Best Ways To Celebrate Rosh Hashanah In Detroit

Apples and honey are usually eaten at the Rosh Hashanah meal (seder), to symbolize a "sweet" new year, as well as challah bread and other foods that have specific meanings. Another Rosh Hashanah tradition includes sounding the shofar (a ram's horn, hollowed out inside).

Rosh Hashanah is known as the "High Holy Days" and you may greet others with "Shanah Tovah," or "L'Shanah Tovah," during the time, which is the equivalent of "have a good year."

Check out this list for some ideas on how to celebrate the holiday this year.

If you're looking to buy some apples and honey for your Rosh Hashanah meal, or perhaps you just want a glass of fresh apple cider, Yates is the best around. The apple cider/"mill" portion of Yates re-opens in the fall, but the ice cream shoppe (including Yates's fresh cider donuts) is currently open. Check out Yates's apple cider, honey, and homemade donuts to make your Rosh Hashanah extra sweet.

There are many temples in the area that do services on the first night, first day, and second day of Rosh Hashanah. These can include Congregation Shaarey Zedek (Southfield), Congregation Beth Shalom (Oak Park), Congregation Beth Ahm, and more. Make sure to check each congregation's policies before attending - services at Shaarey Zedek, for example, are open to members and guests, so you might have to go with friends/family who are members.

If you don't feel like cooking, check out the Hygrade Deli on Michigan Ave. near 96 in Detroit (west of Corktown) for some Jewish "soul food," as it's been called. Reuben sandwiches on rye bread and corned beef sandwiches are its specialties, and the deli has been around for over 60 years. The deli opens at 6:30 a.m. Monday through Friday but also closes at 3 p.m. each day (the exception being 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays), and is also closed on Sundays.

Related:  Best Bets For Kosher Food In Detroit

You don't have to be Jewish to attend a seder (or really, to do any of the activities on this list), and "seder" means "order." It's a nice way to spend time with family or friends, as well as enjoy a quality meal together. TheJewishNews.com explains the traditional foods that we eat at a seder, and why. These include:

• Dates
• Leeks
• Beets
• Black-eyed peas
• Zucchini or some form of squash
• Pomegranate
• A fish head or ram's head
• Apples and honey, for a sweet New Year

Each seder is different — apples and honey, for example, are most likely to be found at a seder near you than a fish or ram's head, but it really depends on the cook and/or the people hosting the seder. Check out website too, which explains the purpose of eating each of these specific foods at your Rosh Hashanah seder.

Related: Best Ways to Celebrate Hanukkah In Detroit