The Crumbs of a Year Gone By

Rosh Hashana thoughts, holiday resources, and a recipe for pomegranate ices

A perfect pomegranate in a terribly imperfect world

Day 362 *

I’d originally planned to write about the various reasons I had to shout, “It’s a kaparah!” this past week, like the tub of babaganoush that exploded on my dress and the vase that shattered on the bathroom floor. In truth, I find these mostly minor mishaps a hopeful sign in the days leading up to the Days of Awe. A kind of better-this-than-that, whatever the that was meant to be.

Then yesterday happened and now all I can think about is Israel. Not that I wasn’t mostly thinking about Israel before.

And yet, Rosh Hashana is upon us and there are meals to prepare, so I am trying to manage my many thoughts at once — the here and the there, the minutiae and the existential.

The mixer and the oven have been running at full steam and somewhere in the refrigerator door gooseberries, our new fruit, await their shehechiyanu. I have been alternating between checking recipes to make sure I’ve got the measurements right and compulsively gaping at the news. But also between the recitation of Tehillim and WhatsApping my beloved people, who reply from wherever they are, their kitchens or safe rooms, as the case may be.

It’s already October. My roll of masking tape is nearing its end. The hostages are still not home. The war rages on. And of course, no one gets to push pause on their personal challenges just because global circumstances are what they are.

Nothing makes any sense at all. Only my long list of what to daven for is clear as day.

I’m ready to toss the stale crumbs of a hard year gone by with one hand, the other clinging to the good and the blessings that made their way in nonetheless. And I want desperately to believe that the year ahead will turn things around, that Rosh Hashana will have its own moment of nahapoch hu. So I will pray. G-d, will I pray.

Some Writing News

Check out my latest story, The Eruv Revolution, in Jewish Action. More next time.

Rosh Hashana Reads & Resources

• I love this video from Street Shofar Israel.

• Every once in a while, I try a new method for deseeding a pomegranate. Busy in Brooklyn’s is my new favorite.

• Just One Thing invites you to take on a mitzvah in the name of an Israeli soldier. It’s a beautiful initiative.

• These Rosh Hashana recipes from May I Have That Recipe? are a great resource for last-minute salads and cool ideas for the simanim.

• As for book recommendations, I generally spend Rosh Hashana making my way through all of Sefer Tehillim, the Book of Psalms. Not sure what I’ll get to read on Shabbos, but I’ll report back next time.

A Sweet Treat

I’m planning to serve this as the last of the simanim just before the rest of the meal, which is simply schnitzel (she’nitzal mi’soneinu), farfel (we should not be farfalen), and apple cake (just because).

Pomegranate Ices (adapted from Buttermilk by Sam)

Make a simple syrup by boiling 3/4 cup sugar and a drop more than 3/4 cup water until the sugar dissolves. Cool completely. Add 2 cups of pomegranate juice and the juice of half a lemon. Mix well. Freeze in a 9 x 13 pan. Once frozen, break up the ices into a bowl and bring to sorbet consistency with an electric mixer. Add 1/2 cup of fresh pomegranate arils. Store in a container and allow the sorbet to defrost a tiny bit for ease of serving. Enjoy!

One More Thing Before I Go Back into the Kitchen

It’s no small blessing to have this newsletter and a community of people who read it. I thank you for supporting my writing and cheering me on. It means the world to me.

I try very hard to use this space for good and to make a Kiddush H’. Please forgive me if I have ever caused you any discomfort, or if I ever missed a comment or email from you and did not reply.

Looking forward to another year here on Days of Rest. Let me know what you’d like to see more of in the months ahead. And as always, if you enjoy what you read, like each post and encourage friends to subscribe. This community grows through new free subscriptions.

Wishing you and your families a healthy, meaningful, quiet-in-a-good-way kind of year. L’Shana Tova. Ketiva v’chatima tova.

Love,
Merri

#bringthemhome