Jewish Art Today

A honey dish is a very popular Judaica item. The honey dish is placed on the cneter of the table during Rosh Hashanah festive dinner. A honey dish makes a wonderful addition to Rosh Hashanah ritual meal.  Many Jewish people purchase a honey dish as a gift for their friends or themselves. Judaica artists have created a wide selection of honey dishes in assorted styles and materials to fit any personal style or needs.

Why do we eat honey on Rosh Hashanah?

Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the New Year according to the Jewish calendar. The festive meal held a t the Rosh Hashanah eve includes different kinds of symbolic foods.  After reciting a blessing, we eat apples sweetened with honey and bless each other.  “for good and sweet year (Le’shanah Tova Ve-metuka).  Instead of dipping Challah in salt like we do on Shabbat service, we dip a piece of Challah in honey.  The slice of Challah bread represents  mannah, the sweetened bread that was sent to the Israelites by God to feed then on their journey to the land of Israel.  On Rosh Hashanah we eat sugary foods such as apples, raisins. The honey plays the leading role in Rosh Hashanah menyue, since we believe that what we eat will reflect on the year to come. In old tradition, honey is also a sign for prosperity. And so, the sweet honey is a metaphor for our constant wish for a sweet, pleasant and prosperous year, and we bless: may our year be as sweet as honey.

Honey dish on Rosh Hashanah table

The sweet honey is often placed in a special tray known as honey dish. Honey dish is usually a plate with a removable bowl that allows the user to easily hand-wash for reuse.  A honey dish usually has one or two designated spots, each is dedicated to a traditional food that has symbolic significance in relation to the Rosh Hashanah holiday. The foods that are placed are usually apples dipped in honey or pomegranate seeds.  It is customary to eat ripened pomegranate seeds at festive dinners during Rosh Hashanah. Pomegranate seeds can be placed in one bowl, and apples and honey in the other.

Honey dish usually incorporates traditional Rosh Hashanah motifs such as the pomegranate. You can find many honey dishes shaped as a pomegranate or decorated with pomegranates drawings. The honey dish might also include appropriate Hebrew inscriptions, such as Shana Tova (happy New Year) or Shana Tova Vemetuka (happy and sweet year).

Both decorative and practical, the honey dish has become a popular gift for Jewish people all across the world. The honey dish adds festivity and color to the table on a holiday that celebrates the beginning of the year.

Israeli Judaica artists design original honey dishes in many sorts of styles and shapes. These artists skillfully combine modern influences with traditional motifs, and so, you can find honey dishes in metallic colors or more traditional designs.

Several Israeli’s leading Judaica artists who specialize in honey dish designs include Shraga Landesman, Annat Orlizki and Dorit Klien.