A Message From Your Clergy

One thing I ask of Adonai, only that do I seek: To live in the house of Adonai all the days of my life, To gaze upon the beauty of Adonai, and to frequent God’s temple.

(Psalm 27:4)

These beautiful words provide the perfect backdrop to our final month of the liturgical year, Elul. The month of Elul signifies the opportunity to renew our souls and prepare ourselves internally for the High Holy Days. But how many of us take the time to do so? Amidst the craziness of summer coming to an end and perhaps getting our children ready to go back to school, how do we find time for mental and spiritual preparation? And if we do have the time, where would we even begin?

In his book entitled, This is Real and You are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation, Rabbi Alan Lew describes how our everyday lives seem to get in the way of preparing ourselves for the High Holy Days. He writes:

“The walls of our soul begin to crumble and the first glimmerings of transformation – of teshuvah –begin to seep in. We turn and stop looking beyond ourselves. We stop defending ourselves. We stop blaming bad luck and circumstances and other people for our difficulties. We turn in and let the walls fall.”

Though the implication of this paragraph is that teshuvah is necessary, Rabbi Lew continues by pushing us to ask why we do what we do. He asks,

“If the purpose of ritual is to render the invisible visible, then what is the profound, universal, unseen, and unspoken reality that all of this ritual reflects? What journey of the soul, what invisible journey of transformation, does all of this make visible?”

While the title of the book is, perhaps intentionally, intimidating, Rabbi Lew forces us to ask the most important question of all: Why? Why do we go through hours of services and liturgy, fasting and praying? Why do we perform endless rituals through these Days of Awe? I believe that the answer to this question lies in the text of Psalm 27. Ultimately, our enormous efforts through the High Holy Days are worthwhile when we feel that we are able to “live in the house of Adonai,” even if just for a moment. Whether dwelling in God’s metaphorical house is a peaceful moment, a sacred pause, or even just a second of muchneeded clarity, Judaism teaches us that dwelling in it is a worthwhile cause that ought to be pursued.

Just as we would not attend professional meetings or presentations unprepared for fear of disrespecting our coworkers, so too do we deserve the respect that comes with adequately preparing our souls for renewal. This year, as we gear up for one of the most meaningful times in the Jewish year, let’s give ourselves and those around us the gift of personal reflection and preparation.

Kein y’hi ratzon, May it be God’s will.

One of the greetings used during the High Holy Days is, shanah tovah um'tukah. It means, “May you have a good and sweet new year "

That sweetness is exemplified in many of the dishes connected to Rosh HaShanah, especially those that feature the deeply symbolic foods of honey and pomegranate We asked IHC members to share their favorite Rosh HaShanah recipes with us, so that you and your family can start off the new year on a sweet note.

Honey Cake

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup honey

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup warm coffee or strong tea

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup rye or whisky see note**

1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds (optional)

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F Lightly grease the pan(s) For tube and angel food pans, line the bottom with lightly greased parchment paper For loaf pans, grease and flour bottom and sides of pans

2 In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices Make a well in the center and add the oil, honey, sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee, orange juice, and rye or whisky

3. Using a strong wire whisk or an electric mixer on slow speed, combine the ingredients well to make a thick batter, making sure that no ingredients are stuck to the bottom of the bowl.

4 Spoon the batter into the prepared pan(s) and sprinkle the top of the cake(s) evenly with the almonds (if desired). Bake until the cake springs back when you touch it gently in the center For angel and tube cake pans, bake for 60 to 70 minutes; loaf cakes, 45 to 55 minutes.

5. Let the cake stand for 15 minutes before removing it from the pan. Then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely

**Note: If you prefer not to use the whisky, replace it with orange juice or coffee.

Sephardic Jeweled Rosh HaShanah Rice

Directions

1. Combine salt, sweet paprika, turmeric, cumin and black pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sweet paprika

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp black pepper

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided, plus 1 teaspoon

2 medium size onions, diced small

10 dried apricots, quartered

6 dried figs, quartered

1/4 cup dried cherries

1/4 cups pistachios or pumpkin seeds

1 cup long grain rice (like basmati or jasmine)

1 cup water

1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon or orange zest

1 cup pomegranate seeds

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep, non stick skillet with a lid. Add rice and spices and stir well. Cook over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly and making sure the rice gets well coated with the oil and the spices.

3. Add 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes, remove from heat and let it sit for 15 minutes covered.

4. In the meantime, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non stick skillet.

5 Add onions and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes stirring frequently, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary, to prevent from burning

6 Transfer onions to a plate and in the same skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil Add dried fruit and pistachios or pumpkin seeds and cook over medium low for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently

7 Once the rice is ready, fluff it with a fork, add onions, dried fruit, pistachios and lemon or orange zest and toss well

8 Right before serving sprinkle pomegranate seeds on the rice