“I grew up doing nothing”—Mila Kunis recalls growing up as a Jewish kid before moving to the USA

Mila Kunis recently opened up about her Jewish childhood and how she is incorporating those traditions into her family life. In a video released on December 26th, the 41-year-old actress participated in a Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony alongside Noa Tishby, sharing personal insights into her upbringing and how she’s now raising her own children.

Kunis, who grew up in Ukraine, candidly explained, “I grew up doing nothing,” referring to the lack of religious practice in her childhood. She recalled, “I always knew I was Jewish, but I was told never to talk about it,” a sentiment she attributed to living in a country “that didn’t allow for religion.”

Her family relocated to the United States when Kunis was eight years old in the early 1990s, marking a significant shift in her life. As an adult, Kunis and her husband, Ashton Kutcher, have embraced their Jewish heritage and have introduced religious practices into their home life, especially for 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 shared. As her children have grown older, she noted that they have become more interested in the religious aspects of Judaism. “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 explained.

Kunis also emphasized the beauty of the traditions, saying, “There’s so much beautiful tradition in it.” When asked about the culturally Jewish elements she carries into her family life, Kunis jokingly responded, “Guilt. Guilt. I was raised with a lot of guilt, all the time. Superstition and guilt.”

She also spoke humorously about her love for food, saying, “I think I have a fear of not having enough food,” adding, “My fear of someone being hungry. Like, the worst thing my kids can say to me is, ‘I’m hungry.’ Food fixes everything. Are you tired? Eat some food. You’re cranky? Eat some food.”

Acknowledging that some might criticize her approach, Kunis added, “A healthy 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.”