Sep 11

Sep 11 DIY: Apple and honeybee friendship necklaces

Keeping friends close to our hearts at Rosh Hashanah

I made these sweet apple and honeybee puffy friendship necklaces while thinking about my friends. Having friends that we love and cherish is the Jewish value Dibuk Chaverim (cleaving to friends). No matter your age, Rosh Hashanah (and Yom Kippur) is a time to think about our friends and let them know how important they are in our lives.

At the Jewish New Year, we can tell our friends - and those we may have hurt in the past year, “You’re special to me. I’m sorry, and please forgive me.” Growing up, we would even sing a friendship forgiveness song at the end of Rosh Hashanah family services. The words are,

“Let’s be friends.

Make Amends.

Now’s the time to say I’m sorry.

Let’s be friends.

Make amends.

Please say you’ll forgive me.”

The ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is traditionally set aside as a special time to ask friends and family to forgive us. It is also a time to forgive others, and we make a promise do our best to make the new year better than the last one.

To make your very own Rosh Hashanah Apple and Honeybee friendship necklaces to share with someone special, cut 2 yellow oval bee shapes and 2 red apple shapes from felt (we used additional colors for honeybee wings and facial details). We made them puffy by stuffing them with cotton balls, and sewing (or gluing) the two pieces together. You can read more about the process of making a puffy necklace here, and if you have interest in a step-by-step photo tutorial, please let me know in the comments below!

I think it’s especially important to reach out to friends this year. I know for many with social distancing, there are some friends we haven’t seen in a while. To my friends, you are important to me and in my heart, and I hope we can celebrate and be together soon.

Tell us how your family is celebrating Rosh Hashanah in the comments below, and for more special DIY projects, activities and family outings, especially wonderful for the Jewish New Year, click here!

We wish you a Shanah Tovah Umetukah, a good and sweet year!