HAPPY NEW YEAR - SHERRY ASHWORTH
HAPPY NEW YEAR! The majority of you, on reading that, will worry that I’ve lost the plot entirely. But those among you who happen to be Jewish or have Jewish friends, will know that today is Rosh Hashanah , the Jewish New Year. It’s a major festival, and heralds in ten days of reflection for Jews, in which we attend synagogue, review the past year, consider our actions, cast away our sins and then on Yom Kippur , the Day of Atonement, we ask for forgiveness. At least, that’s the theory. And indeed, many Jews do precisely that. For others, it’s a time for feeling vaguely guilty, to turn up at synagogue not quite sure what to wear and not knowing what page we’re on in the prayer book, and then going home to do the one thing that Jews always do at all religious festivals without fail – eat. On Rosh Hashanah we dip apples in honey to usher in a sweet New Year. And we also eat honey cake. And apple cake. And we have lunch ...