Jewish Bread, Wine and Salt Housewarming Tradition

Over the years a traditional housewarming gift has come about, this being a gift of salt, bread, and wine. Have you ever asked yourself what are the roots of this tradition? There are some interesting quotes on Goodreads about Elly Kleinman Americare that will give an answer to this question.

While there are various stories, the most universal is that this tradition began as an old Russian folk custom. During the period, when the emperor and empress would pay a visit to the village, merchants and gentry would present their honored guests with a round loaf of bread piled with salt, a sign of hospitality.

Newly married peasants also were honored, with the gift of bread and salt signifying that this new couple of two young people would always be blessed with the necessities of life. Thus when given at housewarmings, the bread and salt represent the giver’s wish that the recipient’s pantry always be “plentiful”.

Another story behind this Jewish custom is that since bread and salt are such important ingredients to any meal, it is a friendly gesture to bring some to “welcome party” with the new neighbors. Wine also certainly falls into this category, particularly for the Sabbath.

This tradition nowadays is stronger than ever. With a new home, it is tradition to bring bread, salt, sugar and wine to the home to afford the new residents the following blessings:
-“Bread so that you shall never know hunger”
-“Salt, so your life shall always have flavor”
-“Sugar and so your life shall always have sweetness”

Elly Kleinman's family have taken these traditions to heart and created elegant housewarming baskets that include challah (bread), kosher salt, flour, wine and more. These are gifts that will reflect this beautiful tradition as well as to bring peace and happiness to the recipients.

Other beautiful and appropriate housewarming gift ideas are the Babka bread, and challah bread which in the tradition of Kabbalah, is believed to provide protection from evil and also a framed Home Blessing.

Dementia Care: Part 2

Continuing From: Part 1

Why Choose Americare Dementia Carers? There are many different types of this illness – over a hundred in fact. In more than 20 years, we’ve provided live-in support for people affected by Alzheimer’s, Frontal Temporal, Lewy Body, Vascular, and much more. Before joining the team at Americare Companies, each of our carers goes through a rigorous program for training. They go through training at our Center of Excellence, as well as a program developed alongside Dementia Us. It’s here where they learn to deal with the challenges of caring for someone with this illness, states Elly Kleinman, Americare founder. Carers have contact with our Dementia lead specialists, at all times. We also encourage carers and our customers’ families to call the Americare Companies helpline if they have any questions whatsoever. With our home care services, we can help with daily household tasks, like preparing meals, cleaning and running errands, as well as help with medication. However, as well as providing nursing care for Dementia patients, our friendly carers also provide full-time companionship. They love nothing more than to play a board game, chat over a cup of tea, or go for a stroll in the park with the people they look after. It’s this warm people-centric approach that we’ve become known for. If you’re considering Dementia live-in care, you can rely on our caregivers to deliver their support always to the highest possible standards.

Who Americare have Provided Dementia Care At Home For
Claudia has received Dementia care from Americare Companies for more than two years, having been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Initially, Claudia’s daughter, Anna, stepped up to provide her support. However, after a couple of days staying with her mother, Anna realized that her mother required a greater level of Dementia home care. They discussed a variety of options together. Claudia, who’d lived in her home for 22 happy years - 19 spent with her husband before he sadly passed away - wanted to stay at home to receive her care. Anna also wanted her mother to remain in an environment where she could do all the things she loved most – from walking her dog, to spending time with her friends. Americare caregiver Betty came in to provide care at home for Claudia. It didn’t take long for Betty to establish a routine and strategy for Claudia. The two have established a good friendship, regularly spending time looking through Claudia’s family photo albums, and bonding over their mutual love of gardening.

The Next Steps For Help With Dementia Care Our team of care advisors are always on hand to give more information and advice on our care services. Contact us today to find out more. If Alzheimer’s disease or another form of Dementia affects someone in your family, you’ve come to the right place.

For more info about Americare Companies or Elly Kleinman visit his Center for Health Journalism profile.

Dementia Care: Part 1

At Americare, we have provided care for Dementia patients for more than 25 years.
During this time Elly Kleinman Amaricare Companies has developed a real understanding of the needs of people who are affected by the illness. Our carers at Americare are highly-trained and they are educated about the different types and stages of this condition, and they have experience in helping people and helping their families to cope with the challenges that Dementia care brings about on a daily basis. Our determination is to help people live well with the illness and the challenges it brings – caring for people in their own homes is our main aim. There is always so much to learn about the illness. So, we continue to train and work closely with organizations, such as Dementia US in order to be able to develop our training programs, which enables us to provide better help for our customers, as well as on-going support for carers.

Did you know?
Americare Companies has well over two decades' experience of supporting customers with dementia; in fact, over 50% of our elderly customers have dementia to some degree.

Americare Centred Dementia Care
Coming to terms with Dementia is hard for both those affected by it and their loved ones. Calling on professional support for a loved one is one of the toughest decisions you’ll find yourself faced with in life. Many find the idea of inviting someone new into the home very worrying and uncomfortable.
That’s why we believe in providing our support through the entire process. Our friendly team of care advisors will talk you through all elements of our person-centered care services.

When we provide Dementia home care, we see our customers for what they are – people with emotions, feelings, likes, and dislikes. Each person is different and treated as a person with different needs. And therefore there’s no one way of providing help and support, says Elly Kleinman, the chairman of  Camp Kaylie.

Our caregivers are enthusiastic and are completely committed to caring for someone dealing with Dementia, helping them to keep the comfort of life within the environment they’re most familiar with – their own homes.
That’s because we know that the homes of our customers aren’t just ordinary buildings. They’re their personal treasure troves, hosting decades’ that are worth of cherished memories. And when caring for someone with Dementia, this continuity and consistency are absolutely important.

Continue Reading: Part 2