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Boston's Best Ways To Celebrate Rosh Hashanah

challah bites
Challah bites with honey butter. (Photo Credit: Jewish Boston)

The Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah happens this year between Sunday, Sept. 13 and Tuesday, Sept. 15. This is a great time to celebrate the new year with friends and family, but if you are looking for something to do to honor the holidays outside the house, check out these wonderful events which include music, educational lectures, spiritual services, cooking and more!

Rosalie Katchen Memorial Lecture
Ma'ayan: Torah Studies from the Sources
Congregation Shaarei Tefillah, Newton
35 Morseland Ave.
Newton, MA 02459
(617) 527-7637
www.jewishboston.comTuesday, Sept. 8, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.

Keynote speaker, Rabbi Dr. Meir Sendor, will be joining Ma'ayan for a special lecture in honor of Rosalie Katchen. Sendor has decades of experience as a Rabbi in Sharon, Massachusetts. He is a scholar of Jewish history and will be taking this opportunity during Rosh Hashanah to discuss Jewish mysticism, philosophy and medicine. This wonderful educational event is free and open to the public. RSVP by e-mail on the Jewish Boston website.

Rosh Hashanah And YK On Cape Cod
Beth Israel Onset Cape Cod
Onset 7 Locust St.
Onset, MA 02558
(339) 364-0063
www.capecodshul.orgSunday, Sept. 13, 5:00 p.m.

Celebrate Rosh Hashanah on Cape Cod and enjoy this wonderful service in Onset. The service features music by the best Jewish acapella group around: the Macabeats! This celebration is sure to be a perfect weekend getaway, as there are cottages near the venue for rent. Tickets for the service are $75 and are selling quickly, so reserve your spot online as soon as possible.

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Recipe: Challah Bites with Honey Butter

One of the best ways to celebrate Rosh Hashanah is with some delicious home cooked traditional Jewish food. This year, surprise your friends and family by serving some homemade treats like these delicious challah bites. This recipe is courtesy of Jewish Boston, the top resource for Rosh Hashanah information, recipes, events and history in the greater Boston area.

Challah

  • 1 tablespoon instant-dry yeast
  • 2½ tablespoons sugar
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 4 large eggs plus 1 yolk
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 4¼ cups bread flour

Toppings

  • Poppy seeds
  • Sesame seeds
  • Sprinkles
  • Cinnamon-sugar mixture
  • Confectioners' sugar glaze

Honey Butter

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • Pinch salt

Directions:

  1. Whisk together yeast, sugar and water in bowl of stand mixer. Let stand five minutes.
  2.  Add 3 eggs plus 1 yolk, vegetable oil, honey and salt to bowl. Whisk until combined. Add dough hook attachment and, with stand mixer on low, slowly add bread flour. Once flour is incorporated, let rest in bowl for five minutes.
  3. Turn dough out onto lightly floured counter. Dust with flour, then knead for about 3 minutes, until dough is supple and tacky, adding more flour if dough gets too sticky. Shape into ball. Transfer to large, lightly oiled bowl. Rub top of dough with oil, cover with dish towel, and let rise in warm place for one hour.
  4. After one hour, uncover dough and gently punch down with fingertips. Replace kitchen towel on top of bowl and return to warm place to sit for 30 more minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  5. After 30 minutes, turn dough out onto very lightly floured counter. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into two equal pieces. From there, cut each dough half into even-sized, three-inch pieces. Roll each piece into a six-inch rope and tie it in a knot. Pinch the edges underneath the knot.
  6. Place challah twists two inches apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. In small bowl, whisk one remaining egg. Brush tops of challah with egg, then sprinkle with toppings of your choice. Bake on middle rack for 15 to 20 minutes, turning baking sheet halfway through. Bake one sheet at a time. Do not over-bake.
  7. As challah bakes, stir together butter, honey and salt in small bowl.
  8. Once challah is baked, transfer to cooling rack. Once challah is cool enough to handle, serve alongside honey butter.
Rosh Hashanah Community Observance
Eliot Church
474 Centre St.
Newton, MA 02458
(617) 244-3639
workmenscircleboston.org


Monday, Sept. 14, 2015 10:00 a.m. - noonThe greater Boston community is invited to celebrate Rosh Hashanah at the Eliot Church.The holiday begins with a service at 10 a.m. followed by a potluck lunch at noon. Everyone is invited to bring their favorite Rosh Hashanah dishes to share with the rest of the attendees. While the event is free and open to the public, donations are suggested and encouraged.

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Cameron Bruns is the founder of BostonGreenBlog.com and co-author of Just Us Gals Boston. She lives in Boston's North End, where her goal is to promote ethical, stylish, and sustainable lifestyle choices to all Boston residents. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.

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