SEPTEMBER 29 • 2022 | 41

I

t’s tradition! After Neilah services at
my synagogue on Yom Kippur, there’s
a surge to tables of light fare typically
set out by the sisterhood. Tired and
hungry worshippers gather round to gulp
down a glass of orange juice or sweet
wine, along with a bit of sponge or honey
cake. Then it’s back home for platters of
fish, cheese, kugel and dairy dishes.
That’s a custom for American Jews
in the United States. But for those from
Russia — and this year, for so many from
Ukraine — break-fast is a slice of sweet
babka and a glass of lemon tea. Syrian
and Iraqi Jews tend to nibble on ka’akim,
round crunchy sesame cookies that look
like mini-bagels. Turkish and Greek
Jews break their fast with a sweet drink
made with melon seeds. On the Shetland
Islands, where I grew up, my mother
served homemade pickled herring and
seltzer water — essential, she insisted,
“to replenish liquids and salt lost during
fasting.” And rightly so.
Close as Shetland is to Norway, my
mother served the Norwegian herring
salad year-round, not just during the
High Holidays. Similarly, these break-

fast recipes can be enjoyed all year
long. A rib of celery adds a slight zest
to Cool Peach Soup. Vegans will delight
with an antipasto platter, Jewish-style,
as supermarkets offer the makings of
a bright palette of exotic and familiar
items. Seasons and Gefen offer briny
items like pickled eggplant, baby corn,
straw mushrooms and hearts of palm,
to name just a few. Open the cans, drain
and arrange on a lettuce-lined platter.
Add fresh fruits and veggies, like sliced
avocado (sprinkled with lemon juice to
avoid discoloration), tricolored fresh
pepper strips, sweet cherry tomatoes
and pitted black olives. Toss sliced water
chestnuts over the top to add some
crunch. No recipe is needed. What could
be easier?

KEEP IN MIND:
• Have plenty of seltzer and orange juice
ready to pull from the fridge.
• Measure coffee and water into the
percolator to plug in as soon as you get
home from synagogue or set on a timer
so it’s ready when the fast ends.
• For a crowd, set up two percolators,

one for decaf coffee and one for regular.
If using only one, make it decaf unless
you know guests definitely want regular
coffee.
• Split bagels ahead of time, arrange on
a tray and cover with a damp paper towel,
then with plastic wrap to prevent drying
out.
• Don’t hesitate to use paper and
plastic; there are so many lovely designs
these days. Heavy-duty plastic flatware
may be recycled.
• Cook ahead and freeze.
L’Shanah Tovah! May we be inscribed
for a sweet, healthy and happy New Year.

Fish and
Fall Fruits
to Break
the Yom
Kippur Fast

ETHEL G. HOFMAN JNS.ORG

Menu

Cool Peach Soup
Antipasto, Jewish-Style (no recipe,
see above)
Norwegian Herring Salad
Potato and Pesto Soufflé
Figs in Pomegranate Syrup
Simple Espresso Mold
Bundt Cake Stuffed With Fall Fruits

OUR COMMUNITY
HIGH HOLIDAYS

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