Kosher Menu

Breakfast:

-          Latkes

o   Known as potato cakes, and are a popular Kosher breakfast meal

o   Eaten a lot around the time of Hanukkah

o   Accompanied by scrambled eggs and sour cream

Lunch:

-          Fish roll with tomato, lettuce, cheese and beetroot.

o   Dairy and meat cannot be eaten together

o   Fish and cheese is acceptable

Dinner:

-          Chicken Broccoli Cashew stir-fry

o   1 kilo boneless, skinless chicken thighs

o   4 Tbsp. canola oil

o   4 Tbsp. peanut butter

o   3 Tbsp. honey

o   1 kilo broccoli

o   80 grams roasted cashews

1. Cut chicken thighs into cubes. Have a separate small bowl and mix oil, honey and peanut butter until it is smooth. Coat the chicken with this marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
2. Prepare one large pot of ice water and one large pot of boiling water. Trim broccoli and remove outer leaves but don't break up into florets. Put the broccoli to the boiling water. Cover and boil for 3 minutes. Remove and immediately dip into the ice water. Drain and cut into florets.
3. Add chicken and marinade to a heated skillet. Stir-fry for 5 minutes. Add broccoli, and stir-fry for another 3 minutes. Take it from the heat and put in the cashews before serving

Kosher

-          Kosher= food which is allowed

-          Treyfah= food which is NOT allowed

-          All plants are kosher, but not all animals, birds or fish are

-          In Leviticus it says: “There are the animals which you are permitted to eat...anything which has a completely split hoof and chews the cud, this you may eat...”

-          Animals must also be killed in a special manner and have all the blood removed before the meat can be eaten by Jews.

-          Jews may only eat animals and birds that have been killed by the Shechitah

-          This is killing the animals by slitting the throat with a very sharp knife

-          This has been shown to be painless to the animals, as causing pain to living things is against the Jewish law

-          The theory is that the sharp knife cuts the carotid so that the animals loses consciousness before they are able to feel pain

-          All vegetables and fruit and dairy products are kosher

-          Kosher: chicken, sheep, cow, fish with fins, goat

-          Non-kosher: pig, rabbit, camel, eel, most birds

-          Jews who keep kosher kitchens do not eat meat and dairy meals together

-          Separate sets of crockery, cutlery and cooking utensils are used. After eating meat strict Jews will wait several hours before eating dairy.

-          Foods which contain neither meat nor milk, fruit or vegetables may be eaten wit either meat or vegetables

Torah Scribe

Jewish Festivals

Rosh Hashanah:

-          Jewish New Year, the first high holidays which is the Day of Awe celebrated 10 days before Yom Kippur

-          Falls once a year during the month of Tishrei (September)

-          They observe the sounding of the shofar, which is the rams horn trumpet, the shofar is  not blown if the holiday falls on Shabbat

-          Lasts 1-2 days

-          One of the main reasons the apple is used is because of its sweetness. Coupled with the added sweetness if the honey, it is symbolic of the ultra-sweet year they hope God will grant them.

Sukkot:

-          The Festival of Sukkot begins on Tishri 15, the fifth day after Yom Kippur. It is quite a drastic transition, from one of the most solemn holidays in our year to one of the most joyous.

-          This festival is sometimes referred to as Zeman Simkhateinu, the Season of our Rejoicing. Sukkot lasts for seven days.

-          Sukkot has a dual significance: historical and agricultural. The holiday commemorates the forty-year period during which the children of Israel were wandering in the desert, living in temporary shelters. Sukkot is also a harvest festival

Yom Kippur:

-          Yom Kippur means ‘Day of atonement’. It is a day of trying to make up for your sins

-          It is the most Holy day in the Jewish Calender

-          Anyone who is over the age of bar/bat mitzvah is expected to fast all day

Hanukkah:

-          Hanukkah is a celebration of Jewish people gaining freedom. It is the most well known Jewish festival, but not the most significant as it is not written in the Torah.

-          It is celebrated for eight days and nights.

-          It begins on the 25^th of the  Jewish month of Kislev (late November/December)

-          In Hebrew the word “Hanukkah” means “dedication.”

-          Some of the Hanukkah traditions include: lighting the hanukkiyah, spinning the dreidel and eating fried foods.

-          Jews celebrate Hanukkah in replace of Christmas because they do not believe the Jesus is the Messiah.

-          Hanukkah means “Festival of Lights.”

Passover:

-          Passover begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. It is the first of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance. Agriculturally, it represents the beginning of the harvest season in Israel, but little attention is paid to this aspect of the holiday.

-          The primary significance of Passover is to commemorate the story of Exodus, in which ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt.

Tu B’Shevat:

-          Tu B'Shevat is a minor Jewish holiday known for the New Year for trees. Tu B’Shevat It occurs on the 15^th day of the Hebrew month.

-             This holiday lasts from sunset of the first day through up until sunset of the next day.

Shavout:

-          Shavuot, the Festival of Weeks.

-          It is also known as Hag Matan Torateinu (the Festival of the Giving of Our Torah).

-          Shavuot is not tied to a particular calendar date, but to a counting of 7 weeks from Passover.

-          Work is not allowed on Shavuot.

-          They stay up the entire first night of Shavuot and study Torah, and then pray as early as possible in the morning.

Shabbat:

-          Shabbat is the day of rest

-          “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that He had done.”

-          Exodus tells Jews to “keep the Sabbath day holy

-          Shabbat begins on sundown Friday and ends on sundown the next day

-          Religious services are held on Friday night and Saturday morning. The family usually attends these

-          At night, they study the torah or talk before going to bed

Omer Period:

-          Omer means a measure of grain that was once offered at the temple of Jerusalem

-          They give this to God as a way of saying thanks for the good harvest

-          The period of Omer is between Passover and the festival of Shavuot

-          It lasts for seven weeks

-          It is a period of mourning because during this period many years ago a rabbi and many of his students died of the plague

Being Jewish In The 21st Century- Clickview

The Torah

The Torah:

-          Torah means ‘teaching’ and refers to the five main books of Moses- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy

-          A torah scroll is made from sheets of parchment, which is made from the skin of a kosher animal

-          It is written by hand in Hebrew by a professional scribe called a sofer. It is read right to left.

-          It takes one year at least to do this

-          He is not allowed to write from memory. He must copy from a book of the Torah, and keep checking for mistakes. Letters must not be smudged or touch another letter.

-          If the sofer makes a mistake, he scrapes of the letters using a glass tool

-          The most sacred word that he writes is the Hebrew name for God. He can’t correct this- he has to start again. The sheet with the mistake is buried in a Jewish cemetery

-          When finished, the sheets of parchment are sewn together and wound around wooden rollers.

-          The Torah is regarded as holy and is decorated as beautifully as possible

Jewish Facts

1. What language do the Jewish people speak?

They speak Hebrew.

2. How do the Jewish people read Hebrew?

They read it right to left.

3. Why is Israel important to the Jewish People?

Because it is the “promise land” given to Abraham from God in the Old Testament.

4. When was the present state of Israel formed?

In 1948, it declared independence.

5. What makes it unique in the world?

It was given the Jews as a nation, and piece of land. No colonisation or indigenous people. It is the only Jewish state, surrounded by Arabic nations.

6. Who is the chosen prophet of Judaism?

Moses.

7. What do the Jews believe God thinks of their people?

They believe that they are the ‘chosen people’ who have a special covenant with God.

8. How do the three main religions differ in their view of Jesus?

The Jews believe that Jesus was a wise man and important prophet but not a Messiah. Islam also believes he was a messenger of God, but that he was not crucified. He, however, is treated with respect. Christians believe Jesus was God’s son and the Messiah sent to redeem humanity.

9. Why do the Jewish people not celebrate Christmas?

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus and how he was to save humanity as God’s son- the Jews do not believe he is the Messiah.

10. What festival do they celebrate instead?

They celebrate Hanukkah

11.  What event is celebrated at this festival and what is the significance of the number 8?

It commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. It observes the kindling of the lights of a candelabrum, the nine branched Menorah with one candle lit every night. The number eight symbolizes new beginnings and is significant as it was the eighth day was the first day after creation and when the week begun.

12.  What is the name of the sacred text of the Jewish people?

The Torah

13. How is their text similar to the Christian Bible?

It is similar as their Torah mimics the Old Testament.

14. How many commandments do the Jewish people have to follow?

613

15. What is the name of the leader of a Jewish religion?

Rabbi

16. What is a Talis?

The Jewish ‘prayer shawl’

17.  What is a Tefilin?

A small leather prayer book bound to the head and arm during prayer.

18. What is a Kippah?

It is a Jewish ‘skull cap’ worn by males for prayer and special occasions.

19. What is the word used to describe the food Jewish people can eat?

Kosher

20. Where is the only Kosher McDonalds?

Buenos Aires

21. Why is a Cheese burger not Kosher?

It combines ground beef and cheese (dairy)- which are prohibited