What is KeepingOneHour? | KeepingOneHour

What is the website ‘KeepingOneHour’ about?
KeepingOneHour.com is a website aimed to preserve the specific traditions of Dutch Ashkenazi Judaism (Dutch is ‘from Holland’, or better ‘the Netherlands’. Amsterdam is the Capital of The Netherlands), to document its old traditions and make them accessible to a broader audience.

Our website is -B"H- not the only website trying to retain the traditions of Dutch Jewry. Visit our weblink page to find more websites with this objective and similar initiatives for the Yekkische tradition.

For a cute, short video about the confusion
'Holland', 'the Netherlands' and 'Dutch', click here >

What does it mean, 'KeepingOneHour'?
Observant Jews don't prepare and eat dairy and meat products in the same meal.
This is an ancient Biblical rule prescribed and discussed in the Talmud (Chullin 104b-105a).
Here the Talmud also extensively discusses when one category (dairy or meat) is eaten, when one could have a next meal with the other category (dairy after meat or meat after dairy). The Talmud gives different stances.

As a matter of fact, the accepted Halachah (prescribed practice) became to wait a certain period of time, between eating a meal containing meat and subsequently eating dairy products.

Most observant Jews nowadays wait ('keep') 6 hours, or 'until within the 6-th hour' or some, like the Jews of German descent, wait 3 hours before consuming dairy after a meal with meat.

One of the international most remarkable and renowned official Dutch Jewish Minhagim is the time between eating a meal containing meat and eating dairy products: the Dutch Jews keep ONE hour!

In the eyes of an ill informed observer this might be regarded as a lenient practice. But in fact this practice of the 1-hour waiting time is a very ancient custom in the Ashkenazic world. The 1-hour waiting time is brought down by the Rem"a (Rabbi Moses Isserles, Cracow -1530-1572) in his commentary on the Shulchan Aruch, the 16th century compiled Code of Jewish Law.
The Rem"a brings the 1-hour waiting time as a common exerted practice in Europe.
Under different influences, this practice disappeared over the centuries, except in the Netherlands.
The Dutch Jews held firmly on to this and other ancient traditions. The Dutch Jews are the only ones in the entire world nowadays to still 'keep 1 hour'.

This website is called 'KeepingOneHour.com', as a reference to this ancient tradition, that became so unique for Dutch Jewry.

The people behind the website?
The content and production of this website is being provided by:

Sruli Loonstein
Richard de Vries
Dannie Klompsma