I grew up in what you would call a ‘traditional’ but secular Jewish household in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs in the 1980s.
I guess you could say that my childhood was very insular. I went to a Jewish school, had Jewish friends and gathered with family every Friday evening to observe Judaism was the world I knew.
Ever since I was young, food has always formed a strong part of my Jewish identity. In Jewish culture, food is a nod to our past. Food is central to our identity. It’s central to our being, our community and our traditions.
Traditional meals have the power to remind us of our experiences. Or, they can help some people to heal.
The meaning of food
Most of my family is Polish: three of my grandparents were born in Poland. Although my paternal grandmother was born in Jerusalem, she adopted a Polish way of cooking and catering for the family after marrying my Polish grandfather.
Growing up, we’d eat dishes like gefilte fish or honey cake to celebrate . Apple compote was always a feature as well. Then we’d have traditional foods like challah: a special Jewish braided bread that families eat during Shabbat on a Friday night. And, of course, there was always chicken soup. These meals have always acted as a thread that connects people of different generations together, over time, enabling us to share our culture and history.
A lot of a lot of survivors commonly say: ‘what if the Nazis come back? We will have to make sure we have a house full of food’.
Food symbolism ran even deeper for my maternal grandparents, who have now passed away. They were Holocaust survivors.
During their life in Australia after the war, food was a valuable commodity to them. Their fridge was always full and their pantry was always stocked. There was always an abundance of food in the house. I vividly remember how my grandmother used to stock up on everyday essentials – some of them weren’t even food-related. There’d be extra laundry powder and toilet rolls in the house just in case there was a scarcity, which there never was.
I’ve heard that this quality is a character trait shared by some Holocaust survivors. A lot of survivors commonly say: ‘what if the Nazis come back? We will have to make sure we have a house full of food’. My grandparents, like many other Holocaust survivors, lived their life in Australia always ensuring they had kept plenty of provisions – just in case.
Food as a nod to the past
My maternal grandmother was also a fabulous cook. I remember her always wearing an apron. It was a wonderful thing to watch her cook in her kitchen. Cholent was one of my favourite dishes that she used to make. It’s a peasant dish – a stew with potato, meat and barley that’s slow-cooked over 24 hours.
I loved my grandmother dearly but, at times, she was quite difficult. The Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur was the hardest day of the calendar for her because that was the day her parents were transported to Treblinka (a Nazi death camp) and were most likely killed upon arrival. So in my late teens and early 20s, I used to make sure I spent the day with her to comfort her.
I’d say: ‘nanna, I’m fasting today’. She’d turn to me and reply with ‘I have fasted enough for the two of us’. I remember that been quite a pivotal food moment in my life.
I remember how she would prepare a big meal for us both. The whole table would be filled with food even though there were only two people there to eat it. Yom Kippur was also a fasting day. I'm not very religious but I always fast on that day. I’d say: ‘nanna, I’m fasting today’. She’d turn to me and reply with ‘I have fasted enough for the two of us’. I remember that been quite a pivotal food moment in my life.
Accredited Practising Dietitian, Joel Feren: "Even as a dietitian, I consider food to be so much more than a source of nutrients." Source: Supplied by Joel Feren
Food as a cultural anchor
Although I grew up very ‘Jewish’, things changed over time. During my late teens, I struggled with my identity and religiosity. By my early 20s, I moved away from religion. Instead, I became a vehement atheist.
Over the years, I’ve reflected on my identity a lot and have come almost full circle. Although, today, I'm agnostic I enjoy celebrating my Jewish culture. I've learned to re-embrace it.
The anchoring elements of Judaism that have always brought me back to my cultural roots have been community and food: both were central to my identity as a child and now, they frame a lot of who I am.
I love cooking and I love how food can be so therapeutic for you – it provides physical and emotional nourishment.
I now have two children. So staying connected to my Jewish culture today enables me to pass on the cultural traditions that I grew up with to the next generation. That means a lot.
Many of those traditions, like Shabbat, are based around food. My three-year-old daughter loves Shabbat. I see the joy it brings her and that gives me a sense of cultural pride.
I love everything about food. I don't know if that’s because food was such a central part of my culture, personal history or upbringing. Even as a dietitian, I consider food to be so much more than a source of nutrients. I love cooking and I love how food can be so therapeutic for you – it provides physical and emotional nourishment.
Food can evoke memories and provide cultural context to the circumstances surrounding a meal. Food can represent love or joy and I think that's something definitely worth celebrating.
The Nutrition Guy, , is an Accredited Practising Dietitian, recipe developer and nutrition consultant.
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