Dear Hevreh,

Tonight we celebrate a unique and (very) American Jewish tradition of Chinese food and a movie on Christmas Eve. While this holiday may not be on the same spiritual level as some of those that have been described in the Bible, the Festive Meal of Chopsticks has inspired it’s own Talmud tractate (section), which among other details explains how the extra container of rice is set aside for Elijah the Prophet.

In all seriousness though, tonight’s festivities speak to the creative Jewish spirit to forge new traditions and pathways for expressing our Jewishness. It’s a simple activity — dinner and a movie — but many of our well known rituals (like lighting candles, breaking a glass,eating apples and honey) are simple. On a night when our Jewishness separates us from the rest of American society, the Festive Meal of Chopsticks remind us to take pride in our Jewish identity.

Kol Tuv,

Rabbi Ari Saks

Category : Events Rabbi Rabbi's Journal
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