The Jewish New Year: Rosh Hashana 5786

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, begins at sunset on Monday, marking the start of the year 5786.

During this time, Jews across the globe take a break from work, engage in synagogue services, and enjoy festive meals. Rosh Hashana is recognized as a blend of reflection and celebration, creating an atmosphere that is both joyful and introspective.

One of the significant rituals involves the blowing of the Shofar, a horn made from a ram’s horn, which serves as a call for repentance. Interestingly, the term “shofar” shares its root with the verb that means “to repair oneself.”

Traditional dishes enjoyed during this holiday include apples dipped in honey, symbolizing a sweet New Year, and pomegranates, which represent good deeds thanks to their many seeds. Additionally, there’s a special fruit typically eaten on the second night, which distinguishes it from the first. Some Jewish communities also have the custom of partaking in a variety of fruits and other foods to ring in the New Year.

The observance lasts two days, a tradition that dates back thousands of years. The Jewish calendar is lunar and solar, marked by the new moon. Witnesses are required to observe the new moon, with their testimonies validated in Jerusalem, which can be a time-consuming process. To ensure that New Year services are conducted properly, a second day was added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared a message for the New Year, expressing a wish for the quick return of all hostages. He extended warm New Year greetings to Jewish communities worldwide from Jerusalem, regarded as the undivided eternal capital of the Jewish people.

Common Hebrew greetings during this festival include “Shanna Tova,” meaning “Good Year,” and in Yiddish, “Gat Yongtev,” which translates to “Happy Holiday.”