10Q

This is a great program. If you haven't joined it yet, I highly recommend that you do. Take advantage of the 10 days of Awe. Really reflect and think about your life.

http://www.doyou10q.com/about

I'll be back on Monday with pictures- sorry it's taken so long, but I had some trouble loading them....

Rosh Hashana Menu

With Rosh Hashana dinner and day one over, I thought I would share the menu we made. Our family does a mix of potluck/menu planning that asks everyone to contribute something. Sometimes I like it, but generally I find it annoying not to know what's coming. This year, however, it worked out well.

We had a meat meal, so no milk until we get to dessert.

Here is our menu. I will share links to recipes where I can:

Appetizers:
1. Veggie dip with Hummus. This was brought by our the cousins that live the closet. Of course I had them bring it because I thought they would be early, alas, they were the last to arrive.
2. Apples with honey, peanut butter, or cinnamon sugar. This was a delight. It fulfilled the custom of a sweet new year, and we all really enjoyed them together.

First Course:
Fish Stew: This was a new one for my family. Usually we have gefilte fish, but I thought that fish stew would be a new take on the fish tradition. It went over well, and nearly everyone enjoyed it, even the kids.

Main Course:
Brisket: I made my brisket the traditional way- Heinz Chili Sauce, Lipton Onion Soup mix. Some baby potatoes and carrots topped it off. 12 hours in the crock pot
Salad: A basic salad brought by family. A nice green addition
Pomegranate Beet Salad: This was a hit! Such a success! It turned my hands red, and also my foot, but totally worth it.
Tzimmis: A wonderful side dish with apricots, potatoes, onions, oranges. Such a sweet addition. I had my mother make it, and I definitely need her recipe.

Dessert:
Honey Chocolate Cake: This cake is AMAZING! Everyone loves it. Topped with dark chocolate. It doesn't have milk, if you use the right chocolate.
Apple Strudel: Also amazing! Such a great dish, totally a hit. And very easy to make.

Apparently I really like the LA times recipe section! Almost ALL of them are from that newspaper.

I'll share pictures of the table setting, we lit it with candles and had some white roses. It was quite a special evening.

How was your meal? What did you cook?

Selecting a service

In year's past we've joined my parents in their synagogue for services at the High Holy Days. This year, as Matt and I start to establish our religious selves, we've decided we need to reach out on our own.

Last year we spent Rosh Hashana with my parents, and Yom Kippur at a temple around the corner. We didn't purchase tickets, we didn't plan ahead, and though it worked, it left me feeling slightly un-connected.

I felt un-connected because I didn't know anyone. We used our student ID's to get in to the service, and while not wholly unethical, it didn't feel right to not approach the situation as a married young couple. While we both felt good at Rosh Hashana, we were with my father. He's a lovely man, but it's hard to have your own religious identity when tradition and manners dictate you accept the thoughts, traditions and ideas of your father/father-in-law.

Over Yom Kippur, we decided we liked the location. Matt said he 'felt G-d', however, they didn't supply books, so we were also lost having not brought our own.

This year, we're trying to be proactive but it's hard.

Things we're considering as we select our services:

1. COST: more on this later



2. NO SPLIT SEATING: Matthew feels strongly that he should be sitting next to me, and it's a request I can't deny. While I understand and respect a Mechitza it's not something he's comfortable with. He doesn't have any other family to sit with, and not growing up understanding, hearing or reading hebrew he doesn't want to loose the spirituality of the service because he's struggling to understand it.



3. LOCATION: We're hoping to use this as an opportunity to get a broader feel for a community. While I strongly believe that Friday night or Saturday services are the times to really get to know a community, I can't deny that the holidays really show you what type of community your in.



4. TRADITION: We're looking for a relatively traditional service. Here in LA we are fortunate enough to have lots of options. We could do yoga, a singing circle, etc. However, these options are not exactly where we are headed.

I'm not sure where we'll end up. I'll let you know as we celebrate.

Rosh Hashana

The Holiday of Rosh Hashana is upon us. In previous years Matthew and I have joined my parents for services at their temple. We've gone to someone else's house for dinner and stayed the night at my parents. This year, in honor of our new home, we will host our first family holiday meal.

In past years, even before Matthew and I were married we hosted holidays. We have an annual Lakte vodka party, we've hosted 2nd night Passover for almost 5 years. But never have we had all the family gathered at a place that we consider our home.

In trying to establish our own Jewish Identity we were told by our Rabbi during pre-marital counseling that we should look for things to call our own. We should discuss the meanings of traditions and decide what we valued.

Here, this year, for the first time, in our new home we will put our ideas against the traditions of my larger family's.

I certainly hope that we'll be successful in making the holiday feel like it's ours.