AFTER BLOOMING ALL summer, the tall sunflowers in front of Hershel’s father’s bakery bent their faded yellow blossoms toward the earth as if in prayer. Evenings grew cooler. Leaves began to fall. Each night the stars appeared brighter in the sky.
The Days of Awe would soon arrive, which meant it was time for Hershel and his younger brother, Feivel, to help Papa cut down the sunflowers, press the sunflower seeds into oil, and join their father in the bakery to make honey cakes, loaves of round challot, and fragrant apple strudel to welcome a sweet new year.
Hershel loved gathering the sunflowers, assisting Papa in the bakery, and eating the delicious servings of potato kugel, tzimmes, and fruit compote that Mama prepared for Rosh Hashanah and for the break-the-fast after Yom Kippur ten days later.
This year Hershel couldn’t wait for Yom Kippur. His parents had
