I moved to New York a bit over six years ago. My aunt and uncle live here, but they aren’t Jewish, so I was left without anyone with whom I could spend the High Holy Days. When I was in college, I would go to the Hillel meals, but since that only covered one meal, I started organizing meals at restaurants for my friends and I to try. I have been to a bunch, but I always go back to my old standby Jack’s Wife Freda. But while that might be my favorite, New York City is full of great Jewish restaurants to have your festive meals. For this list, I have avoided the expected choices like Katz’s and 2nd Avenue Deli. This is all about that new Jew Food.

Jack’s Wife Freda–  224 Lafayette Street or 50 Carmine Street

Jack’s Wife Freda is the perfect place to go for a hip (not kosher) Rosh Hashanah meal — or let’s be honest: any meal. They do a festive menu for both the first and second nights of Rosh Hashanah, with apples and honey on the table along with some challah. It’s hyper instagrammable so I highly recommend making a reservation. And if you would like to see me, I will be there on night two.

Mile End Delicatessen- 53 Bond Street

If you are looking for a Montreal-style Deli then you have come to the right place. I usually go there for their poutine, but they are offering a pretty amazing prix fixe for Rosh Hashanah. For seventy-five dollars (thirty-five for kids under 12) you get a lovely seven course meal that includes a shaved apple salad that sounds divine. And what New Year would be complete without brisket! They will be serving this menu for both the first and second nights of Rosh Hashanah.

Russ and Daughters Cafe–  127 Orchard Street

I am obsessed with Russ and Daughters! Their babka french toast is, as my mom would say, the bomb dot squad and I would highly recommend getting it for dessert. If you can’t make it in for a festive meal, they are still taking catering orders, so you can bring some Russ and Daughters home with you! For Rosh Hashanah they will be offering a special of gravlax with apples and honey served on rye bread.  

Shalom Japan- 310 South Fourth Street, Williamsburg

Shalom Japan is the perfect spot for the festive meal if you are feeling something more off the beaten path but still amazing. Their tagline is “Authentically inauthentic Jewish and Japanese food in South Williamsburg from chefs Aaron Israel and Sawako Okochi.” I spoke to co-owner Aaron Israel early this week, and he told me about some very exciting specials. For example: They will be serving bass cheek with mushrooms. To fulfill the apples and honey requirement of the meal, they will be serving roasted honey and garlic duck breast surrounded by apples and Brussels sprouts.

L’Shana Tova! Good luck getting a reservation to get your Rosh Hashanah nosh on.

Image of Jack’s Wife Freda dish via Instagram.

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BuzzFeed, the internet’s maligned and beloved list distributor, has given us something we can’t complain about. In the spirit of the Jewish New Year, we embrace this new list with open arms. “27 Sweetest Treats for Rosh Hashanah,” is a fantastic compilation of inventive ideas for High Holiday dining.

Apples emptied and turned into honey cups. Fontina, walnut, apple, and honey grilled cheese sandwiches. Honey-glazed carrots. The list just gets better and better until it’s Manischewitz Ice Cream.

Shana tova and thank you, BuzzFeed.

27 Sweetest Treats For Rosh Hashanah [BuzzFeed]

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About a month ago, a friend told me she wanted to get a mezuzah for her new apartment, to help protect it.

“It doesn’t protect your house,” I told her matter-of-factly. “It’s a mitzvah, something we’re obligated to do as Jews. It identifies your home as a Jewish home, but it doesn’t protect it.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Well, it’s in the Torah, it’s an obligation. It has nothing to do with protecting your home at all. It’s something you’re supposed to do, well, because the Bible says so.”

She thought for a moment and then said, “Well, I don’t want to do it just because I’m supposed to.”

I found her assertion strange but felt I should’ve kept my mouth shut. I didn’t mean to discourage her from doing something she wanted to do, but I didn’t want her to blame Judaism if the apartment flooded and her mezuzah didn’t prevent it from happening.

I’ve been thinking about mezuzahs a lot lately, ever since I moved into a new home with my partner. She describes herself as an atheist Jew. She has no spiritual or religious connection to her Judaism, which puts me, as someone connected to Judaism both religiously and spiritually, in an interesting position. She loves Shabbat dinner because of the food, friends, and wine. But she doesn’t attend synagogue with me, and even though she’s said that she’ll consider going to High Holiday services, in four years it hasn’t happened. When people ask if I converted for her, I remind them of these things. Despite our seemingly different views on Jewish practice, though, we both want one thing—a Jewish home.

Our home is Jewish, of course, because we’re both Jews. But there are other choices that we’ll soon have to make. We’ve begun tallying up the doorposts in our home, calculating the price of placing a mezuzah on each of them. We’ve discussed the ethics of blessing our apartment as a Jewish home, when our landlord, who lives downstairs, isn’t Jewish. We’ve considered the significance behind our desire to hang a mezuzah in the first place—why it’s not just important to me, but why it’s important for her as well. Now that we’ve moved in together, we’re making decisions about our Jewishness together.

In a few weeks, we’re hosting a Chanukat Bayit, a traditional Jewish housewarming ceremony. Our rabbi, an amazing queer woman, is taking the traditional blessing and re-working it to reflect who we are as a couple. We’ve invited all of our friends, Jewish and non-Jews alike. Though the religious aspect may be of less importance to some, it’s the act of doing something Jewish as a couple that I find the most meaningful.
For me, putting up a mezuzah is not really about fulfilling an obligation as much as it is about publicly declaring my Judaism. It doesn’t “protect” my home in the way that a blue and white circular pendant around your neck promises to ward off the Evil Eye, or hanging a piece of red ribbon on your baby’s crib might protect her from Lilith. But there is a wonderful comfort in walking into a home with a mezuzah.

There are places in the world where seeing a mezuzah on every doorpost is common—in Israel, at large Jewish non-profits, or on certain streets in Borough Park—and the homes without them stand out to me. But I have a similar feeling upon finding a mezuzah somewhere unexpected, like on a building in the Financial District or a tie shop in Herald Square. By the end of the month, my apartment will join those places, and I can’t wait.

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