Big Tent Judaism

A (Yummy) Taste of Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is a time of new beginnings. It is a time to open our minds and hearts to build a more inclusive Jewish community that recognizes the customs and traditions of all its members. To help you celebrate Jewish diversity and the High Holidays, here are some traditional Rosh Hashanah recipes from around the world.

Loubia - Egyptian Black-Eyed Peas
Reposted from Be’chol Lashon

1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed in a press
1.5 lb (750 g) lamb or veal, cubed
1 lb (500 g) tomatoes, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 lb (500 g) dried black-eyed peas, soaked for 1 hour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Salt and pepper
1-2 teaspoons sugar

Fry the onion in the oil till golden. Add the garlic, and when aroma rises add the meat. Stir to brown it all over. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste.

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Guest Blog: The High Holy Days - A Classical Reform Perspective

The following is a guest blog from Rabbi Howard A. Berman, the Executive Director of the Society for Classical Reform Judaism. We commend Rabbi Berman for his work with interfaith families in several cities including Boston and Chicago, and are happy to share his thoughts on the High Holy Days with you.

“The Society for Classical Reform Judaism was founded in 2008, by a group of rabbis and lay leaders from congregations throughout the United States, as a national voice of advocacy for the broad, universalistic ideals of the Classical Reform tradition - the historic progressive interpretation of liberal Judaism in America. The society seeks to preserve and creatively renew the deep spiritual values, rich intellectual foundations and distinctive worship traditions that have historically distinguished the Reform Movement.”

The High Holy Days:
The Spirit and the Challenge of Renewal and Return:
A Classical Reform Perspective

Rabbi Howard A. Berman, The Society for Classical Reform Judaism

The High Holy Days offer each of us an opportunity for a powerful spiritual experience. For the sensitive, attentive individual, open in mind and heart to the transforming themes of this sacred season, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur can be an inspiring reaffirmation of personal faith and spiritual quest. Even for those whose faith is less defined, or whose spirituality is more ambivalent, these timeless observances can be deeply meaningful.

The complex connections of emotional stirrings, intellectual challenge, and the aesthetic interplay of the language and music of worship, all have the potential to be a compelling and renewing encounter with our tradition. The cadence of familiar words and phrases – the strains of ancient and well-loved melodies, the experience of coming together as loved ones and friends in community – are all elements that combine to touch so many people of differing styles and understandings of personal spirituality, in many significant ways.

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