INTRODUCTION:

Bring your community together to prepare for Rosh Hashanah by adding a new apple centric recipe to the high holiday cook book! Community members will celebrate apples as a central part of any Rosh Hashanah meal as they work together to make homemade applesauce. Participants will get to take home a jar full of the applesauce and a handwritten index card with their new recipe. This is sure to become a Rosh Hashanah staple for your community’s Rosh Hashanah tables! Optional: Go apple picking with your community ahead of this program and use the apples you all pick to make the applesauce!

MATERIALS:  

• Small 4oz mason jars
• Index cards
• Hole punch
• Scissors
• Ribbon
• Sharpies
• Pens
• Colorful pencils
• Apple sauce recipe ingredients and cooking utensils
  • Pick a recipe that works for what appliances you have in your kitchen. Here are a few options below:
    • Option 1
    • Option 2
    • Option 3
  • TIPS AND TRICKS:
    • Consider adding a little honey to any of these recipes to add to the Rosh Hashanah theme!
    • Try making multiple recipes at one time.
    • Use different apples for each batch and do a taste test at the end!
• Print a few copies of the applesauce recipe you choose (for people to use while cooking and for people to write down the recipe onto index cards to take home.)
• Optional:
  • Speaker and fall playlist
  • Cider and hard cider

Tip for Residents: Apply for the Jewish Culture and Holiday JIO to help cover supply costs.

PROGRAM OUTLINE (60 minutes): 

• Welcome/Framing (10 minutes)
• Applesauce Making Time! (45 minutes)
• Closing (5 minutes)

Welcome and Framing (10 minutes)

• Welcome everyone! Do ag o-around of names, pronouns, and have everyone share their favorite kind of apple.
  • SAY: On Rosh Hashanah, it is traditional to eat apples. The apples have all sorts of significance depending on who you ask. My favorite reason is “INSERT FAVORITE REASON.”** Today we are going to make applesauce to help get in the Rosh Hashanah spirit. Everyone will get to take home a little jar of the applesauce and a card with the recipe so that you can add this applesauce to your Rosh Hashanah cooking this year!
• Here are a few resources you can take a look at to find your favorite reason for why weeat apples on Rosh Hashanah.
  • Why Do We Dip the Apple into Honey on Rosh Hashanah? – Chabad
  • Why Apples and Honey? – Reform Judaism
  • Apples and Honey at Rosh Hashanah – Jewish Federation of Colorado

Applesauce Making Time! (45 minutes)

• Split people up into groups and get to work making yummy applesauce! Give people the option to switch groups throughout the program.
  • Groups:
    • Apple Chopping
    • Stove Stirrers/Recipe Followers
    • Recipe card writing/decorating
    • Apple sauce jarring

Closing (5 minutes)

• Send everyone home with a 4oz jar of applesauce with a handwritten applesauce recipe card tied to the jar with a ribbon!
  • Optional: Have cider and hard cider for people to drink while they work!