The Honey Man of Uzhgorod, Ukraine For centuries, Jews have enacted the tradition of eating honey – most often apples with honey – on Rosh Hashana. Beyond the symbolism of this act, and the sweetness that it calls forth in the Jewish New Year, it is a custom that can be enjoyed in the remotest corners of the former Soviet Union to the villages of India to the suburbs of the United States. Recently, in the town of Uzhgorod, Ukraine, this Jewish tradition proved a connectedness between our history and our present, and the power of the sweetest tradition to transcend time, war, and decades of religious suppression. Workers from Hesed Shpira in Uzhgorod were perusing a nearby green market, a favorite spot, during their lunch break. For the past six years, they have purchased Rosh Hashana honey there from the same elderly man who they affectionately call "the beekeeper." Ivan, who comes from a long line of beekeepers, says "My grandfather pumped honey, as did my father…and almost my great-grandfather did, too…" When Ivan overheard the Hesed Shpira workers discussing which type and color of honey to buy, he asked "What do you need the honey for? Osh-a-shana?" The group was so impressed at Ivan’s recognition of the holiday. But even more compelling was what he then shared. Before the War, his father had sold honey to Jews from the whole Uzhgorod District. "He prepared a special type of honey for the Jewish New Year, and the Jews were very glad to buy it from him," said Ivan. Now, more than a generation later, this same honey is enjoyed on the festive Rosh Hashana tables at the Hesed. Like those who partake of it, this honey has its own Jewish history. September 2006