Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year celebration, which marks the creation of the world

Why is it important?

Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of the world and marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection and repentance that culminates in the Yom Kippur holiday, also known as the Day of Atonement. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the two "High Holy Days" in the Jewish religion.

It is celebrated by eating special foods and spending time with family. Ancient Jews believed apples had healing properties, and the honey signifies the hope that the new year will be sweet, so apples are dipped in honey to welcome a sweet year. Rosh Hashanah meals usually include an assortment of sweet treats for the same reason.

The Shofar

The sounding of the shofar—a trumpet made from a ram's horn—is an essential and emblematic part of both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The ancient instrument's plaintive cry serves as a call to repentance and a reminder to Jews that God is their king. Tradition requires the shofar blower to play four sets of notes on Rosh Hashanah: tekiah, a long blast; shevarim, three short blasts; teruah, nine staccato blasts; and tekiah gedolah, a very long blast.

Because of this ritual's close association with Rosh Hashanah, the holiday is also known as Yom Teruah—the day of the sounding of the shofar.

Did you know?

The ancient Jewish instrument known as the shofar, which is traditionally made from a ram's horn, has been used in classical and contemporary music, including composer Jerry Goldsmith's score for the 1979 film "Alien."

source: History.com

t'shuvah

("teh- shoo- vah")

means "a return to your best self". According to tradition, God judges all creatures during the 10 Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, deciding whether they will live or die in the coming year.

A time to be "your best self"

Observant Jews consider Rosh Hashanah and the days surrounding it a time for forgiveness, prayers, good deeds, reflecting on past mistakes and making amends with others.

The Fast Of Gedaliah (Tzom Gedaliah)

Tzom Gedaliah is a dawn-to-dusk fast observed on the day after Rosh Hashanah (if that day is Shabbat, it is observed on Sunday). It commemorates the assassination of Gedaliah, the Babylonian-appointed official charged with administering the Jewish population remaining in Judah following the destruction of the Temple and exile in 586 B.C.E.