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Celebrating Rosh Hashanah 2012 Around the Peninsula

Make this holiday special with these traditional recipes and share some of your favorites.

This Sunday, as the day came to a close, the Jewish community rang in year 5773 as part of their celebration of Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year. The festivities will continue until nightfall on Tuesday, Sept. 18.

While Peninsula Temple Beth El and Peninsula Sinai Congregation are San Mateo and Foster City's local synagogues, there are a number of others nearby offering Rosh Hashanah services. Here's a quick look at a few other temples around the mid-Peninsula:

  • Peninsula Temple Beth El 1700 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo, 650-341-7701. For more information on this week's Rosh Hashana services, click here.
  • Peninsula Sinai Congregation 499 Boothbay, Foster City, 650-349-2816 www.peninsulasinai.org/
  • Congregation Beth Jacob (1550 Alameda de las Pulgas) will hold separate early and family services at 6 p.m. followed by a 7:30 p.m. sanctuary service. For more information email cbj@bethjacobrwc.org or call 650-366-8481.
  • Chabad of Mid-Peninsula is holding high holiday services at the Community Activity Building (Roosevelt 1400 Avenue) on Monday at 10:00 a.m. For more information email info@jewishredwoodcity.com or call 650-232-0995.
  • Peninsula Temple Sholom 1655 Sebastian Dr. Burlingame, 650-697-6707 www.sholom.org

Rosh Hashanah, which literally means “head of the year,” signals the beginning of the High Holy Days. Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, marks the end, and together they are two of the holiest days for Jews.

Like most New Year celebrations, Rosh Hashanah is a time of introspection and a time to bring about changes in the coming year. The traditional blowing of the shofar, or ram’s horn, during services on Rosh Hashanah marks a time to contemplate past mistakes and find ways to make things right.

On this day, as on Sabbath, Jews avoid work and spend the day with family. And where there’s a family gathering, can food be far behind? It’s no surprise that after services Jewish families tuck into an elaborate spread of traditional dishes.

The day begins with eating apples dipped in honey, in hopes that the new year will also be sweet. Another tradition is to bake challah, a round-shaped bread that is a symbol of the circle of life.

So, it's time to get into that festive mood! Patch has come up with some great recipes that will make your Rosh Hoshanah meal extra special this year.

Patch contributor Wendy Schapiro shared her family recipe for a mouth-watering, traditional meal complete with a side dish and dessert, route: {:controller=>"articles", :action=>"show", :id=>"rosh-hashanah-recipes-noodle-kugel-and-apple-crumble"} -->, and

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Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Bren May 19, 2013 at 06:49 pm
I see that I meant to type "...that connect us to the past," but I accidentally typedRead More "...and connect us to the past." I think my meaning came through, though. Yes, the world does not need another national chain retail store or restaurant, which is surely what they're planning to put in there.
CP May 19, 2013 at 02:22 pm
Yes Bren, agree with you....good point.....really what it seems to come down to is money vs. theRead More good of the community and richness of traditions. And all despite the Master Plan for that site in San Mateo that seems to require an ice skating rink or similar recreational facility AT THAT SITE, and all despite the fact the Ice Chalet would like to continue operations there. The Developer has made it difficult to impossible for any ice rink to operate there (tricky it seems)....so they can get a cookie cutter retail outlet in ? .....very, very sad for the youth of the community.
Bren May 17, 2013 at 10:09 am
I think the issue is much larger than whether children will experience stress. That ice rink is aRead More local institution, dating back at least to when Fashion Island was there. It's terrible for communities to lose so many landmarks and connect us to the past.
Anita Reimann April 29, 2013 at 11:43 am
Dear Ari, Thank you for your service to our community. It's wonderful that you are already making aRead More difference.