In our family, whenever there is something that needs doing and it hasn’t yet been done, my husband Ed says “what are you waiting for, Shemini Atzeret?” It was meaningless to our children when they were young but they understood what he meant. There is a finality to things, an ending, when what we need to accomplish, we must accomplish.
On Shemini Atzeret the year has ended, the annual cycle of Torah readings has come to its end. I like to think of this joyful “ending” as akin to school commencement, which of course means “a beginning.”
It’s time to begin again, fresh.
There are no particular food traditions for Shemini Atzeret. But because it comes on the heels of Sukkot, in the autumn, we always have a festive, celebratory meal that feels right for the new season. I always bake a homemade challah of course, using my grandma’s award-winning recipe, and my Mom’s chicken soup and apple pie recipes. Then I add a few more modern additions of my own. Here’s the menu:
Traditional Challah
Lily Vail’s Old Fashioned Chicken Soup
Roasted Moroccan Spiced Chicken BreastsScroll to continue
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Dried Apricot, Date and Ginger ChutneyYour favorite Roasted Potatoes and Green Vegetable and
My Mom’s Apple PieEnjoy the last of the holidays and have a very Happy and Sweet New Year.












Thanks — I usually cook different recipes all the time, but these are ones I repeat over and over again. Enjoy!
Wowie! Perfect!
Everything looks perfect here, but I’d really like to try that chutney. Sounds amazing!