Killer Cheese & Girl Power: A Chanukah Party

Chanukah isn’t only about latkes and sufganiyot, there’s also a little-known tradition of eating dairy on this holiday. This tradition is all thanks to Judith, one strong and badass woman (if we say so ourselves).

The story goes that the Assyrian General, Holofernes, laid siege to the town of Bethulia. One night, admiring Judith’s beauty, Holofernes invited her to his tent. Judith took this opportunity of carry out her plan of killing the General. She fed him salty cheese that caused him to become thirsty and drink copious amounts of wine. He then fell asleep in a drunken stupor, at which point Judith used his sword to cut off his head.

The Wandering Chew and Roots & Recipes hosted a night of cheese and girl power (don’t worry we didn’t oversalt)! You got to taste dairy dishes from different Jewish communities, all while listening to a soundtrack of tunes that would give Lilith fair a run for their money.