Sisters and business partners Amy and Nancy Harrington are the cofounders of The Passionistas Project, a global community of women who come together to lift each other up in the areas of business development, personal growth, and social impact.
“It’s all about elevating women who don’t often get the support and attention that they need,” Amy told the Journal.
The sisters each had high-powered careers in Hollywood – Amy worked on major films like Harry Potter and The Matrix, and Nancy created Academy Award campaigns – before launching this endeavor and companion podcast around 2016.
“It was going to be a little side project, and then that snowballed into an annual women’s equality summit called Power of Passionistas and that led to us forming the community,” Amy said.
Storytelling and food have always gone hand in hand. It is something that’s embedded into all cultures. The sisters, who were raised in an Irish Italian Catholic family – Sunday dinners, a big pot of spaghetti and testing the pasta to make sure it was cooked – recently discovered that they were Jewish. Though, they weren’t too surprised.
They already had plenty of Jewish connections and influences. Nancy had a boyfriend who was Jewish; Amy, who once had a Jewish roommate, has a Jewish fiancee. “We started to have seders and light Hanukkah candles with the people in our lives,” she said. “My fiance … and I will do Shabbat dinners and go to [temple].”
How they found out is a “crazy” story.
“I was having electrical issues in my house and I had my tarot cards read, and our dear friend told us that our ancient aunties were trying to tell us to have more fun,” Nancy told the Journal. “And I said, ‘Ancient aunties? Do you mean because we have very many Italian relatives that lived well into their 100s.’
“She said, ‘No, I mean your ancient aunties’ … and then she started telling us about the history of the Jewish people in Eastern Europe and how they migrated to different areas.”
This woman revealed that, like their spirit guides, the Harrington sisters were Jewish, a fact they confirmed with their older sister.
It turned out, after emigrating to Southern Italy over a thousand years ago, their Jewish relatives had two choices: convert to Catholicism or be slaughtered. After converting, they changed their name from Isaaco (Isaac) to Sacco.
For the sisters, that revelation made sense.
“There’s always been this connection,” Amy said. “And I do think part of that has also always been the food: I learned how to make matzo brei, I learned how to make latkes.”
The sisters mentioned Benedetta Jasmine Guetta’s “Cooking Alla Giudia: A Celebration of the Jewish Food of Italy.” Guetta also owns Cafe Lovi in Santa Monica, and really leans into both cultures related to food.
“There’s noodle kugel and then there’s the Italian pastas; there’s just so much overlap,” Amy said. “I always associate New York Jews with New York cheesecake, and in Italy we have pizza dolce, which is just a sweeter, less tart version.” Their recipe for pizza dolce is below.
The act of sitting down together, breaking bread, is another commonality.
“That’s really embedded in both cultures,” Nancy said. “And I think that the best way to learn anything from each other is to tell stories and listen.”
“Our experience in our … Italian family is, ‘Everybody’s always welcome,’” Amy said. “There’s always that seat at the table, whether it’s for Elijah or somebody else.”
Learn more at thepassionistaproject.com and follow @ThePassionistasProject on Facebook and Instagram.
For the full conversation, listen to the podcast:
Pizza Dolce
by Amy and Nancy Harrington, sisters and co-founders of The Passionistas Project
This is a ricotta tart that is subtly sweeter, more delicate and less tangy than traditional cheesecake. It comes straight from our Italian great grandmother’s kitchen and was passed on to us by our mother, Betty Harrington. We make it only for brunch on holidays and the most special occasions.
The recipe fills one 9” square pan (or a small rectangular pan)
Serves 6–8
Ingredients
For the Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup shortening
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tbsp water (add a splash more if needed)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Filling:
2 1/2 lbs ricotta cheese
1/4 cup flour (plus extra if needed)
1/8 tsp salt
3 tbsp vanilla (or 2 tsp grated lemon or orange peel)
4 eggs, beaten until foamy
1 cup sugar, added gradually
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Make the Crust:
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and the pinch of salt.
Cut in the shortening until it looks like coarse crumbs. Slightly beat the eggs and then mix in the water and vanilla until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. For best results, chill the dough overnight or for a minimum of two hours.
- Make the Filling:
Mix the ricotta, flour, and salt until smooth. Add the vanilla or citrus.
Beat the eggs until foamy, gradually adding the sugar. Fold into the ricotta until creamy. Add a touch more flour if needed.
- Assemble and Bake:
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface and press into your pan. It will be a little sticky — don’t worry, that’s normal.
Pour filling into the crust and smooth the top.
Bake for 50–60 minutes. The deeper the dish, the longer the pie will take. It could take up to 75 minutes for a deep dish.
The color should be deep yellow and the filling should be set but soft in the center.
Let cool and dust with confectioners’ sugar, if you like.
Debra Eckerling is a writer for the Jewish Journal and the host of “Taste Buds with Deb.” Subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform. Email Debra: tastebuds@jewishjournal.com.
