on projects such
as “Pinocchio,” “Fantasia” and “Dumbo”;
he helped develop the character of Goofy.

But away from his drawing board,
Babbitt was a union proponent, leading
animation artists in a strike against their
company and Walt Disney in the early
1940s. The story in all its complexities is
detailed in “The Disney Revolt: The
Great Labor War of Animation’s Golden
Age” published July 5 by Chicago
Review Press. The book was written by
Philadelphia native and Jewish animator
Jake S. Friedman.

Babbitt’s call for unionization mirrors
those of his Jewish predecessors on the
East Coast.

“You’ll see time and time again, people
who lead like the garment workers union
in New York and so on, always appear
to be Jews, usually Jewish immigrants,”
Friedman said.

Friedman, 41, suggested that Jewish
union efforts were the result of the failed
promise of a land of greater opportunity
and the desire for escaping the oppressive
structures of their home countries.

In a time of pervasive unionization
efforts across Hollywood, Disney trailed
behind the rest. Even in its golden age, the
company shrunk its animator employee
base from 1,400 to 600 at its small-
est. Some animators, the “inbetweeners”
who drew the in-between drawings, were
given a salary of what would be $18,000
today. After Babbitt led his co-workers in a
nine-week strike, what followed was a
battle of public relations, Friedman said.

Strikers were called communists, and strik-
ers claimed that Disney was antisemitic.

“This made Babbitt’s martyrdom more
personal and gave them justification
to antagonize Walt Disney,” Friedman
wrote. “It became a battle cry of the strik-
ers, who wanted to punish Walt the way
they felt they had been punished.”
The antisemitic claims were lofty;
Disney had many Jews in his inner circle,
and the accusations emerged during a
bitter period after the strike.

Friedman has personal ties to the sub-
ject of the novel beyond his shared Jewish
identity with Babbitt. An instructor of
animation history at New York University
Tisch School of the Arts, his alma mater,
and the Fashion Institute of Technology,
Friedman has a passion for the medium.

He also has deep roots in labor organizing.

Growing up in Elkins Park, Friedman
was shaped by the Jewish educa-
tors by which he was surrounded. He
attended Solomon Schechter Day School
and Akiba/Jack M. Barrack Hebrew
Academy, but continued to be influenced
by educators outside of school.

Friedman’s mother, father and grand-
mother participated in the Philadelphia
teacher’s strike in 1973. They all volun-
teered to get arrested, as striking was
illegal, and a photo of Friedman’s father
getting arrested appeared in the Feb. 19,
1973, Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. The
family treasured the newspaper clipping.

“That was as much of my makeup as
my Jewish identity,” Friedman said. “Part
of my heritage was knowing that I came
from strikers who fought for what they
believed.” “The Disney Revolt” was written for
a broader audience with the hope that
anyone, even those without a back-
ground or interest in animation and
history, could draw inspiration from it.

The book is a call to action for others
to learn more about labor organizing
beyond what was happening in 20th
century Hollywood.

“It’s not an East Coast thing. It’s not a
West Coast. It’s not a Midwest thing. It’s
an American thing,” he said. “And I want
people who read this book, who wouldn’t
otherwise be accustomed to that idea, to
“The Disney Revolt: The Great Labor
War of Animation’s Golden Age” was
published July 5 by Chicago Review
Press. Courtesy of Jake S. Friedman
get a kernel of some information that will
encourage them to learn more.” JE
srogelberg@midatlanticmedia.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
21