The most famous story we tell in Kislev is the tale of the Maccabees, who rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem with oil that lasted a miraculous eight days and nights. This is why most Jewish communities share the custom of eating oily foods during the eight days of Hanukkah, which begins in the last week of Kislev. From burmuelos to potato latkes, we honor the miracle of the sacred oil by cooking with it as much as we can (“latke” literally means “little oily one” in Yiddish!).

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Many Jewish women also have a custom of telling the story of Judith during Hanukkah, the heroine who helped to defeat the enemy general Holofernes when her hometown lay under siege. When none of the men were brave enough to confront him, she took matters into her own hands — she snuck into his camp, plied him with salty cheese so that he would grow thirsty and drink wine, and, when he finally fell asleep drunk, struck off his head. From this story came the tradition of eating cheese or other salty foods during Hanukkah, too.

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Sarah Newman, the author of this recipe, writes: “The recipe I created for Kislev uses lots of salt and olive oil but it is not another recipe for latkes! Since Kislev is celebrated during a dark, cold time of year, I offer a dish whose brightness will counter the damp weather and provide lots of nourishing ingredients. It is a salty and oily salad made with an array of bright foods, symbolic of the rainbow, with pieces cut into arches.”

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This reference to rainbows is because the symbol of Kislev in the Jewish Zodiac is Keshet, the bow or rainbow. Kislev is the month when the waters receded after the Great Flood, when a rainbow appeared in the sky as a sign of the Divine’s promise to Noah never to destroy the earth’s life again.

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As Sarah reminds us, “eating a rainbow of foods is not only good for one’s health, but critical for sustainable agriculture. As part of our covenant with the Divine, we are required to protect Creation. We can be inspired by Noah, the first seed saver and protector of biodiversity.” This month, as you remember the stories of the salt and the oil, you can also nourish yourself with the diversity of Creation. 

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Oil and Salt Rainbow Salad

Recipe from Sarah Newman of NeeshNoosh.net — A Jewish Woman’s Journey to Find Faith in Food

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Ingredients:

• 5-6 tbsp olive oil
• 3 pieces of stale bread
• 1 head of lettuce or other greens, washed and torn
• 10 pitted olives, chopped
• 1 persimmon, cut into wedges
• 1/2 orange, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 tbsp capers
• 1 tbsp sunflower seeds, roasted and salted
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: juice of remaining half orange

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Directions:

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1. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Soak stale bread in olive oil (about 3-4 tbsp) and then cut into pieces. Place on tray and bake until crispy, approximately 10 minutes. Remove croutons from oven to cool.
2. Wash the lettuce and tear into pieces.
3. In a serving bowl, add 2 tbsp olive oil to the bottom. Add lettuce and mix well to coat with oil. Add olives, persimmon, orange, capers, sunflower seeds, and croutons to lettuce. Mix well.
4. Add freshly ground pepper and a sprinkle of sea salt to taste. If you want an extra tang, you can add in the juice of the remaining half orange. Mix well and serve.

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B’tayavon!

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At The Well uplifts many approaches to Jewish practice. Our community draws on ancient Jewish wisdom, sometimes adapting longstanding practices to more deeply support the well-being of women and nonbinary people. See this article’s sources below. We believe Torah (sacred teachings) are always unfolding to help answer the needs of the present moment.

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Sources

Hanukkah Foods: Latkes, Donuts, and Cheese, Chabad.org

December: Judith and the Hanukkah Story, Jewish Women’s Archive

What Is the Significance of a Rainbow in Judaism?, Chabad.org

Ark of Taste, Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity

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