High Holidays
a time for reflection
(and hunger)
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, and marks the beginning of the High Holidays (or High Holy Days), then there are the ten Days of Awe and then we finish it all off with Yom Kippur, a day of atonement marked by fasting and introspection.
Sound overwhelming? Our High Holidays booklet can guide you through it all.
rosh hashanah
the celebration of the jewish new year
...but without the sequin dress and champagne (although you do you).
Unlike Times Square on December 31st, Rosh Hashanah is a lot more introspective, and meaningful. At the core, it’s about cleaning up things in your life so you can start the New Year with a fresh slate.
A good way to get started is by asking yourself where you’re hitting the mark and where you need some adjusting. It’s not a coincidence that Rosh Hashanah is also about the trifecta of forgiveness: apologizing, forgiving, and receiving forgiveness. Making amends with loved ones and even forgiving yourself can be the most powerful part of the holiday.
rosh hashanah essentials
tashlich
apologize (and forgive)
food and drink
how to handle Rosh Hashanah
YOUR ROADMAP
What to say to people
Wondered what to say to your husband’s aunt who always visits on holidays?
L’Shanah tovah. It’s Hebrew for ‘Have a good new year.’ Shanah is year, tov is good. Or say “Happy New Year” if you feel weird about the Hebrew.
Synagogue or nah?
If you’ve heard someone call themselves a “Twice-a-Year Jew,” it usually means they go to synagogue only on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Honestly though, if you’re only going to attend twice a year, try mixing it up—maybe check out a Friday night service, you might be pleasantly surprised. And if you do go for Rosh Hashanah, the shofar’s sound is cool and can be a powerful wake-up call to do better in the new year.
Lots of people complain about having to buy tickets for High Holiday services. What they may not know is that most synagogues are actually sucking air when it comes to paying their bills. So be a mensch and buy tickets if you can. Also, tickets at some synagogues are really inexpensive so don’t just assume they’re going to cost a lot. If you can’t afford tickets but want to go to Rosh Hashanah services, call your local synagogue and see if you can go for a reduced price or even for free. The second day of Rosh Hashanah is always less crowded than the first day and is probably free, so go then.
If you’re looking for a guide to available services, SynagogueConnect.org has a global network of synagogues that open their doors to welcome young Jewish adults (ages 18-30) to High Holiday services for free.
What to do
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes! If you’re like, well anyone ever, there are probably some things in your life you’d like to change about yourself. JewBelong’s Personal Roadmap will help you get real with yourself by asking questions like: If I knew I couldn’t fail, what would I try to accomplish? What important decision did I avoid making last year? For some of us, the Personal Roadmap is the most important part of the holiday. It can be transformative, especially when you share your answers out loud with someone.
A prayer for the Jewish New Year
May we hold lovingly in our thoughts those who suffer from tyranny, subjection, cruelty, and injustice, and work every day towards the alleviation of their suffering.
May we recognize our solidarity with the stranger, outcast, downtrodden, abused, and deprived, that no human being be treated as “other,” that our common humanity weaves us together in one fabric of mutuality, one garment of destiny.
May we pursue the Biblical prophet’s vision of peace, that we might live harmoniously with each other and side by side, respecting differences, cherishing diversity, with no one exploiting the weak, each living without fear of the other, each revering Divinity in every human soul.
May we struggle against institutional injustice, free those from oppression and contempt, act with purity of heart and mind, despising none, defrauding none, hating none, cherishing all, honoring every child of God, every creature of the earth.
May the Jewish people, the state of Israel, and all peoples know peace in this New Year, and may we nurture kindness and love everywhere.
-Rabbi John L. Rosove
yom kippur
FOOLISH TALK. HAUGHTY DEMEANOR. SH*T, I REALLY DO NEED TO ATONE.
no more grudges
we all SERIOUSLY NEED
A RESET ONCE A YEAR.
Think of Yom Kippur as a transformational retreat, a little like a fabulous yoga get-away without the yoga. By the time Yom Kippur rolls around, you have theoretically asked for forgiveness from everyone in your life and forgiven anyone you were mad at, e.g. no more holding grudges. This leaves you with one last person to deal with… yourself. It’s powerful stuff and the reason that so many Jews who don’t observe any other Jewish holidays, except maybe Rosh Hashanah, observe Yom Kippur.
synagogue or nah?
customs and traditions
forgiveness
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