What is Rosh Hashanah? Here’s what you need to know about the Jewish New Year

 marks the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days that lead up to Yom Kippur, the most sacred day for Jewish people.  both outside and inside of Israel. The celebration is called yoma arichta, translated as “a long day,” because the 48-hour holiday is considered to be one extended day.  

Tip: If you want to greet a Jewish friend or family member on Rosh Hashanah, you could say “Shanah Tovah,” which means “good year” in Hebrew. 

Reviewed:Everything you need to celebrate Rosh Hashanah in style

What is Shavuot?:Everything to know about the Jewish holiday

How do Jews celebrate Rosh Hashanah?  

Jewish communities around the world have embraced different celebrations for Rosh Hashanah.  

Some of the most common celebrations for Jews in the United States include eating apples and honey, which is meant to usher in a sweet new year.   

Others eat challah, a braided bread, in a round loaf to represent the cycle of the year. Pomegranate seeds are also eaten to represent the 613 mitzvot, or commandments, in the Torah, the Jewish holy book.  

“There’s a great custom of having symbolic foods that are symbolic of what we’re hoping for in the coming year,” Schwartz said.  

Some Jews may also recite prayers near a body of water during a Tashlich ceremony, in addition to tossing pieces of bread or other food into the water to symbolize “casting off” sins.  

many interpretations of the shofar’s meaning. One is that it represents the biblical story told in Genesis, in which Abraham sacrifices a ram instead of his son, Isaac.  

Rabbis have also interpreted the loud blast of the shofar as a wake-up call for the new year. Schwartz called the sounding of the shofar “the pinnacle of the Rosh Hashanah service in synagogues.”  

“It’s an ancient sound that kind of transports you back to the whole expanse of Jewish history. It’s supposed to awaken us to the possibility of transformation,” he said.   

How will the pandemic change Rosh Hashanah celebrations this year?  

Synagogues across the country are taking different approaches to holding services for Rosh Hashanah during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

Some synagogues will hold services in person with no vaccine mandate, while others might ask members to be vaccinated or test negative for COVID-19. Other temples will hold services virtually or outside and socially distanced.  

Mehta noted that some communities are struggling with how to include children under the age of 12 who cannot be vaccinated, citing the Jewish concept of “l’dor v’dor,” which means passing traditions from generation to generation.  

“The idea of putting unvaccinated children at risk is very troubling to these communities, but also the idea of excluding them,” Mehta said. “How do you make a service meaningful for children? Can it be done over Zoom? Can it be done outside?” 

Article source: https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/664701840/0/usatoday-lifetopstories~What-is-Rosh-Hashanah-Heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-Jewish-New-Year/