At Reform Jewish summer camps in the American South, a mouth-watering fried chicken dinner welcomes campers on opening night and serves as a delicious end to the summer on closing night, sending them home with their bellies full and their hearts happy.
At URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica, MS, no Southern fried chicken dinner is complete without black-eyed peas, mashed potatoes with brown gravy, flaky rolls, and homemade banana pudding – served to more than 325 people!
At URJ Greene Family Camp in Bruceville, TX, fried chicken is also a staple on Shabbat. Everyone joins together in white on the Shabbat stroll, says the Sabbath Prayer, joins in a raucous song session, and watches the sun go down – but nothing signals Shabbat quite like the camp’s famous fried chicken for Friday night dinner.
Says one staffer, “When we eat our fried chicken, it reminds us of the kehilah k’doshah (holy community) we become when we join together as one in the chadar ochel (dining hall) every Friday night.
- Mix together the hot sauce and the Greek seasoning, then marinate chicken in the mixture for two days.
- Mix together the remaining ingredients, then pat them onto the chicken.
- Deep-fry the chicken in vegetable oil until the chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- After frying, let excess oil drain from chicken.
- Enjoy!
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