60 | SEPTEMBER 26 • 2024
J
N
T
eri Falcon of Oak Park has a unique Rosh
Hashanah tradition.
On the first day of Rosh Hashanah each
year, Falcon, her family and various friends all gather
at her house after services for a very special Kiddush.
What makes it special, you ask?
Each attendee brings different types of wines and
exotic cheeses. Every year at the Falcon home, it’s the
annual Rosh Hashanah “Wine & Cheese.
”
It’s always heavily organized, with a dedicated
group chat ahead of time to plan who will bring what.
The effort is there to truly pair the wine with the
cheese.
After one year where an attendee (whose identity
Falcon keeps under wraps) brought a cheese with
mango in it, which wasn’t received positively, cheese
with fruit in it is not being welcomed to the Wine &
Cheese at this time.
“The wine is mostly dry, some that are kosher, and
then a lot that are made in Michigan,
” Falcon says.
“We’re definitely fans of local cheeses and wines.
”
They end up with an “exorbitant” amount of wine,
Falcon says, but they only sample it.
“It’s a whole ordeal,
” Falcon describes the event.
“We actually organize the wine in rows based on
palate, dry to sweet, and we pour maybe a 1-ounce
sample into glasses. Then we line up all the different
cheeses on a beautiful platter, all organized as well,
from dry cheeses to aged cheese.
”
After the organization and the tasting, the discus-
sion begins.
“We discuss the taste of the wine and cheese, and
we sit there and talk probably for four or five hours,
”
Falcon says.
In addition to the wine and cheese, Falcon makes a
full, regular Rosh Hashanah Kiddush as well.
Falcon began this tradition 13 years ago and has
never skipped a year. During the COVID-19 pan-
demic, they even did it outdoors.
Falcon points out that it’s not a terribly religious
event, but other than their Passover seder, it’s proba-
bly her favorite day of the year. And there’s a deeper
reason for that beyond the wine and cheese — it’s a
time for connection and catching up.
“My (extended) family will come if they’re not
working, and we do widen it so it ends up being more
than just the six of us, but without fail — me, my hus-
band and my two daughters get together with our two
friends, Kevin Berger and Merrilee Spry, every year.
”
Falcon says this is probably the only day of the year
she gets to see Kevin and Merrilee outside of birth-
day parties or family events with dozens of people
in attendance like their Passover seder. Falcon is also
hosting those events but has to somewhat “entertain”
and be available to many people.
At the Wine & Cheese, it’s just sitting and chatting.
“It truly is the only time to catch up,
” she says.
Falcon says the yearly tradition has become even
more valuable to her in the past six years since the
passing of her grandfather, who she describes as her
“rock.
”
Kevin always filled that void, Falcon says, but then
it became even more prominent.
“Kevin’s known me since I was born. This is some-
body who’s been my mother’s closest friend since
high school. When I was a kid, many times a year,
he would make sure to take me out to a movie and
spend quality time with me like a dad would do. He
also was the witness at my wedding and signed my
ketubah,
” Falcon says. “This is somebody that over the
years has truly become a father figure to me, and for
me, not having a dad, it’s really special to spend that
day with him.
“Since my grandfather passed away, I no longer go
to a family meal for Rosh Hashanah or have any other
plans for the holiday,
” she adds. “This is really the only
way I get to see someone I consider to be family on
the holiday, so this is a very important day for me.
”
ROSH HASHANAH
Wine & Cheese
Teri Falcon has a unique tradition on the
first day of Rosh Hashanah each year.
DANNY SCHWARTZ SENIOR STAFF REPORTER
CLOCKWISE: The wine bottles are lined up and ready to go. Teri Falcon and Kevin Berger. Jonathon Falcon, Teri and
daughters Sadie and Luci. More wine and cheese. Merrilee Spry, Kevin Berger, Jonathon and Teri Falcon, their daughter
Sadie and best friend Anthony Banks. Merrilee and Kevin. An array of cheeses to pair with the wine.