As you sit on the stone and are lulled by the gentle dripping of water, it might seem as if you can hear the stifled laughter of women during a purifying bath as they welcome a young girl who has become a woman.
You can imagine listening to the chatter of men during purification during certain festivities and, not too far away, the festive voices that accompany a bride to the ritual bath before her wedding.
Kashrut (which in Hebrew literally means “fit”, i.e. for consumption) indicates, in the common sense, the suitability of a food to be consumed according to the dietary rules of the Jewish religion established in the Torah.
Food that meets the requirements of kashrut is said to be kosher. The Torah classifies animals that can be eaten and even explains how they should be slaughtered.
The only four-legged animals that can be eaten are grazers with cloven hooves. In addition, there are a number of important rules for cooking: in particular, meat-based foods must remain separate from those containing dairy products.
In fact, the clear division between meat and milk forms the basis of Jewish cuisine.
The two different types of ingredients must not be mixed during cooking or at the table: the meal must be either meat or milk-based. Pots and dishes used for food of a certain kind must also be kept separate.
According to tradition, the reason milk should not be mixed with meat is that one is created to give life, while the other comes from a dead animal.
When taking Via della Giudecca, the first scent that hits the passer-by would be freshly baked bread and biscuits.
The street was full of bakeries and ovens, run by entire dynasties of bakers.