Tradition!

By Daniel Saltzberg
University of Delaware

As I sit writing this article, I am suffering from a bad case of the "sniffles" and a bad cold. I was just thinking, what do I really want right now? Nothing would be better than a good bowl of matzah ball soup!

Which brings me to this article on "Jewish Food." There is Jewish food that works for almost any time during the year. Matzah ball soup is perfect for a sick, cold day. And nothing is more fun than comparing whose Grandma makes better matzah ball soup, whether at the Passover seder, Rosh Hashanah dinner, or even on Thanksgiving.

So what other Jewish foods work, no matter what time of year? How about good Jewish deli? The only question to ask is corned beef or roast beef. And for many college students, living in cities like New York gives them the opportunity to experience the thrill of a real Jewish deli.

How about brisket? I really can’t imagine any holiday meal without brisket. It is really tasty, especially with maybe some kugel and tzimmes at the Passover seder.

But what separates Jewish food from other food? Of course, there are other tasty foods out there, like pizza, Chinese food, and many others. However, I truly believe that Jewish food is unique because of the people with whom we enjoy this food. While gefilte fish may taste good anytime, doesn’t it seem that much tastier at the Passover seder?

I love the stories I hear of how our grandparents used to take the fish for gefilte fish and keep it in the bathtub before eating. Of course, we don’t do that today, but it puts a little more perspective into gefilte fish for the family. Or how about the bread for those deli sandwiches? My Grandma like to talk about how her father used to go around selling rye bread throughout their small community. And while now it is so easy to just pick up a loaf from the supermarket and times sure have changed, the food remains the same.

So, as we move through the year and move towards Passover, there’s more Jewish food to be had (I guess I could eat matzah ball soup anytime, but it’s really not the same). And let’s remember, we’re not just looking forward to deciding which Grandma has the better matzah balls (Seder 1 or Seder 2), but we’re enjoying our heritage and tradition, which is shaped by these same foods that have been meaningful throughout the generations.

Daniel Saltzberg is currently studying Environmental Science with a concentration in Atmospheric Science at the University of Delaware. Conservative Judaism has always been an integral part of his life and he enjoys playing and watching football, basketball, and baseball.

[Posted 1/25/12]