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Judaism through Cholent
By Briana Goldman
Having recently been plunged into a world of Judaism previously unknown to me, I have struggled to grasp many of the defining terms in the culture and religion. Everyday life was a world where words like mencsh and cholent, unfamiliar holidays, like lag b’omer and yom hashoah and prayers like the birkat hamazon and modeh ani are foreign. As a result, I thought my lack of knowledge of Hebrew and yiddishisms excluded me from being in the club, made me think that maybe I wasn’t Jewish enough, made me feel as though I wasn’t part of the Jewish “inner circle.”
But then, something amazing happened. In a courageous leap of faith, I decided to declare my ignorance over a plate of cholent. Timidly, and slightly abashed, I asked “what is that?”
Much to my surprise, that question, (which comes out in various iterations multiple times a day), evoked an unexpected response. No one asked how it was that I had never tried cholent. No one burst out laughing and I wasn’t shunned. Instead, the people sitting closest to me smiled and explained that cholent, is a Jewish stew, usually eaten on the Sabbath.
“Oh,” I replied, as I smiled and took a bite. “It’s good.”
I have learned that some people connect to their Judaism through a shared culture. Lighting the Sabbath candles, holding Passover seders, making latkes…these are all parts of our shared heritage. While my house sang the kiddush, but didn’t do havdallah, and while we had bacon with breakfast on the weekends, but never had cholent, I now realize that what I do or don’t do will not make me any more or less Jewish. But asking the questions will. You see, when I asked my fellow diners what cholent was, we shared one of the strongest Jewish traditions there is – the passing of knowledge.
Photos by Aoife city womanchile and rusvaplauke, licensed under Creative Commons.
Tags: food, Hebrew, Tongue Tied
6 Responses to “Judaism through Cholent”
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mmmm. Chulllllaaaant!
I agree, questions are always worth asking and the best way to be part of any “club.” So proud of you!
Excellent job Bri. I’m very much impressed. You are the BEST!!!!
So many ways to be a Jew and always part of the tribe. You express yourself very well.
I frequented a deli in Washington Heights that made up Got Cholent? T-shirts that they sold, and that their staff wore. Years later, in midtown Manhattan I saw a small, Hispanic man striding purposefully down the street, wearing a Got Cholent? T-shirt from that deli, and I smiled to think that the appeal of Cholent, the Jewiest food I know, was cross-cultural.
I will recommend ‘Chamin’ (with a ‘Het’) as well. More common in Israel which is the Hebrew name for Cholent.