Rosh Hashanah

HAPPY, HEALTHY NEW YEAR!
TOP TEN INSIDER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ROSH HASHANAH

The Jewish New Year

Celebrating the high holidays on the North Shore is a big event. But, while the temple fashion show may be entertaining and the food delish ...here are ten reminders behind the what and why we’re really celebrating!

1. What’s it all about?
Starting at sundown tonight, Jews around the world will begin the celebration of the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah translates to “Head of the Year” and symbolizes the anniversary of the creation of the world. One of the best parts of the New Year is that Jewish tradition sees everyone as created anew at this time each year. Time to wipe the slate clean and begin fresh!

2. What else?
Rosh Hashanah is The Day of Judgement. That’s right. God opens the Books of Life and Death and Jews ask to be forgiven for their years worth of sins with the hope that God will give them the thumbs up by being added to the Book of Life for the next year.

3. Where’s The Starting Point?
If you’re serious about starting the new year with a super clean slate you would have asked for forgiveness and annulled all vows before the big day. Slichot (which means forgiveness) is a series of prayers to be recited everyday in preparation for the “Days of Awe” – Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

4. What’s The Theme?
Rosh Hashanah, the first of the high holy days is spent in synagogue in prayer. A special prayer book called the machzor is used for the holiday’s unique Rosh Hashanah prayers. The big theme is that God is King, and He rewards good.

5. What’s The Highlight?
Rosh Hashanah’s essential mitzvah (good deed) is to hear the sounding of the shofar. The shofar, a ram's horn is blown, loud and clear like a trumpet.

6. What’s The Meaning of the Shofar?
The shofar blasts are reminiscent of:
The sound of a King's coronation
The wailing of a Jewish heart
A spiritual wake-up call for Jews to repent
Abraham's great faith in God.
(Abraham bound his on Isaac, but was allowed at the last minute to sacrifice a ram in Isaac's stead.)

7. And, What About The Food?
Of course eating is at the center meal of the Rosh Hashanah holiday. First, a round challah, symbolizes completion. Then the challah, and an apple are dipped into honey symbolizes hope for a sweet new year. Other foods have also become Rosh Hashanah traditions, as they symbolize hopes for the coming year.

8. What Should You Say?
Say "Shana Tova" "Shana Tova" means Good Year.

9. What Are The Traditions To Help Start Anew?
Starting on the first afternoon of Rosh Hashanah, Jews walk to flowing water, say a prayer, and throw their sins symbolically into the water. This custom is called tashlich (which means casting off).

10. What Happens On The 10 Days Between The Rosh and The Kip?
On Rosh Hashanah, God signs you into the Book of Life, but you’re not sealed into the book until Yom Kippur. It’s during these critical ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur that one's verdict is not yet determined. These are the "Ten Days of Repentance," and a time for Jews engage in serious introspection and make an efforts to forgive and make right what’s been wrong.

Here’s to a sweet New Year!

Loren Greiff

Rosh Hashanah

HAPPY, HEALTHY NEW YEAR! TOP TEN INSIDER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ROSH HASHANAH

HAPPY, HEALTHY NEW YEAR!
TOP TEN INSIDER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ROSH HASHANAH