Food Tourah – Shemot

January 14, 2025 in Food Tourah

Because life so often happens around food, we’re spending the year exploring the weekly parshiot and finding connections to each week’s Shabbat menu. Sarah, a seasoned Jewish educator, brings a wealth of knowledge to our discussions, while Alison, who loves creating dishes that bring people together, is excited to explore the weekly portions in greater depth. Each week we will give a brief overview of the parsha and then suggest ways to incorporate its themes into your Shabbat menu. This is our version of Julie and Julia – the charming movie in which a blogger challenges herself to make all 524 recipes from Julia Child’s 1961 classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking in just one year.  Lucky for us, we only have to cover 54 parshiot –  41 more to go!

Moving right along into the second book of the Torah, Shemot is the opening parsha in the Book of Exodus. In Shemot, we see the Israelites multiply and grow in number.  A new Egyptian ruler comes to power and, fearing that the Israelites might one day rise against Egypt, he subjects them to harsh labor and decrees that all newborn Israelite boys should be killed. We all know the story of baby Moses in the basket: he is found by Pharaoh’s daughter and raised in the palace. As an adult, Moses kills an Egyptian soldier after witnessing him beating a Hebrew worker.  Fearing for his safety, Moses flees to Midian where he marries, settles down, and becomes a shepherd.  At the burning bush, God calls upon Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and to the land of “milk and honey”. (Exodus 3:8) Moses returns and demands that Pharaoh “let his people go”. Instead, Pharaoh hardens his stance and treats the Israelites with even more cruelty.

Playing on the story of baby Moses floating down the Nile, we chose two recipes that seemed apropos: Mediterranean Endive Boats and Stuffed Zucchini Boats. Both will be delicious and hearty additions to your Shabbat menu.  Once again we find a character in need of a good night’s sleep – Moses, who will need all of his strength and mental clarity to stand up to Pharaoh and lead his people to freedom.  Combining milk, honey and other ingredients, we’re sure that this Dreamy Nighttime Drink would have fit the bill.  Who couldn’t use a moment of peace and rest? Finally the image of the burning bush made us think of campfires which of course lead to thoughts of this Easy Pan O’ S’mores. A sweet ending to your meal, these treats are sure to spark warm memories and smiles around your Shabbat table.

B’tayavon and Shabbat Shalom,
Alison (Baraf) & Sarah (Roark)

To read past installments of Food Tourah – Click Here.

For a more in-depth look at this week’s parsha, visit Sefaria.com.