(JTA) — For many Jews, predominantly Sephardim, Rosh Hashanah foods extend way beyond apples and honey. Among the numerous simanim (foods that have symbolic or linguistic significance for the upcoming year) are squashes and gourds.

The Aramaic word for gourds and squashes is kara, which sounds similar to the Hebrew word kra, which means “to tear up.” Therefore, eating them at Rosh Hashanah conveys the hope that any harsh decrees should be torn up, and that any merits over the past year should be judged favorably by God.

But this tradition is based on more than word play: Gourds’ thi...