My friend just told me this story. And I should say, while she loves being Jewish, she probably wouldn't in any way describe herself as religious. More of a cultural Jew, with a catering edge.
Her husband's family are pretty Anglo (secular), and she invited them all for Rosh Hashanah. She went to a lot of trouble; made challah, used her gradparents' crockery, dressed the table beautifully, replete with pomegranate, apple and honey, the whole shtick.
Her mother-in-law says to her, "what's this, with the apple and honey?" And my friend replies, "you've never heard of apple and honey? The universal symbol for Rosh Hashanah and a sweet new year?"
Apparently not.
Then, she'd baked challah (round, for yom tov, rather than regular plaited for shabbes). And her sister in law says, "what's this?" And my friend said, "challah", and her sister-in-law looked at her, like, waddya mean?
My friend was aghast. Talking to her husband later, he said in her defence, "well, she'd probably have heard of Jewish bread, maybe not challah."
My friend replied: "you mean, Jewish bread that has the blood of Christian babies in it?"
Because, let's face it, "Jewish bread" does sound like something out of a blood libel, not a phrase many/most Jewish would use that often. If at all.
I know it takes all sorts, and I'm pretty unshockable, now. But, interesting, no?
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