The long haul

September 29, 2008 - 9:15 AM by David · 1 Comment
Filed under: General, Holidays, Israeliness

Israelis are getting ready for Rosh Hashana they only way we know how – by shopping.

Most people at work are still coming to terms with the length of the holiday – the only two day religious holiday celebrated here.

“You mean, we don’t go back to work until Thursday? I might as well take a trip abroad,” said one colleague.

Not having any close family here, Rosh Hashana – like every other holiday – has always been bittersweet for my family. We get together with friends and other families for some meals, hang out by ourselves for some, but without the mishpacha around, there’s always something missing.

Herb Keinon in The Jerusalem Post, put it very aptly:

As the son of a Holocaust survivor, I grew up with a very small extended family – no relatives on my mother’s side; grandparents, two aunts and three cousins on my father’s. My childhood table never brimmed over with relatives. But I didn’t know the difference; it’s what I knew.
But my kids have a different reference point. They see friends with relatives spilling out the windows, and want some too.

“Why can’t we have relatives,” the youngest son asked once, using the same tone he uses when asking for more ice cream. Indeed, the lack of a large clan is hardest on him, something that has to do with his bar mitzva in six months.

Here’s hoping that all Israelity readers – even David Joe – whether in the bosom of their families, or enjoying the holiday with friends old and new, have a meaningful Rosh Hashana, and that next year will bring peace and tranquility to all.

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Tags: chagim, consumerism, David Joe, holiday, Rosh Hashana, shopping

Rosh Hashana means honey

September 28, 2008 - 12:42 PM by Harry · 2 Comments
Filed under: Food, Holidays

I’m quite looking forward to tomorrow. I’m hitting the supermarket this evening with a gargantuan shopping list and will spend most of the night prepping all my dishes I’ll be cooking for Rosh Hashana. Dishes for the new year should always be sweet, so nearly everything I make needs to have a healthy dose of honey in it. Luckily, in nearby Kfar Ruth, a small agricultural village established in the late seventies lies a boutique honeymaker who sells the best honey I’ve had in Israel. Shai Spector opened his honey business a few years ago. It is housed in a beautiful building and is open only on Fridays, because Spector spends the rest of the week tending to his bee colonies. His honey come in many different varieties and he even some that are infused with herbs such as zatar (hyssop) and sage.

I’m no fan of honey cake but found a recipe via Baroness Tapuzina and simply cannot resist making it. It’s called Ka’ikeh b’Ah’sal which is a Honey Cake With Sesame Glaze. The recipe is from the Syrian Jewish cookbook “A Fistful of Lentils” by Jennifer Abadi. You can find the recipe here. The Baroness also links to other interesting Rosh Hashana recipes and I’d like to personally thank her for saving me a few hours of research. As a main course I’ll be making Georgian Chicken in Pomegranate and Tamarind Sauce which I also found via her blog.

Shana Tova to all. May this year bring you prosperity, health and much goodness.

HaBayit Shel Shai Spektor