Apple Days

Did you know that many Jewish children celebrate not one but two New Year's each year? You are probably familiar with January 1, which is the day we all welcome a new year on the Gregorian or Western calendar. In addition, Jewish children celebrate their own new year each fall, right around the beginning of the school year. It's called Rosh Hashanah. If you ask any Jewish child what their favorite part of Rosh Hashanah is, they are likely to say eating apples dipped in honey, a fun and sticky ritual meant to ensure a sweet year. Because the Jewish New Year coincides with fall, apples feature prominently in the celebration and festival meals, and some families like to pick apples and make applesauce for the holiday to serve with brisket or eat with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

A new children's book by first-time author Allison Sarnoff Soffer, and illustrated by Bob McMahon, explores the tradition through the eyes of a child, Katy, who looks forward every year to picking apples and making applesauce with her mom before Rosh Hashanah. Apple Days: A Rosh Hashanah Story (Kar-Ben Publishing, 2014), Katy's beloved tradition with her mom gets sidelined because of the arrival of a new baby cousin. However, Katy's friends, school, neighborhood and her dad work together to preserve Katie's Apple Day in time to make applesauce for the holiday. Every child knows what it's like to have his or her own priorities pushed aside occasionally because of the needs of another family member, maybe someone got sick or has an important play performance at the same time as a special party.