Until 1944, the proportion of the Jewish population in the settlements of the wine region ranged between 10-30%. They maintained their own customs, and had good relations with the Christian population. The leaders of the Hasidic Jews, the wonder rabbis, were famous. In 2015, a 150 km pilgrimage route called the Footsteps of Wonder Rabbis was created to present the Jewish heritage of Tokaj-Hegyalja.
Countless books have been written about Jewish religious traditions. Now I will only present the customs related to the upcoming Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) and Yom Kippur.
Naturally it could be a little bit different from family to family,
In 2025, on the evening of September 22, the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) was greeted with candle lighting. The literal meaning of the name of the holiday is: ‘the head of the year’. This holiday is therefore related to the other days of the year as the head relates to the other parts of the body.
During the two-day holiday, the 5786th anniversary of the creation of man is commemorated and the covenant with the Eternal, the vow to excel in keeping the entire Torah are renewed. This is a time of reckoning, of repentance, but there is also reason for joy: a year has passed, and here we are again.
An important part of the holiday is the shofar, a ram’s horn that refers to Abraham’s sacrifice. It is blown several times during the morning prayer. In synagogues, the Torah ark’s curtain and the tablecloth on the Torah reading table are also white. It is Ashkenazi custom to dress in white for the holiday, at least for the time they pray in the synagogue. Married men wear ‘kittel’, a simple white funeral robe, at their wedding and then a few times a year (on Rosh Hashanah, on the evening and during the day of Yom Kippur, and when leading the Seder). In many families, it is still customary to buy new clothes for their children for the holiday.
On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the story of the biblical prophetess Chana (Ana) is recited as a prophetic section following the Torah reading (1 Samuel 1:1-2:10). Chana (Ana), wife of Elkanah and mother of the prophet Samuel, is the ideal Jewish woman.
The community spends the holiday in the synagogue. There they enjoy a festive feast.
The Talmud mentions five foods that are recommended to be eaten on Rosh Hashanah to ensure good luck: pumpkin, black-eyed peas, leeks, beets, and dates. The names of these foods refer on various New Year's wishes.
The meal begins with the barches (challah). The cakes are round, often flavoured with honey and raisins in the hope of a full, sweet year. In many places, small crowns were made from the dough and used to decorate the challah, recalling the crowning of God, which is a recurring theme in the festive prayer order. Elsewhere, a ladder-shaped cake was also placed on the table, following the midrash according to which the Eternal places ladders in heaven, and some He raises up on them and others He lowers down from them. Some people make barches in the shape of birds, because according to the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 31:5), a bird is a sign of grace.
In Ashkenazi families, capellini was cooked with the soup so that the year would be long and “treat” them gently. A typical dish is kreplach: dumplings filled with ground meat, which are boiled in soup or fried in oil.
They also express their desire for a sweet and successful year with other foods. For example, apple slices dipped in honey, pomegranates, and fish heads. The menu varies from community to community. The pomegranate, filled with tiny seeds, expresses the hope of a life of good deeds, and the fish head represents being at the forefront and not lagging behind. You should not sleep on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah, because you sleep away your good fortune.
Rosh Hashanah begins the ten days of repentance that culminate in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, or “Long Day.” During the ten days, many Jewish people visit friends and relatives and apologize for their offenses. In 2025, Yom Kippur begins on the evening of October 1 and lasts until the evening of October 2. According to tradition, at the end of the day, God closes the Book of Life and Death for the coming year.
The day is dedicated to communal repentance for sins committed during the previous year, fasting for 25 hours, abstaining from eating, drinking, washing, using perfumes, and make love. Yom Kippur is one of the most solemn days of the Jewish calendar due to the nature of the ceremonies associated with it.
It is traditional to wear white on this day, which symbolizes purity, and not to wear things made of leather (which in earlier times was a sign of prosperity).
Unlike other holidays, cooking is not allowed on this day, nor is fire allowed. This is the only fast that is observed even if it falls on a Sabbath. On this day, sins are erased, and the new year begins with a “clean slate.”
On the day of the fast, people usually smell fragrant spices (e.g. quince studded with cloves), because the strong aroma gives strength to both the body and the soul.
After the scary days, comes a time of self-forgetful joy. Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles (October 6-13), and then on October 15, the Feast of the Torah. But I better recommend you to come and visit Tokaj, and I tell you about them personally.
