Commando, Captain, Football Player, Dentist And One Great Poppi
Dr. Julian S. Mark died on August 6, 2010 in Stamford, CT. He was 87 years old and died of natural causes.

Born on July 31, 1923 in New York City, the son of the late Harry and Pauline Mark, he received his B.S. from Tufts University in 1945. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a Naval Scout Officer—the forerunner of the Navy Seals—completing a reconnaissance mission of an amphibious landing area on an island off the coast of Okinawa, ten days prior to the U.S. landing.
Stabbed in his proverbial “stern” during one night time pre-landing patrol, he was unaware of his wound until he was making a verbal report to the beach commander back at his ship.

Later, as commander of a Navy landing ship off-loading supplies and men in Vietnam following the end of the Pacific War, he and a fellow officer on shore leave were surrounded by Vietnamese guerillas who mistook them for French Naval Officers. Ironically they avoided death by shouting “American, American.”

After the war, he played football for the NFL’s Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals) during the 1946 season. He earned $250 per game, money he put towards Dental School. Mark left the team when a spot opened up for him at Georgetown University School of Dentistry, where he was also a part-time assistant foot ball coach.

Although he had an imposing 6’7’’ athletic frame, he was known as much for his engaging charm and warmth.
Dr. Mark came to Stamford with his wife, Rebecca Mark, in 1950 after graduating from Georgetown Dental School. He retired two years ago.

Once during the 1960’s, Stamford Democrats ran him for Congress against a strong incumbent Republican. As he called it, it was strictly a straw dog candidacy.

A man who strongly believed that every human being could make a difference, he devoted much of his time to education and social service. In addition to spending 34 years as an instructor and an assistant professor at the post graduate School of Dentistry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, he was appointed by Governor John Dempsey to be the Dental Advisor to the Connecticut Commission of the Mentally Retarded from 1954-1956, campaign chairman of the Stamford Jewish Federation, a director of the Stamford Jewish Center, a director of Jewish Family Services and a director of the Aid for the Retarded. He was a volunteer dentist of the Catholic Medical Mission serving for one month at a time in Jamaica, Haiti, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Nicaragua. He was also a volunteer dentist in Israel on two occasions and in Byblos, Lebanon served as the dental paleontologist with a distinguished group of archaeologists.

For the past 43 years he had also been an alumni interviewer for students applying to Georgetown University. At age 80, he began a new career as a hospice volunteer at the Visiting Nurses Association.

In addition to his wife to whom he was married for 62 years, he is survived by 5 children; 3 daughters, Susan Mark Hamlin of Los Gatos, California, Stephanie Mark of Stamford, Jane Mark Moritz of Westport, Connecticut and 2 sons, Andrew Mark of New York City and Joshua Mark of Jerusalem, Israel. He is survived by 13 grandchildren nobly named Amanda Brady, Nathaniel Hamlin, Kathy Hamlin, Rachel and David Mark, Sam, Harry and Michael Moritz, Orly, Talia, Aharoni and Aliza Mark and William Malkevich; daughter and son-in-laws Betsy Devine, Marina Malkevich, Chris Hamlin, and Joshua Moritz; nephew Martin Teicher and neice Carol Kupferman.

Funeral services were held on Sunday, August 8, 2010 at Agudath Shalom Synagogue chapel, 301 Strawberry Hill Ave. in Stamford at 2PM and burial was at the Agudath Shalom Cemetary on West Hill Road.

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A couple of months ago, I learned from Harry and Mike (my only 2 at home now, ages 18 and 14 respectively) that they are not liking meat too much anymore and what they really love are dairy meals like my challah french toast, matzo brei, blintzes, pancakes and omelets. Great!! Those are easy to make, don’t require any prep time, are “Jewish” in nature and best of all they really love them. The only problem with this is that it’s not really what Josh and I want to be eating, but we can handle this one night a week.

I’m pretty excited about what I’m making tonight. This is a recipe from Arthur Schwartz’s Jewish Home Cooking: Cottage Cheese Chremslach. They are pancakes made with cottage cheese and matzo meal (recipe below), fried in oil and topped with sliced strawberries and confectioners sugar. The picture looks scrumptious and best of all, I think my kids are going to love them. Will let you know if this recipe passes the test!

Cottage Cheese Chremslach
From Arthur Schwartz’s Jewish Home Cooking
Note: Technically, this recipe is a Passover recipe hence the matzo meal and Grapeseed or Passover oil. For non-Passover, I plan to use matzo meal and canola oil.

Makes about 18

4 eggs
1 cup 4 percent cottage cheese (you could use low fat if you prefer)
3/4 cup mile (whole or low fat)
3/4-1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
1 cup matzo meal
Grapeseed or other acceptable Passover oil or 2 tablespoons butter for frying

In a bowl, with a fork, beat together the eggs, cottage cheese, milk, salt, and sugar. Stir in the matzo meal. Set aside for 10 minutes.

In a 10-to 12-inch skillet, over medium heat, heat enough oil to cover the bottom by a scant 1/8 inch. When the oil is hot, pour a scant 1/4 cup of the batter into the skillet. It should form a pancake about 4 inches in diameter. If it is too thick to spread this much, add a little more milk. The pancake should sizzle immediately. Fry until the first side is golden brown, 60-90 seconds, depending on how hot the oil is. Turn the pancake. The second side takes less time, about 30 seconds.

Drain the pancakes on paper towels or brown paper and serve while still very hot.

Variation (Jane’s opinion–this is a worthwhile step)
For a puffier pancake, separate the eggs, beat the yolks with the milk, then beat the whites until they form peaks and fold into the batter.