Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe). It weds seriousness with celebration and begins the 10 days of repentance that culminate in Yom Kippur. The new year focuses our attention on themes of judgment, repentance, memory, and the divine presence in the world. At the same time, Rosh Hashanah invites us to celebrate birth and creation on many levels. The liturgy suggests that Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of the world. Family-oriented services often include a birthday cake for the world—a big hit for kids of all ages! We dip apples in honey to emphasize the sweetness of starting the cycle of seasons once again, and eat round challot to remind us of the cycles of life. The Torah and Haftarah readings for the holiday also address birth and the preciousness of all human life. These stories remind us that the arrival of every child—each and every one of us—is a promise for a renewed world. We renew ourselves at Rosh Hashanah in order to reconnect with this promise and to help ourselves fulfill it in the year ahead.
Drawing on the themes of hayom harat olam, today is the birthday of the world, this ritual includes Miriam’s cup after Kiddush on Rosh Hashanah afternoon
A poem expressing the intensity of our journey through the Jewish calendar, from Tisha b’Av through Simchat Torah
As the honey seeps into the cake, we find ourselves showered with sweetness
A tashlikh poem that expresses our desire to begin anew, while our regrets and sorrow are washed away
In this video, learn the fundamentals of how to blow the shofar from Paul Root Wolpe, Ph.D.
A unique tashlikh ritual, casting away junk food instead of bread
Just as God hear the prayers of our matriarchs, so too may God hear our prayers
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