Tonight marks the beginning of the celebration of the High Holy Days. 

The High Holy Days are Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. “On Rosh Hashanah it is written and on Yom Kippur it is sealed”.

To celebrate the new year, we celebrate with friends and family, coming together for a meal, togetherness, prayer and good wishes for a happy, healthy and sweet new year. 

I mentioned we were cooking all day Saturday, Sunday wasn’t much different, cooking and setting up the house, we were about to have around 40 people in the house! A few more than normal, but welcome and wanted. 

We cooked brisket, chicken, kugel, monkey bread, chicken soup, matzo balls, salad, noodles and people brought food! Brisket, carrot souffle, sweet potato cassarole, kugel, spreads, veggies, desserts! I should have taken a picture of all the good, oh my!

They arrived about 5pm, we waited until everyone was there, said prayers over the candles, challah, wine, holiday and talked about being together for this wonderful day, what it means to us and then it was chaos! Food, drink, talk, laughter, hugs and good wishes.  What more could you want?

The kids all played together, wondered about dessert together and then watched a movie together. About 9pm, everyone started to leave, which you know, takes a while! and then it was clean up mode, which was done just about 10pm and everyone collapsed! 

Time to write to you, decompress and hit the hay, tomorrow, we go to services and to a friend’s house after for their Rosh Hashanah meal and celebration. 

So, to you, my friends and family, I say “L’Shana Tova, a happy, healthy and sweet year”.