Rosh Hashanah--The Jewish New Year

Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year." Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. This name is somewhat deceptive, because there is little similarity between Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the year, and the American midnight drinking bash and daytime football game.



There is, however, one important similarity between the Jewish New Year and the American one: Many Americans use the New Year as a time to plan a better life, making "resolutions." Likewise, the Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year.

The name "Rosh Hashanah" is not used in the Bible to discuss this holiday. The Bible refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar). The holiday is instituted in Leviticus 23:24-25.

The shofar is a ram's horn which is blown somewhat like a trumpet. One of the most important observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the synagogue. A total of 100 notes are sounded each day. There are four different types of shofar notes: tekiah, a 3 second sustained note; shevarim, three 1-second notes rising in tone, teruah, a series of short, staccato notes extending over a period of about 3 seconds; and tekiah gedolah (literally, "big tekiah"), the final blast in a set, which lasts (I think) 10 seconds minimum. The Bible gives no specific reason for this practice. One that has been suggested is that the shofar's sound is a call to repentance. The shofar is not blown if the holiday falls on Shabbat.

No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah. Much of the day is spent in synagogue, where the regular daily liturgy is somewhat expanded. In fact, there is a special prayerbook called the machzor used for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because of the extensive liturgical changes for these holidays.

Another popular observance during this holiday is eating apples dipped in honey, a symbol of our wish for a sweet new year. We also dip bread in honey (instead of the usual practice of sprinkling salt on it) at this time of year for the same reason.

Another popular practice of the holiday is Tashlikh ("casting off"). We walk to flowing water, such as a creek or river, on the afternoon of the first day and empty our pockets into the river, symbolically casting off our sins. Small pieces of bread are commonly put in the pocket to cast off. This practice is not discussed in the Bible, but is a long-standing custom. Tashlikh is normally observed on the afternoon of the first day, before afternoon services. When the first day occurs on Shabbat, many synagogues observe Tashlikh on Sunday afternoon, to avoid carrying (the bread) on Shabbat.

Religious services for the holiday focus on the concept of God's sovereignty.

The common greeting at this time is L'shanah tovah ("for a good year"). This is a shortening of "L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem", which means "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year."

You may notice that the Bible speaks of Rosh Hashanah as occurring on the first day of the seventh month. The first month of the Jewish calendar is Nissan, occurring in March and April. Why, then, does the Jewish "new year" occur in Tishri, the seventh month?

Judaism has several different "new years," a concept which may seem strange at first, but think of it this way: the American "new year" starts in January, but the new "school year" starts in September, and many businesses have "fiscal years" that start at various times of the year. In Judaism, Nissan 1 is the new year for the purpose of counting the reign of kings and months on the calendar, Elul 1 (in August) is the new year for the tithing of animals, Shevat 15 (in February) is the new year for trees (determining when first fruits can be eaten, etc.), and Tishri 1 (Rosh Hashanah) is the new year for years (when we increase the year number).

List of Dates

Rosh Hashanah will occur on the following days of the Gregorian calendar:

Jewish Year 5769: sunset September 29, 2008 - nightfall October 1, 2008
Jewish Year 5770: sunset September 18, 2009 - nightfall September 20, 2009
Jewish Year 5771: sunset September 8, 2010 - nightfall September 10, 2010
Jewish Year 5772: sunset September 28, 2011 - nightfall September 30, 2011

Jewish holidays in general and certainly the High Holidays in particular are products of layers of tradition that span millennia. The High Holiday season begins in some traditional communities with special penitential prayers, selichot services, said the week before Rosh Hashanah either in the evening or before morning services. The daily morning services end with Psalm 27 and the blowing of the shofar. This is the time when the traditional liturgy hearkens us to prepare for Rosh Hashanah - the holiday that begins the season where we are held accountable for our deeds from the past year.

The Torah is at its most cryptic when it comes to Rosh Hashanah. It says, "In the seventh month on the first day of the month you shall observe complete rest, a sacred occasion commemorated with loud blasts." (Leviticus 23:24) Later on, in the Book of Numbers, the holiday is described similarly as a "... day when the horn is sounded." (Numbers 29:1) The only cues we are given from the Torah are that we are not supposed to engage in work, and that we are to punctuate, or commemorate this day with horn blowing.

The Biblical book of Psalms, traditionally attributed to King David, gives us a little more information. In Psalm 81 it is written: "Blow on the new moon a shofar, during the hidden-ness of our day of feasting, for it is a law, a judgment of the God of Jacob ..." This verse which is part of the liturgy in the Rosh Hashanah service and is also the signifying verse by which we sanctify the day for Kiddush is read closely in order to add another layer of meaning to the verses rendered in the Torah. The words "a judgment of the God of Jacob" are interpreted to mean that these are the days that Jacob, i.e. the nation of Jacob, is judged.

The shofar blowing on Rosh Hashanah literally heralds the season of judgment that culminates with the fast of Yom Kippur. It is a time where the tradition teaches that the Creator is more accessible, and it is a time of favor and forgiveness, a time of growth and improvement, a time of new beginnings, not only for ourselves, but for family, for friends and community.

Apples and Honey

Toward this end, we eat apples and honey on Rosh Hashanah to concretize our wish for a good sweet year. It is customary to be inventive with food puns on Rosh Hashanah and customize a blessing that can belong uniquely to the person who expresses it.

When was the World Created?

There is a Talmudic dispute on whether the world was created on the first day of Nissan - the spring month which heralds the liberation of Israel from Egypt, or Rosh Hashanah. Generally, most commentators agree that Rosh Hashanah is considered the day the world was either conceived or created.

It is not only the day when the tradition acknowledges the past creation of the world, but that the tradition sees everyone as being created anew - every year at this time, but real change does not just magically occur. It takes effort and faith from the individual that change is truly possible and we can truly be profoundly transformed. The framework for returning to our ideal selves has been created by our Creator and as we hear the shofar, we assert the following verse, "... Return us and we will return ..." (Lamentations 5:21)

"Then you shall transmit a blast on the horn; in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, the day of Yom Kippur, you shall have the horn sounded throughout the land...And proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof." (Leviticus 25)

The shofar, a well known symbol of Rosh Hashanah, is one of the earliest instruments used in Jewish music. Usually made from a rams horn, a shofar can also be made from the horns of other animals, including those of a goat or sheep. It is the one musical instrument that has not changed in over 5,000 years.

In Biblical times the shofar was blown to announce an important event, such as the alarm of war or the coming of peace. The Great shofar is said to have been sounded during the greatest event in all Jewish history, the giving of the ten commandments to Moses at Mount Sinai.

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During the course of the festive meal on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, before the slices of apple are dipped in honey and distributed to the participants, the following is read:

As we celebrate Rosh Hashanah, we are deeply grateful to you, dear God, for gathering our family and friends together in this precious season. Each of us contributes unique gifts and we are strengthened by our togetherness. We are filled with joy in welcoming in the New Year and hopeful for our future.

We note with sadness, those who are missing from our celebration. Thoughts of our loved ones who are not present inspire us to deeds of grandeur and truth.

Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of the world, and we recognize how our world has changed. We are saddened by the pain and destruction caused by the enemies of peace. We pray for the safety of the young men and women who serve to defend freedom and pray for the minimizing of suffering and loss of life.

With happiness, we celebrate the State of Israel's 56th year. Our people in Israel welcome the gathering of Jews from around the world. Some go up to Israel to seek freedom from oppression, others to connect to our people's heritage and destiny in our homeland. We pray that all who live within Israel's borders find serenity and spiritual fulfillment.

We commit ourselves to stand in solidarity with our brethren around the world. Some of our fellow Jews are facing new outbreaks of anti-Semitism, others are suffering from economic privation. We pray that You, Adonai, strengthen them during these difficult times. We will be Your partner to help them through tzedakah and hesed, acts of loving-kindness.

The New Year is a time for our own spiritual renewal. We have been granted the power to improve our relationships with others and to deepen our knowledge and connection to Jewish tradition and God. We commit ourselves to greater Jewish learning and will seek out opportunities for personal study and growth.

As we dip our apples in honey, we pray for an additional measure of sweetness. May we continue to grow in our commitment to our faith, our people and our community. May all Jews experience blessings in the year ahead, and may the world become a better place for all Your children.

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The principal techniques he employs encompass painting on silk , hand embroidery, raw-silk appliqué and painting on wood.

from Epicurious

Bread is the most important food in the Jewish diet," writes Maggie Glezer in her book A Blessing of Bread: The Many Rich Traditions of Jewish Bread Baking Around the World. "Jewish law says that as long as bread is served, the fare offered constitutes a meal." At every meal, observant Jews break a piece off a loaf and recite a special prayer, called "hamotzi," before eating it. "Making a motzi," as the process is called, is one of the central rituals of daily life.

For the Sabbath and holidays, Ashkenazi (European) Jews bake a special bread called challah, a rich, golden loaf that's related to Russian/Polish/Ukrainian babka and Easter breads such as Greek tsoureki and Italian pane di pasqua. According to Glezer, challah "seems to have originated in Germany, probably in the 15th century, with Jewish housewives copying their gentile neighbors' braided Sunday loaves." The soft, eggy dough is often shaped into elaborate braids, brushed with an egg wash to produce a shiny crust, and sprinkled with poppy seeds to represent biblical manna from heaven.

On Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, challah takes on an extra significance. Representing hopes for "a sweet new year," the dough is studded with raisins, and pieces are dipped in honey before being eaten. Munching on these delicious morsels, celebrants pray that God will bestow on them a fate as pleasant as the bread's flavor. The bread becomes a tangible symbol of the holiday's deeper meaning.

Though most people now buy their challah from a bakery, making it at home is a wonderful way to connect with tradition-and produce a glossy, superfresh loaf worthy of its place of honor on the holiday table. For her book, Glezer gathered family recipes from generations of Jewish bakers.

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Interview with Epicurious

Joan Nathan is like your favorite aunt: the smart, glamorous one who happens to be an expert on Jewish cooking. One of her books even showed up on Sex and the City, when Charlotte was cooking her first Sabbath dinner. But Nathan didn't set out to be a food writer. With degrees from the University of Michigan and Harvard's Kennedy School, she was heading for a career in government when she went to Jerusalem and fell in love with its vibrant, polyglot cuisine, and she's never looked back. Since then she has written ten books-including the award-winning and essential Jewish Cooking in America-and countless articles for The New York Times. She also made a prizewinning PBS series, also called Jewish Cooking in America.

Epicurious: What is Jewish food?

Joan Nathan: I don't think there's Jewish food as much as there is a Jewish way of cooking. It's the food of wandering, of finding ways to follow the dietary laws wherever you are. As Jews journeyed either as merchants or as exiles, we kept modifying and adapting the local cuisines to make them ours. And it's still going on. If three members of a Moroccan family moved to Israel, France, and the U.S., pretty soon they'd be using different spices and taking different shortcuts and coming up with three different versions of the family recipes.

Epicurious: How did you start writing about food?

Joan Nathan: I've loved cooking since I was a kid: I even loved home economics. When I was 26 I went to Israel as the foreign press attaché for Jerusalem's mayor, Teddy Kolleck, and was absolutely dazzled by what I tasted there, not only from Jews but also Christians and Muslims. Almost as a joke I sat down and wrote a book, The Flavor of Jerusalem. I never thought of it as a career, but it sold 25,000 copies in the States and suddenly I was a food writer. When I got home I realized I knew a lot about Jerusalem but not about Judaism, because I come from a not terribly observant family and we don't keep kosher. Partly to educate myself, I wrote The Jewish Holiday Kitchen, which has been continually in print since 1979. To this day, however, my mother uses The Settlement Cookbook. [Published in 1901, The Settlement was written to help Milwaukee's immigrants adapt to American culture, but contains many classic Jewish recipes.]

Like Italian Americans, Jewish Americans wanted everything to be bigger, richer, and especially sweeter than it was in Europe.

Epicurious: Has Jewish cooking changed much since you started writing about it?

Joan Nathan: Tremendously. It goes along with the change in the way everyone eats. Who makes veal or goose these days? But there was a time when goose was considered the meat of the Jews. Like everyone else, Jews are eating lighter foods, which means less meat and, unfortunately, fewer delis.

One big change was the discovery of Sephardic food. After the '67 war, American Jews started going to Israel and for the first time tasted things like hummus, falafel, and stuffed vegetables. They brought home a liking for exotic kosher dishes that had no trace of Poland or Germany. It was a culinary revolution, like when the GIs came back from Europe after World War II having discovered pizza and French bread. By now Sephardic is taken for granted, and there's a global kosher cuisine, with even the most Orthodox people eating Italian and Thai dishes.

And of course there's been an explosion of prepared kosher products because like everyone else, Jewish women are working more and able to cook less. Bottled gefilte fish began after World War I. Now there's frozen gefilte fish and frozen challah that you can buy already formed, let rise, and bake off for the Sabbath.

Epicurious: But somehow we go back to the old recipes for the holidays, don't we?

Joan Nathan: I certainly do. This Rosh Hashanah I'll make gefilte fish in one form or another. The next day, I'll give a big brunch after synagogue and serve lots of Israeli salads and some kind of brisket. Honey cake is traditional but I don't like it, so I'll do an apple cake and plum kuchen instead.

But I don't make these dishes only on the holidays. I always cook Shabbat dinner on Friday night. Now that the kids are grown I'll have another couple over. I just feel it's important to slow down and bring out the old recipes that make a connection between the people who are gone and who we are today. And I always make challah.

Epicurious: Why challah specifically?

Joan Nathan: According to the law, there are three Shabbat mitzvahs, or good deeds, for a woman: going to the mikvah [a ritual bath], lighting Friday night candles, and making challah. When my daughters turned 13, I asked Manfred Loeb, a baker, to come over and teach them how, and he and they together would make enough challah for their bat mitzvahs. Now when friends' children are getting bar or bat mitzvahed I'll go over and do a session with them.

Epicurious: How have American Jews influenced the cuisine?

Joan Nathan: Like Italian Americans, Jewish Americans wanted everything to be bigger, richer, and especially sweeter than it was in Europe. Big sweet-and-sour braised briskets are definitely American. Also sweet noodle kugels with cornflake toppings, sweet challah and huge bagels, and cream-cheese cakes with cookie crusts. Unfortunately, we have a sweet tooth, and not just at Rosh Hashanah when you're supposed to eat sweet things for a sweet New Year.

Epicurious: What are you working on now?

Joan Nathan: A book about the Jews of France, which will be full of history and delicious old recipes. It's so exciting. I've met Jews from families that have been in France since the time of Julius Caesar. The geography of Judaism is fascinating, and sometimes you can trace it through food. If I want to know about stuffed matzoh balls, I look at South African cookbooks, because so many Jews from Lithuania, where they made them, moved there. To find out about Romanian smoked meat, I'll go to Canada: again, because of immigration patterns. You tell me you have an English friend who puts ginger in her matzoh balls, and I have a pretty good idea that her family came from Alsace, where they're seasoned with ginger and nutmeg.

Joan Nathan

Honey is an ancient ingredient in Jewish New Year celebrations; a lovely culinary symbol of the sweet year ahead. So this holiday season, why not give it center stage by serving several interesting varieties for your guests to taste?

In the following excerpt from her book, Jewish Holiday Style, author Rita Milos Brownstein explains the basics.

Honey Basics

"Why Honey is Kosher

Stump your kosher-conversant friends with the fact that honey is the only kosher food that comes from a nonkosher animal. The reason for this? The bee is concentrating flower nectar into honey for the hive-honey is not a product of the bee's body. [However, note that some unfiltered varieties of honey are not kosher due to small amounts of other materials present. If this is of concern to you, consult a religious authority for more information.]

How to Handle Honey

Temperature is very important. The delicate bouquet and fine flavor of honey are vulnerable to heat and improper storage. Excessive heat should be avoided-the damaging effects of heat on honeys can produce an "off" flavor. Store at room temperature out of direct sunlight, or the liquid honey will become granulated. If this happens, simply microwave for two or three minutes, stirring every thirty seconds or so, until the honey is smooth again, good as new.

How Honey Gets Its Flavor

The tastes of honey are heady, complex, and varied. Gourmet shops, natural-food stores, and farmer's markets in recent years have begun to offer dozens of honeys that vary in flavor and texture from sunny and light to dark, dense, and rich, some even with hues of red and green. The differences in taste, texture, and color depend on the kind of nectar the bees have been collecting, and there are as many subtle flavors of honey as there are plant nectar sources. (A little nature trivia with which to dazzle your guests: Did you know that the bee must tap the nectar of two million flowers to produce one pound of honey?)"

Honey Types

Alfalfa Honey

This comes from Canada and the United States. Mild and light, alfalfa honey is one of the most commonly sold commercial varieties.

Black Locust Honey

Strong, aromatic, and very bright yellow in color, this honey comes from the black locust plant.

Clover Honey

This is one of the most commercially popular of all honeys. With a mild taste and a brandy coloring, it comes from the red, white, and sweet yellow clover vetches, or tiny blossoms.

Dandelion Honey

Strong, aromatic, and bright yellow in color, this honey comes from the basic backyard dandelion plant.

Eucalyptus Honey

A strongly flavored, robust honey that comes from the Eucalyptus tree, an Australian import. This honey is produced mostly in California and the South.

Orange Blossom Honey

This honey is found everywhere, with a mild taste and golden color. Many of these honeys come from the nectars of tropical citrus trees, including orange, grapefruit, and tangerine, and most of these honeys are produced in Texas, Florida, and California.

From Epicurious

While there are thousands of different apples in the world, we've rounded up 11 that represent the diversity found in today's marketplace. Some, like Red and Golden Delicious, are tried-and-true favorites in the United States; others such as Cameo and Fuji are relative newcomers to the apple scene.

The fruit has been evolving for centuries: "Modern" apples have been cultivated for qualities such as shape, taste, and high production yield, but also for their resistance to pests and disease. In 1892, there were about 735 different varieties; now fewer than 50 are mass-grown. Because of renewed interest in older-and sometimes regional-varieties, "heirlooms" such as Northern Spy, Gravenstein, Canadian Strawberry, and Newtown Pippin can be found at farmers' markets or local orchards. To grow your own apples, visit the local garden nursery or purchase the trees from online purveyors such as Trees of Antiquity, Fedco Trees, and Century Farm Orchards.



Jonagold

Characteristics: A lovely red hue with hints of yellow, this species is a hybrid of the Jonathan (not pictured here) and the Golden Delicious and bears a faint physical resemblance to both. Like the Golden Delicious, Jonagold is sweet and thin-skinned, but it takes from the Jonathan a smooth skin and tart flavor. It is versatile and can be used in any recipe calling for apples.



Cameo

Characteristics: Although this apple was discovered in Washington State in 1987, it's quickly grown in popularity. Juicy, crisp, and sweet with just a touch of tart, the Cameo is thought to come from both the Red and the Yellow Delicious. That explains its shape as well as the somewhat striated look of its red-and-yellow skin, which is thicker than the Golden Delicious but thinner than the Red. Try substituting Cameos for Goldens in baking and cooking recipes. This variety is especially delicious when eaten raw.



Empire

Characteristics: A cross between McIntosh and Red Delicious, the Empire was developed by researchers at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in 1966. It is generally quite round, with a skin that's bright red with hints of green. The interior is crisp and creamy white. The Empire is firmer than the McIntosh, so it makes for a good cooking apple.



McIntosh

Characteristics: This apple is the least firm of all the ones rounded up in this illustrated guide. The soft flesh can be described as "creamy" or "mealy," which makes this variety a good candidate for eating raw or for apple sauce or apple butter, but not necessarily for baking. If you bake with McIntoshes, use a thickener to keep the apples from becoming too mushy.



Golden Delicious

Characteristics: This all-purpose apple may share part of its name with the Red Delicious, but the two are not related. Golden Delicious apples are a bright, cheery-looking yellow with a relatively soft texture, although not as soft to the touch as a McIntosh or a Cortland. Thin-skinned, the Golden Delicious doesn't store well (it can bruise and shrivel), so try to use it as soon as possible. This apple is ideal for pies, salads, sauces, and freezing.



Fuji

Characteristics: Created by Japanese growers in the 1930s, the Fuji apple's popularity grew in the U.S. during the 1980s and it has quickly become one of the most popular in the country. It's a large crisp apple-a relative of the Red Delicious-with an intense sweetness that makes this an ideal candidate for eating raw. Try adding Fujis to salads and slaws that require very little to no cooking to keep their consistency.



Cortland

Characteristics: It's understandable if you confuse this apple with the McIntosh. Both are on the squat side, with creamy white interiors and sweet-and-tart flavors. The Cortland is a relatively soft apple, although not quite as soft as the McIntosh. And unlike the McIntosh, the Cortland functions as an all-purpose apple, which means you can bake it, cook it, or eat it raw.



Red Delicious

Characteristics: This is the most popular apple variety in the U.S. It's top heavy and has a creamy white interior. While juicy, the Red Delicious is a soft apple and won't cook well, so it's best to eat them raw. They're also ideal snacks for the lunchbox.



Gala

Characteristics: Taller than it is wide, the gala's shape is similar to that of the Golden and Red Delicious apples. It has a pleasantly mild, sweet taste, crisp texture, and a beautiful light-red sheen with bright-yellow undertones. Like Fujis, Galas are easy to eat uncooked thanks to their thin skin and overall sweetness, making them an ideal fruit for kids. They're also good for cooking.



Granny Smith

Characteristics: You can't miss this apple, originally from New Zealand, with its bright-green skin, hard feel, crisp bite, and extremely tart taste. When it's really ripe, the green skin usually has a touch of rosy red. While some savor the tartness, others prefer to cook it, which sweetens it up. It is an ideal complement to savory foods such as onions and salty foods like cheese. On an aesthetic note: The green skin provides a great visual element to any dish.



Braeburn

Characteristics: Also from New Zealand, this apple has a skin that's muted red with golden-yellow undertones and tinges of faint green. It produces a firm, crisp bite and offers a pleasing balance between sweet and tart. Firm to the touch, Braeburns are good for baking as well as eating just as they are.

Honey cake is often served during Rosh Hashanah because honey symbolizes wishes for "sweet" things to come. The cake becomes moister and its flavors deepen a day or two after it's made.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 3 hr (includes cooling)

Servings: Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup honey (preferably buckwheat)
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup freshly brewed strong coffee, cooled
2 large eggs
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons whiskey or bourbon
Special equipment: a 9- by 5- by 3-inch loaf pan

Preparation

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350°F. Oil loaf pan well and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and ginger in a small bowl. Whisk together honey, oil, and coffee in another bowl until well combined.

Beat together eggs and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, then add honey mixture and whiskey and mix until blended, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Finish mixing batter with a rubber spatula, scraping bottom of bowl.

Pour batter into loaf pan (batter will be thin) and bake 30 minutes. Cover top loosely with foil and continue to bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes more. Cool on a rack 1 hour.

Run a knife around side of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack. Turn cake right side up and cool completely.