Sliced Apples for a Multitude

What better way to prepare for Rosh Hashanah than by cutting apples?  Lots of them.  Maybe 50 pounds in total.

I was recruited to slice apples for the undetermined number of 20’s and 30’s that would be coming to the FREE service offered at Temple Micah this year.  It was the first such attempt to reach out to unaffiliated Jewish young adults.  Esther had set up 150 chairs and wondered if that would be enough.

Meanwhile 3 of us took on the daunting task of slicing many, many apples.  I had come prepared with a couple of sharp knives.  But instead I was presented with a utensil like the one above that did a whole apple with one big push.  I gradually learned not to bruise my knuckles when I came down hard on a crisp Gala apple.  We squeezed lemons to keep the apples from turning and then covered the many bowls of sliced lemoned apples with plastic wrap.  We poured lots of bowls of honey as well.  I was sure there were enough apples for 200 at least.

But 500?  That was how many people showed up tonight reportedly.  So while those of us with tickets were praying in the Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church near AU, the younger set were having a much different experience I’m sure back home at Temple Micah.  Our rabbi Esther was conducting the service.  She had the help of singer-songwriter Michelle Citrin, assuredly a different sound than the Temple Micah volunteer choir and our usual cantor.

It will be interesting to see just how many young people show up for a similar service next week for Kol Nidre.  

Although my own children seem to have little interest in Judaism, it seems there are a lot of other 20’s and 30’s out there who are rediscovering their roots.


L'shana tovah to everyone celebrating the Jewish High Holy Days!  I hope your new year is filled with sweetness.