Fast Days

There are six fast days in the Jewish calendar. Because the prohibition against eating is the essence of these solemn days, they are discussed apart from the holidays. However, the two 25-hour fasts, Yom Kippur and Tisha b’Ab, are worth discussing briefly here because there are certain customs associated with the pre- and post-fast meals. The other four minor fasts last from sunrise to sunset. There are no unique ­food-­related customs associated with them and thus they are summarized below under a single heading.

Yom Kippur
The Day of Atonement

Yom Kippur, which falls on the 10th of Tishrei, is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Known as the Day of Atonement, it is the only fast day that arises from a biblical prescription; the five other fasts have been designated by the sages of the past to commemorate tragic events in Jewish history. On Yom Kippur, each Jew is penitent, completely devoted to accounting for his or her sins and pleading with G-d to judge him or her kindly as He decides the fate of all mankind for the coming year. On this day, Jews deprive themselves of the pleasurable activities of eating, drinking, donning leather shoes, applying cosmetics, and indulging in spousal cohabitation in order to focus their concentration on prayer and repentance. Jews far and wide follow the custom of kaparot, whereby they purchase chickens for slaughtering the night before Yom Kippur. The concept behind kaparot is to offer the chicken as a substitute for the fate one deserves for one’s own sins of the past year. Jews perform this rite as a way of asking G-d to be merciful and accept the chickens’ lives instead of their own. Many older Aleppian Jews have memories of the chickens being kept all night in closets or bathrooms in the haushes (courtyards) of old Aleppo. The slaughtered chickens are then given to the poor or prepared for the pre-fast meal, which is considered a holiday meal and is usually eaten with bread, demonstrating optimism for a good year.

Sample Menu

The Pre-fast Meal on the Eve of Yom Kippur

B

Platter of romaine lettuce hearts and cut celery ribs
Riz w’Djaj—Rice with Chicken, page 194
Bizeh b’Jurah—Green Peas and Rice with Coriander and Meat, page 118
Beida bi’Lemouneh—Velvety Lemon Sauce, page 198
Keftes—Tamarind-­Stewed Meatballs, page 162
Mehshi Kusa—Zucchini or Yellow Squash Stuffed with Ground Meat and Rice, page 143
Watermelon, grapes, sliced cantaloupe, and honeydew

Break-the-Fast Meal Following Yom Kippur

B

Chai b’Nana—Mint Tea, page 332
‘Ahweh—Arabic Coffee, page 318
Ka’ak—Savory ­Anise-­Seed Rings, page 22
Sambousak—Buttery ­Cheese-­Filled Sesame Pastries, page 212
Salata Banadoura—Fresh Tomato Salad with ­Allspice-­Lemon Dressing, page 34
Fu¯l Medammas—Warm Fava Beans, page 48
Kusa b’Jibn—Zucchini-­Cheese Frittata, page 227
Calsonnes w’Rishta—Buttery Noodles with Cheese Ravioli, page 127
Samak Meqli—Fried Fish, page 201
Graybeh—Sweet ­Bracelet-­Shaped Butter Cookies, page 267
Eras b’Ajweh—Date-­Filled Crescents, page 268
Platter of grapes