Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, starts Monday, Sept. 22, at sundown. The name “Rosh Hashanah” means “head of the year.” A central observance of Rosh Hashanah is the blowing of the shofar (ram’s horn), which is typically done in synagogue on both mornings of the holiday (except on Shabbat).
The similarity between the Jewish New Year and the American one is that most Americans use the New Year as a time to plan a better life, making resolutions. Likewise, the Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection — looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning changes for the year ahead.
The Jewish calendar is lunar-based rather than solar-based like most of the Western world. Similar to Easter, Rosh Hashanah shifts from year to year. Together with Yom Kippur, which follows 10 days later, it is part of the Days of Awe, or High Holidays.
To celebrate the start of a new year, many foods found on Jewish holiday tables are extra sweet — both literally and symbolically — to represent sweetness and a bountiful blessing to start the year. The foods in our home during the holiday come from Ashkenazi traditions. Ashkenazi Jews originally hailed from Eastern and Central Europe. Sephardic Jews from Spain, Morocco and Turkey prepare a table in a way that’s totally different. As Tevye reminds us in “Fiddler on the Roof,” it’s all about tradition!
The traditional meal often starts with apples and honey. Jews have been dipping apples in honey for thousands of years to ensure a sweet, fruitful year ahead.
Pomegranates, another traditional item, are said to have 613 seeds — each representing a mitzvot, or law, from the Torah.
The challah bread for the holiday is a round loaf with poppy seeds to represent hopes for continuity in the year ahead. It often includes raisins or is dipped in honey to express wishes for a sweet New Year. Patrick at Incredibly Delicious in Springfield normally prepares round challahs for the holiday (call in advance to order).
Another tradition is placing a head of fish or meat on the table to represent the head, or beginning, of the year. Carol would much rather not look at the fish head and, instead, prefers the nice, pink flesh of a perfectly oven-poached salmon.
For the main entrees, there is typically chicken or brisket. A traditional side is tzimmes (pronounced tzi-miss) — a casserole-style dish made of root vegetables, dried fruit and a sweet sauce. The name tzimmes comes from the Yiddish expression for “making a fuss,” referring to the prep work required.
Brisket refers to the cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of the cow. This area is significant because it supports much of the animal’s weight, resulting in a dense composition of connective tissue and toughness, making brisket a cut that benefits from slow cooking methods to become tender.
Brisket has become a regular feature of holiday tables — particularly Passover and Rosh Hashanah — among European Jews. The long preparation timeline is perfect for Jewish cooks, who can begin roasting the brisket just prior to pausing labor for 24 hours in observation of the Sabbath — or 48 hours for the holidays — and return to retrieve it ready for lunchtime the following day.
For Moroccan Jews, it is traditional to cook couscous with seven vegetables. The specific vegetables may vary, but the number remains consistent and is meant to bring luck in the new year, while the couscous grains represent numerous blessings. Portuguese Jews eat a savory pumpkin-filled pastry called rodanchas as part of their Rosh Hashanah meal, while Greek Jews prepare a green bean and tomato stew called fasolakia.
Kosher dietary guidelines ban certain food pairings — particularly the pairing of meat and dairy. There are three main kosher food categories: meat (fleishig) – mammals or fowl; dairy (milchig) – milk, cheese, butter and yogurt; and pareve – any food that is not meat or dairy, including fish, eggs and plant-based foods. Pareve foods may be eaten with either meat or dairy. Meat cannot be served or eaten at the same meal as a dairy product. In addition, all utensils and equipment used to process and clean meat and dairy must be kept separate, including the sinks in which they’re washed.
The symbolism and meanings behind the different foods we eat emphasize how we, as a people, connect to this holiday. No matter what food is eaten at the Rosh Hashanah table, the beautiful part is that Jews are celebrating the holiday together worldwide, sharing the same hope and wish for a sweet, happy and healthy new year. On behalf of my family, we wish you a happy new year — Shanah Tova!
Beef brisket
Carol has shared her recipe for brisket, which originated in Fargo, North Dakota, where we were on staff at North Dakota State University. Around this time of the year in Fargo, we would start searching for our gloves and mittens to attend the first football game.
Ingredients
- 5-6 lbs. first-cut beef brisket
- 1 medium to large onion per pound of meat, thinly sliced
- 1 pkg. dried prunes
- 1 can tomato soup or a large can of tomato sauce, plus additional if necessary
- 2 pkgs. baby carrots
- 1 can tomato paste
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cloves, peeled and minced, garlic
- Garlic powder
- Approximately 1 c. water
- 1 bottle chili sauce
- Paprika, optional
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Mix the tomato soup, tomato paste and water until they’re combined in a roasting pan at least large enough to hold the brisket.
- Place the meat in the pan, and rub the minced garlic into it. Then sprinkle with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Spread the onions over the meat, cover the pan (use aluminum foil if your roasting pan doesn’t have a cover), place in the oven and cook for 2 1/2 hours, or until the brisket is almost completely tender.
- Cool the brisket to at least room temperature. If possible, refrigerate it until it’s completely cold. The colder it is, the easier it will be to slice, and you can more easily remove the solidified fat from the pan. This can be done a day ahead.
- Slice the brisket across the grain, return it to the pan and spread the chili sauce over it. Arrange the potatoes, carrots, apricots and prunes around the meat, sprinkle the potatoes with paprika if desired and return to the oven. Bake for about an hour, or until the potatoes are browned. Check periodically to make sure there’s enough liquid so that nothing burns or sticks; add more water or tomato sauce if necessary. If the brisket is completely tender and the potatoes haven’t yet browned, remove the meat and keep it warm. Enjoy!
About
Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Baking/Pastry, and non-credit cooking and food classes through LLCC Community Education.
Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.