Do you have a favorite comfort food? A dish that reminds you of home and makes you feel good?

Knish is a Jewish comfort food. When Jews from Poland, the Ukraine, and Russia came to NYC, they made knish when they missed home.

Knish is made by baking, grilling, or deep-frying a dough-wrapped filling, generally mashed potatoes with onions, cheese, meat or sauerkraut.

Although most people have eaten bagels, the knish’s cousin also brought to NYC by Polish Jews, the knish never became famous outside of NYC. Visit one of NYC’s long-standing knish bakeries to decide for yourself if that needs to change.

 

What does it mean to be Jewish?

When someone is Jewish, it usually means they have been born to Jewish parents and that they practice or believe in Jewish laws, holidays, customs, traditions, and morals.

Judaism, which is thousands and thousands of years old, follows the Bible – however, unlike other faiths that use the Bible, the Jewish religion only follows what is often known as the Old Testament. In Judaism, there is only one God and through his commandments as well as the stories of the Old Testament, the practices of Judaism are outlined!

One of the biggest parts of being Jewish is leading a righteous life by fulfilling God's commandments which include many good deeds and acts of “tikun olam” – healing the world and making it a better place. Jewish people also practice the holidays of their religion such as Rosh Hashanah, Passover, Hanukkah, the weekly Sabbath, and many, many more!