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

continued on page 42

