Rosh Hashanah

IT'S ROSH HASHANAH!!!!!!

 THIS MEANS A FEW THINGS...

• HAPPPPY NEW YEAR

• don't send e-mails to/use the listserv from tonight at sundown to wednesday at sundown!

• a little bit about the holiday...

Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year."
Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year.

There is, however, one important similarity between the Jewish New Year and the American one: Many Americans use the New Year as a time to plan a better life, making "resolutions." Likewise, the Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year. 

The name "Rosh Hashanah" is not used in the Torah to discuss this holiday. The Torah refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar).

The shofar is a ram's horn which is blown somewhat like a trumpet. One of the most important observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar. 

A total of 100 notes are sounded each day. There are four different types of shofar notes:

tekiah: a 3 second sustained note
shevarim: three 1-second notes rising in tone
teruah: a series of short notes extending over a period of about 3 seconds 
tekiah gedolah (literally, "big tekiah"): the final blast in a set, which lasts (I think) 10 seconds minimum.

**** The shofar is not blown if the holiday falls on Shabbat. *****
 *****No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah. *****

 There is a special prayerbook called the machzor used for Rosh Hashanah and  Yom Kippur because of the extensive liturgical changes for these holidays.

Another popular observance during this holiday is eating apples dipped in honey, a symbol of our wish for a sweet new year.

We also dip bread in honey (instead of the usual practice of sprinkling salt on it) at this time of year for the same reason.

Another popular practice of the holiday is Tashlikh ("casting off"). We walk to flowing water, such as a creek or river, on the afternoon of the first day and empty our pockets into the river, symbolically casting off our sins.

Religious services for the holiday focus on the concept of God's sovereignty! 

The common greeting at this time is L'shanah tovah ("for a good year").

This is a shortening of "L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem" (or to women, "L'shanah tovah tikatevi v'taihatemi"), which means "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year."

Have a good one!!!!!!!!!!

love, 

STEPHI BLANK
PINWHEEL'S REGIONAL RELIGION/ EDUCATION VP
2005-2006