For centuries, Sephardi Jewish families have gathered to celebrate a special Rosh Hashanah ceremony with a plate or meal of symbolic foods. Each food is eaten after requesting a specific kind of Divine blessing that sounds like the name of that food in Hebrew.   This year we will take part in two of the symbolic food blessings, the blessings for dates and pomegranates or spiritually put blessings to end hatred and a blessing for having commandments. 

We can find many examples of hatred, bad commandements from sources in power, and even leaders commanding us to hate one another. We celebrate Rosh Hashanah as a way to break the cylce of negative news and habits.  If you could make the commandments for the world to follow, what commandments (big or small) would better the world? 

Before eating dates (  tamar  ):
May it be your will, God, that hatred will end. (  Tamar  resembles the word for end,  yitamu. )

Before eating pomegranate:
May we be as full of mitzvot as the pomegranate is full of seeds.


Booklet Section: Symbolic New Year Foods 
Source: Custom &Craft, MB