BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — May is Jewish American Heritage Month, and in a community of faith, staying mindful of the meaning and role of tradition in daily life is key to staying grounded and connected. Chabad of Bakersfield's Director Esther Schlanger and her family observe Jewish traditions in their home and share a little about their history and meaning.
"Many years ago, in the temple in Jerusalem, when the Jewish people would make bread, they would give a piece of their dough as a tithe to the priest that worked at the holy temple in Jerusalem," explained Schlanger. "Nowadays, we don't have our temple in Jerusalem, however, we still make our bread for Shabbat. We still make our Challah dough."
Shabbat, also called Sabbath or Shabas, is Judaism's day of rest, which occurs from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday.
"Every week when I make my Challah dough, I pull a piece of bread and I have in mind this tithing, and I put it aside, and we actually burn it. We don't eat it. We put it aside and we make a special blessing," said Schlanger. "It's like a little prayer coming out of the mind, things that we need. We believe God is listening."
Schlanger says that in Judaism, people believe that the material and the spiritual are interconnected and that even bread can be holy. She says that the custom for Jewish women in particular to make Challah dough shows how vital women are in traditional home life.
Family is extremely important in Judaism, and Schlanger says the home, just like the temple, is also a place of faith.
Challah is just one of the things Jewish households do to prepare for Shabbas.
"For Shabbas, we light the Shabbos candles. This is an additional spiritual act. By doing so, we are increasing in light - obviously it's spiritual - in our home and in our lives," said Schlanger. "I have two candlesticks, one for myself and one for my husband, then every young girl will light their own candle, and then it's my tradition to light a candle for every child of mine, and when I light the candles, it's an opportunity to pray for them as well."
Shabbas is meant as a day of rest where no work shall be done. During Shabbas, Schlanger's family doesn't use electronic devices, such as televisions or cell phones. She says the family rests on Shabbat because of their faith, but she finds that unplugging from everything once a week is also good for her mental health.
