Numerous religious celebrations and rituals in Judaism are centered on and revolve around food and eating as a community. Throughout the year, Jewish observances provide time for family and friends to gather and experience these holidays together. Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah, Tu B'Shvat, Pesach/Pesach, and Tisha B'av are just some of the few holidays that include large food feasts and community celebrations. Differences in recipes and ingredients depend on cultural heritage and customs, but typically pious meals remain the same throughout Judaism. The term “Kashrut” refers to a set of Jewish religious laws regarding food that are consistent with the standards and requirements of Halacha. Lay people are more familiar with the word Kosher. Tedious preparation processes serve to ensure that foods comply with Jewish law and are suitable for ritual/community use. Some of the details and rules involved are: all blood must be drained from meat and poultry before they are consumed, meat cannot be eaten with dairy products, and grape products produced by non-Jews cannot be eaten (Judaism101) . Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The importance and emphasis on strict diet related to religious tradition inevitably intersects and confuses with the profound psychological and social expectations imposed on us throughout our lives. In author Joanna Woolway Grenfell's article, "Religion and Eating Disorder: Towards Understanding a Neglected Perspective," she delves into the manifestations of mental illness in the form of eating disorders that the combination of identity and cultural norms can cause in vulnerable young women in systems of faith. “It is clear from work in secular disciplines of sociology and psychology that many women have a difficult relationship with food and that society's concern with food and body image suggests that there are unanswered questions in Western society about changing roles of women in the home and workplace” ( Grenfell 368) – but what happens when religion comes into play in these problematic ideologies about the body and diet? Patriarchal values ​​and the submissive nature of the roles women typically have in religion make women particularly susceptible to falling victim to the negative pressures of eating disorders. In a scientific case study conducted by four physicians from across the United States and the American Psychological Association, 301 Jewish women of varying backgrounds, heights, weights, and ages in the New York City area were given a series of questionnaires related to eating attitudes and behaviors. The study aimed to explore the association between religious orientation and ED symptomatology in the pooled sample of predominantly Orthodox Jewish women. In their collective analysis of the results, they found higher rates of disordered eating among Jewish women compared to their non-Jewish counterparts. The distinction between different sects of Judaism is important in examining my hypothesis that social and interreligious standards specifically and negatively affect Jewish women. “The intrinsic-extrinsic religious distinction is of particular relevance in a community where extreme attention to external appearance and behavior is often confused with religious obligation.” (Weinberger-Litman 273). Although Judaism can be divided into several sects, just like many other religions, the main denominations that are highlighted are Ultra-Orthodox, Orthodox, Conservative, andreformed. Ranging from the more traditional and literal in the sense of following the Scriptures to the letter, keeping the Sabbath on the Sabbath, and keeping kosher to the more liberal which tends to reject the binding authority that rabbinic Judaism appears to have over conservative and Orthodox congregations (Jewish roots ). In Revealing Religion by CynthiaEller, we are given the opportunity to learn about the importance of the Scriptures and canons. In the Myth and Scripture module he introduces us readers to the Torah, which is one of the fundamental principles of the literature of Judaism and is surrounded by controversy due to the fact that women are known to be prohibited from reading or reciting it. The term Haredi is a word of Jewish origin used to identify the most extremist Orthodox Jews, most of whom consider themselves the most “religiously authentic” group. In an academic journal and study by Marjorie C. Feinson, PhD, titled “Disordered Eating and Religious Observance: A Focus on Ultra-Orthodox Jews in an Adult Community Study,” she focuses on the ways Haredi women are affected from a heavy food diet. practices and neglecting secular media and social norms. Feinson takes into account the responsibilities these women have, such as preparing food and actually providing food for typically large families: “In Israel, one-third (33.7%) of ultra-Orthodox families have six or more children than to 3.4% of secular families". Ms. Geula, an interviewee in Feinson's study, perfectly describes the stress and anxiety these duties create over a seemingly simplistic task of eating: “Every holiday, everything is about food, it's murder. I am very religious and have 13 children with grandchildren on the way. Sometimes it's better and sometimes it's worse, I get angry because I have to stay in the kitchen a lot. not an isolated incident. In a blog post titled “Does Orthodox Jewish Life Promote Eating Disorders in Women?” by Julia Duin, a Washington Times staff writer, focuses on the social pressures Jewish women face during life stages from childhood to old age. Girls are first exposed at an early age being indoctrinated into the high standards expected of their mothers, mentioning how these mothers have a "sylph life figure" with "sparkling, clean homes". The combination of the pressure of being an attractive, thin woman, having to be a “good” housewife, and the extreme focus on food in Jewish culture only perpetuates eating disorders. Jewish women are instilled with these patriarchal judgments as soon as they are seen as sensual beings. Grooming and preparing future husbands for marriage only adds to the list of concerns that girls are forcibly assigned to. “In some cases, the potential groom's family not only wants to know the girl's dress size, but also her mother's, so they can make a prediction of what the potential bride will look like in 18 years.” (Duin). Natural aspects of life that should be celebrated and enjoyed such as sexuality, social experimentation and body positivity have come under the control of religious standards that have existed since their origins. Whether you look at Judaism or any other continental religion, or make a distinction between the sexes, it is almost always to the advantage of men. The correlations above show the sad and alarming severity of the eating disorders, religious conservatism, and social impressions that young Jewish women are subjected to throughout their lives. Girls turn to these extreme measures in an attempt to cope with the unrealistic and impossible expectations formed by ignorant and harmful ideologies. Please note: this is just one.