Happy New Year! Traditionally, the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, is a time of introspection and reflection. How did we do in the past year? What are we hoping to change in the coming year? During this meal we will rejoice in being together, and think back on the year that was, and forward to the year that will be. 

People have celebrated Rosh Hashanah with a festive gathering since Talmudic times. Weaving together symbolic foods with the familiar structure of a seder helps us start the new year mindfully. During this brief seder, we’ll make four toasts together and find opportunities for blessing and reflection. Each toast is centered on a way of understanding Rosh Hashanah - as a day of reawakening, of judgment, of remembrance and of recreation. 

While we are unfortunately distanced physically, we can and will be together spiritually.  This Rosh HaShanah Seder was compiled lovingly in the hopes of providing you and your family an opportunity to learn together, to play together and of course to eat together.  Inside you will find art projects, readings, reflection questions, recipes and stories.  

We at Adat Ari El would like to wish you all Chag Samech!

Shanah Tovah U’Metukah (a happy and sweet new year)!

The staff at Adat Ari El.

Nearly all Jewish holiday begin with lighting candles, and so this one will, too. After we light the candles we wave our hands in three big horizontal circles to symbolically bring the light closer to us, and then cover our eyes while we say the blessing. When the blessing is over take a moment of silent reflection with your eyes covered, and then open your eyes and enjoy the beauty of candlelight, bringing you into the new year.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל שַׁבָּת ו יום טֹוב

Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam
asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel shabbat v'yom tov.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe,
who has sanctified us with commandments, and commanded us to light festival candles.

Wine or grape juice are also standards of nearly every Jewish holiday. Before we eat we take a moment to say a blessing over a glass of wine. In this special version Rosh Hashanah is called Yom HaZikaron, the Day of Remembering, and Yom Truah, the Day of Calling Out. Tonight during our meal we will do some remembering, and some calling out. We will also focus on the gratitude we feel for the past year, and all of the blessings that it contained. L’chaim!

בָּרוּךְ‭ ‬אַתָּה‭ ‬יְיָ‭ ‬אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ‭ ‬מֶֽלֶךְ‭ ‬הָעוֹלָם‭ ‬בּוֹרֵא‭ ‬פְּרִי‭ ‬הַגָּֽפֶן

Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’ olam borei peri hagafen.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha'olam asher bakhar banu m'kol am, v'romemanu m'kol lashon v'kidishanu b'mitzvotav. Vatiten lanu Adonai Eloheinu b'ahava et Yom HaShabbat ha'zeh v'et)Yom HaZikaron ha'zeh. Yom zichron teruah b'ahava mikra kodesh, zekher le'yitziat mitzrayim. Ki vanu vakharta v'otanu kidashtah m'kol ha'amim, u'devarkha emet v'kayam la'ad.
Barukh atah Adonai melekh al kol ha'aretz, mekadesh haShabbat v'Yisrael v'Yom HaZikaron. 

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who has chosen us from among all peoples and sanctified us with God's commandments. And You gave us, Adonai our God, in love this Sabbath day and this Day of Remembrance. It is a Day of Remembrance a day for recalling with love the sounding of the Shofar, a sacred convocation, a commemoration of the Exodus from Egypt. For You chose us and sanctified us from among all peoples, and Your word is truth and endures forever.
Blessed are You, Ruler over all the earth, who sanctifies the Sabbath and Israel and the Day of Remembrance.

The shehechiyanu blessing thanks the creator for giving us life, sustaining us, and allowing us to reach this day. This blessing is said at momentous occasions, and tonight counts because it is the night when we can finally look back on the whole previous year. We made it! Whether bitter or sweet, difficult or fun, tonight we celebrate and feel grateful for making it to today, and to this table to reflect with people we care about.

בָּרוּך אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וקְִיְמָּנוּ והְִגִיּעָנוּ לַזְמַן הַזֶה

Barukh ata adonai elohenu melekh ha’olam, shehecheyanu, v’kiyimanu, v’higiyanu la’z’man ha’zeh

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe who has given us life, sustained us, and allowed us to reach this day.

We say the shehechiyanu prayer whenever we celebrate a "first".  The first time a community gathers together, at birthdays and even sitting together for the first time in a Sukkah.  On Rosh Hashanah we celebrate the new year and as such we say this special prayer.

What are you looking forward to this year?

What are some "firsts" that you are looking forward to?

What would you like to be better about?

Is there a new skill you would like to learn?

For centuries, Sephardi Jewish families have gathered to celebrate a special Rosh Hashanah ceremony with a plate or meal of symbolic foods. Each food is eaten after requesting a specific kind of Divine blessing that sounds like the name of that food in Hebrew. 

Before eating dates ( tamar ):
May it be your will, God, that hatred will end. ( Tamar resembles the word for end, yitamu. )

Before eating pomegranate:
May we be as full of mitzvot as the pomegranate is full of seeds.

Before eating apple:
May it be Your will, God, to renew for us a good and sweet year.

Before eating black-eyed peas or string beans ( rubia ):
May it be Your will, God, that our merits increase. ( Rubia resembles the word for increase, yirbu. )

Before eating pumpkin or gourd ( k’ra ):
May it be Your will, God, to tear away all evil decrees against us, as our merits are proclaimed before you. ( K’ra resembles the word for tear and proclaimed, likroah. )

Before eating spinach or beet leaves ( selek ):
May it be Your will, God, that all the enemies who might beat us will retreat, and we will beat a path to freedom ( Selek resembles the word for retreat, yistalku ).

Before eating leeks, chives, or scallions ( karti ):
May it be Your will, God, that our enemies be cut off. ( Karti resembles the word for cut off,  yikartu. ) 

Since Rosh Hashanah means the head of the year, we eat foods that symbolize our wish to be heads, not tails in the year to come. Traditionally, families ate the head of a fish or sheep. You may want to instead enjoy a head of lettuce, or a more whimsical option involves gummy fish. 
May it be Your will, God, that our heads remain clear and focused on creating a better world this year.

Connect the dots to find a special picture above!

Once there were three brothers who loved adventure. One day they decided to go on a journey, each one to a different country, and to meet again on a certain day ten years later. Each brother was to bring back with him an unusual gift.

The oldest brother decided to go to the East. When he arrived in a certain Eastern town, he was fascinated by what he saw there: magicians, dancing girls, jugglers, and acrobats were everywhere. As the brother was watching the entertainments, he saw one magician hold up a magic glass through which he could see to the distant corners of the kingdom.

“Ah!” thought the oldest brother, “I would like to have that glass, for that would certainly be an unusual object to share with my brothers.” He asked the magician, “Tell me, how much is that glass? I should like to buy it from you.” At first, the magician would not part with his magic glass, but after much pleading by the older brother, and some bargaining, they agreed upon a price and the magician sold the glass to the oldest brother.

The second brother traveled to a country in the West. Wherever he went, he kept his eyes open, and his mind as well. He was always on the lookout for the most unusual gift he could bring back to his brothers.

One day, he was attracted by the cries of an old carpet seller, who called out, “Carpets for sale! Beautiful! Wonderful! Carpets here!” The brother approached the carpet seller and began to examine his carpets, when suddenly he saw the carpet at the bottom of the pile begin to move. It seemed to be moving by itself! “What kind of carpet is this one?” he asked, pointing to the bottom one, which was quite visible by then.

The old merchant motioned for him to bend down and whispered in his ear, “This is a magic carpet. Buy it, and it will take you anywhere you want to go—and quickly too!” The second brother and the carpet seller finally settled upon a price, and the brother took the magic carpet with him, satisfied that he had a most unusual gift.

The youngest brother went South, and when he arrived in a certain country, he traveled far and wide to see what he could find to bring back to his brothers.

Now, this was a country noted for its many forests. One day the youngest brother was walking in a grove of trees when he noticed something strange—a tree that was of a different shape from the hundreds of other trees around it. It was covered with orange-red blossoms, and it was so beautiful!

As the younger brother came closer, he saw that there was only one red pomegranate on the tree.

“This is strange indeed,” thought the young man. “A pomegranate tree with only one pomegranate.” He approached the tree slowly, laughing to himself and thinking of the story he would tell his brothers about the pomegranate tree full of blossoms with only one fruit on it. As he reached for the pomegranate, it fell into his hand even before he could pluck it from the branch. As soon as that happened, another pomegranate burst from one of the blossoms. When the brother saw this, he looked at the pomegranate in his hand and said to himself, “This must be a magic pomegranate. It was the only one on the tree, and yet as soon as it fell into my hands when I was about to reach for it, a new pomegranate appeared suddenly. But what kind of magic does it perform, I wonder?”

The youngest brother examined the pomegranate, marveling at its beauty. “The shape is so perfect,” he thought, “crowned with the crown of King Solomon.” He walked away from the tree looking at his mysterious new treasure. When he looked back to see the pomegranate tree once more, it was no longer there. It had disappeared. “Now I know this is a magic pomegranate, and so this is what I will bring to my brothers.”

Ten years passed, and when the three brothers met as they had planned, they embraced with delight. They eagerly showed each other the unusual objects they had brought back from their journeys.

The oldest brother said, “Let me look through my glass and see what I can see.” When he held up the glass, he saw, in a far-off kingdom, a young princess lying ill in bed, near death.

“Quickly, dear brothers, get on my magic carpet and we’ll fly there!” said the second brother. In what seemed like seconds, the three brothers arrived at the far-off kingdom.

In the royal palace of this kingdom, the King, whose daughter lay ill, was grief-stricken. He had sent for every doctor in the country to cure the princess; but they had all failed and there was no hope left for the princess. Finally, the King had sent a messenger throughout the country saying, “Whoever can save my daughter, the princess, will have her hand in marriage, and half the kingdom!”

As if in a dream, the youngest brother heard a voice whisper inside him, “The pomegranate!” The youngest brother approached the King and asked, “May I try to cure the princess?” The King agreed and led the young man to the princess’ chambers.

When the young man saw the princess, he approached quietly and sat by her side. Then he took the pomegranate from his pocket, cut it open with gentle care, carefully cut each kernel from its place, and then fed the juicy red kernels to the princess. In a few moments, the princess felt stronger, and the color returned to her cheeks. Soon, she sat up in her bed, fully restored to health.

The King was overjoyed. He hugged his daughter and, turning to the three young men, he announced, “The man who saved my daughter will marry her.”

The three brothers began to quarrel, each one claiming to be the one who should marry the princess.

The oldest brother said, “If it were not for my magic glass, we would never have known the princess was ill in the first place. So, since I discovered this first, I deserve to marry the princess.”

“But, brothers, It was because of my magic carpet that we could arrive so quickly,” argued the second brother. “Otherwise, the princess would have died. I deserve to marry the princess.”

Then the youngest brother said, “It was my magic pomegranate that actually healed the princess. I deserve to marry her.”

Since the three brothers could not decide which one should marry the princess, the King tried to decide. He looked at the three clever young men, but he could not decide who deserved to many his daughter.

The King finally turned to the princess and asked, “Who do you think deserves to marry you, my daughter?”

The princess answered simply, “I will ask each of them a question.” She turned to the oldest brother and asked, “Has your magic glass changed in any way since you arrived in this Kingdom?”

“No,” replied the oldest brother. “My glass is the same as always, and I can look through it and see to every corner of this kingdom.”

The princess then asked the second brother, “Has your magic carpet changed in any way since you arrived in this kingdom?” And the second brother answered, “No, my carpet is the same, and I can fly anywhere on it, as always.”

Turning to the youngest brother, the princess asked, “Has your magic pomegranate changed in any way since you arrived in this Kingdom?” And the youngest brother answered, “Yes, princess, my pomegranate is no longer whole, for I gave you a portion of it”

The princess turned to the three young men and said, “I will marry the youngest brother because he performed the greatest good deed—because he gave up something of his own.

The brothers and the King all understood the wisdom of the Princess. A lavish wedding was arranged for the princess and the youngest brother.

And the King appointed the princess and all three brothers to become his royal advisers.

“The Magic Pomegranate.” Schram, Peninnah. Jewish Stories One Generation Tells Another. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, Inc., ©1987. p. 180-181.

Place template on a color heavy weight paper or an empty cereal box.
Cut along the solid lines of the template (outline) including the 2 lines in the pomegranate crown.
Crease along the dashed lines.  A ruler works great for this. Fold and insert one cut into the other to close.

For Ashkenazi Jews, the primary symbolic food of Rosh Ha-Shanah is apples dipped in honey, a way of wishing for a sweet new year. Before eating apples and honey, say the following blessings:

Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha'olam borei pri ha-eitz.
Blessed are You, God, Ruler of the universe, who creates fruit of the tree.

Yehi ratzon lifanecha, Adonai Eloheinu, v'Elohai avoteinu, she'te'hadesh aleinu shanah tovah u'metukah.
May it be Your will, Adonai our God, to grant us a good and sweet year.   

 In a great oak forest where the trees grew tall and majestic, there was a little apple tree. It was the only apple tree in that forest and so it stood alone. Winter came. As the snow fell to the forest floor, it covered the branches of the little apple tree. The forest was quiet and peaceful.

One night the little apple tree looked up at the sky and saw a wonderful sight. Between the branches of all the trees, the little apple tree saw the stars in the sky, which appeared to be hanging on the branches of the oak trees. "Oh God, Oh God," whispered the little apple tree, "how lucky those oak trees are to have such beautiful stars hanging on their branches. I want more than anything in the world to have stars on my branches, just like the oak trees have! Then I would feel truly special."

God looked down at the little apple tree and said gently, "Have patience! Have patience, little apple tree!" Time passed. The snows melted and spring came to the land. Tiny white and pink apple blossoms appeared on the branches of the litle apple tree. Birds came to rest on its branches. People walked by the little apple tree and admired its beautiful blossoms.

All summer long, the apple tree continued to grow. The branches of the tree formed a canopy overhead as they filled with leaves and blossoms. But night after night the little apple tree looked up at the sky with the millions, and millions, and millions -and millions of stars and cried out, "Oh God, I want more than anything in the world to have stars in my tree and on my branches and in my leaves -just like those oak trees."

And God looked down at the little apple tree and said, "You already have gifts. Isn't it enough to have shade to offer people, and fragrant blossoms, and branches for birds to rest on so they can sing you their songs?" The apple tree sighed and answered simply, "Dear God, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but that is not special enough! I do appreciate how much pleasure I give to others, but what I really want more than anything in the world is to have stars, not blossoms, on my branches. Then I would feel truly special!"

God answered, "Be patient, little apple tree." The seasons changed again. Soon the apple tree was filled with many beautiful apples. People walked in the forest. Whoever saw the apple tree would reach up, pick an apple and eat it. And still, when night came to the forest, the apple tree looked at the stars in the oak trees and called out, "Oh God, I want more than anything in the world to have stars on my branches! Then I would feel truly special."
 

And God asked, "But apple tree, isn't it enough that you now have such wonderful apples to offer people? Doesn't that satisfy you? Doesn't that give you enough pleasure and make you feel special?" Without saying a word, the apple tree answered by shaking its branches from side to side. At that moment, God caused a wind to blow. The great oak trees began to sway and the apple tree began to shake. From the top of the apple tree an apple fell. When it hit the ground, it split open.

"Look," commanded God, "look inside yourself. What do you see?" The little apple tree looked down and saw that right in the middle of the apple, was a star. And the apple tree answered, "A star! I have a star!" And God said, "So you do have stars on your branches. They've been there all along, you just didn't know it."

Color your own apples and honey!

It's traditional to send out New Year's cards at Rosh Hashanah to wish your friends and family a sweet year.

To make this sweet Rosh HaShanah card, trace the honey jar along the edge of a folded piece of construction paper. Cut out the honey jar shape on all the edges except the folded one. 

Cut an oval shape out of paper to use as the honey jar's label. Write the word "HONEY" on it with a marker. Inside the card, draw pictures and write the message, "May your New Year be as sweet as honey!"

A typical Rosh HaShanah seder includes eating string beans.  These delicious veggies are symbolic of the desire for our famiies and friends continued success.

While we are supposed to eat them during the seder, they are also fun to play with.  

Using only string beans, glue and paint, create a piece of art which depicts how you imagine your life geting better this new year.

Two Brothers, Two Rewards
A Story Told in China, Korea, and Japan

Long ago, there were two brothers who were as different as could be. Everything came easily to the older brother. He was able to save a great fortune without a great deal of work. But despite all his wealth, he was an unhappy man who always wanted more.

His younger brother, on the other hand, had no luck when it came to making money, but managed to be happy with the little he had. The oldest brother thought him a fool and never helped out, even though he had plenty of money for both of them.

One day, the younger brother found a sparrow with a broken wing. He took the bird home and nursed it back to health. By springtime the sparrow was strong enough to fly on its own. The brother took the bird out to his garden and said, “Go on, little bird, it’s time for you to fly home to your family.” Much to his amazement, the sparrow replied, “You have been very kind to me. Even though you expected nothing in return, please take this pumpkin seed as a reward. Plant it in your garden and wait for it to ripen.”

The younger brother planted the seed and watered it carefully. Soon a pumpkin vine sprouted out of the ground. By summer’s end, the vine was filled with beautiful orange pumpkins. When he cut one open, gold and silver and diamonds poured out! Every one of the pumpkins was filled with the same riches. He was now the wealthiest man in the town.

The news of his poor brother’s sudden fortune reached the older brother. He didn’t want anyone – and certainly not his younger brother – to have more money than he had. Going quickly to his brother’s house, he demanded to know how he had become rich so suddenly. The younger brother didn’t like to lie, so he told him all about the sparrow he had nursed back to health.

The older brother was determined to get his own reward. So the next day, he went into the woods to find a wounded sparrow. He couldn’t find one, so he took out his slingshot, shot a sparrow, and broke its wing. He rushed over to pick up the bird and said, “Oh, you poor thing! Come back to my house and I’ll take care of your injuries. But if I nurse you back health, you must give me a reward.”

The older brother was very good to the sparrow, but not because he was kindhearted. The sooner it got better he thought, the sooner he’d get his reward. At last the bird had enough strength to fly away. The older brother said to it, “Go on, return to your family. But before you go, I expect to get my reward.”

The sparrow replied, “Don’t worry. I would never forget to give you something in return. Please take this pumpkin seed. Plant it in your garden and wait for it to ripen.”

The older brother planted the seed right away. As he watered the plant, he thought, “It won’t be long before I’m richer than my brother once again!” He was surprised to see that the plant did not grow along the ground. Instead, it grew straight up. Higher and higher it grew until it seemed that it had reached the moon. But he wondered why there were no pumpkins to be seen. He thought, “I’ll bet my reward will be even greater than my brother’s. I’ll climb up and collect all the gold and silver of the moon. When I return, I’ll be the richest man in the whole land!”

The older brother began to climb and climb and climb. When at last he reached the moon and stepped onto it, the vine disappeared! And if you look up into the sky on a moonlit night, you’ll see that he’s still up there, for the greedy man has lived all alone on the moon ever since.

The beet is symbolic of beating our own path. With a few supplies, you can make your own shofar to help you march to the beat of your own drum (shofar). Gather 3 toilet paper rolls per horn, a party horn, masking tape, glue, paintbrush, scissors, and white and brown paint.

Cut all the way across one roll lengthwise. Remove fringe or cardboard from the party horn so you are only left with the plastic noise maker.  Wrap the cut cardboard tube around the plastic noisemaker. Fasten cardboard to plastic noisemaker securely with masking tape.

With the other two rolls, fold the edge to make a pleat in the bottom side. You are making the bottom small enough to fit inside another roll. This will give the shofar a nice curve. Place the tubes inside each other.

Paper mache the toilet paper rolls with long strips of paper and a mixture of equal parts water and glue (use can also use equal parts flour and water). If you want to forgo the mess, simply wrap the toilet paper rolls with masking tape.

Allow the paper mache to dry completely. Paint with white paint. While white paint is still wet, sponge on some bits of brown and mix and smudge lightly to give the horn “realistic” color and dimension.

Illustration by Jessica Tamar Deutsch displaying the traditional simanim

Our first toast is to Yom Truah, the Day of Reawakening.  “Truah!” shouts the shofar, blasting the alarm buried in your soul. The shofar wakes us up, and it amplifies our voices, making our prayers heard. Move in your body, stand in your power and be loud. 

Together, we raise a glass and make a Toast to Reawakening from Psalm 118: 
“From the narrowness of distress, I called to God; and God answered me with the breath of Divine relief. You have heard my voice; do not shut Your ear.”  
 

Blessing for Hearing the Shofar 
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha-olam asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu lishmoa kol shofar.
We praise You, Eternal God, Ruler of the universe, who has made us holy with commandments, and who has commanded us to hear the voice of the shofar.

Reflection Questions for Yom Truah - Day of Reawakening
When was I asleep in the past year? 
What do I want to be alert to in the year to come?

Since the start of the month of Elul 30 days ago, our internal calculators have been in overdrive. Cheshbon haNefesh means an accounting of the soul, reflecting on a whole year of triumphs and mistakes and asking for forgiveness as we work to forgive others. We look backwards in order to move forward. 

Together, we make a toast to Recommitment, Judgment, Justice and Transparency, adapted from Rami M. Shapiro: 
"Today we stand before the Mirror of All, to see ourselves as we are. We come with no gifts, no bribes, no illusions, no excuses, no defenses. We come with error and needless pain, but also joy and remembered moments of love and right doing. Let us be bold enough to see, humble enough to feel, daring enough to turn and embrace the way of justice, mercy and simplicity."

Blessing to Pursue Justice:
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu ruach ha'olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu lirdof tzedek.
We praise You, Eternal God, Spirit of the universe, who calls us to holiness through mitzvot, commanding us to pursue justice.

Reflection Questions for Yom HaDin - Day of Judgment
From whom do I need forgiveness? 
Who do I need to forgive?

Rituals are the place where we blend memories, identities and meaning. Rosh Hashanah is known as a day of remembrance - a monumental moment - where we sit in the balance between past and future. We remember our ancestors and our actions as we reflect on what they have taught us. 

Together, we raise a glass and make a toast to Remembrance with this quote from Abraham Joshua Heschel: 
“The authentic individual is neither an end nor a beginning but a link between ages, both memory and expectation...to us, recollection is a holy act; we sanctify the present by remembering the past. To us Jews, the essence of faith is memory. To believe is to remember.” 

Blessing of Memory
Zichronam livracha, tzedek v’shalom 
May the memories of those we have lost be for a blessing of righteousness and peace.

Reflection Questions for Yom HaZikaron - Day of Remembrance
Where did I dedicate my time, energy and resources in the past year? 
Who and what do I want to remember from the past year?

Like people, the Universe has a birthday and it falls on Rosh Hashanah. And like our birthdays, it’s a moment for us to dwell in a moment of renewal and recreation. We open ourselves up and rewrite our stories and our aspirations for the next year. 

As we close our Rosh Hashanah seder, we make a fourth and final toast to Recreation, adapted from Emily Stern:
“Each moment is a microcosm of who we are becoming. We bless each other and ourselves, celebrating our moments of gratitude. We bring presence and positivity into our hearts, and clarity about the truest, most authentic version of ourselves that, we pray, will find expression and aliveness in the coming year. We act as conscious co-creators with The Creator.”
 

Blessing of Creation 
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melekh ha’olam, oseh maasei v’reishit. 
We praise You, Eternal God, Spirit of the universe, who makes the works of creation. 

Reflection Questions for HaYom Harat Olam - Day of Recreation 
What do I want to practice, seek or commit myself to for the year to come? 
What do I want to create for myself and the world?

Write your own happy birthday wishes to the world in the blank space above!

On Rosh Hashanah and throughout the High Holiday season, we eat challah in the shape of a circle, to symbolize the circle of time, and the fullness of the year that is coming. Many people add even more sweetness to their first challah of the new year by adding apples and raisins or by drizzling honey or jam on top.  

As you take a bite, share with others around the table how you hope to bring sweetness into the world in the New Year.
 

בָּרוּךְ‭ ‬אַתָּה‭ ‬יְיָ‭ ‬אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ‭ ‬מֶֽלֶךְ‭ ‬הָעוֹלָם
‬הַמּֽוֹצִיא‭ ‬לֶֽחֶם‭ ‬מִן‭ ‬הָאָֽרֶץ

Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam,
hamotzi lekhem min ha-aretz.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God,Ruler of the universe,
Who brings forth bread from the earth.

Want to make your own Rosh Hashanah Round Challah? Follow the recipe and instructions below!

Ingredients:

• 1 package dry active yeast
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1 1/4 cups luke warm water, divided
• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. Kosher salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2+ tbs. oil, divided
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 cup raisins

Instructions:

1. Put yeast, sugar, and 1/4 cup water into a bowl, and mix. Set aside. Sift flour, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the 2 eggs, 2 tbs. oil, honey, and the rest of the water. Also add to the well the yeast mixture.

2. Mix all into the flour. Place dough on a flour surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Place it in a grease bowl. Rub some oil on the top of the dough. Cover this with a clean cloth. Place in a warm spot and let it rest for 1 hour.

3. Remove the cloth and punch down the dough. Cover it again and let it rest until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour. After the hour, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

4. Line a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside. Sprinkle the raisins over the dough. and mix into the dough. This dough can be cut in half to make 2 challahs or 1 large one. Place dough on a flat surface and shape into a rectangle. Starting at one end of rectangle, you are going to be making one large strip by rolling the dough back and forth with your hands.

5. When you have the dough into a long strip, roll the dough into a spiral, going in a circle. When done tuck the last piece under the bottom of the dough.

6. Place on a the baking pan and brush the top with the egg yolk. Put in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake for about 20 minutes. It is down when the challah is golden and if you tap the bottom of the bread it makes a hollow sound. Cool before slicing the challah.

Follow this graphic to learn to braid your own round challah!

YIELD: Makes 24 cookies

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup - butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup - granulated sugar
1/2 cup - honey
1 large - egg
1 tsp. - vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups - quick cooking rolled oats
1 cup - whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp. - salt
1 tsp. - ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. - baking soda
1 cup - raisins, chocolate or butterscotch chips

DIRECTIONS

In medium bowl, beat butter with sugar until thoroughly blended. Blend in honey. Blend in egg and vanilla, mixing until smooth.

In separate bowl, mix together oats, flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda; blend into honey mixture. Blend in raisins or chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes until cookies are golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool 2 to 3 minutes before removing from baking sheet.

Cool completely then store in an airtight container.

Recipe yields 6 servings

Ingredients
2 ½ cups apples - peeled, cored, and sliced
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter, softened

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish.

2. Arrange apple slices evenly in prepared baking dish. Sift flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal; sprinkle over apples.

3. Bake in preheated oven until topping is golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Yields 1 1/2 Cups

Ingredients

4 Pitted Dates

3 Chopped Roasted Red Peppers

1/2 Cup Pomegranate juice

1/2 Cup toasted walnuts

1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Pomegranate seeds

Toasted whole-grain pita bread

Directions
Soak dates in hot water until softened, about 10 minutes; drain. Pulse dates, red peppers, pomegranate juice, walnuts, and red-pepper flakes in food processor until smooth. With machine running, slowly add olive oil until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Dip can be stored in refrigerator in an airtight container up to 3 days. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and serve with pita bread.