Rosh Hashana Products, Gifts and Crafts

Planning Rosh Hashanah

What do I need to prepare for Rosh Hashanah?

Working outward from the meal: the simanim for the table, a honey dish and honey, and the tableware you plan to set. Then the things that make the days themselves — books and machzorim for the adults, crafts and activities for the children, and gifts for the hosts you will eat by.

When should I start shopping for Rosh Hashanah?

Earlier than feels necessary. The stretch from the start of Elul is when everything sells, and anything that ships — books, honey gift sets, tableware — needs a delivery buffer. Crafts are the exception and are better done in the last week, when children are already thinking about the holiday.

What makes a good Rosh Hashanah gift?

Something for the table or the year ahead: artisan honey, a honey dish, a challah knife, or a book. All four travel well, need nothing from the host on the night, and are used rather than stored. A honey dish in particular gets brought out every year and remembered.

How do I keep children involved in Rosh Hashanah?

Give them something to make and something to do. The crafts here produce things that go on the table — a simanim card at each seat, a tzedakah box, a clay honey dish — so a child sees their own work in front of the family. The activities are for the younger ones who cannot yet sit through a craft.