I'm not of the Jewish faith. I'm doing this for representation purposes because they're so undervalued. I also want to shine a positive light on Jews due to how much hatred they've endured recently. Again, all my information is from Google, so I'm limited on multiple things.
I have a Jewish acquaintance whose screen name is Msfrizzle. She's done her best to support me and make it as authentic as possible. But again, please don't savage me if its not 100% correct. I'm doing the best I can! With that out of the way, please enjoy the story! Thank you!
It was a crisp September afternoon as the Fenton siblings strolled towards their second mother, Kathleen Well's residence. While Danny and Ceci could voluntarily traverse from one reality to another thanks to their soul bond, Jazz couldn't. They're forbidden from telling her or anyone about their soul bond because it is ancient magic. One that must be kept secret to stay out of the wrong hands.
Therefore, the siblings required the portal that connected Kathleen's house to Peace Valley. They'd been invited by their big sister, Ceci Masters, to attend a family dinner at her friend Jamie's house. Her companion Jamie was of the Reform Jewish faith, a bit more liberal then other forms of Judaism. Regardless, Ceci and her companions always celebrate various family events to strengthen their friendship bonds.
Danny and Jazz felt it was essential to research before going to their other sister's reality to celebrate the holiday with her friend. Despite Danny's friend Sam also being Jewish, she'd never invited them to her home to observe any of her religious holidays. When Danny thought about it, he understood why. With his older sisters' help, he realized Sam's unhealthy behavior stemmed from her parents' narcissism. Moreover, they couldn't communicate healthily with each other.
Danny was delighted that Sam was attempting to figure out how to get her family into family counseling to resolve all their issues, hopefully. After all, high holidays are a time for reflection and consider how they could improve in the coming year. He realized this was likely another reason Sam didn't invite her friends to celebrate. It was a personal matter that, due to her family's inner conflict, she couldn't enjoy the holiday as it was meant to be.
But that wasn't here or there at the moment. Right now, what was essential was to get to Peace Valley in time for the Rosh Hashanah dinner. Jazz had been studying up on what to expect or say as they wanted to avoid offending their host. "Okay, Danny, do you remember how to greet someone for this holiday appropriately?" she quizzed him.
"Shanah Tovah, which means have a good and sweet year. Or "L'shanah tovah" means "for a good year." Danny replied before asking, "Do you remember the traditional musical instrument?"
"It's called a shofar, made of a ram's horn. The shofar blasts call out: "Sleepers, wake up from your slumber! Examine your ways and repent and remember your Creator." Jazz swiftly answered.
"Very good. I know our family isn't into religion. However, I've lately come to realize it might help me be a better person to understand other cultures and theology. I'm sure you feel that would benefit your desire to become a psychologist," Danny remarked thoughtfully.
"Yes, it would benefit the world to find common ground. Instead of inciting violence and spreading lies, we should learn from one another. This will be an enriching experience for both of us. Who knows? Going to this ceremonial dinner might help you fix your friendship with Sam."
"It may be a step in the right direction. But Sam and her family need to figure out their own problems by themselves if any of them want things to get better. I know we both have things we've come to regret and would like to start over. According to our sister, part of this holiday is to reflect and figure out how to make changes to be a physically and spiritually better person."
"Which we both can agree is a good thing all around. Well, we've arrived at our second mother's house. So shall we go in?" to which Danny nodded. They were warmly greeted by their second mother, Kathleen Wells. Kathleen had gone the extra mile to dress appropriately for tonight's feast. She'd set aside similar semi-formal outfits for the kids who thanked her.
"I hope the Ramseys enjoy the ceremonial dinner's traditional apple and honey part. Jezebel did ask me, as she's been swamped at work and couldn't make it. I would've cooked the whole dinner if she wanted me to, but she said I only needed to make the traditional apples to dip in honey," Kathleen informed her children when they returned to the kitchen.
"How is making them if you buy them at the store?" Danny asked, confused, to which Kathleen replied, "I had to go to the farmer's market to get the freshest apples and stop to get the best honey. So there was some work involved." With that out of the way, the children went to shower and change. When they returned to the living room, they looked very dapper in their formal wear.
"You've my seal of approval, and I'm confident you'll have your sister Ceci's friend Jamie's approval. Shall we go now?" their second mother asked as she spun the dial by the front door. They agreed and walked out into Peace Valley. They quickly drove to meet at the Ramseys' home, where their sister's family and her friend Denise's family were waiting for them.
The evening had just fallen when they'd arrived, and all Jewish Holidays started at sunset. Again, their holidays changed days every year because their calendar was different from the standard one. Ceci's face lit up with a smile to see her little sister and brother! "Jazz! Danny! I hoped you'd be able to make it!" she hugged them tightly.
"Nothing was going to stop us from coming. Truthfully, if Sam and family weren't so toxic, I'd have loved to celebrate with her once in a while," Danny confessed. His sisters frowned but smiled as they entered the periwinkle, cream-colored, three-story house.
Everyone saw the table had been laid out with the traditional food, from pomegranates to Challah bread. Kathleen placed her contribution on the table, which Jezebel thanked her for. She was thankful her adopted son Ruben had made most of the feast, and her friend could help them in a pinch. As tradition dictated, the lady of the house lit a candle. She then politely asked all the ladies present if they wished to light a candle. Jezebel led them in a short song and prayer as they lit candles.
As everyone gathered around the large table to eat. Jamie's parents took this time to educate their guests on the various forms of Judaism and how each affects how they celebrate this particular holiday. The Ramseys were thankful for their guests coming and joining them for their holiday. Yet both Joel and Jezebel understood, for many, especially Jamie's friend Ceci's cousins, that they didn't completely understand all the traditions or why they're done.
So, both parents slowly took turns explaining the beliefs of their culture, how significant each part of the meal was, and how it was different from an ordinary dinner. For example, tonight's dinner started with the kiddush—a blessing over wine (or grape juice) and then a blessing over the bread. Two loaves are cut and eaten with honey in honor of the new year, followed by apples and honey, which are eaten with wishes for a sweet year. Pomegranates are also traditional, so our merits/good deeds will be numerous, like the seeds inside a pomegranate.
Today was to celebrate God for creating the world and recognizing him as our Creator and king. They did go around the table as everyone shared what they found most enlightening. This included asking which parts of their lives they'd chosen to focus on. Moreover, the changes they plan to make to improve themselves in those areas. After teaching their guest to speak traditional phrases in Hebrew properly, they finally settled down to eat.
Everyone found it quite an enlightening and enjoyable dinner. They all did take time to reflect on the past year. Danny and Jazz particularly enjoyed learning about a different culture, which only helped them learn more about acceptance, which would only make them better people in the long run! Ceci, Jazz, and Danny hoped they could continue growing as individuals and siblings.
Even if they lived in two separate realities, they're still one family. Like the Phil Collins song. Two worlds, one family. They each wanted to work harder in school to achieve their dreams. Plus, they mend any rifts in their relationships, whether between them or their friends. They could only hope they succeeded and they could visit each other more often in the future.
Ceci Masters: Anne Hathaway
Kathleen Wells: Halle Bailey