Pre Rosh Hashanah musings

As I take a break from my cooking,  I decided to capture a few thoughts before the holiday season begins.  First,  even though I have been Jewish forever,  the holidays (חגים)  never seemed like a season.  Yes,  I was always busy with the shopping and cooking and attempting to find shoes and clothing for my children who hate shopping.  We were hosting and being guests and of course swept up in the holidays while living in the USA.  But here it just seems different.  I have been here before for the holidays.  I spent my year in Israel (go Nativ 16!) back in the day before we had blogs and Facebook and digital photos and texting.  But I was a student and I did not have to do the preparations,  I just had to be there.

So far the pre holiday season in Israel has been something like this.  Two weeks ago the security guard at the market wished me a Shana Tovah שנה טובה.  That began the flurry of similar wishes between good friends and between totally random people I  have met.  It doesn't seem to matter how religious you are or how secular you are.  Everyone says it to everyone.  And it does not just stop at Shana Tovah.  Oh no,  everyone wishes you a year of health,  happiness,  luck at school and work,  wealth,  etc.....  And it culminated today when my app called Moovit (transit app,  which I highly recommend) wished me a Shana Tovah.  I mean  I promise you that I've never had an app wish me that.  I did see something on Facebook today,  but I'm sticking with my story of how this can happen only in Israel.

Oh wait  I forgot to mention what the mall is like.  For the past few weeks,  instead of mall kiosks selling whatever,  there have been kiosks set up all over the mall selling honey  candies,  new housewares,  honey scented everything,  wine,  etc....  Basically everything you could want or need.   Not a Xmas wreath in sight.  But plenty of kosher food and treats.  Need a new siddur???  Come to the mall.  Need a new honey dish?  why come to the mall or the supermarket or anywhere.  Need a new fancy set of honey?  Just stop anywhere.  The hardware store probably even sells it since that's where I bought wine three weeks ago.  Why not??? And to everyone who is hosting us,  I drank the hardware store wine myself,  you're getting better wine I hope.

Okay,  so you get it.  Here it is our holidays  not their holidays.  One can get very caught up in the excitement.  I mean,   I found myself baking challah using silan which is date honey.  I've never done that before.  It's delicious by the way.

Now,  I assume you are all waiting for an update on my neighborhood.  It won't disappoint.  If you haven't been reading up until now,  here is the short story.  My neighborhood is awesome.  They do events together,  have invited us to everything,  and go on trips together.

So on Friday night,  we all did a communal shabbat dinner at the home with the best garden.  There were 40+ people in the gardens that's about 5 families here since everyone has a lot of children.  In addition to a lot of children there are about three boys who look so much Leor that when they were all jumping on the trampoline,  I couldn't even find him.  I guess he blends in with his white shirt and dark pants and sandals.

The dinner was lovely,  as each family brought an array of dishes and salads and challah.  I tasted spelt challah for the first time and had the best tahini to date.  A nice night of new friends,  good food and conversations where they spoke in English,  or Hebrew conversations where I could understand about half of what they were saying.  I even spied my kids speaking to some kids who do not speak English,  so that's a win!

Then came the usual Friday night event of Eli leaving to hang out with his friends from scouts.  Which means he is outside with them until way too late,  but apparently that's what all of the teens do.  So I go to sleep usually before he is home.  A new experience for me,  but hey,  people can change!

Shabbat day was a bar mitzvah at the shul near us.  It was very very nice and I got to hear the Chief Rabbi of Israel speak.  Did I mention that he also lives in this neighborhood?  Well,  now you know.  From what I could understand,  he spoke really nicely (one would hope)  and I even understood most of the joke he made.  His clothing however is not as awesome as the Sephardic chief rabbi.  Just saying.

The rest of shabbat was equally as nice.  Lunch at the home of some new friends,  the usual gathering on our street,  where I continue my Hebrew lessons of Hebrew immersion.  Basically just a great run up to the holidays.

I need to return to my cooking (even though we are invited out for 2/4 of the meals).  So I'll leave you with this wish.

אני מאחלת לכם שנה טובה ומתוקה,  שנה של בריאות אושר, ואהבה.

If you get married right before Rosh Hashanah you receive many apple and honey dishes.  Here is my collection.