Posts Tagged "apples"
Agricultural Gifts To The Poor: A Mitzvah For Sukkot
Published in The Philadelphia Jewish Voice It is a mitzvah to give gifts to the poor during Sukkot. Which type of gift? The farmers of Ancient Israel were required to give a tithe, ma’aser, of their harvest (Numbers 18:21-24) to the Levites. This harvest consisted of wheat, barley, oat, spelt, and rye. In addition, they had to give a tithe of their production of wine, olive oil, fruit, and cattle. In modern times, most of us live in cities. How can we fulfill this mitzvah? Those who garden, can choose to donate ten percent of their crops to their local food pantry. Those who don’t garden can go to a pick-your-own farm. This is a...
Read MoreThe Aufruf Feast
Published in The Philadelphia Jewish Voice What were the foods of love before chocolate? I was wondering about this as I began planning a meal in honor of the Aufruf for my brother and his fiancée. The Aufruf is a celebration that takes place in the synagogue the Shabbat before the wedding. The groom (and in egalitarian synagogues also the bride) is called up to an aliya. “Aufruf” in German means, “to be called up.” After the Torah is read, candy is thrown at the bride and groom. It is the custom for the bride and groom to invite everyone present at the service to a celebratory Kiddush. After conducting some research, I could not find any dishes that are...
Read MoreSymbolic Sephardic Foods For Rosh Hashanah
Published in the Philadelphia Jewish Voice The Sephardic communtiy has a unique mystical tradition for Rosh Hashanah. Symbolic foods are served at a Rosh Hashanah Seder. Some of these foods are also puns, and are called “simanim,” or “signs.” Special blessings called “Yehi ratzones,” Ladino Hebrew for “May it be God’s will,” are chanted over these dishes. Here are some of them, and the traditions associated with them. Black-Eyed Peas And Fenugreek Black-eyed peas are called “ruvia” in Aramaic. ”Ruvia” is like the Hebrew word “rov” which means most or many. Fenugreek is...
Read MoreHomemade Rosh Hashanah Cards
The first person to send a Rosh Hashanah greeting was Rabbi Jacob Halevi ben Moshe Moellin. He lived in the 14th century in Mainz. He concluded all of his correspondence with “L’Shanah Tovah Tikatevu,” “May you be inscribed for a good year.” Others followed his example. This custom continued until the 19th century. It was then that printers began producing New Year’s greeting postcards. Initially these cards were blank. The card sending craze really took off between 1889 and 1918, when picture postcards were printed. These cards became a way for members of a family on both sides of the ocean to communicate, at least...
Read MoreHands-On Honey
Published in The Philadelphia Jewish Voice In the wild, bears eat the whole beehive, with the bees still inside, in order to satisfy their craving for honey. The result is the sweet reward of honey and a mouth covered with painful stings. This Rosh Hashanah, as the bear grabs the beehive with his paws, you may plunge your arms more directly into the process of bringing honey from beehive to table. Rosh Hashanah presents an opportunity to learn things you never knew about honey, its connection to Jews, and how to have hands-on fun with it. Biblical Definition Israel is described as “the land of milk and honey” in the Book of Exodus. The honey referred to in this...
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