Jewish American Heritage Month is a celebration honoring the achievements of Jewish Americans and their incredible contributions to society. On April 20, 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed that May would be Jewish American Heritage Month, choosing the month of May due to the highly successful celebration of the 350th Anniversary of American Jewish History in May 2004. (sources: Library of Congress)
To celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month this year, we asked our employees to share their stories of food, family and traditions.
Market Cafe Restaurant Department Manager, 6 years of incredible service
“My father, who was not the cook in the family, always made fried matzah for my brother and I growing up for breakfast on the weekends or dinner if mom was out for the night, and we always looked forward to it. It’s fairly simple to make but really good when done well and it’s filling. Passover includes a restricted diet, not one that I generally look forward to but fried matzah is still something I do. “
Continuous Improvement Area Manager, 18 years of incredible service
“My favorite dish would be my family’s potato knishes. The potato knishes have always been a holiday favorite for us (and for some, a special snack). The knishes have always been something we’ve done together whether it was my mom and grandma working tirelessly to shape the knishes or our family eating them. Over the years, the knishes would miraculously disappear, often faster than my mom and grandma could make them. When we asked for more, we were encouraged to roll up our sleeves to help. Well, two years ago, my brother and I took my grandma and mom up on their offer and learned how to make the knishes. The entire knish experience was really special not only because we had more knishes, but because we got to spend time together as a family. This year, we carried the tradition forward and had our other brother and our significant others help. So, what did we learn? Well, the knishes are a lot harder to make than it looks… and they should be saved for special occasions. Not just for someone to have as a special snack.”
Creative Manager, 8 years of incredible service
“I remember visiting my grandma’s house when I was little and her having Kasha Varnishkes there for my mom to eat. She made it with bowtie pastas and I loved it! I got the recipe from my mom and made it for Hanukkah this year because I didn’t want to lose this great family recipe and memory. I made it and it was even better than I remembered. My kiddos enjoyed it too!”
Floral Team Leader, 2 years of incredible service
“There are 2 dishes that come to mind that bring back happy memories. First would be my mother’s chopped liver, she usually made it for holidays and in the summer, 2nd is homemade Haroset, which is served during Passover and appears on the sedar plate . It’s made from apples, wine , walnuts and cinnamon. I love to put it on a piece of matzo. Haroset is symbolic of the clay from which the Israelites made bricks during their Egyptian slavery.”
Grocery Manager, 2 years of incredible service
“My favorite part of Jewish celebrations are the stories my Grandma tells about her childhood. She always stressed how family is the backbone to Jewish culture. Sharing meals together allows us to reflect and honor our Jewish ancestors, and keep these stories and traditions alive.”
Pizza Team Leader, 3 years of incredible service
“A food that has great meaning to me is Noodle Kugel. This is basically a sweet noodle pudding that goes well with almost any main dish. This dish means a lot to my family and I because it is a dish we make every time the family comes together. This dish to me means comfort and love all in one delicious meal.”
See how one of our Pennsylvania stores and a local Rabbi are making a difference together.
The Twice story began in 2015 when founders Julian Levine, Cody Levine, and Lenny Kravitz were on a volunteer dental mission in Eleuthera, Bahamas. The team left the island inspired and determined to make a healthy smile accessible for everyone.
Through years of research, development, and focused collaboration with industry experts, they have created a cleaner, vitamin-enriched toothpaste that’s inspiring us all to think twice!