The Jewish New Year - Rosh Hashanah
New Year in September?
Every year around September - October, Jews around the world celebrate the Jewish New Year – Rosh Hashanah (ראש השנה). This is a significant time in the Jewish calendar marking the start of a new cycle of life and the beginning of a series of festivals and high holy days lasting for almost a month and including some of the most important of Jewish religious (and cultural) events.
But why now and not in December like most of the world? What is the significance of this festival, how do we celebrate it and what are some of the customs associated with it? We hope that this post will answer some of these questions.
When
Because the Jewish calendar is a lunar one in relation to the Gregorian calendar, the dates of festivals and high holy days vary from year to year. Thus, Rosh Hashanah which starts on the eve of the 1st of the Hebrew month of Tishrei and ends on the evening of the 2nd of Tishrei can occur anytime between September to October according to the Gregorian calendar.
Religious and Cultural Importance
The term Rosh Hashanah in Hebrew can be translated as the “Head of the Year.” In Judaism, our actions through the year and life are of great significance. This is especially true of the new year when we begin a new cycle of life. For this reason, according to traditional belief, the actions we take on Rosh Hashanah have a tremendous impact on our lives for the rest of the year.
As with all Jewish festivals, there is a specific set of prayers that are devoted to this period. One of the more significant, and ones that shows the importance of this time is the prayer (my translation):
“All those living in the world, shall pass before the Lord as a flock of sheep. The Heavenly court will decree who shall live and who shall die, who shall be poor and who shall prosper, who shall fall and who shall rise”.
In our prayers on these extremely significant days, we ask G-d to give us peace, prosperity, and His blessings throughout the coming year. But we are also mindful of G-d’s power and benevolence as we reaffirm our belief in Him as the “King of the Universe”. Indeed, according to the Jewish mystic work, the Kabbalah, the continued existence of the universe is dependent on His continued desire for the world to exist. Our prayers on this day, and the sounding of the Shofar (ram’s horn) is said to renew G-d’s desire to continue the world’s existence and his role as King.
Festival Names
Most commonly known as Rosh Hashanah, the festival has other names which also point to its significance:
In the Torah (Five Books of Moses) this occasion is also known as Yom Teruah (Day of Shofar Blowing). (Leviticus 23:24).
In our prayers, the day is often referred to as Yom Hazikaron (Day of Remembrance) and Yom Hadin (Day of Judgement) since this is the day when G‑d judges all His creations and determines their fate for the year ahead.
Rosh Hashanah is also part of the Yamim HaNora’im (Days of Awe) which is the ten-day period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom HaKippurim (the Day of Attornment) – the holiest day in the Jewish religious calendar.
Celebrating the festival
Blowing the Shofar (Rams Horn)
The shofar (rams’ horn) is sounded on both days of the festival (unless the first day is Shabbat in which case it is only sounded on the second day) Blowing of the ram’s horn is a central motif of the service and occurs many times during the prayers. The shofar is initially blown a total of 30 times following the morning service Torah reading. Then, it can be blown an additional 70 times during and after the Musaf (additional) service which is held immediately following the morning service. In some communities, the shofar is also sounded another 30 times afterwards to ensure that even those who are unable to attend service will be able to hear the shofar from home.
But it’s more than just making noise. Traditionally there are four separate types of calls:
Tekiah – Pronounced te-KEE-ah it is a long, lingering blast that some say resembles sobbing. Associated with summoning the congregation to prayer
Tekiah Gdolah (long) – much longer than the Tekiah. Usually sounded to conclude the Rosh Hashanah services.
Shevarim – Pronounced shih-vah-REEM this a series of three, short blasts that are said to symbolize wailing.
Teruah – Pronounced tih-ROO-ahh, it is a series of nine, short, staccato calls that awaken us from our spiritual slumber.
To see, and hear the shofar – click here
Tashlich - literally, to throw away. Many Jews will go to the sea or a large body of water to “throw away” the sins of the past year so that they can begin the new one with a pure heart,
Other Rosh Hashanah Traditions
No Jewish festival would be complete without food and Rosh Hashanah is no exception.
Hallah – the traditional Shabbat loaf, a soft, slightly sweet bread made with eggs. Usually plaited with three or six strands, on Rosh Hashanah we traditionally make a round hallah. Some say that the reason for the hallah being round is to signify the annual cycle of life. Also, instead of salt, the slices of hallah are dipped in honey as we wish for a sweet year. Some also like to add raisins to the hallah for the same reason.
For a clip on how to make round hallah, go here. Be warned, it can be VERY frustrating.
Here is an excellent video by Jamie Geller on making a round challah.
Apples and Honey – following on from the desire for a sweet year, the festive first night meal includes slices of apple dipped in honey. Before eating the honey coated slices, it is customary to say the following blessing: “May it be Your desire to replenish and renew us with a good and sweet year”. In some communities, the head of a fish or a ram is also served to signify that we want to be at the forefront of life rather than the rear.
Pomegranates – one of the seven fruits of the Land of Israel. Also eaten on Rosh Hashanah because of its many edible seeds along with the blessing: “May our merits be as plentiful as the seeds of the pomegranate”.
Tzimmis – a sweet carrot dish, often served with raisins and other dried fruits. The reason for this is that its name in Yiddish is “merren” which means both carrot and increase – so a sweet and abundant year.
Nuts and savory dishes (such as the quintessential Gefillte Fish) are traditionally not eaten on Rosh Hashanah so that the coming year will be sweet and not bitter.
There are many, many variations on the foods eaten by Jewish families during this period. The foods described above are primarily found in Ashkenazi (European) families but families whose roots are from North Africa and the Arab world have many different and wonderful foods and traditions. But that’s for another post.
So, there you have it. A not so brief overview of the Jewish New Year. All that is left is to wish you all a happy new year. May you know only joy, happiness and good health and hopefully, we may one day celebrate together.