THE HIGH HOLIDAYS are upon us. Whether your family attends synagogue for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur or observes the holiday in your own way, it's undoubtedly a time for sweetness, creation, waking up, and casting away.
Below are some of the ways you can honor the High Holidays together as a family.
SWEET-TASTING TRADITIONSOne of the themes of Rosh Hashanah is, of course, sweetness. (A traditional greeting is “May you have a good and sweet new year.”) Apples dipped in honey symbolize that sweetness.
Before Rosh Hashanah, make a trip to a local apple orchard to collect several varieties of local apples. On the holiday, sample the apples using sweet recipes.
If you are hosting a potluck holiday meal, ask your guests to bring a dish featuring apples or another traditional,
symbolic food.
NATURE & THE SHOFARAccording to the Rabbis, Rosh Hashanah is the anniversary of the sixth day of creation. To celebrate the completion of our beautiful world, spend some holiday time surrounded by nature.
Whether it’s a hike, or a picnic at a local park, point out and enjoy the many beautiful things God created.
Take a shofar with you on a hike, and allow your children to use it.
A TASHLICH CEREMONYTraditionally,
Tashlich, is a ceremony performed on the afternoon of the first day of the holiday. Most synagogues lead this ritual, which involves tossing bread crumbs into a body of water to represent the casting off of one’s sins.
The Tashlich ceremony is also great fun to do as a family or in a small group at a favorite watering hole.
These are just a few of the ways you can enjoy observing the High Holidays together as a family. For even more ideas for celebrating the holidays, visit PJ Library's "
Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur" page.
August 13, 2013