Shabbat

Recipe by Paige Erlich

I love cooking and hosting events so much that I’ve turned it into a side hobby, sharing my favorite recipes and hosting tips on Instagram at @PaigePlates. When hosting Shabbat dinner or picnicking in the park with my friends, I’m particularly fond of sharing charcuterie or cheese boards, which are fun to both make and eat. And while they’re so beautiful that they always look impressive, they’re fairly easy to assemble – especially with a little bit of forethought and planning.

I always like to choose a theme for my cheese boards, and as it turns out, Rosh HaShanah is a built-in theme! Traditional holiday foods like apples, honey, dates, figs, and pomegranates are all perfect for cheese boards, and each pairs nicely with various cheeses.

Here’s how to go about creating your own Rosh HaShanah cheese board, whether to serve as a holiday appetizer or a lunchtime indulgence during the  Yamim Noraim.

CHEESE

First, choose your cheeses. Lots of varieties of cheese pair well with apples and honey, so you have plenty to choose from. I'm no expert, but I recommend choosing three to four types (depending on the size of your cheese board) that vary in degrees hardness and softness.

I chose three cheeses, two hard and one soft: manchego, which is popularly paired with honey; white cheddar, which complements the crisp tartness of apples; and Brie, a soft cheese that goes well with just about everything. You may wish to use goat cheese, blue cheese, gouda… truly, the combinations are endless, and the good news is that all of them will taste great.  

APPLES

Jewish cooking expert Tina Wasserman explains, “Apples and honey: For Ashkenazi Jews, these words are an inseparable pairing. We dip a slice of apple in honey to express our hopes for a sweet and fruitful year.”

For your cheese board, choose whatever kind of apples you like best or find in season – or even pick your own at an orchard! I went with my favorites, Red Delicious, and arranged them in a long, swirling design as the vibrant centerpiece of my cheeseboard.

HONEY

I put a small bowl of honey on my cheese board, complete with a little honey stick, both for show and for functionality. I recommend getting creative with different types of honey, mixing up the kinds (wildflower, raw, etc.), flavors (spicy, lavender, etc.) and even the hues.

Another special treat, and one that I love using on cheeseboards, is honeycomb, which is completely edible, oozes with honey, and lends an interesting, chewy texture. I purchase mine from a local company (with thanks to Busy Bees NJ) for a special Rosh HaShanah touch on my holiday cheese boards.

OTHER ROSH HASHANAH FRUITS

I wanted to add a few other Rosh HaShanah and fall-themed food elements to my cheeseboard, so I turned to figs and pomegranates.

At Rosh HaShanah, we eat “new fruits,” those that have just ripened with the coming of the season. Figs are one such fruit, only in season for a short amount of time in late summer and early fall. They’re delicious and look beautiful on a cheese board board, adding color and texture; importantly, they also pair well with both cheese and honey.

Pomegranates are commonly associated with Judaism because they are thought to contain 613 seeds, the same number of mitzvot (commandments) we find in the Torah. Chris Harrison writes, “This allegory encourages us to fulfill mitzvot and live righteous lives.” Cut open a pomegranate to add color, texture, and sweet, juicy bursts of flavor to your holiday cheese board.

I didn't use dates on my cheese board, but they're often found on the Sephardic seder plate this time of year, and they're another possible addition.  Tamar, or “date” in Hebrew, is similar to the word  yitamu, which means “to end.” In addition to its sweetness, the date wishes an “end” to those who wish us ill will. Sweet dates make for a great, textured addition to your Rosh HaShanah cheese board.

NUTS

Cheese and fruit both pair well with a variety of nuts, which fill up space on your cheese board and add a little bit of protein. When the rest of my board elements were in place, I filled up the remaining nooks and crannies with walnuts.

Sephardic Jews often enjoy  tispishti, a walnut cake with sweet syrup, to celebrate the Jewish new year, which make walnuts a nice and traditional choice for a Rosh HaShanah cheese board. You can also try pecans, almonds, pistachios, or anything else that sounds good to you.

JAMS AND JELLIES

While I chose to feature honey as the star of my  cheese board, other condiments like jams, jellies, preserves, and chutneys can make for a tasty addition, too.

To stick with the Rosh HaShanah theme, consider options like fig jam, apple butter, quince paste, pomegranate spread, or even homemade  dulce de manzana  (apple preserves). If you want to go in a more Sephardic direction, you can incorporate flavors like pumpkin ( k’ra ), traditionally consumed at the start of the new year – and also very much in keeping with the autumn season!

CRACKERS

Don’t forget to add some crackers to your cheese board to make it easy to create tiny, handheld bites. Simply choose whatever cracker(s) you like best! I went with round multigrain crackers, but you can also add any other type of cracker, pretzel crisps, pita chips, bagel chips, dried fruit- and nut-studded crisps…… whatever suits your fancy.

You can also set out a traditional round challah to use instead or in addition to crackers. 

SUGGESTED PAIRINGS

Once you’ve chosen all of the elements of your cheese board get to work assembling it in a way that’s creative and beautiful – and then go wild creating your own small bites with various combinations of ingredients. Here are a few I love:

• Pile a fig with manchego, some walnuts, and a little bit of honey on top.
• Top a slice of Brie with a small piece of honeycomb and an apple slice.
• Layer a cracker with an apple slice, a cheddar slices, and a few pomegranate seeds.

What combinations will you choose? If you create your own Rosh HaShanah masterpiece, be sure to tag us on social media (we’re @ReformJudaism on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram) so we can ooh and ahh over your creation!

Reprinted fromThe Jewish Religion: A Companion, published by Oxford University Press.

Kiddush is the sanctification of the Sabbath.

On Friday night, when the Sabbath begins, the Kiddush ceremony is carried out before sitting down to the Sabbath meal. A cup of wine is filled and held in the hand by the person presiding, usually but not necessarily the father of the house, and the benediction over wine recited.

Then the Kiddush proper is recited: 'Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hath hallowed us by Thy commandments and hast taken pleasure in us, and in love and favor hast given us Thy holy Sabbath as an inheritance, a memorial of the creation--that day being also the first day of the holy convocations, in remembrance of the departure from Egypt. For Thou hast chosen us and hallowed us above all nations, and in love and favor hast given us Thy holy Sabbath as an inheritance. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who hallowest the Sabbath.'

As a prelude to the Kiddush the verses of the creation narrative which speak of the Sabbath (Genesis 2:1-3) are recited. After the drinking of the wine, the benediction over bread is recited and the family partakes of the Sabbath meal.

Kiddush at Synagogue

Strictly speaking, Kiddush is a home ceremony but in the Middle Ages Kiddush was also recited in the synagogue during the Friday night service on behalf of visitors who often had their meals in a room adjacent to the synagogue. Even though, nowadays, guests are usually made welcome in the home, the older practice of reciting Kiddush in the synagogue as well as in the home is still retained.

A shorter form of Kiddush is recited before the meal on the Sabbath day in the morning but this consists of verses in praise of the Sabbath (Exodus 31:16-17, 29:8-11) with no benediction other than that over the wine.

This Kiddush is not recited during the synagogue service but in many synagogues a small celebration consisting of cakes and drinks is held over which the day-Kiddush is recited. This small repast came itself to be known as a Kiddush, to which the congregants are invited. For instance, people celebrating a happy event will often take the opportunity to invite their friends and fellow congregants to 'a Kiddush' after the service.

Kiddush is also recited on the festivals with the wording altered so as to refer to the festivals instead of the Sabbath.

No matter what temper tantrum or adolescent rebellion marked the week that is past, we take a moment to place our hands on our children’s heads and to offer them words of pure love.

The blessing for boys derives from Jacob’s blessing to his grandsons, Ephraim and Menashe, who are the first pair of siblings in the Bible who love each other rather than fight each other. The blessing for girls invokes the memory of our four matriarchs — Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah. The second part of the blessing — the Priestly Blessing — is the same for boys and girls and it comes from the Book of Numbers.

Place your hands on the head of the person you are blessing. Offer your blessing either aloud or silently. In addition to the traditional words, you may also wish to tell your child something that made you proud of them from the past week. Seal it with a kiss.

For daughters:
יְשִֹימֵךְ‭ ‬אֱלֹהִים‭ ‬כְּשָֹרָה‭ ‬רִבְקָה‭ ‬רָחֵל‭ ‬וְלֵאָה
Yesimeikh Elohim k’Sarah Rivka Rakhel v’Leah.
May God bless you like Sara, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah.

For sons:
יְשִֹימְךָ‭ ‬אֱלֹהִים‭ ‬כְּאֶפְרַיִם‭ ‬וְכִמְנַשֶה
Yesimkha Elohim k’Efrayim vekhi’Menasheh.
May God bless you like Ephraim and Menasheh.

For all children, continue with:
יְבָרֶכְךָ‭ ‬יי‭ ‬וְיִשְמְרֶךָ יָאֵר‭ ‬יי‭ ‬פָּנָיו‭ ‬אֵלֶיךָ‭ ‬וִיחֻנֶךָ יִשָא‭ ‬יי‭ ‬פָּנָיו‭ ‬אֵלֶיךָ‭ ‬וְיָשֵֹם‭ ‬לְךָ‭ ‬שָלוֹם  

Y’varekhekha Adonai v’yishmerekha
Ya-er Adonai panav elekha vihuneka
Yisa Adonai panav elekha, v’ yasem l’kha shalom.

May Adonai bless you and watch over you.
May Adonai’s light shine on you and be gracious to you.
May Adonai smile on you and grant you peace.

 

Mah Yafeh HaYom
מַה יָפֶה הָיוֹם .שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם
Ma yafeh ha-yom, shabbat shalom. (2x)
Shabbat, shabbat shalom. (3x)
Shabbat shalom
How beautiful is this day, a day of Shabbat peace!

Hinei Ma Tov
הִנֵה מַה-טּוֹב וּמַה-נָעִים .שֶׁבֶת אַחִים גַם יָחַד
Hinei ma tov uma na-im Shevet achim gam yachad.
How good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters dwell together in harmony. (Psalms 133:1)

Am Yisrael Chai
‭‬עַם‭ ‬יִשְֹרָאֵל‭ ‬חַי ‭‬עוֹד‭ ‬אֲבִינוּ‭  ‬חַי
Am yisrael chai Od aveenu chai
The Jewish People lives on. Our ancestors live on in us.

Hava Nashira

,הַבָה‭ ‬נַשִׁירָה ‬שִׁיר‭ ‬הַלְלוּיָהּ Hava nashira Shir halleluyah Come let us sing a song of praise Halleluyah!

Od Yavo Shalom עוֹד‭ ‬יַבוֹא‭ ‬שָׁלוֹם‭ ‬עַלֵינוּ‭ ‬ ‭‬עוֹד‭ ‬יַבוֹא‭ ‬שָׁלוֹם‭ ‬עַלֵינוּ‭ ‬וְעַל‭ ‬כּוּלַם סַאלַאם‭ ‬עַלֵינוּ‭ ‬וְעַל‭ ‬כָל‭ ‬הָעוֹלָם ‭‬סַאלַאם‭! ‬סַאלַאם Od yavo shalom aleinu (x2) Od yavo shalom aleinu v’al kulam. Salaam, aleinu v’al kol ha’olam! Salaam! Salaam! (2x)

Peace will still come to us, to us and everyone. Salaam! Peace for us and the whole world. Salaam. Salaam.

The Beta Israel, as the Ethiopian Jews are known, hold that they are descendants of the tribe of Dan. The traditions telling of their arrival to Ethiopia range from the times of Moses to King Solomon & the Queen of Sheba to the splitting of the Kingdom in ancient Israel. Although they were mentioned by travelers at various points, it wasn’t until the late 20th century that more had become known about Ethiopian Jews after they had arrived in Israel.

Ethiopian Jews had a form of Judaism that showed traces of halakhic Judaism yet was very different from most Jewish Rabbinic communities today. They had lost Hebrew, and have a language known only by the priests, in which they would learn and spread Jewish knowledge. They had a form of Shabbat and many of the holidays, but no festivals established after the first Temple period – in other words, no mention of Purim or Chanukah.

One of the most notable aspects of the Ethiopian Jewish experience is the Sigd festival celebrated 50 days after Yom Kippur. The holiday is unique to the Beta Israel. Following the traditions of Yom Kippur, the festival is meant as a day of fasting, purity and renewal. However, it is not meant to mimic Yom Kippur, but rather enhance upon that experience. If Yom Kippur is a day of personal introspection, Sigd is meant as a time for communal reflection.

With preparations being done the week before and celebrations often being carried out for a couple of days after, the main event is on the 29th of Heshvan. Those who lived in smaller villages would stay by family members in the larger villages so that during Sigd they could all be together. The qessotch would choose a high point upon which the community would ascend and prepare by placing stones in a circle with a special table to hold the holy books in the center, at the top of the chosen mountain.

On the 29th of Heshvan (a month that in most of the Jewish world is known as mar Heshvan, or bitter Heshvan, as it is a month without holidays) the Beta Israel would wake up early, dip in the river and dress in holiday clothes. The qessotch would take the Orit (Torah) from the ark and carry it to the mountain. (Qessotch were not necessarily kohanim; rather they can be thought of as the equivalent to rabbis as they were the most learned in their communities.) The rest of the community would likewise ascend the mountain, carrying holy books or stones on their heads. According to some the stones represent the tablets given at Mt. Sinai. 

At the top of the mountain, the qessotch would unravel the Orit and the high priest would enter the circle of stones. As with the fasting, this is reminiscent of the traditions of Yom Kippur as during the times of the Temple, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies. He would then read texts that included Exodus 19-20 (ceremony Mount Sinai) and Nehemia 8 (Covenant Ceremony). The holy texts are called “Mashafa Kadus” by the Beta Israel. 

Both texts remind that the traditions of the Sigd have Biblical references. Where Moses went to the top of the mountain, Mt. Sinai, from which the community heard holy texts, the Beta Israel perform a similar ritual during this holiday. Similarly, the community would atone for their sins after the texts were read, and bow before God, just as the Jewish people did in the times of Ezra and Nehemia. Sigd revolves around the renewal of the covenant, just as the covenant was renewed in Nehemia 8.

"וַיְבָרֶךְ עֶזְרָא אֶת יְהוָה הָאֱלֹהִים הַגָּדוֹל וַיַּעֲנוּ כָל הָעָם אָמֵן אָמֵן בְּמֹעַל יְדֵיהֶם וַיִּקְּדוּ וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲוֻּ לַיהוָה אַפַּיִם אָרְצָה." נחמיה ח:ו

“And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered: 'Amen, Amen,’ with the lifting up of their hands; and they bowed their heads and fell down before the LORD with their faces to the ground.” Nehemia 8:6

In fact, this element is so significant in the holiday that the name itself refers to it. Sigd in its Semitic root means prostration.

At the end of the ceremony, the Beta Israel would blow trumpets and declare "לשנה הבאה בירושלים", for their desire to celebrate in Jerusalem next year. The qessotch would bless the crowd and distribute dabbo, a special bread, and talla, a type of beer, to the community. They would then descend the mountain, dancing and singing along the way. 

There are a couple of traditions as to when this holiday was established. On the one hand, it is held that it was established in the sixth century BCE as a day of thanks following a civil war between local Christian and Jewish factions. Another tradition dates it to the fifteenth century, established as an attempt to counter the Christian influence on the local Jewish community. 

When the Beta Israel arrived in Israel, there was debate over whether to continue the celebration as they had finally arrived to the Holy Land. It was decided that as long as the Temple is not built, they would continue. The community, however, was split as to where to perform the celebrations. A majority continue to do so on a high point in the landscape, most notably the Armon Hanetziv promenade in Jerusalem, from which one can see the Western Wall. A smaller percentage, mainly those from the Tigray Province in Ethiopia celebrate at the Western Wall itself. 

In 2008, Israel recognized Sigd as a national holiday. This became a sign of further integration of the Ethiopian experience into the larger Jewish experience. The largest celebration of Sigd in Israel today is at Armon Hanetziv, where state dignitaries join – including the president and prime minister. Today the festival is kept more symbolically, with individuals fasting until midday. However, the ascension with the Orit and the reading of the texts is still done before a crowd of Ethiopians as well as Jews of other origins.

The author, Howard Steiermann, explains why he will be reciting Hallel (psalms which are said as a unit, on joyous occasions, when the praise of G-d is particularly appropriate) for Pride.

 

Will you be chanting Hallel this Shabbos?

Why recite Hallel? The Orthodox Union website describes Hallel as “six Psalms (113-118), which are said as a unit, on joyous occasions, when the praise of G-d is particularly appropriate.” It goes on to explain that these occasions include the three major festivals of Passover, Shavuos and Sukkos as well as Channukkah and Rosh Chodesh.

For many people, this weekend of LGBTQQII Pride is a joyous occasion, and I will be chanting Hallel with my congregation in San Francisco.

I remember the month after I came out I volunteered at our Pride Parade so I could stand along the parade route, which allowed me to not only see every contingent, but allowed me to feel like I was part of this large, fun, colorful, important celebration! From Dykes on Bikes, to elected officials to PFLAG, to numerous contingents from the Jewish community, I was standing tall, proud of who I was. Proud of the complete me, not just some parts recognized by the mainstream of society.

I shared my excitement with my mom on the phone that night: over two hours of floats and groups, proudly marching down Market Street! Mom loves her gay son unconditionally, and was like a ‘second mom’ to a coworker who was thrown out of his own family for coming out. You can imagine my surprise when Mom said, “What is there to be proud about in being gay?”

My first response was something like, “Well, I’m as proud to be gay as I am to be a Jew.” Just like there are a lot of famous, ‘visibly Jewish’ Jews, there are lots of “famous” gay men and women who are visibly gay in the world. This was the barometer of pride I assumed my mother had in mind: famous people.

But I wasn’t proud about ‘famous people’ so the analogy didn’t hold. So then I had to ponder, why do I feel proud?

In her Pride Shabbat drash (sermon) three years ago, my Rabbi, the fantabulous Camille Shira Angel, wrote:

“’Pride’ is defined in Webster’s as “a reasonable or justifiable self-respect.” Pride in the form of self- respect and self-esteem has often been an elusive quality of life for multitudes of GLBT people. We have been the victims of misinformation and spiritual violence from time immemorial. After centuries of being made to feel ashamed by the Scriptures and their commentators, a synagogue filled with Jews unafraid to be gay and lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, straight but not narrow, queer and questioning, wrestling and holy honest – living with joy and enthusiasm stands as a radical TRIUMPH! It is nothing short of MIRACULOUS, WONDROUS, SUPREMELY DIVINE. Being your real self with honesty and enthusiasm is always a great triumph; but joining in community where the authenticity is palpable and magnetic – this is a gift whose worth is beyond measure.”

If I had had those words to share with my mom in 1993 I would have! But I didn’t have the words then.

So here, today are the words I ultimately shared with my mom:

What Pride means to me changes from year to year, but this year, in 2008, Pride means living my life without shame, without hesitation. Pride means engaging my complete self with people. Pride is knowing that people love me, not in spite of me being gay, Jewish, a man, or a Harvard MBA, but because of all of the life experiences that contribute to the person I am. Pride means that people really do value my feelings, intuition and soft manner and don’t judge me for how far I can, or cannot, throw a ball!

Pride for me this year is a recognition that we’ve come so far that my fourteen-year-old cousin can ask me to serve as a reference for him as he applies for a summer job, with no thought that I’m gay. My sexual orientation doesn’t get in the way of our relationship, nor does it keep him from the thrill he’s gotten all these years in outsmarting me in quickly finding the hidden Afikomen [‘dessert’ matzoh] during our family’s annual Passover seder.

Pride is knowing that my family sincerely hopes that I find a wonderful mate. They display this by asking for details after each of my dates; by asking me to envision how tall my beloved will be (by holding the Havdallah[end of Sabbath] candle as high as I hope my bashert [beloved] is tall); and by eagerly including all my friends at family events and meals.

Pride is being me. Knowing that I was made b’tzelem Elohim [in God’s Image], and working with others to use our individual strengths together to create a better world.

Even after working with two different voice coaches, I still can barely hold a tune. This Pride Shabbat, as in all since I’ve Come Out, I will proudly lift my voice in chanting Hallel, this most joyful of queer holidays.