The Jewish New Year is months away. But I live in America and celebrate both the secular and Jewish New Years. I’m not superstitious, but like the tradition of making resolutions as each new year approaches. Here are my resolutions for the new year – with a Jewish twist:
1. Learn how to make challah. I love the bakery challah we buy from a local grocer, but I would like to try to braid my own this year – at least once.
3. Cooking resolution # 2: Is there truly a good recipe for matzo stuffing out there or should I just give up?
4. Keep growing my list of must-read Jewish authors and books with Jewish themes. Thanks to several bloggers, particularly Erika Dreifus of Machberet, my list continues to grow. Newest favorite: Naomi Ragen’s The Tenth Song. For more on that novel, check out a previous blog post of mine.
5. Have more Shabbat dinners with friends.
6. Make the blessing over children at Shabbat a tradition in our home. It’s a beautiful, simple prayer, and something I’d love to pass along to our son.
7. Hear a Klezmer band.
8. Attend one of the several Jewish festivals in the Boston area, whether it’s the one on books, film, or music.
9. Invite non-Jewish friends over for Hanukkah so they can experience the answers to their questions in an authentic way, including this one, “What’s kugel?”
10. Continue bringing Judaism into our home as naturally as we can for our son, who soon will turn 3.
Our son finds the afikomen last Passover
Found it!
Thanks to all of you who have become readers of my blog since its debut early last year. When I started blogging, I saw it as a spinoff of my yet-to-be-published memoir about losing my brother and getting closer to my Jewish faith. It has become much more than that. It’s a chronicle of not only my own but my family’s journey. It’s a way to connect to a community much larger than my own small slice of the world here in suburban Boston. Happy New Year! And onward to year 2 of the Jewish Muse blog.
If you are looking for a great challah recipe, check out Smitten Kitchen. That’s the one to start with, in my opinion. And yes, blessing children at shabbat dinner is an easy, heartwarming and meaningful ritual. Even better when you personalize it after the traditional bracha.
Thank you for the lead on a great challah recipe! I learned how to make challah right after the New Year started – with a lesson from my sister-in-law, a very talented baker. Now I have to see if I can do it on my own! I think her recipe came from Joan Nathan. Looking forward to trying many Challah recipes.
The good news: One New Year’s resolution is well on its way to being met.
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