Rosh Hashanah
The New Year Festival

Rosh Hashanah literally means "the beginning of the year." In Hebrew it is called Yom Ha Din, "the day of judgment," when the Jewish people stand before G-d to be judged. This holiday is both a joyous celebration of the Jewish month of Tishrei and the start of the solemn aseret yemei t’shuva, the ten High Holy Days during which Jews engage in profound introspection and entreat G-d to inscribe their names in the Book of Life for the coming year. Aleppian Jews cultivate this spirit of repentance during the preceding month of Elul by reciting selihot (early morning prayers of forgiveness) daily and attending hatarat nedarim services, which are led by a panel of three rabbis, who annul the congregants’ unfulfilled vows and promises so that they have a "clean record" before Rosh Hashanah.

The New Year Meal
The foods of the New Year holiday symbolize a wish for a sweet year. Aleppian Jews eat several symbolic foods during the Rosh Hashanah dinner, including ­sugar-­dipped apples, helou s’farjal (Candied Quince, page 290), dates, pomegranates, and lamb’s head. Anything sour, bitter, or overly spicy is avoided.

At the outset of the meal, after the blessing over wine, bread is blessed, torn, and then dipped in sugar. A food that is customarily not eaten is nuts, for two reasons. First, pragmatically speaking, according to tradition, nuts cause the production of excess phlegm in the nasal and throat area, which can hinder the ability to recite prayers (the main focus of the holiday). The other reason is that according to gematria, a numerological system based on the Hebrew alphabet, the numerical value of the word “nut” in Hebrew (egoz) is equal to the numerical value of the Hebrew word for sin (het). 		Platter for Rosh Hashanah


Symbolic Foods for the New Year Feast
Most of the following foods are eaten before the evening feast of Rosh Hashanah because of linguistic similarities between the names of these foods and various words that correspond to the wishes of the Jewish people for the coming year. Special blessings are recited before each of these items is eaten. The full meal follows after this ceremony.

Dates: The Hebrew word for “date,” tamar, is similar to the Hebrew word for “to cease,” tam. The hope here is that G-d will ensure that our enemies will cease harassing us. Apples: The primary symbol for a sweet year in all Jewish communities is an apple dipped in something sweet. Aleppian Jews dip their apples in sugar. Leeks: The Arabic and Hebrew words for “leek,” kerrateh and karti, respectively, resemble the Hebrew word karet, which means “to cut off.” Leek symbolizes the idea that we are asking G-d to cut off evildoers from harming the Jewish nation. Aleppian Jews make ejjeh b’kerrateh (Leek Fritter, page 222) to commemorate this concept. Swiss chard: The Arabic word silleq is similar to the Hebrew word salek, which means “to remove” or “throw out.” Again, Aleppian Jews eat Swiss chard in the hope that G-d will remove the community’s enemies from its midst. The Aleppian Jewish dish of choice for this item is silleq b’lahmeh (Swiss Chard Stewed with Meat, page 89). Trumpet Gourd: In Hebrew this vegetable is called kara, which is closely akin to the Hebrew karaa’, which means “to rip or tear.” A blessing is made, asking G-d to tear up any oppressive decrees that prevail in any place that Jews dwell. Aleppian Jews prepare the gourd as a candied sweet, sometimes colored green, and usually flavored with rose water. The recipe for this sweet appears on page 296.
-Black-­eyed peas (LubiEh): The Hebrew word for these beans is rubiah, which is similar to the word for “to increase”—rab. The ­black-­eyed peas, therefore, symbolize increasing one’s merits. The traditional dish served for this symbolic food is lubieh b’lahmeh (­Black-­eyed Peas with Veal, page 83). Pomegranate (rimon): This wonderful fruit inspires us to ask G-d to grant us merit and goodwill as bountiful as the fruit’s numerous juicy, ­ruby-­hued seeds, which symbolize Judaism’s 613 commandments. Lamb’s head: Aleppian Jews traditionally eat from the meat of the lamb’s head to symbolize that they will be leaders at the head rather than followers at the tail. The meat is also a reminder of the ram that Abraham sacrificed instead of his son Isaac, whom he bound to an altar on G-d’s command. Muhah (Brains in Olive Oil and Lemon, page 180) and lissan w’zbeeb (Spiced Tongue with Raisin Sauce, page 181) are the traditional dishes to symbolize the lamb’s head. New fruit: Following the rite of eating each of the symbolic foods, Aleppian Jews indulge in a fruit that just comes into season. Thanks to the ease of contemporary air transport, there is a bounty of exotic fruits available in major cities, so the fruit chosen for this honor is simply a matter of preference. Among some recommended exotic fruits are cherimoya, starfruit, prickly pear, rambutan, mangosteen, jackfruit, and dragon fruit.


Blowing the Shofar

The shofar is a ram’s horn that is blown 101 times during the Rosh Hashanah morning prayers, signifying a time of judgment. (If Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat, the shofar is not blown at all.) The use of the shofar harks back to the command in Leviticus 25 to “transmit a blast on the horn” during times of importance. Historically, the shofar announced war or signaled the coming of peace or the commencement of a high holiday. On Rosh Hashanah the shofar serves as an alarm to awaken restive souls to repent: “Awaken you sleepers from your sleep and you who slumber, arise and remember your creator” (Maimonides, Laws of Repentance 3:2). To stay focused on the objective of repentance and introspection, it is a custom of the Aleppian Jewish community to look away from the shofar when it is being sounded.

Syrian communities treat their shofars as a precious inheritance. It is a beautiful and moving experience to hear a shofar that has been passed down over the ages from rabbi to rabbi. To follow the same traditions and hear the same ­heart-­rending blasts as those heard by one’s ancestors generations upon generations ago is at once humbling and exalting in a way that truly makes one feel connected to a lineage.

Sample Menu

Rosh Hashanah Dinner

Khubz ’Adi—Ordinary Syrian Flatbread, page 18
Riz wa Sha’riyya—Rice with Vermicelli, page 117
Djaj Mehshi—Stuffed Chicken, page 187
Kibbeh bi’Kizabrath­Cilantro-­Tomato Soup with Syrian Meatballs, page 99
Medias Shawki—Artichoke Halves Stuffed with Ground Meat and Rice, page 153
Rubuh’—Succulent Roast Veal Stuffed with Spiced Ground Meat and Rice, page 168
Platter of fruit—grapes, fresh figs, assorted berries, fresh plums and apricots, and sliced melons
Selection of pastries (optional)


Medias Shawki

Artichoke Halves Stuffed with Ground Meat and Rice


Medias appeared in Aleppo courtesy of Spanish Jews who arrived in the Ottoman lands after Ferdinand and Isabella’s Edict of Expulsion (see page 3). The word media is Spanish for “half.” The artichokes in this recipe are split in half lengthwise, filled with meat, and then cooked

6 artichokes Filling:
1 pound ground beef
2 eggs
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup matzah meal
1 cup vegetable oil
Sauce:
Two 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
Juice of 2 lemons (about 6 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  1. Cut the artichokes in half lengthwise, remove the hairy choke, and trim 1 inch of bracts (leaves) from the top.

  2. To make the filling, combine the beef, 1 egg, allspice, and salt in a medium mixing bowl and mix well. Fill the cavity of each artichoke with the filling.
  3. Put the remaining egg in a shallow dish and beat it; put the matzah meal in another. Dip each artichoke in egg and then dredge in the matzah meal.
  4. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Fry the artichokes, ­filling-­side down, for 2 minutes, or until the breading is golden brown. Place the artichokes in a large skillet in a single layer. Do not stack.
  5. To make the sauce, combine the tomato sauce, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and 1 cup water. Mix well.
  6. Drizzle the olive oil into a medium ovenproof saucepan. Place the fried artichokes in the saucepan, ­filling-­side up. Sprinkle the artichokes with salt. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, or until the artichokes begin to sweat. Pour the sauce over the artichokes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the artichoke hearts are fork-­tender.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings