©iStockphoto.com/Vika The Jewish calendar is a funny thing. A lunisolar creation, it doesn't quite match up with the Gregorian one our calendar is based on. That's why every year you hear people asking: when is Rosh Hashana this year? When is Chanukkah? This year Rosh Hashana starts on September 29, but even without knowing the date I could tell when the holiday is near. In my neighborhood, which is an eclectic mix of hipsters and Hasidic Jews (think Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with better weather), a good indicator that the High Holidays are coming are the sukkah shacks that pop up on Beverly Boulevard. Celebrating harvest, according to the Essential Book of Jewish Festival Cooking by Phyllis Glazer, was the original purpose...
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