Rosh Hashanah

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Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah heads the year of Jewish festivals and

traditions. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and is usually

celebrated for two days in September or October, depending on

when it falls in the Hebrew calendar. Rosh Hashanah celebrates

the creation of the world and is a time for reflection and self

evaluation. It is celebrated on the first day of the seventh

month (the month of Tishri). Rosh Hashanah is celebrated by

Orthodox Jews everywhere and is one of the Jewish tradition's

holiest days. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year but, in

contrast with the New Year of other peoples, it is greeted not

with noise and joy, but with a serious and repentant heart.

Rosh Hashanah is known by many names and descriptions. The

name Rosh Hashanah means the "head" or "beginning of the year."

Another name for Rosh Hashanah is Yom Teruah, the day of the

Blowing of the Shofar. The other way of referring to Rosh

Hashanah is Yom Hazikaron the Day of Remembering. Finally, Rosh

Hashanah is known as Yom Hadin, the Day of Judgment. Each of

these names has different meanings, but they all refer to the

celebration of Rosh Hashanah.

Unlike other Jewish holidays, Rosh Hashanah is one of very

few Jewish festivals and has neither an agricultural nor

historical basis. In fact, the Jewish New Year is not at all

limited to the Jewish experience because it celebrates the

birthday of the world. according to Jewish tradition, all peoples and nations are judged on Rosh Hashanah, not just Jews.

Each person's fate is determined during the Yamim Noraim. the

Days of Awe.

The custom during the New Year is to only serve sweet foods.

The idea behind this is the desire for the sweetness to last

througho...

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Saypol, Judyth Robbins. "Rosh Hashanah Traditions."

www.joi.org/edutain/rosh/tzedakah.htm: Yahoo, 1997.

Saypol, Judyth Robbins. "Rosh Hashanah Traditions."

www.joi.org/edutain/rosh/whatis.htm: Yahoo, 1997.

Schauss, Hayyim. The Jewish Festivals: History and Observance.

New York: Schocken Books Incorporated, 1938.

Wylen, Stephen M. "Rosh Hashanah Traditions."

www.joi.org/edutain/rosh/food.htm: Yahoo, 1997.

Wylen, Stephen M. "Rosh Hashanah Traditions."

www.joi.org/edutain/rosh/apples.htm: Yahoo, 1997.

Wylen, Stephen M. "Rosh Hashanah Traditions."

www.joi.org/edutain/rosh/tashlic.htm: Yahoo, 1997.

Wylen, Stephen M. "Rosh Hashanah Traditions."

www.joi.org/edutain/rosh/shofar.htm: Yahoo, 1997.

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