Celebrating Rosh Hashanah as a Vegan

Gal Shomron shares how they celebrate Rosh Hashanah whilst honouring both their Jewish heritage and vegan values

When I became vegan eight years ago, my family were concerned with how I would be able to continue celebrating Jewish holidays (which often include the consumption of animal products as part of the tradition), without having to compromise on my morals. In this blog, I will show you how I like to celebrate Rosh Hashanah whilst simultaneously honouring both my Jewish heritage and my vegan values. 

Rosh Hashanah, translating to ‘head of the year’, is a Jewish holiday known as the Jewish new year. It is celebrated in the Hebrew month of Tishrei and generally falls in September or early October in the Gregorian calendar (this year it begins at sunset on 2 October 2024 and ends at sunset on 4 October 2024). Rosh Hashanah is considered one of the ‘High Holy Days’ in Judaism along with Yom Kippur. It is referred to as the ‘Day of Judgement’ and is seen as the day when God begins to judge individuals for their actions they have committed throughout the previous year then decides what will be their fate for the year to come, which is sealed on Yom Kippur. It is tradition on Rosh Hashanah for Jews to wish one another ‘Shana Tova Umetukah’ which translates to ‘have a good and sweet new year’. 

As with many Jewish holidays, food is an integral part of the celebration. It is seen as a way to connect to our traditions, to our ancestors and ultimately, to God. Such food traditionally includes a large meal eaten with family and friends as well as symbolic foods that are eaten based on what each holiday celebrates or commemorates. As Rosh Hashanah is seen as the start of a new year and the beginning of yearly divine judgement, the foods that are traditionally eaten on this holiday aim to ensure a good, happy and prosperous year ahead. These foods include: 

• Round challah 
• Honey  
• Fish head 
• Pomegranates 

Whilst these specific symbolic foods have cultural and religious significance in Judaism, with some creativity and an understanding of the symbolism behind each food, it is still possible to partake in these Jewish rituals whilst maintaining a vegan diet.  

Round challah 

Challah (plural challot) is a special Jewish bread, traditionally eaten on Sabbath or on certain Jewish holidays, such as Rosh Hashanah. It is most often braided and is eaten before the commencement of a meal. On Rosh Hashanah, the challah is traditionally served round, as opposed to elongated loaves, to symbolise the eternal cycle of life and to symbolise our desire for a year in which goodness continues endlessly. Although challah is often made with eggs and brushed with an egg wash, it is possible to make challah without eggs. My mum makes an amazing vegan challah using olive oil instead of the eggs and plant milk instead of the egg wash.   

Recipe for a Vegan Challah (makes two small challot or one big challah): 

Ingredients 

• 300g strong bread flour 
• 7g dry yeast 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp sugar (can add a little more if you want it sweeter) 
• 3 tbsp olive oil 
• 150ml warm water 
• almond milk and sesame seeds for topping 

Method 

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees celsius  
2. Mix all the ingredients (except for the flour) in a large bowl until combined 
3. Add the flour and mix again 
4. Knead the dough for 10 mins  
5. Put the dough back in the large bowl, cover with cling film and a towel and then leave to rise for at least 2 hours  
6. Once risen, divide the dough into 3 equal parts and plait it (the dough can instead be rolled into one long piece and can be spiralled into a circle to make it a round challah for Rosh Hashanah)  
7. Brush the dough with almond milk and sprinkle sesame seeds on top 
8. Put the plaited dough in the oven for approximately 20 mins until the challah is golden brown and then your challah should be ready 
9. To check your challah is ready, take it out of the oven and carefully (the challah will be very hot) turn it over and tap the underneath of the challah. If the challah is ready, it will sound hollow 

Honey 

On Rosh Hashanah, it is tradition to eat apples dipped in honey and a blessing is made asking God to “renew us for a good and sweet new year” with the sweetness of the honey symbolising the sweetness of the year we wish to have. It is also tradition to dip the round challah into the honey as well. Whilst honey is generally eaten on Rosh Hashanah (a product that is not consumed by those following a vegan diet), it is possible to use date-honey, maple syrup, agave or other forms of vegan honey to encourage a sweet new year. 

Fish Head 

On a traditional Rosh Hashanah table, the head of a fish is placed amongst other traditional foods and eaten whilst reciting a blessing that asks God to make us like the “head” of a fish and not like the “tail” (based on a quote from Deuteronomy 28:13). It reminds us to be like heads and lead our community rather than like a tail, something that just follows others. The head also symbolises that Rosh Hashanah is the ‘head’ of the Jewish year. Whilst a fish head is traditional, vegans prefer fish alive and swimming. Therefore, a vegan twist on this custom is to use a vegetable that represents the head, such as a head of lettuce or cabbage.    

Pomegranates 

Another traditional Rosh Hashanah food is the pomegranate. When the pomegranate is eaten, many Jews bless the pomegranate and wish for a year that will be “rich with blessings as the pomegranate is rich with seeds”. It is also believed in many Jewish customs that a pomegranate bears 613 seeds which is the same number of laws that are found in the Old Testament. As pomegranate is a fruit, it is entirely vegan so you can enjoy this ritual of Rosh Hashanah without even needing to make any adjustments for a vegan diet! 

Wishing everyone a happy, sweet and compassionate Jewish new year! 

Written by Gal Shomron, a vegan social media influencer and writer.