Our family has maintained and passed these Yom Kippur Recipes over the generations. I’m honored to be able to share them with you.
Yom Kippur is considered the most important holiday in the Judaism. It is also known as the Day of Atonement. During this high holiday, Jews ask God for forgiveness for their sins.
Seven days prior (for Ashkenazi Jews), and 30 days prior to Yom Kippur (for Sephardi Jews), is the period called Selichot. During this time, penitential prayers (Piyyutim) are recited on a daily basis, prior to daily morning prayers. Selichot, meaning Prayers for Forgiveness, are ancient prayers mentioned in the Mishnah.
The holidays lasts 25 hours. It is a fast day, meaning no water or food is consumed during this period so that all focus and concentration should be dedicated to repentance.
Other prohibitions during the holiday include washing, using perfumes and lotions (anointment), and marital relations. Men wear white as a symbol of purity.
In Jewish tradition, G-d writes the fate of each person for the coming year into a “book” on Rosh Hashanah. G-d waits until Yom Kippur to “seal” the book.
During these holy days, Jews try to improve their behavior. They ask for forgiveness for sins against God. They also ask each other to forgive them for anything they did to hurt each other. The evening and day are used for public and private confessions of guilt (Vidui). At the end of the high holiday, Jews consider themselves absolved by G-d.
As with all Jewish holidays, they begin the preceding evening. As this is a long fast day, our family has traditional pre-fast and break-fast meals:
Yom Kippur Recipes and Meal Plan
Noon on eve of Yom Kippur:
Traditional Moroccan Couscous
Couscous is known as ‘the North Africa national dish’. It is made of small (about 3mm diameter) steamed balls of crushed durum wheat semolina. It is the “starch” staple of the region. In Morocco (as well as Tunisia, Algeria, Mauritania and Libya), couscous is generally served with vegetables (carrots, potatoes, turnips, etc.) cooked in a spicy or mild broth or stew, and some meat (generally, chicken, lamb or mutton).
The noodles were considered a treat as they were hand-made. They are cooked in chicken or chicken-flavored broth since chicken were abundant after the kapparot of Yom Kippur.
Served during Purim, Yom Kippur, weddings and other occasions and holidays, this Moroccan pastry is a favorite. “Fejouela” also called “Pajouela” may likely be a mispronunciation of the word Fadoello. The participation of the little girls of the family was always welcome at the confection of this delicate and time-consuming pastry. Our task was to roll the dough until it was almost paper-thin then spread it on sheets to dry. Afterwards using serrated bronze rollers we cut ribbons of dough that we carefully handed over to the “person-in-charge” of the frying pan. We watched in awe as her hand cleverly scrolled the strips of dough into roses that we eagerly dipped into the syrup, then gently piled on a serving tray into a pyramid. – Deanna Amar Pool
Harira (Arabic: الحريرة al-ḥarīra, Berber languages: ⴰⵣⴽⵉⴼ azkif) is a traditional soup of the Maghreb region, consumed in Morocco and western Algeria. It is popular as a starter but is also eaten on its own as a light snack. There are many variations and it is mostly served during Ramadan, although it can be made throughout the year. It is our family tradition (hada) to break the Yom Kippur fast with it as it feels “silky” on a parched and dry throat.
