How are You Preparing for Rosh Hashannah?

We've done shopping, since we must eat festive meals on Rosh Hashannah. And we have freshly picked pomegranates, too.

And for the second time ever, I've attempted to cook lamb. I managed to cut the leg of lamb into two giant pieces, without harming myself. I seasoned and wrapped them in foil. Then I baked them in a hot oven until the entire house smelled "lamby" and fat escaped the wrapping.

My favorite pre-Rosh Hashanah activity is going to Tefilat Chana, Hannah's Prayer at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh.

I joined women, young and old, praying and enjoying the scenery. Of course, for me it was especially easy to get there, since I live in Shiloh.

The main speaker, and only guest speaker this year, was Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi, who was super inspiring as usual. The musical entertainment was the Yonina Duo, a very talented young couple, who encouraged everyone to sing along.

There were stands selling jewelry, clothes, food and Judaica. Also, besides the usual public toilets, there were enough of the "portable chemical" ones, so there weren't long lines at all.

Shiloh Hakeduma, a recognized archaeological site, is open all year, except for Shabbat and Jewish Holidays. There are always special activities on Chanukah and the Intermediate Days of Succot and Passover. I highly recommend visiting. There are attractions for all ages.

5779 Stepping Onto The Plate, May You Never Be Alone...

Cross-posted on Shiloh Musings.

For those of you waiting for my annual Fruit Head to greet the New Jewish Year, here he/she is! A few decades ago, during my quarter century, yes, 25 years, as a vegetarian, I adapted our Rosh Hashana table to the reality that nobody in the family wanted to eat a fish head, or even look at one. So, since then I've decorated a fruit, usually an apple, in honor of the New Jewish Year.

I bless you with a year of comfortable companionship. May you never be alone.

The 5779 Fruit Head is joined by a רימון rimon, pomegranate, one of the fruits which has much spiritual significance in Judaism, read 9 Jewish Things About Pomegranates.

One of the principles of Judaism is that Gd is all over, not just in the synagogue, not just when you're praying or remembering Him. Judaism is a "full-time" religion, and we don't need an intermediary to pray to Gd. Gd also sees us all the time, what we do and what we think. We can't hide from Gd.

At the same time, Judaism is divided between the קודש וחול Kodesh v'Chol, the Holy/Gd and Ordinary People/things/everyday. That's why in Judaism it's not considered enough to just pray to Gd, even saying all the words ourselves, it's preferable to pray with a proper minyan, ten men prayer group, with a leader.

Judaism isn't a solitary religion; it's a community. We need other people, other Jews. We need family, even when the family isn't all biologically and legally related. We need the support of other people, and we must help and support in turn. Yes, there is a time when we give and when we receive. That concept is repeated in the book of קהלת Kohelet, Ecclesiastes.

Last week when I led our pre-High Holiday book club discussion on  קהלת Kohelet, Ecclesiastes, I asked if anyone knew why the writer, the son of King David, generally believed to be King Solomon, gave himself the name קהלת Kohelet. We couldn't think of a reason.

Maybe we're supposed to see ourselves as part of a long, complex Jewish History of Jewish People. There are repetitive cycles and lessons to be learned, and that is what King Solomon who is described in the Tanach/Bible as very wise is trying to tell us in קהלת Kohelet, Ecclesiastes. We are a very unique community קהל Kahal from the same linguistic root as קהלת Kohelet.

To survive we need both ordinary people and Gd. Even when things look bad, they are just part of the normal cycle, and we mustn't allow ourselves to wallow in depression. Reach out to others, humans and Gd. Don't be alone.

שנה טובה ומתוקה

גמר חתימה טובה

Pomegranates, Definitely Worth The Mess

In recent years, I'd be treating myself to pomegranates from fall to well into the winter, even though they make an awful mess. Experts say that they are extremely healthy. When my father was living with us, we got him pomegranate juice from a neighbor who froze the juice immediately after juicing.

Pomegranates are one of those foods I don't remember at all from the states. I developed my taste for them only in recent years. Early on here in Israel we'd just have one for the "Yehi ratzon*" prayer on the first night of Rosh Hashanah. That was the only time we ever bought and ate them.

This year, the pomegranates I bought for Rosh Hashanah tasted awful, which ruined my appetite for them. I didn't buy any after that. That is until yesterday. I saw some in Rami Levy which looked so good and felt "juicy," the way they should be. Since it isn't an inexpensive fruit I just bought one. I'm so sorry about that. It was totally delicious.

Maybe the ones we got for Rosh Hashanah had been in storage from the previous year... Now, I'm in the market to buy more pomegranates. I hope I find some worth buying.

*May it be Gd's will...

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	346 kJ (83 kcal)
Carbohydrates	18.7 g
Sugars	13.67 g
Dietary fiber	4 g
Fat	1.17 g
Protein	1.67 g
Vitamins
Thiamine (B1)	(6%) 0.067 mg
Riboflavin (B2)	(4%) 0.053 mg
Niacin (B3)	(2%) 0.293 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)	(8%) 0.377 mg
Vitamin B6	(6%) 0.075 mg
Folate (B9)	(10%) 38 μg
Choline	(2%) 7.6 mg
Vitamin C	(12%) 10.2 mg
Vitamin E	(4%) 0.6 mg
Vitamin K	(16%) 16.4 μg
Minerals
Calcium	(1%) 10 mg
Iron	(2%) 0.3 mg
Magnesium	(3%) 12 mg
Manganese	(6%) 0.119 mg
Phosphorus	(5%) 36 mg
Potassium	(5%) 236 mg
Sodium	(0%) 3 mg
Zinc	(4%) 0.35 mg
Link to USDA Database entry
Units μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams IU = International units
Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database

Getting Ready for Rosh Hashannah, What Can we Make with These?

Ahhhh... pomegranates

 

 

Almonds...

Apples...

I may not feel ready for Rosh Hashannah, but the local trees are.  These pictures were all taken in Shiloh where I live.

Jewish Holidays are all on various harvest seasons, when the new fruits are ripening.  In Biblical times, the Kohen, Priestly Tribe was supported by agricultural tithes delivered in time for the Chaggim,  Festivals/Holidays by pilgrims to the Mishkan, Tabernacle in  Shiloh and later the Beit Hamikdash, Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

For decades we had the custom of waiting to eat pomegranates until the second night of Rosh Hashannah to say the Shehechiyanu blessing on it as a new fruit.  Maybe we'll do that again, since we're home alone the first night, but I don't know if our second night's hosts serve them.  Since I'm in the year of mourning for my mother, I can't say Shehechiyanu on new clothes, which was an easy way to be "covered." 

There's a problem with second day Rosh Hashanah in that it's halachikly, according to Jewish Law, like a new day/holiday, not considered a continuation of the first day.  Our local rabbi insists that you can't start heating up food for the meal until after candle lighting, so when we eat that meal at home it's our fish night, which doesn't require long heating which meat or poultry requires.

Chag Sameach and Shannah Tovah to All