Hanukkah and other Jewish holidays can be joyous occasions during which we spend time (and feast) with loved ones. But can the heavy focus on ritual foods and eating serve a purpose apart from bringing us together in a way that strengthens our faith?

To put it another way, is the role of food in Judaism meant to fill a hole left by something that we are lacking?

This episode of the Living Jewishly podcast is an instalment of Crossing the Sea, a podcast focused on mental health and Judaism. Dr. Elliot Malamet and expert guests Susan Osher and Allan Kaplan explore the relationships between eating, religion, and emotions — and discuss the possibility of creating a connection between food and faith that is both physically and psychically beneficial.

In this episode Elliot speaks with Susan Osher, a certified eating disorder registered dietician with over 20 years of experience who is also a nutrition therapist and the founder of Connected Eating, and with Dr. Allan Kaplan, a professor in the department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine and an expert in eating disorders.

“Food is often used in a negative way, including in religious families, because it takes on religious meaning.”

— Allan Kaplan

This‌ ‌episode discusses:‌ ‌

✔ Whether religious holidays or even Shabbat can contribute to an unhealthy cycle of eating

✔ The particular relationship to food developed by Holocaust survivors and how it has been passed down through generations

✔ Why food plays such a large role in our emotional lives and the different meanings that it can hold