As I was doing some research for my final paper on brisket, I ran across a cookbook that used a metaphor that I never thought to apply to Jewishness.  In Arthur Schwartz’s Jewish Home Cooking, he explains, “as in any American home, a huge hunk of meat represents attainment of the American Dream.  That’s probably why brisket, the most impressive and, at one time, the most succulent kosher cut of beef, became idolized.”  I’m very familiar with the concept of symbols for the American Dream, such as big cars and houses, and even within the food spectrum of the large turkey for Thanksgiving.  Yet, that notion never crossed my mind.

Brisket symbolizing the American Dream is a perfect example of Judaizing a cultural concept.  On the one hand, we have the American Dream as the rags to riches story, where people come to the country poor but are able to work their way into wealth and they show that by buying large, extravagant things.  On the other hand, we have a largely poor immigrant population looking to have a better standard of living and quality of life.  What better way to show that they gained some sort of status in the new country than by purchasing the biggest, best cut of beef possible, something they only had on a rare occasion in their old country only if they could afford it.  Now, brisket is used in the Jewish home to designate any special occasion from Jewish holidays like Passover to birthdays and anniversaries.

Brisket Judaized the American Dream by taking something that is commonly agreed upon as Jewish and applying it to the basic framework.  I look at it almost as a way the new immigrants pronounced that they were just as American as anyone else, but they still have a strong sense of their Jewish identity that they will not let go.

So, that got me thinking about other ways that the American Dream has been Judaized.  I feel like one can argue that the monstrous sandwiches from Jewish New York delis are another symbol.  This is because in these delis Jews are the business owners, another aspect of the American Dream, and they can show just how well their business is doing by serving such large quantities of meat on a sandwich.  I am sure that one can find many other examples, however I cannot think of anything else so exemplary of the concept.  Or maybe my mind is just hooked on food.

As we read Susan Sered’s book, she wrote about the important role food played in the women’s Jewish experience. When the women were asked what they did on a specific holiday, their answer usually pertained to food. This section made me think of an argument during a Hillel meeting last year. One of the board members tired of the constant food preparation and clean-up that became part of every Hillel event, stated, “Why do we need food at every event? Isn’t there more to Judaism than food?” At the time we all kind of giggled and moved on, however that is a valid question. How important is the role of food in Jewish practices?

As we have begun to study a growing number of Jewish communities, each community is different, however all of them value the importance of food in their Jewish experience and usually the women maintain this practice. The importance of food is an important example of how since Biblical times Jews have learned to interact with their surrounding cultures. When the Philistines invaded Ancient Israel, the Jews created special dietary laws to separate themselves from the new surrounding culture. Food became a way for Jews to create boundaries, like when they eat Matzah on Passover, or eat Challah every Friday night on Shabbat.

On the other hand, food has also enabled Jews to “Judaize” their surrounding culture and incorporate aspects of that culture into Judaism. By using the ingredients accessible to them, Jews in different regions of the world have altered
Jewish Food to reflect their surrounding culture. For example the Ashkenazi eat dishes with potatoes, while Jews from the Middle East eat couscous. Like music and dress, food redefines the boundaries that Jews create between themselves and other cultures. At the same time, the surrounding cultures “localize” ethnic Jewish food into their culture. For example in America, non-Jews will eat Challah because they like the way it tastes. Or food, such as bagels, is a stereotypical Jewish American food, even though the bagel is not a traditional food. Instead it has become associated with Jews. Non-traditional food, such as bagels, allows secular non-religious Jews to still feel a connection to their heritage.

The answer to the Hillel board member’s question of “Why must there always be food?” is a complex one. Like the women in the Sered’s book, food allows Jews, especially women, to feel a connection to the rituals and to their religion. This idea also applies to secular Jews who may not participate in the religious rituals but feel a connection to Judaism by eating certain foods. These foods have been influenced by traditional texts but primarily by surrounding cultures. Food is a great example of how the Jews have redefined their boundaries between themselves and other cultures while in the Diaspora. So why must Jews always have food, because food is a way for all types of Jews, whether religious, secular, women, or men to connect to their Judaism.