Cooking Friday Night Dinner

Object number
2024.4.1

Photographer
E Mendelsohn

Object Information

This is a photo of Eliana Mendelsohn cooking her first Friday Night Dinner for her non-Jewish flatmates in London.

Shabbat is the Jewish festival of rest that begins on Friday before sunset and ends on Saturday after nightfall. Many Jewish people welcome the festival of Shabbat by lighting candles, saying the special Kiddush prayer over wine, and eating Challah bread. These traditions will then be followed by a customary dinner with family and/or friends.

Originally from Birmingham, Eliana expresses her identity in her daily life when cooking or eating food. This inspires her to stay close to Jewish tradition and culture.

This image is part of a series of six photographs donated as part of the Inclusive Judaism Project. They show a snapshot of how Eliana connects to her ethnicity, heritage and culture.

Hear from the donor

How does this image represent your Jewish identity?

My Jewish identity is connected to food, tradition and culture. This image demonstrates how my Jewish identity is expressed in my daily life.

Why is this image important to you?

It shows a snapshot of how I connect to my ethnicity, heritage and culture.

In three words, what does Judaism mean to you?

Heritage, food, culture

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