Having lived abroad for the last 10 years, I’ve unfortunately missed out on a lot of family moments. Last Sunday, I could only “attend” my niece’s first birthday through a series of chaotic and turbulent FaceTime conversations (I think my niece grasped the concept of the video chat far better than my grandmother – a sign of the times).
And then there’s the Jewish holidays: the cost, the timing and the general toll of transatlantic travel mean I’m more often absent than present when my family sits down at the table together.
Passover remains the exception. When I left for Brussels, my mother and I reached an accord that I would make it home every spring to celebrate with them. I’ve kept that promise and next Thursday I’ll be boarding an Air Canada flight (well two) to Toronto. Truthfully, I wouldn’t miss my family’s seder for anything: the debating of the historical inaccuracies of the story, the good-humoured ridiculing (my late grandfather still gets the brunt of it) and the off-key singing are hard to substitute.
Passover aside, I’ve had to adapt and forge my own traditions – specifically when it comes to Rosh Hashanah. When I lived in DC, it was rather fluid. I joined a synagogue and celebrated holidays with others who, for whatever reason, did not travel to their families. It was beautifully simple.
Brussels is in some ways similar and in others rather different. Like DC, it is a city replete with young professional “orphans”. But the Jewish community within the EU bubble is rather small and most travel home. So I’ve become more industrious.
And so Jew Year’s Eve was born.
It started rather modestly: my Israeli flatmate and I invited ten friends – some Jewish, some not – for a home-cooked dinner and a fair bit of wine. In five years, the celebration has morphed into more of an extravaganza. Last year’s affairs (well this year if we’re going by the Jewish calendar) was attended by nearly 40 people, raging from one and a half to 55-years of age, and lasted until the wee hours. The simple dinner is now a vegetarian smorgasbord of traditional dishes and other culinary delights. There’s challah (affectionately known as Jewish brioche), soup with matzah balls, lokshen (noodle) kugel, tzimmes (roasted carrots, pineapple and prunes), and honey cake (paired with a salty cinnamon vanilla ice cream), to name a few. Still all homemade. It’s a two-day labour of love.
For my Jewish friends not able to make it home, it’s a comforting alternative. What’s most interesting, however, is how my non-Jewish friends – who comprise over 90% of those in attendance – connect to it.
One Greek-French friend noted it was the first Jewish celebration of any kind he had ever been to and was overwhelmed by the cultural experience (so much so that he washed all the dishes, bless him). Another friend of Korean heritage was surprised by how similar lokshen kugel is in taste to her mother’s yakbap, a sweet rice cake. And indeed they are, as I discovered a few week’s later when over at her place for dinner.
The best aspect of it all, however, might just be the curiosity my friend’s bring to the evening. They don’t just want to eat (and drink), but they want to learn more about how what is in front of them became a part of my tradition. It has wonderfully forced me to trace my history and I think I’ve learnt to appreciate it all a bit more.
I may leave Brussels before the next Jew Year’s Eve and if I do, I will truly miss this wonderful tradition. How I celebrate Rosh Hashanah in the future will depend on where I next land. But to keep the Brussels memory alive in some form, I think I’ll forego the lokshen kugel and serve yakbap instead.
Joshua Goodman is a Brussels-based radio host and an LLM candidate in Public International Law at the University of Kent, Brussels. Follow him on Twitter @lumber_josh.
(Image: The famous Jewish brioche. Credit: Joshua Goodman)
Cinselliğin Tarihi, kariyeri boyunca akıl hastalığının, tıbbın ve hapishanenin tarihi üzerine kafa yoran Foucault’nun son çalışması olur.
Χαρά Παπά: Full in love ξανά! Διακοπές στα
Σύβοτα με τον νέο της σύντροφο.
Διακοπές στα Σύβοτα κάνει η Χαρά Παππά
την οποία γνωρίσαμε μέσα από τη συμμετοχή της στον δεύτερο κύκλο του GNTM.
Pýtate sa, čo môžem použiť na podporu rastu vlasov?
Zostavili sme zoznam produktov, ktoré vám s rastom vlasov výrazne pomôžu.
Eucerin DermoCapillaire je vysokoúčinný šampón, ktorý bojuje s vypadávaním vlasov a navracia im prirodzený objem.
Bol vyvinutý tak, aby podporil zdravý rast vlasov, a pritom nedráždil pokožku hlavy.
Ducray Anaphase je stimulujúci.
Greetings from Idaho! I’m bored to tears at work so I decided to check
out your website on my iphone during lunch break.
I enjoy the knowledge you present here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home.
I’m amazed at how quick your blog loaded on my phone ..
I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyhow, wonderful site!
Hello there! I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could locate a captcha plugin for my comment form?
I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having problems finding one?
Thanks a lot!
Hi colleagues, its enormous article about tutoringand entirely explained,
keep it up all the time.
My page: special
I’m really enjoying the design and layout of your site. It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes
it much more pleasant for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a designer to create your theme?
Excellent work!
Here is my web page; 2022
This piece of writing is genuinely a fastidious one it assists new the web visitors, who
are wishing for blogging.
Your style is unique in comparison to other folks I have read stuff from.
Thanks for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just bookmark
this site.
You made some really good points there. I looked on the
internet to find out more about the issue and found most individuals
will go along with your views on this web site.
Great information. Lucky me I came across your website
by accident (stumbleupon). I have saved as a favorite for later!
Here is my web site – raycon
That is a great tip particularly to those fresh to the blogosphere.
Simple but very precise information… Many thanks for sharing this one.
A must read post!
I absolutely love your blog and find nearly all of your post’s to be what precisely I’m
looking for. can you offer guest writers to write content for
you? I wouldn’t mind writing a post or elaborating on a lot
of the subjects you write regarding here. Again, awesome website!
Greetings from Idaho! I’m bored to tears at work so I decided to browse
your site on my iphone during lunch break. I enjoy the
information you present here and can’t wait to take a
look when I get home. I’m shocked at how fast
your blog loaded on my phone .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G ..
Anyways, great blog!
Excellent blog here! Also your website loads up very fast!
What host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host?
I wish my web site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
I am regular reader, how are you everybody? This article posted at this website is actually fastidious.
Hi, I do believe this is an excellent website. I stumbledupon it ;) I am going
to come back once again since I saved as a favorite it. Money and freedom is the best way to
change, may you be rich and continue to help others.
At this time it appears like Drupal is the best blogging platform out there right now.
(from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?
Pretty component of content. I just stumbled upon your blog and in accession capital to say that I get actually
loved account your weblog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing in your augment and even I fulfillment you get admission to persistently
rapidly.
Nice blog here! Also your website loads up very fast!
What host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to
your host? I wish my site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
Usually I don’t learn article on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very pressured me to check out and do it!
Your writing taste has been surprised me.
Thank you, very nice article.
Hey just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your content seem to be running off the screen in Opera.
I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to
do with web browser compatibility but I figured
I’d post to let you know. The design and style look great though!
Hope you get the issue resolved soon. Thanks
Howdy! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would be
ok. I’m absolutely enjoying your blog and look forward to new updates.
Hello There. I found your blog the usage of msn. This is an extremely well
written article. I will be sure to bookmark it and come back
to learn more of your useful info. Thank you for the
post. I’ll definitely comeback.
What’s up it’s me, I am also visiting this site regularly,
this site is in fact pleasant and the users are in fact sharing nice thoughts.
I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme.
Did you create this website yourself or did you hire
someone to do it for you? Plz reply as I’m looking to construct my own blog
and would like to know where u got this from.
many thanks
Howdy I am so happy I found your blog, I really found you
by mistake, while I was browsing on Google for something else, Anyhow I am here now and would just like to say many thanks for a remarkable post and
a all round interesting blog (I also love the theme/design),
I don’t have time to go through it all at the
moment but I have bookmarked it and also added in your RSS feeds, so when I have time
I will be back to read much more, Please do keep up the awesome work.
Hello it’s me, I am also visiting this web site daily, this site
is in fact fastidious and the people are actually sharing good
thoughts.
you are truly a just right webmaster. The web site loading velocity
is amazing. It seems that you’re doing any unique trick.
Furthermore, The contents are masterpiece. you’ve performed a magnificent activity in this matter!
Post writing is also a fun, if you know then you can write if not it
is difficult to write.
I am actually delighted to read this weblog posts which consists of tons of helpful
data, thanks for providing such information.
My partner and I absolutely love your blog and find most of your
post’s to be precisely what I’m looking for.
Do you offer guest writers to write content in your case?
I wouldn’t mind producing a post or elaborating
on most of the subjects you write regarding here. Again, awesome blog!
Ahaa, its fastidious conversation on the topic of this
post at this place at this webpage, I have read all that, so now me also commenting here.
Everyone loves it whenever people get together and share opinions.
Great website, keep it up!
An outstanding share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a coworker who had been conducting a little research on this.
And he in fact ordered me breakfast because I found it for him…
lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thanks for the meal!!
But yeah, thanks for spending time to discuss this topic
here on your web site.
Hey very interesting blog!
I’m amazed, I have to admit. Rarely do I come
across a blog that’s both educative and engaging, and without a doubt, you have hit
the nail on the head. The problem is an issue that too few people are speaking intelligently about.
Now i’m very happy that I stumbled across this
during my search for something concerning this.
fantastic put up, very informative. I wonder why the opposite experts
of this sector don’t understand this. You should proceed your writing.
I’m sure, you have a huge readers’ base already!
Hi, I do think this is a great site. I stumbledupon it ;) I’m going
to revisit yet again since I book marked it.
Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may
you be rich and continue to guide other people.
Right now it seems like WordPress is the preferred blogging platform available right now.
(from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?