Families Gathered to Celebrate Rosh Hashanah at the Apple Orchard

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, was celebrated a few days early by families in Orange County this year. Young families from around the county gathered at Lawrence Farms in Newburgh on Sunday, September 17 for a pre-Rosh Hashanah celebration. Following the tradition to eat apples dipped in honey on Rosh Hashanah symbolizing our hopes for a sweet new year, families enjoyed 5 different varieties of apples, all locally grown right at Lawrence Farms and 5 varieties of local honey, including spreadable honey and raw honey comb. Children gathered around to hear a Rosh Hashanah story, decorated Rosh Hashanah cards to send to friends and family, and enjoyed an afternoon of apple picking culminating in a wagon ride around the farm.

This program was planned and sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Orange County and PJ Library, a project of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. Together, the Jewish Federation of Greater Orange County and PJ Library provide free Jewish children’s books to over 200 children throughout Orange County. They also plan and implement county-wide programming such as this one throughout the year, as well as local playgroups and programming for children ages 6 monhts-11 years.

Photos by Gail Conklin. Click on the thumbnail for a larger view.