Looking Back
From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History
accessible at www.djnfoundation.org
Let’s Eat!
T
his column might be a bit late for
Rosh Hashanah, but hopefully, you
will still find it useful. I hadn’t planned
on writing about this topic, but longtime JN
food writer Annabel Cohen’s recent article
about great apple-related recipes for Rosh
Hashanah, “Sweet Dreams are Made of
These,
” inspired me (and made me hungry!).
So, I decided to cruise the William
Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit
History for holiday recipes.
Using the search terms “Rosh
Hashanah” and “Recipes,
” I
discovered that, over the last
80 years, the JN published
more than 300 Rosh Hashanah
Recipes. And it is likely I
missed a few additional recipes
lurking in the pages of the JN
under different holiday spellings. The bottom
line is: if you like cooking … or eating … or
cooking and eating … the recipes are very
interesting reading.
There are holiday recipes from every
decade, beginning in the 1940s to the present.
Among the earliest are those found in an arti-
cle, “Menu Suggestions for the Holidays,
” in
the Sept. 12, 1947/New Year 5708 issue of the
JN. It featured recipes for basics such as sweet
potato casserole, halibut ring and Kashe. The
Sept. 8, 1950, issue of the JN had a unique
twist. Famous comedian, Groucho Marx,
“Spills Family Secret,
” which was a family reci-
pe for “Mushrooms Under Glass.
”
Over the next few decades, there
are lots of articles that specifical-
ly focus upon “Recipes for Rosh
Hashanah.
” In the Sept. 4, 1964, JN, an
item under that title featured a com-
plete holiday menu with a main dish of
chicken, sweet potato, and prune tzim-
mes with cauliflower casserole on the
side, and a carrot torte for dessert.
Until the 1980s, the holiday recipes
are largely traditional and European. But,
then, like society trends at-large, recipes
began to change. For example, there was
guidance for healthier concoctions in
pieces such as “Enjoy Holiday Treats, But
Keep Cholesterol Low” in the Sept. 8, 1988,
JN (alas, a signal of the end of worry-free
eating?). More recently, there is “Vegan,
Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Oh My” by Annabel
Cohen (Sept. 9, 2014). One can also see influ-
ences from abroad entering the recipe lexicon.
See “Holiday Challah With A Spanish Flavor”
(Sept. 18, 1992).
There are also great stories of how recipes
and food preparation bring families together.
An article in the Sept. 2, 2010, JN featured the
Korelitz family — Sheryl, Seth and daugh-
ters, Hannah and Zoe — and their Rosh
Hashanah preparations, which included
their recipe for homemade gefilte fish. I
also liked the article about the annual
kreplach-making marathon conducted
by the Marcus family, where they made
enough kreplach for the year, first eating
them for a Rosh Hashanah meal.
I’ll conclude my food adventure with
the person who is responsible for the idea
of this column, Annabel Cohen. She first
appears in the JN as a caterer as well as food
lecturer around Detroit. In the 1990s, she
began to write articles for the JN, and ever
since, she has been — if you will pardon the
pun — a JN “staple.
” Many of us have been
made very happy and content during the holi-
days because of Annabel’s culinary skills.
Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation
archives for free at www.djnfoundation.org.
Mike Smith
Alene and
Graham Landau
Archivist Chair
Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Oh My” by Annabel
Cohen (Sept. 9, 2014). One can also see influ-
ences from abroad entering the recipe lexicon.
See “Holiday Challah With A Spanish Flavor”
and food preparation bring families together.
featured the
54 | SEPTEMBER 16 • 2021
“Spills Family Secret,
” which was a family reci-
plete holiday menu with a main dish of
chicken, sweet potato, and prune tzim-
are largely traditional and European. But,
then, like society trends at-large, recipes
began to change. For example, there was
pieces such as “Enjoy Holiday Treats, But
archives for free at www.djnfoundation.org.
as a caterer as well as food
since, she has been — if you will pardon the
made very happy and content during the holi-