Five Hacks for the Best Rosh Hashanah Ever

An apples and honey test is one way to make a joyous and lasting Jewish New Year's celebration. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images via JTA)

By Beata Abraham

I can’t help but wonder why Hallmark and the retail world at large haven’t yet co-opted the Jewish new year. True, while there may “only” be some 5-7 million Jews in the United States (depending on who’s counting), Rosh Hashanah is a particularly important holiday on the Hebrew calendar.

Many Jews spend Rosh Hashanah at synagogue immersed in prayer, self-reflection, repentance, kicking off 10 Days of Awe. But it’s a family holiday, too, usually celebrated at home with a big family dinner.

So why aren’t there any light-up shofars or tasteful Happy New Year banners to be found leading up to the big day?

Of course, depending on where you live, you may come across a dusty box of matzoh on the shelf of your local grocery store in a well-intentioned, if misguided, attempt to acknowledge Rosh Hashanah (along with every other Jewish holiday).

Bonus points if you can excavate the childhood Rosh Hashanah relics from your own youth.

But fear not. In lieu of tacky, ready-made accoutrements, you can design your own Instagram-worthy Rosh Hashanah celebration.

Keeping in mind that the goal is to create joy and lasting memories, I have tried and tested a few ideas to make your Rosh Hashanah celebration personal and memorable.

Conduct an Apples and Honey TasteTest

Not all apples — nor honey — are created equal. Sohere’s a fun way to see which varieties your family really prefers.

Procure as many types of honey as you can (butremember, this is not a reality cooking show, so don’t go crazy). Put out avariety of sliced apples to dip and create your own voting method, too. For abit of extra flair, add a blindfold. The honey with the most votes will receivethe honor of the blessing for a sweet new year.

Create a Rosh Hashanah Craft Museum

Remember all those New Year’s crafts your kids broughthome over the years from Sunday school or day school? It’s time to unearththose boxes filled with clay honey pots, handcrafted Happy New Year cards andpaper apple mobiles.

Bonus points if you can excavate the childhood Rosh Hashanahrelics from your own youth. And if kids never made them — or you tossed themyears ago — you can always make new Rosh Hashanah crafts, like a honey jar orshofar. Cluster these items in a special museum-style display for all to enjoy.Heartstrings will be tugged, guaranteed.

Throw a Birthday Party for the World

Rosh Hashanah is not just a Jewish holiday — accordingto the Talmud, it is the birthday of humankind and the world. Considering thatthe universe is a pretty significant creation, some special treats tocommemorate this day hardly seem like too much effort.

Whether you celebrate with a spherical cake frosted tolook like planet Earth or a candle on a single cupcake, or even just a HappyBirthday banner, let it spark a conversation about what each individual’s partcan be in making the world a better place — the ultimate birthday gift.

Make a Rosh Hashanah Tablescape

If you are overwhelmed just thinking about setting anelaborate table for the holiday, just remember that you are going to want toeat at some point, so it might as well be at a striking and impactfully settable. But that doesn’t mean an overwrought one.

Small touches can go a long way, like an apple-printtablecloth; a few carefully placed honey or bee-themed items; a decorative trayfilled with apples and pomegranates; a shofar as centerpiece.

Tip: Use your imagination, not Google.

Spark Meaningful Conversationwith Reflection Cards

Rosh Hashanah is a mini-workout for the soul, so youshould probably break an existential sweat self-reflecting, soul-searching andresolution-making. Like any good workout, it will transform, strengthen andfortify you for navigating your daily life in the year to come.

Write some open-ended questions on cardstock, andarrange them on your table for your family or friends to select and answeraloud. Some examples: What were your biggest mistakes over the last year?Greatest achievements? What brought you the most joy? Which moments felt deeplymeaningful? What have you resolved to do differently next year?

What you write is up to you. Just make sure that eachquestion can be answered by a responder of any age, and keep in mind that RoshHashanah is not just about looking backward but is an opportunity to lookforward as well.

I hope you will use one or all these ideas to set thestage for a sweet and meaningful New Year. And full disclosure: While they areundoubtedly fun, none of these ideas will absolutely guarantee that you will bewritten in the Book of Life — but they may get you featured in Martha Stewart Living.

A lifelong writer and Jewish educator, Beata Abraham is the director of education at Temple Israel in Columbus, Oh. This article was provided by JTA via Kveller.

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