Jewish Culture

1. Jewish Culture By: Laura Rochelle and Lexi Campanini

2. Rosh HaShanah & Yom Hazikaron • Rosh HaShanah- • It is customary on Rosh Hashanah, during the evening meals, to eat foods symbolizing sweetness, blessings, and abundance. • It is customary to refrain from sleep during the day of Rosh HaShanah, and rather to engage in Torah study or other spiritually productive activity. • Jewish New Year!! • Yom Hazikaron- • Israel Independence Day!! • The day preceding Yom Hazikaron is devoted to the memory of those who gave their lives for the achievement of the country's independence and its continued existence.

3. Yom HaShoah • Yom HaShoah is Holocaust Remembrance Day. • The Holocaust was arguably among the most fearsome tragedies that have befallen the Jewish People in its long history, in which six million Jews, fully one third of World Jewry, including one and a half million children, were murdered.

4. Hanukkah • Hanukkah is the most widely celebrated American Jewish holiday, possibly because it is a fun, child-centered occasion. It is celebrated with excellent food, an exchange of gifts, and the lighting of beautiful menorahs (special Hanukkah candelabras) filled with brightly colored candles. Unlike some of the other Jewish holidays, which require intense spiritual reflection or elaborate preparation, it is easy to celebrate. menorah

5. Bar & Bat Mitzvah • According to Jewish law, when Jewish children reach 13 years old for boys and 12 years old for girls they become responsible for their actions, and "become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah"

6. Language • For most of their history, Jews have been multilingual. Hebrew is the language of the Bible, the principal language of Jewish liturgy, and the language spoken in modern Israel--but it has been the primary language of only a small percentage of Jews who have ever lived. 

7. Hebrew Alpahbet • Letters of the Alphabet

8. Marriage • The marriage ceremony is a simcha, celebrating the union between two Jewish individuals. The ceremony takes place under a chuppah, or canopy, and the actual marriage involves exchanging wedding rings while the couple (or just the groom in some congregations) recites the following:"Behold thou art sanctified unto me by this ring according to the law of Moses and Israel."

9. Food Knish A knish (rhymes with "dish"; the k and the n are both pronounced) is a sort of potato and flour dumpling stuffed with various things. It is baked until browned and a little crisp on the outside. They are commonly filled with mashed potato and onion, chopped liver, kasha (buckwheat) or cheese. They are good for a snack, an appetizer or a side dish. You should be able to find them in any deli. The word "knish" is Ukrainian for "dumpling." Kugel Kugel can be either a side dish or a dessert. As a side dish, it is a casserole of potatoes, eggs and onions. As a desert, it is usually made with noodles and various fruits and nuts in an egg-based pudding. Kugel made with noodles is called lokshen kugel. Below is my recipe for a noodle kugel. 3 eggs 1/4 cup melted margarine or butter 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 lb. wide noodles 1/4 cup raisins 1/4 cup almonds 1/2 cup chopped apples

10. Jewish Culture