: The Original Soul Food

אין קמח אין תורה

Where there is no food,

There is no Torah.

Pirke Avot 3:17

Miller Introduction to Judaism Program at American Jewish University

Some Terms to Start With:

Kashrut : The Jewish dietary laws. This system of law, which includes restrictions on eating the flesh of certain animals (pork, shellfish, etc), the separation of meat and dairy, and specific regulations about how animals are slaughtered and prepared, introduce spiritual discipline and awareness to the act of consumption.

Kosher : Fit, proper to be eaten.

Treif : Un-kosher.

Heksher : A printed certification that a particular food is kosher. The most common heksher in the United States is issued by the , and looks like a small letter “u” within a circle. Hekshers will often also indicate if a food is fleshig, milchig, or , and whether it may be eaten on Passover.

JEWISH EATING FROM THE BOOK OF GENESIS

Genesis 1:29

Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

Genesis 9:1-4

Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.

Genesis 32:24-32

So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Pen-ee-el, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

Miller Introduction to Judaism Program at American Jewish University

JEWISH EATING FROM THE REST OF THE TORAH

Deuteronomy 14:3-21

Do not eat any abomination. These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope and the mountain sheep. You may eat any animal that has a split hoof and that chews the cud. However, of those that chew the cud or that have a split hoof you may not eat: the camel, the rabbit or the hyrax. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a split hoof; they are impure for you. The pig is also impure; although it has a split hoof, it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses.

Of all the creatures living in the water, you may eat any that has fins and scales. But anything that does not have fins and scales you may not eat; for you it is impure.

You may eat any pure bird. But these you may not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture, the red kite, the black kite, any kind of falcon, any kind of raven, the horned owl, the screech owl, the seagull, any kind of hawk, the little owl, the great owl, the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, the cormorant, the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.

All flying insects are impure for you; do not eat them. But any winged creature that is clean you may eat.

Do not eat anything you find already dead. You may give it to the foreigner residing in any of your towns, and they may eat it, or you may sell it to any other foreigner. But you are a people holy to the Lord your God.

Do not cook a kid in its mother’s milk.

In order to be potentially kosher, a land animal must have these two features:

______& ______

In order to be potentially kosher, a sea animal must have these two features:

______& ______

How can you tell if a bird is potentially kosher?:

______

Miller Introduction to Judaism Program at American Jewish University

SEPARATING MEAT AND DAIRY

“Do not cook a kid in its mother’s milk.” - Exodus 23:19 & 34:26, Deuteronomy 14:21

Philo of Alexandria: “A person who boils the flesh of lambs or kids in their mother’s milk shows himself cruel and brutal of character, without compassion.”

Maimonides: “As for the prohibition on eating meat boiled in milk, it is in my opinion not improbable that idolatry had something to do it with. Perhaps such food was eaten at one of their ceremonies.”

Jacob Milgrom: “The common denominator in these prohibitions is the fusion and confusion of life and death… The mother’s milk, the life sustaining food, should never become associated with death.”

Some Terms to Start With:

Fleshig (Basari) : Food that is made from meat (either mammal OR poultry), which the Jewish dietary laws teach should be kept separate from foods containing dairy.

Milchig (Chalavi) : Foods containing dairy ingredients, which the Jewish dietary laws teach should be kept separate from foods containing meat.

Pareve : A food that is neither meat nor dairy, and can thus be eaten with either. Pareve foods include fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, eggs, and fish. One should be careful to check the ingredients of processed foods, as sometimes they will contains dairy or animal derived ingredients.

The traditional waiting period between eating dairy and meat is: ______

The traditional waiting period between eating meat and dairy is: ______

In order to keep from mixing meat and dairy, it is traditional to separate cooking and serving dishes. How you kasher dishes depends on the material they are made from:

Metal (pots, pans, silverware):

Ceramic (plates, bowls, serving dishes):

Glass (cups, plates, cookware)

Miller Introduction to Judaism Program at American Jewish University

KOSHER MEAT

Some Terms to Start With:

Shechita : The method of kosher slaughter, involving an extremely sharp knife and a single cut to the animal’s throat, rendering an almost immediate and painless death.

Shochet : A kosher butcher.

Tzaar Baalei Hayim : The of showing compassion to animals. While the Jewish Tradition permits the consumption of meat, it is a violation of Jewish law to raise or slaughter animals in a way that is unethical or causes unnecessary suffering.

LOOKING FOR HEKSHERS (Kashrut Certifications)

These are some commonly found hekshers:

MAGEN TZEDEK

The mission of the Magen Tzedek Commission is to bring the Jewish commitment to ethics and social justice directly into the marketplace… and the home. The Commission’s seal of approval, the Magen Tzedek, will help assure consumers that kosher food products were produced in keeping with the highest possible Jewish ethical values and ideals for social justice in the area of labor concerns, animal welfare, environmental impact, consumer issues and corporate integrity.

The Magen Tzedek, the world’s first Jewish ethical certification seal, synthesizes the aspirations of a burgeoning international movement for sustainable, responsible consumption and promotes increased sensitivity to the vast and complex web of global relationships that bring food to our tables.

ECO-KASHRUT:

Eco-kashrut is an attempt to “renew the unity of earth and humanity,” according to Arthur Waskow. Eco-kashrut is an attempt to challenge the banality by which we consume and buy and bless and need. It is a call to stay away from treyf (literally “torn by a wild beast”), that which is dissonant with the preservation of the earth and we who dwell on the earth. It is a call to struggle with whether vegetarianism is the ideal form of eating, even though being a vegetarian does not absolve us of serious daily choices about what we buy and how much we consume. It is not only about labels and letters saying this food is kosher or not, but about making choices that reflect the unity in all creation, both bird and beast, woman and man.

Rabbi Felicia Sol, “Eco-Kashrut: A Reminder of God’s Presence” June 2000

Miller Introduction to Judaism Program at American Jewish University

BLESSINGS

“Our Rabbis taught: It is forbidden to enjoy anything from this world without first saying a blessing. Anyone who derives benefit from the world without taking the time to offer a blessing is considered to have stolen sacred property.”

Talmud, Brakhot 35a

Bread Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha'olam hamotzi lehem min ha'aretz .

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.

Grains (non-bread products) Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha'olam borei minei mezonot .

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates varieties of foods.

Wine & Grape Products Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha'olam borei p'ri hagafen .

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Food that Grow on Trees Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha'olam borei p'ri ha'eitz .

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the tree.

Food that Grows on the Ground Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha'olam borei p'ri ha'adamah .

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the ground.

Miscellaneous Food (meat, poultry, eggs, fish, dairy products)

Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha'olam shehakol ni’hi’yeh bidvaro .

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, by whose word all came to be.

Miller Introduction to Judaism Program at American Jewish University

KASHRUT AS A MINDFUL EATING PRACTICE

Kashrut and the practice of saying blessings teaches us to be aware of all aspects of the food we put into our bodies— its origins, its preparation, and ultimately the miracle of a world that nourishes and sustains us. Practice eating a small item of food—a piece of fruit, a glass of wine, or a Hershey Kiss—with mindfulness. Start with a blessing, eat slowly and really savor the look, smell, taste, and feel of the food as you eat it, then end with an expression of gratitude. Repeat.

“I believe the purpose of kashrut is to make eating a special experience and to serve as a reminder of a Jew’s ethical conscience as well as of the other unique teachings of Judaism.”

Blu Greenberg, How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household

“Because we eat two, three, or four times every day, it’s easy to forget just how wondrous that is. It’s like the sunrise or the sunset. The sun rises and sets every day. If it’s an especially beautiful sunrise, we may notice it. But if it’s not “special” we may not even see it.

But, if we can see it as if for the first time, each sunrise becomes very special and very beautiful. And so with each meal we create.”

Bernard Glassman, Instructions to the Cook

“Sir”, I said to a man at the front of the room, “what was the last thing you ate before you came here?” “An apple,” he replied. “Great,” I said, “An apple. Did you steal that apple?” “No,” he replied, “I bought it at ShopRite.” People smiled. But he was quite right. When most of us want an apple, we go to the store and we buy one. Then I said, “Sir, if someone had given you a million dollars, would you have been able to make that apple?” And people smiled again, this time with a different sense of awareness.”

Nigel Savage, founder of HAZON (www.hazon.org )

“When we can slow down and really enjoy our food, our life and our health, we take on a much deeper quality. I love to sit and eat quietly and enjoy each bite, aware of the presence of my community, aware of all the hard and loving work that has gone into my food. When I eat in this way, not only am I physically nourished, I am also spiritually nourished.”

Thich Nhat Hahn, Buddhist practitioner and teacher

Miller Introduction to Judaism Program at American Jewish University

AVIVA AND LIRONA KADOSH’S “WORLD’S BEST CHALLAH”

Challah Dough: 2 tablespoons honey 3 cups bread flour 3 tablespoons oil (light olive or vegetable oil) 1 tablespoon wheat gluten 1 cup raisins (optional) 1.5 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons yeast Egg Wash: ¾ cup water 1 egg yolk 2 eggs 1 teaspoon of water

Bread Machine Directions: Place all ingredients in bread machine in order suggested by manufacturer. Set for dough cycle. If desired, add raisins when suggested by manufacturer (many bread machines will beep when it is the correct time to add). When dough cycle is complete, follow baking instructions below.

Kitchen-Aid Mixer Directions: Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix wet ingredients in the kitchenaid mixer. Add dry ingredients gradually until all the ingredients are incorporated. Knead with the dough hook for 10 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. If desired, add raisins after about 9 minutes of kneading. If too wet, add more flour. Place dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a slightly damp cloth and let rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size. Gently deflate (i.e. punch down dough). Follow baking instructions below.

By Hand: Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a large bowl. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. If desired, add raisins. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough becomes too difficult to mix with a spoon. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. If the dough is too wet, add more flour. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl, then cover with a slightly damp cloth and let rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size. Gently deflate dough (i.e. punch down dough). Follow baking instructions below.

Baking Directions: Braid dough into the form desired and place onto lightly oiled baking sheet. Cover with the cloth again and let rise for an hour. Prepare egg wash by beating egg yolk and water together until frothy. Brush challah with egg wash.

Bake challah in a preheated 375 degree oven on a lower middle rack for about 35 minutes. Doneness is best determined by an instant read thermometer. The challah should reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit (at least). If the challah becomes browned too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil. Place finished challah on a cooling rack to cool.

Miller Introduction to Judaism Program at American Jewish University

DIY JUDAISM EAT: 10 WAYS TO DINE LIKE A JEW

Abstain from all pig products. While we don’t want to cite “You are what you eat” as the reason for this law, in a way, that encompasses the primary reason we don’t consume pig products.

Refrain from eating shellfish. Jewish law prohibits the consumption of any fish without fins and scales. Bad News: This includes shrimp, lobster, oysters, and other shellfish. Good News: Lox is made of salmon.

Purchase a Jewish cookbook and experiment with recipes. Although I can live on jelly doughnuts and hamentashen, others enjoy food that is a little more sophisticated. For those folks, we would recommend Joan Nathan’s Jewish Holiday Cookbook, Susie Fishbein’s Kosher by Design , Yotam Ottolenghi’s and Sami Tamimi’s Jerusalem.

Avoid eating dairy & meat foods together. Even though toaster ovens are great, and baths are essential, I wouldn’t recommend having those two anywhere close to each other; it’s the same for meat and dairy. In order to not “boil a kid in its mother’s milk,” Jews refrain from having those two foods on the same plate.

Observe a minimal waiting period between eating meat and dairy. You ask me the Jewish question of “how long should we wait?” and I give you the Jewish answer of “it depends.” Some Jews wait one hour, others wait, three, six... Find the sweet spot that is both practical and makes you feel like the mitzvah is still being observed.

Eat only kosher varieties of fish (fins & scales). Whereas cats might have nine lives, catfish definitely do not. However, because they don’t have both fins and scales, they are among the types of unkosher fish.

Eat only kosher meat & poultry at home. In Orwell’s words: “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.” One can start exclusively eat meats that were slaughtered in a Kosher manner and processed in a Kosher facility— conveniently offered at all Trader Joe’s!

Eat meat only in kosher restaurants, otherwise eat pescatarian (vegetarian + fish). Goodbye Big Mac! At least this way you won’t have to worry about the hamburglar anymore.

Acquire separate dishes for preparing and serving meat & dairy meals at home. While the Torah doesn’t say “Thou shall not eat your hot wings on the same plate as they pizza”, in order to make sure that no meat and milk is consumed simultaneously, this extra step is highly recommended.

Bake challah on Friday afternoons for Shabbat. ` Baking Challah is great for all of your senses. It looks great, it tastes fantastic, it will fill your house with an angelic smell, the compliments it will receive will sound astounding, and the beating, pounding, and braiding, will give you a pre-Shabbat ritual that will put you into a relaxed state of mind. See recipe above!

Miller Introduction to Judaism Program at American Jewish University

Create a Jewish Eater’s Manifesto. What elements of Judaism am I ready to incorporate into my eating practice now? What elements would I like to add in the future?

For Further Reading:

Samuel Dresner & Seymour Siegel, The Jewish Dietary Laws Brad Artson, It’s a Mitzvah: Step by Step to Jewish Living Joan Nathan, Jewish Holiday Cookbook Susie Fishbein, Kosher by Design Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi, Jerusalem: A Cookbook

Miller Introduction to Judaism Program at American Jewish University