Ella Mishan

A Culinary History of the Jewish Diaspora on your plate

This practice-led research and design project serves as a welcoming introduction and analysis into Jewish diasporic histories retold through a commentary on Jewish food and cuisine, offering recipes and stories from various Jewish subgroups. Simultaneously it acts as a tool to combat subconscious antisemitism in non-Jewish audiences by creating a base level understanding of the Jewish Diaspora, something many people are unfamiliar with which often facilitates the white washing of the Jewish people and consequential racism. The heart of the publication is about mirroring the Jewish experience of Friday night Shabbat dinner; bringing people together and bringing forth discussions about our histories over food.

“The observance of the Sabbath (Shabbat)  is a unifying experience in the Diaspora … The Sabbath is an integral component of the Jewish tradition because it connects its people in solidarity with their story and with each other.” (Katz, 2012, p.29).