My Items
Sign In
Sign In
Using the Library of Congress as a point of reference, through our Heritage Months, we recognize the history and contributions of various cultures by providing education and context as well as employee recognition, deeply rooted in storytelling around food, family, and tradition.
Jewish American Heritage Month is a celebration honoring the achievements of Jewish Americans and their incredible contributions to society. On April 20, 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed that May would be Jewish American Heritage Month. This is due to the highly successful celebration of the 350th Anniversary of American Jewish History in May 2004.
(Source: Library of Congress)
We asked our employees to share their thoughts on their food, culture, and traditions.
Grocery Team Leader, 6 years of service
Charlie shares special memories of Friday night dinners with his family, plus his favorite holidays:
“I grew up living close to my grandparents. They were Russian Jews who had escaped the Holocaust. Both of my grandparents spoke Yiddish fluently. For nearly a thousand years, Yiddish was the primary, and sometimes only, language that Ashkenazi Jews spoke. I remember walking with my grandfather to get The Forward (a Jewish newspaper written in Yiddish) and would sit on a bench with him while he read the paper. It was important to my family to gather every Friday, for the beginning of Shabbat. Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest and celebration that begins on Friday before sunset and ends on the following evening after nightfall. We would usually have the same meal each week, starting with half a grapefruit with sugar poured on top, bow tie pasta, rotisserie chicken, and challah bread. My grandfather would slip dollar bills under the table for the grandkids. Looking back now, I remember how happy my grandfather was having us all together.
Growing up, one of my favorite Jewish holidays was Purim because it was the most joyous. As a grandfather and great-grandfather, I enjoy Hanukkah. Hanukkah is like eight days of Christmas. It feels great being with my family and seeing the joy on the children’s faces.”
Pharmacy Technician, 9 years of incredible service
Jackie shares why Jewish American Heritage Month is important to her and tells us about her favorite Jewish holiday:
“I am proud to be Jewish and celebrate some of my heritage with my coworkers. My great-grandmother was a great cook! One of the dishes she made was matzah ball soup. Everyone in the family has taken the recipe and created their own variation of it. Sometimes, when I don’t want to make the chicken, I will pick up a rotisserie chicken from Wegmans and use that as the protein. This has helped me save time in the kitchen. During covid, my children started cooking more with me, and this is one of the dishes we would make together. When we make it, we take turns forming the matzah balls for the soup and my kids jump in whenever I need help. When someone gets sick in the family, we use this as “medicine” to help us feel better.
Jewish American Heritage Month gives me an opportunity to talk to people about my traditions and educate others about my culture. Purim is one of my favorite Jewish holidays. This is special to me because the hero in the story is a woman. Recently, there was a big Purim carnival that my family attended. This carnival gives us a chance to meet individuals in the Jewish community from other temples, and we enjoy going to the carnival every year.”
