Friends,

I am equal parts delighted and terrified to announce the first-ever round of Ashkelachian merch featuring our beloved mascot, Pawpy the Possum.

If you've been around for a while, you've probably figured out that Ashkelachian isn't just recipes. It's stories. It's Appalachia. It's Jewishness. It's community. It's finding joy in unexpected places. It's making meaning out of things that don't always seem like they belong together.

Honestly, that's why Pawpy feels like the perfect mascot.

Possums are resilient little creatures. They're scrappy. They're adaptable. They're kind of weird. They survive. They persist. They show up exactly as they are.

Sound familiar?

One of the biggest challenges of building a small creative project is figuring out what people actually want to see exist in the world. Releasing this first round of merch is part celebration and part experiment. It helps me learn what resonates, what people are excited about, and what direction Ashkelachian should grow next.

If you've ever enjoyed a recipe, read an essay, laughed at a ridiculous Ashekleachian meme, or rooted for this strange little dream of mine, buying merch is one of the most direct ways to support the work.

You'll get a cozy piece of Pawpy in your life, and you'll help fund future writing, recipes, events, projects, and all the other ideas currently rattling around in my brain.

Most importantly, you'll get to say:

"I liked Pawpy before he was famous."

Thank you for supporting this weird, wonderful little community. I genuinely couldn't do it without you.

With love and possum energy,

Michelle