What is Rosh Hashanah?

 

Rosh Hashanah (the Festival of Trumpets)

²³ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁴ “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. ²⁵ Do no regular work, but present a food offering to the Lord.’” (Leviticus 23: 23-25)

Also known as the Days of Awe, Rosh Hashanah celebrates the beginning of the Jewish new year. No work is permitted on the 1st day. It marks the beginning of 10 days of Repentance (“afflicting the soul”) and the High Holy Days.

Rosh Hashanah has been designated as a time for the Jewish people ask forgiveness of others in the community in order to start the new year with a clean slate. It involves intensive soul searching in preparation for the 10th day: Yom Kippur.

According to Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanha is when the Book of Life is written. During the afternoon portion of the service, people pray with the hope of being admitted to God’s presence before the gates have been shut. (Leviticus 23: 23-25)

Upcoming dates:  Oct 3 2016, Sep 21 2017, Sep 10 2018, Sep 30 2019, Sep 19 2020,
Sep 7 2021, Sep 26 2022, Sept 16 2023

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Scriptures Read on this Holiday

Torah reading: Genesis 21: 1 – 21: 34, Numbers 29: 1 – 6

Haftarah: 1 Samuel 1: 1 – 2:10, Jeremiah 31: 1 – 31: 19

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For more information, see:

• What is Yom Kippur?