Heading 6
What is Rosh Hashanah?
Rosh Hashanah means “Head of the Year” in Hebrew, and it is the Jewish New Year, celebrated on the first two days of the Jewish month of Tishrei. It is the beginning of the Ten Days of Repentance (or Ten Days of Awe), which is a time of reflection and asking God for forgiveness that leads up to Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement).
As with New Year in other cultures, Rosh Hashanah is also a time to look forward, for renewal and plan for future success.
What does Rosh Hashanah celebrate?
Rosh Hashanah is both a celebration of God's creation of the world and humanity, and a way to mark God's judgement of all people. This judgement involves God opening three books, and recording what people have done in the previous year in terms of relevant one:
The Book of Life - God writes down the names of people who have acted well.
The Book of Death - God writes down the names of people who have acted badly.
A third book for people who have not been good enough to enter the Book of Life, yet not bad enough to enter the Book of Death.
The Ten Days of Repentance are then a chance for Jews to ask for forgiveness, and move from the third book or the Book of Death to the Book of Life. God closes (and 'seals') the books on Yom Kippur.
How Is Rosh Hashanah Celebrated?
Rosh Hashanah is celebrated both in the synagogue and at home.
In the synagogue
Specific prayers are recited at the start of Rosh Hashanah (which is in the evening, as the new day begins at sunset in Jewish culture). Avinu Malkeinu (Our Father, Our King) is an important prayer that is sung during Rosh Hashanah.
The congregation will say together, “On Rosh Hashanah judgement is written and on Yom Kippur judgement is sealed.”
Specific Torah passages are read, including
Genesis 21, in which Isaac is born to Sarah and Abraham. Later in life Isaac struggles with God, and earns the name Israel.
The Shofar (a ram's horn) is blown to call the congregation to repentence, and to remind them of Abraham's near-sacrifice of Isaac (God provided a ram to be sacrificed instead)
Challenge - Avinu Malkeinu
Avinu Malkeinu, we have sinned before You.
Avinu Malkeinu, we have no king but You.
Avinu Malkeinu, deal with us kindly and gently, and save us.
Avinu Malkeinu, bring us back in perfect repentance before You.
Avinu Malkeinu, send complete healing to the sick of Your people.
Avinu Malkeinu, inscribe us in the Book of Good Life.
Avinu Malkeinu, renew upon us a good year.
Avinu Malkeinu, silence every foe and adversary.
Avinu Malkeinu, make an end to pestilence, sword, famine, and destruction.
Avinu Malkeinu, withhold the plague from Your inheritance.
Avinu Malkeinu, forgive and pardon all our transgressions.
Avinu Malkeinu, blot out our sins and iniquities.
Avinu Malkeinu, remember us with a favorable remembrance before You.
Avinu Malkeinu, remember us for life, King who desires life, and inscribe us in the Book of Life for Your sake, O living God.
Avinu Malkeinu, bring salvation soon for Your people.
Avinu Malkeinu, show compassion and mercy to us and to our children.
Avinu Malkeinu, act towards us for the sake of Your Name.
Avinu Malkeinu, be gracious to us and answer us, for we have no deeds to justify us; deal with us in righteousness and lovingkindness, and save us.
Challenge - Genesis 21: 1-6
Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”
At home
Jewish families will celebrate with a meal that contains several symbolic items:
Round challah bread - to symbolise the cycle of the year.
Apples dipped in honey - to represent a 'sweet' new year ahead.
Fish head - which is announced with the words, 'Be the head not the tail', so the New Year can be started positively.
Pomegranate - which are traditionally said to contain 613 seeds, which represent the 613 mitzvot of the Torah.
Other customs and practices
Tashlich is an important ceremony undertaken during Rosh Hashanah. It involves Jews throwing breadcrumbs into a river, symbolising the letting go of last year's sins. They will repeat these words from the Tenakh:
“You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7)
To convince God that they deserve to be in the Book of Life, Jews might increase their charitable activities on Rosh Hashanah (and continue during the Days of Repentance).