Fall ‘24/Winter ‘25

I’ve been thinking a lot about food lately…more importantly, the relationship that exists between Jewish Holidays and food.  I always look forward to eating a brisket, latkes or even gefilte fish throughout the year but what about teaching holidays and Jewish concepts through food?

With over 32 years’ experience of teaching in religious schools, I never made the connection of teaching with food until very recently.  Quite honestly, it was when I had a tiny human of my own that I learned how meaningful and impactful it was to teach using food.

At our Jewish Learning Center, we celebrated Sukkot by making our own edible sukkahs with graham crackers and pretzels, and Simchat Torah by making Torahs with fruit roll-ups and pretzel rods.  We learned about the significance of the Sukkah and Torah—all while enjoying tasty treats too.  In fact, our children enjoy making hamantaschen during Purim and sharing delicious Hanukkah latkes with our older friends, at Five Star Residences.  It was just now that I realized that we use food to teach many of our symbolic lessons in Judaism.

These last few years have forced us to think outside the box and reinvent our careers, relationships, and ways of thinking.  Most days, I find it daunting and slightly annoying as I have never worked so hard in my life, but once in a while, there is a ray of sunshine that pokes through the clouds—like my “a-ha” moment with food and learning.  It is these little wins that we occasionally experience that propels us to the next day.

So, I encourage you to search for fun and innovative ways to teach with food.  You’ll find a wealth of information that can enhance your child’s learning for any subject they are facing challenges with, as well as compete in parenting wins like the parents on Bluey.