A Visitor's Observations of Yom Kippur
I got back from the Kol Nidre service tonight, and I'm sure I've already sinned several times since then. ARRGH!
The service was beautiful in a holy sort of way. This is only my second time ever observing the High Holy days (the last time was about 8 years ago). I am amazed by the incredibly thorough list of sins that were read. I think they were recited to help us remember things we need to repent of and ask G-d's forgiveness; things we've done wrong in the last year. At least, that's what it seemed like to me.
Tomorrow I'm going to services all day, and I've submitted my grandfather's name to be read and the Kaddish to be recited for him. I'm looking forward to that, as I think it will give me closure about his passing, since I wasn't able to attend his memorial service.
I was invited (as mentioned earlier) to a break-the-fast after services tomorrow. This will be a first for me, and I'm a little nervous. When I told my mom I had volunteered to bring chopped liver, she laughed at me! She said I should call them back and change my dish. She still remembers her grandmother's chopped liver with disdain.
Armed with this information (and a big dose of pride, which I just repented of a couple of hours ago), I decided to add some more likable dishes. I don't want to make food that nobody will eat. So in addition to chopped liver, I'll make fruit salad served in hollowed-out pineapples, and potato-liver knishes. [Update: the knishes just came out of the oven-- let's just hope they taste as good as they look!]
It's a solemn shabbat right now, so I shouldn't be cooking. But I didn't know how to get all the cooking done for the break-the-fast, if I didn't do it now. Any advice on how people manage to do the cooking when you're in services all day, and you're also not supposed to be cooking? It's a mystery to me.
The service was beautiful in a holy sort of way. This is only my second time ever observing the High Holy days (the last time was about 8 years ago). I am amazed by the incredibly thorough list of sins that were read. I think they were recited to help us remember things we need to repent of and ask G-d's forgiveness; things we've done wrong in the last year. At least, that's what it seemed like to me.
Tomorrow I'm going to services all day, and I've submitted my grandfather's name to be read and the Kaddish to be recited for him. I'm looking forward to that, as I think it will give me closure about his passing, since I wasn't able to attend his memorial service.
I was invited (as mentioned earlier) to a break-the-fast after services tomorrow. This will be a first for me, and I'm a little nervous. When I told my mom I had volunteered to bring chopped liver, she laughed at me! She said I should call them back and change my dish. She still remembers her grandmother's chopped liver with disdain.
Armed with this information (and a big dose of pride, which I just repented of a couple of hours ago), I decided to add some more likable dishes. I don't want to make food that nobody will eat. So in addition to chopped liver, I'll make fruit salad served in hollowed-out pineapples, and potato-liver knishes. [Update: the knishes just came out of the oven-- let's just hope they taste as good as they look!]
It's a solemn shabbat right now, so I shouldn't be cooking. But I didn't know how to get all the cooking done for the break-the-fast, if I didn't do it now. Any advice on how people manage to do the cooking when you're in services all day, and you're also not supposed to be cooking? It's a mystery to me.
posted by Yaakova | 9:51 PM
3 Comments:
My mom was raised Orthodox and all the cooking was done prior to Sabbath. Then it was put in the "icebox", except for the big pot of matzoh ball soup. That stayed on the stove all the time with a small flame to keep it warm. As soon as they returned from shul, they could have a bowl of soup and some of the cold food, while any hot food had to go back into the oven to re-heat. Of course, my Bubbie didn't work outside of the home, so I don't know how everything gets done in this day and age.
While I wasn't raised Orthodox, I grew up in an Orthodox neighborhood. There was a teenager across the street and she loved American Bandstand! So she would leave the TV on without volume, on channel 5 and watch for the mailman and ask him to turn up the volume for her! Sometimes he actually came during A.B!! If not she watched it without sound!! They also had all the toilet paper pre-torn before sundown every Friday.
Your knishes sound awesome, let us know how they turned out. My cousin, the famous Chopped Liver Queen, is making a new kugel recipe for tonight. Can't wait to try that!
Thanks Maureen! It obviously takes some practice and a high level of organization!!
BTW, does the Chopped Liver Queen use schmaltz??
Yes, she uses shmaltz. This year she had a hard time finding it here as well, so had to make it from scratch. I am confused by the shmaltz shortage!
BTW, how's your back?
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