What does tradition mean to you? What traditions do you hold close?
Traditions are the rituals and ceremonies we collectively choose to revisit, day after day, year after year. They’re not static—they’re constantly evolving in response to our own times and shifting values. But they’re also consistent enough that they compress space-time in a profound way. One of the things I love most about Judaism is that adaptation is at the heart of our communities’ survival. Every Friday night, I light Shabbat candles with the same blessing and gestures that my ancestors used, and I feel connected to them at that moment. But my choices to sanctify these traditions that reflect my own values—such as baking a vegan challah and replacing “Melech” (king) with “Ruach” (breath) in the Shabbat blessing—ensures that the traditions feel meaningful to me and won’t get stale.
I wish I could say that I’ve inherited a wealth of Jewish traditions, recipes, and stories from the Jewish side of my family, but I didn’t grow up Jewish. I grew up Catholic (mom’s side) and distanced from my Jewish family (dad’s side) until I was in my twenties. My Hanukkah rituals are very new, a reflection of evolving traditions with my cousins and Jewish aunt, gatherings with friends and members of my shul, and my own creation and what feels meaningful for me.
Food has always been a centerpiece of the holiday season for us. I grew up helping my mom making homemade potato and cheese pierogi for our Polish Christmas traditions. She still makes them every year for our Christmas Eve dinner, fried in butter with caramelized onions and sour cream. I think that’s why I love latkes so much—the flavors of oil, potatoes, onions and sour cream are so familiar and comforting this time of year.
This year, Hanukkah and Christmas will overlap. I’m excited to celebrate my first Hanukkah as a converted Jew in a way that honors the food traditions of my interfaith family.
