Celebrating Rosh Hashanah

Many cultures celebrate a new year around the autumn equinox. I’ve always felt this is a time of new beginnings.

I love the crisp fall leaves and poignant scents of cinnamon and apples, reminding us of sweetness and decay.

We also enjoy the traditions of Lammas Day.

Rosh Hashanah is a two-day celebration that begins on the first day of Tishri, which is the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a time when Jews celebrate the good things they have experienced in the previous year, and also when they reflect on hopes and dreams for the coming year.

But Rosh Hashanah is not only festive; it is also a solemn time, a prelude to Yom Kippur, the Day of Judgment.

Rosh Hashanah inaugurates the Days of Awe, ten days during which Jews reflect on their conduct, make amends for past wrongs, and set themselves to do better in the coming year.

We’re not Jewish. We’re not Messianic. We don’t keep Kosher.

I love to celebrate the feasts since we began years ago during our Year 1 history lessons. It’s important to know church history. I teach my kids religion and learn with them.

Reading the Torah

The portion of the Torah read on the first day of Rosh Hashanah is Genesis 22:1-19, the story of the Akedah, or “The Binding of Isaac.” This is certainly a problematic Bible passage. I like this article “I’ve Had it with the Akeda” and I research on it every year.

In congregations that observe a second day of Rosh HaShanah, the Torah portion is Genesis 1:1-2:3, the story of creation.

The Haftarah, the selection from the prophetic books that accompanies Torah readings on Shabbat and holidays, is from I Samuel, and tells the story of Hannah.

My favorite prayers and lessons are from Hebrew for Christians. I also have my very own siddur.

Casting Away

Tashlich (“to cast away”) is a ceremony generally conducted on the first day of Rosh Hashanah when we symbolically cast our sins into a moving body of water – such as a river, stream, or ocean. This often includes the recitation of verses from Micah and Psalms.

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity

    and passing over transgression

    for the remnant of his inheritance?

He does not retain his anger forever,

    because he delights in steadfast love.

He will again have compassion on us;

    he will tread our iniquities underfoot.

You will cast all our sins

    into the depths of the sea.

Micah 7:18-19

Bread has been used to represent our sins, but some choose to cast stones, wood chips, or bird seed instead, to be more environmentally healthy.

Symbols of Rosh Hashanah

The foods eaten are symbolic and their names are poetic puns, representing the prayers.

Shofar

A ram’s horn is blown to announce the new year.

Dates

The prayer before eating a date (tamar in Hebrew) includes the phrase “yitamu hataim”— may the wicked cease.

Apples and Honey

Dipping apples in honey on Rosh Hashanah is tradition to wish for a sweet New Year.

Pumpkin or Squash

Before eating pumpkin or squash (k’ra’a in Hebrew), Sephardic Jews say “yikaru l’fanekha z’khuyoteinu“– may our good deeds call out our merit before you.

Peas or Beans

Mentioned in the Talmud as ruviah, a word that sounds like the Hebrew “to increase,” indicates a desire for increased blessings in the new year.

Leeks or Onions

Associated with the Exodus from Egypt.

Beets

From the Aramaic name silka, similar to the Hebrew salak (go away) is used to express the hope that our enemies disappear.

Fish

Fish heads symbolize our wish to be heads, not tails; leaders, not followers. Originally a sheep’s head (a little hard to get these days) served as a reminder of the ram that saved Isaac’s life.

Crown Challah

Round challah represents the circle of the year and of life.

Pomegranates

The abundance of seeds represents prosperity. Also promises you will do many good deeds in the upcoming year.

Sephardic Jews celebrate a Rosh Hashanah Seder with much symbolism.

Our dinner is like a mini Thanksgiving feast.

Menu Ideas

Start the meal with Fingerlickin’ Challah, amazingly soft on the inside with a nice crunch on the outside and a make-ahead Roasted Carrot Soup with Coriander.

Soymilk is the secret to a parve Creamy Carrot Soup that will bring a rich, healthful, and colorful splash to the holiday table.

Anyone from the American south knows black-eyed peas, but did you know Jewish tradition says that eating them on Rosh Hashanah can increase your good luck in the New Year? Sausage, Black-Eyed Pea and Swiss Chard Soup is a hearty way to ensure good fortune and eat your greens at the same time.

Then dazzle your guests with a gorgeous Salmon Over Pomegranate and Golden Kiwi Arugula Salad as the appetizer. 

For the main course, pair the quintessential Hearty Pot Roast with a Cumin Spiced Brisket With Leeks and Dried Apricots, a decidedly non-traditional take on a holiday favorite.

Apples and Honey Mustard Chicken, from the popular Peas, Love & Carrots cookbook, captures the essence of Rosh Hashanah on a platter. The honey-mustard sauce is a beautiful companion for the chicken, which is baked with apples and finished with a crunchy Panko topping.

Pomegranate Braised Beef, another highlight from Peas, Love & Carrots, puts a sweet-tart spin on a holiday classic. Deglazed with hard apple cider, the meat cooks in a flavorful sauce starring pomegranate syrup to ensure a sweet new year.

Make an exotic salmon recipe with Danielle Renov’s show-stopping Tahini and Tamarind Glazed Salmon with Kadaif Topping, from Peas, Love & Carrots finished with fresh pomegranate seeds. A nest of ultra-thin kadaif noodles (think baklava) tops it all off for a crispy, golden crunch.

Citrus Teriyaki Salmon is a great entrée for non-meat eaters and a wonderful alternative to the classic gefilte fish appetizer. Best of all, it couldn’t be easier to make

Side dishes should be exciting, too. Serve time-honored Tzimmes with Honey alongside Jeweled Butternut Squash featuring pistachios, pomegranate seeds, and chopped dates. Pomegranate also plays a starring role in the fresh and fruity Blood Orange Pomegranate Salad.

Pastrami Leek Galette? Yes, you read that right. Leeks are another traditional symbolic food for Rosh Hashanah. Sautéing pastrami with mushrooms and leeks cooks the veggies down to their caramelized essence. The savory, thyme-scented filling bakes right inside the dough for an elegant presentation.

This Ashkenazic Roasted Tzimmes keeps it traditional, simple, and light. In this updated version, a bit of ginger adds a subtle, warm kick while fresh mint offers an herbaceous finish.

A holiday meal can’t be complete without dessert. But don’t settle for dry, crumbly honey cake when you can make a light and fluffy and delicious Honey Bundt Cake. Or go in a more unexpected direction while still nodding to the tradition to eat dates, and serve Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce. Or lighten things up with Baked Pears with Honey and Cinnamon.

Thanks to a few shortcuts, nobody has to know how easy it is to make these unique and oh-so-decadent desserts. Caramel Apple Halva Babka bakes up on frozen challah dough, while Apple Bourekas with Silan-Sesame Drizzle calls for frozen puff pastry squares and apple pie filling.

We like honey cakes!

Pair dessert with Wissotzky Teas’ new and exotic chai offerings: Ginger and Turmeric Spiced Chai, Pumpkin Spiced Chai, Salted Caramel, or Spiced Nana Mint Chai. Mint tea drinkers can savor Wissotzky’s new line of Simply Nana Teas, which unleash a subtle layer of earthiness and invigorating minty flavor in natural green, black, and herbal flavors.

Some years, we have turkey or chicken instead of beef.

We always have challah, a lovely fruity salad, fish, and leeks or onions.

Family Resources

• Go apple picking.
• Have a honey tasting.
• Make new year cards for friends and family.
• Bake challah together.
• Go on a nature walk.
• Throw your care, prayers, worries, resolutions into water.
• Blow the shofar or party horns.

More Resources:

• PJ Library
• AISH
• Chabad
• Reform Judaism
• Ducksters
• The Maccabeats: This is the New Year
• Shalom Sesame: Tikkun Olam Song
• Jewish Learning
• Kids Connect
• Interfaith Family
• Jewish Agency
• Jewish Boston

We also celebrate Hanukkah and Passover.

L’Shanah Tovah! (For a good year!)