Rosh Hashanah Traditions

By Mitzi Saul, Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida

When Amy and her husband moved to Northeast Florida eight years ago, they wanted to put down Jewish roots. While pregnant with their fi rst child, they joined the Jacksonville Jewish Center and became active in the Jewish community.

Amy says, “Celebrating family traditions were

important to us and we wanted to join the local Jewish community as we expanded our family.”

Amy grew up in a kosher home in New York with three sisters. She has fond memories of the High Holidays walking to shul in the fresh fall air, going to a local orchard to pick fresh apples, and making her mother’s Golden Apple Cake with her identical twin sister. “Rosh Hashanah was all about the season and refl ection. My whole family—parents, grandparents and cousin—would gather for a big lunch after services. While we couldn’t be all together last year because of the pandemic, it didn’t stop us from observing the holiday. We just had to be more creative.” Together, the family of four and even their Australian Shepherd, watched children's services virtually, had a late lunch with Golden Apple Cake included, and “Zoomed'' with both sets of parents in New York and North Carolina. They also spent some time thinking about the holiday and what it meant to each of them.

Five years ago, the family moved to a beautiful new home in Ponte Vedra. The community has beautiful walkways and abundance of nature, and plenty of activities year-round. It’s not surprising that the Jewish community is growing in St. Johns County with multiple Jewish Facebook groups; Shalom Club in Del Webb (a 55+ community in Nocatee), NocJews, and Chabad of St. Johns County.

Amy and David enrolled their children in a religious day school because, “We wanted our children to identify with other Jewish children who are growing up in Northeast Florida. They have a chance to have an enriched life and an awareness of their religion and culture.” Amy adds,

“It’s important to support the Jewish community because it allows more people the opportunity to be exposed to traditions so other Jews would want to participate and help pass on those traditions.”