Mila Kunis got candid on her Jewish childhood.
The 41-year-old actress, recently shared insights into her Jewish background and how she’s incorporating traditions into her family life.
In a video released Thursday, December 26th, alongside Noa Tishby, Kunis participated in a Hanukkah candle lighting ceremony and discussed her personal experiences.
Growing up in Ukraine, Kunis explained, “I grew up doing nothing,” referring to the lack of religious practice in her childhood.
She added, “I always knew I was Jewish, but I was told never to talk about it,” attributing this to living in a country “that didn’t allow for religion.”
Kunis and her family relocated to the United States when she was eight years old in the early 1990s.
Now, Kunis and her husband, Ashton Kutcher, have embraced religious practices within their home, involving their two children, 10-year-old daughter Wyatt and 8-year-old son Dimitri.
“I was raised culturally Jewish, so for me it’s a culture,” Kunis stated.
“And as I had kids, and my kids very much identify with the religion aspect of it, I was like, okay, I guess we’ll do [Shabbat] and we’ll do the candles.” She also noted, “There’s so much beautiful tradition in it.”
When Tishby asked about culturally Jewish aspects within her family, Kunis jokingly responded, “Guilt. Guilt. I was raised with a lot of guilt, all the time. Superstition and guilt.”
She also mentioned, “I think I have a fear of not having enough food,” explaining, “My fear of someone being hungry. Like, the worst thing my kids can say to me is, ‘I’m hungry.’ Food fixes everything. You’re tired? Eat some food. You’re cranky? Eat some food.”
Addressing potential criticism, she added, “A health person’s gonna say this is unhealthy and we’re doing something wrong, and I understand; I’m working on it. But is it just something that’s embedded in me.”
