For over 2,000 years Middle Eastern and North African Jews have ushered in the Jewish New Year by joyously blessing and eating symbolic foods, also known as simanim. Many Mizrahi and Sephardic families have incorporated a unique seder into their Rosh Hashana meal with some or all of the simanim below. For those interested in incorporating a seder into your New Year’s meals, we highly recommend reading Rahel Musleah’s Apples and Pomegranates: A Family Seder for Rosh Hashanah. The prayers below are borrowed from the this wonderful book. 

You can learn more about the seder by clicking here and here.

Apples for Sweetness
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה’ אֱלֹהינוּ וֵאלֵֹהי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁתְּחַדֵּשׁ עָלֵינוּ שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה כַּדְּבָשׁ
May it be Your will, Lord our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers, that You renew for us a year good and sweet like honey.

Dates for Peace
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱלֹהינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ
Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the tree.
After eating the date, take another one and say:
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה’ אֱלֹהינוּ וֵאלֵֹהי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁיִּתַּמּוּ אוֹיְבֵינוּ וְשׂוֹנְאֵינוּ וְכָל מְבַקְשֵׁי רָעָתֵנוּ
May it be Your will, Lord our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers, that there come an end to our enemies, haters and those who wish evil upon us.

Green Beans for Prosperity
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱלֹהינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה
Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה’ אֱלֹהינוּ וֵאלֵֹהי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁיִּרְבּוּ זָכִיּוֹתֵינוּ וּתְלַבְּבֵנוּ
May it be Your will, Lord our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers, that our merits shall increase and that You hearten us.

Pomegranate for Miztvot
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה’ אֱלֹהינוּ וֵאלֵֹהי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁנִּהְיֶה מְלֵאִים מִצְוֹת כָּרִמּוֹן
May it be Your will, Lord our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers, that we be filled with mitzvot like a pomegranate [is filled with seeds].

Pumpkin for Happiness
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה’ אֱלֹהינוּ וֵאלֵֹהי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁתִּקְרַע רוֹעַ גְּזַר דִּינֵנוּ, וְיִקָּרְאוּ לְפָנֶיךָ זָכִיּוֹתֵינוּ
May it be Your will, Lord our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers, that the evil of our verdicts be ripped, and that our merits be announced before you.

Beetroot Leaves for Freedom
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה’ אֱלֹהינוּ וֵאלֵֹהי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁיִּסְתַּלְּקוּ אוֹיְבֵינוּ וְשׂוֹנְאֵינוּ וְכָל מְבַקְשֵׁי רָעָתֵנוּ
May it be Your will, Lord our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers, that our enemies, haters and those who wish evil upon us shall depart.

Leeks for Friendship
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה’ אֱלֹהינוּ וֵאלֵֹהי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁיִּכָּרְתוּ אוֹיְבֵינוּ וְשׂוֹנְאֵינוּ וְכָל מְבַקְשֵׁי רָעָתֵנוּ
May it be Your will, Lord our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers, that our enemies, haters, and those who wish evil upon us shall be cut down.

Head of Lettuce for Leadership
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה’ אֱלֹהינוּ וֵאלֵֹהי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁנִּהְיֶה לְרֹאשׁ וְלֹא לְזָנָב
May it be Your will, Lord our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers, that we be a head and not a tail.

Starters

Yemenite Soup (Beef and White Bean Stew)
Einat Admony for Jewish Food Society

Sephardic Eggplant and Feta Galette
Adapted from Israeli chef, Shaily Lipa by Adeena Sussman for Los Angeles Times

Libyan Hraime (spicy fish in tomato sauce)
Adapted from Italian chef, Hamous Guetta by Joan Nathan for New York Times

Moroccan Fish and Crispy Rice Cake with Saffron Crust
Kim Kushner My Jewish Learning

filo-bourekas

Zucca Sfranta in Forno (Baked Mashed Squash)
Adapted from Italian Jewish chef, Edda Servi Machlin by Jayne Cohen for Centropa

Moroccan Butternut Squash Chickpea Soup
Levana Cooks

Pumpkin Borekas
The Boreka Diary

Pastelicos With Meat and Rice Filling
The Boreka Diary

Black Eye Pea Stew imgres
Adapted from Gilda Angel by Katherine Romanow for Jewish Women’s Archive

Keftes De Prasa and Keftes de Espinaca, Turkish Leek and Spinach Croquettes
Gilda Angel for The Forward

Main Course

Tunisian Couscous de Poisson – Couscous with fishballs
Adapted from Annie Berrebi by Joan Nathan for Tablet

Iraqi False Mahshi: Layered Swiss Chard, Beets, Rice and Beef
Adapted from Esperanza Basson by Joan Nathan for New York Times

Moroccan-style lamb shanks
Danino family recipe adapted for Chicago Tribune 

Roast Chicken with Saffron, Hazelnuts, and Honey
Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi for Epicuriousfesenjan-chicken-stew-walnut-pomegranate-640-dm

Khoresht Fesenjan (Persian Pomegranate Walnut Stew)
My Jerusalem Kitchen

Dried Fruit Couscous. Meat and Poultry Variations
Levana Cooks

Braised Short Rib Mujadara
Alon Shaya for Tasting Table

Mum’s Beef Kofta Curry
Max Nye for Jewish Food Society

Sides

Chorosht’e Be (Quince Stew)
Reyna Simnegar for Epicurious

Saffron Rice Tahdig
Anna Rahmanan for Tablet

Sephardic Jeweled Rosh Hoshanah Rice
May I Have That Recipe?

Prassa Quajado, Leek and Potato Bake
The Boreka Diary

Honeyed Carrots and Roasted Chickpeas with Tahini
Tami Ganeles-Weiser for My Jewish Learning

Dessert

Persian Upside-Down Cake with Dates and Cardamon
Tannaz Sassoni for The Nosher
b63dbb1a03f09d4be294f9ab15f3b79d

Travados (Almond-filled, Honey drenched crescents)
Stella’s Cookbook

Apple Tarts with Goat Cheese and Honey
My Jerusalem Kitchen

Persian Saffron Pudding
Tori Avey

Pistachio Biscotti
Boreka Diary

Honey Cake Classic
Sarina’s Sephardic Cuisine

Recipes for breaking the Yom Kippur Fast

Avgolemono (Egg and Lemon Soup), Besce Al’Ebraica (Fish – Italian Jewish Style), Djadja Zetoon (Moroccan Style Lemon Chicken with Olives), Zucca Disfatta (Pumpkin Puree)
Linda Morel for JTA

Meme Suissa’s Moroccan Harira Soup
David Suissa for Jewish Journal

Sephardic Fish in Tomato Sauce (Pescado Helado)
Katherine Romanow for Jewish Women’s ArchiveDessert

Additional Rosh Hashanah Resources:

What are Sephardic Rosh Hashana customs?
Ty Alhadeff, Stroum Center for Jewish Studies

A Sephardic seder for Rosh Hashanah
Edmon J. Rodman, JTA

For Centuries, Spanish Jews Have Held Rosh Hashanah Seders
Margarita Gokun Silver, The Forward

Shana tova u’metukah!

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