So You Want to Celebrate Rosh Hashanah
This Post is for people who are Jewish, converting to Judaism, or are seriously interested in Jewish conversion. It is **not** for Gentiles who wish to “deepen their connection to Jesus” or any similar reason uninvolved with genuine interest in becoming a member of the tribe, as that is a form of cultural appropriation. Thank you for your understanding. Gentiles CAN, however, reblog!
So you want to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and don’t know where to start, eh?
Educate Yourself on what Rosh Hashanah Is
Rosh Hashanah is, of course, commonly known as the “Jewish New Year”
But it isn’t basically January 1st in Early Autumn, as is widely believed
Rosh Hashanah is, technically, the anniversary of Creation
Of course, creation as depicted in the Torah is an allegory, not a factual account; and its highly unlikely that the big bang occurred on this specific date in the Jewish calendar 13 billion years ago
However, utilizing it as a sort of benchmark for the passing of time in the universe is as good of a benchmark as any
In the Torah, Rosh Hashanah is a day for the blasting of the horn; it is technically the first of the seventh month, not the first month
The first of the first month (Rosh Chodesh Nisan) is actually the New Year for Kings; the day on which the liturgical year begins again
Rosh Hashanah is the New Year for Seasons. It’s the start of the civil calendar. You’ll note that it is metaphorically resonant: the first of the seventh month (the Shabbat Month, if you will) is where we mark the start of a new year, and the start of a new turn for creation
There are two other Jewish New Years: 15th of Shevat (Tu B’Shevat, the New Year For Trees) and the 1st of Elul (New Year For Animals) that mark how taxes were collected on animals and plants farmed by Jews; now they are used in environmentally-conscious and similar reimagined ways
Rosh Hashanah is either one day or two days depending on who you talk to. There’s a long story behind it, but the short end of it is that even though only one day is stipulated in the Torah, Rabbis after the diaspora decided to add on an extra day because of calendar uncertainty. Most communities in the Diaspora and Israel still use two days. Reform Jews in the US and Liberal Jews in the UK technically do not, due to the fact that calendar making techniques are more refined. However, many - many - reform congregations still celebrate two days of Rosh Hashanah, because of the sheer importance of the event. It varies from synagogue to synagogue, and be sure to check whichever synagogue you align yourself with to see what their custom is.
Being the Jewish New Year, it’s not necessarily about partying. Though it contains celebration, it’s more about “Where am I now? Who am I now? How can I be better?”
Jewish people spend the month before Rosh Hashanah conducting extensive introspection and self-critique
It is the season of teshuvah, or “returning” to HaShem (G-d). Namely, returning to being the person you want to be (ideally, a good person)
Jewish people spend the month before apologizing to people they have wronged and attempting to correct their behavior, and start new good behaviors
Rosh Hashanah kicks off the Days of Awe, a ten day period at the start of the year
In the Days of Awe, tradition holds that your soul is deemed “worthy” of life for the next year
On Rosh Hashanah, HaShem inscribes names in the Book of Life for the coming year, the names of good people. The names of really bad people are blotted out forever. The “intermediaries” (read: almost everyone) have the next ten days to race to the finish line, as it were
On Yom Kippur (stay tuned for that post), the book of life is sealed for the year. Where you are, you are
So Rosh Hashanah is very much focusing on teshuvah
There is, of course, merrymaking - it’s the new year! People eat a lot of food (a Jewish tradition for most every occasion), read and study texts (…. a Jewish tradition for most every occasion), daven/pray (………. a Jewish tradition for most every occasion), and count their luck in reaching this season (you know what, you know what I’m going to say by now)
There is a lot more to learn about this holiday - don’t just stop here! These are just the basics
We greet each other on Rosh Hashanah with “Shana Tova” (meaning A Good Year [to you!])
Try to go to Religious Services, if you can
So the biggest part of Rosh Hashanah is going to religious service. There is one the night of (remember, Jewish days start at sundown) and then in the morning and afternoon. Sometimes there are more services. It depends on the movement of Judaism in question.
You might be familiar with the cliche that many Xtians only go to church on Xmas and Easter? Rosh Hashanah is one of the Jewish Analoges (the other being Yom Kippur). Lots. Of. People. Go. To. Service.
It is the third holiest occasion in Jewish tradition, after Shabbat (the holiest) and Yom Kippur (the second holiest). People get their ass to the synagogue and daven for hours.
Usually, synagogues don’t charge individuals for coming to service - they’re glad of people showing interest. And they’re glad that people want to go to Rosh Hashanah, too! But because of the highly increased demand on seating, parking, and resources, they usually charge for tickets.
You still have time to talk to people who run the synagogue you wish to attend services at! Email the rabbi(s). Explain your situation, if you are unable to pay. Try to get a discounted or waved free. I know a lot of synagogues that will completely wave the fee of the tickets for students, no questions asked. Look into that too.
If you can pay the fee, please do. It’s not selfish - high holiday tickets give a lot of revenue to the synagogue that they then put back into the various services they offer, like hiring rabbis and cantors, and even holding services at all.
Parking will vary. Look into the synagogue you wish to go to and see what their policy is. I just recommend car pooling in general. Save the planet, my friends. It’s the planet’s birthday. Technically. Kind of. Don’t drive to Orthodox services as a general rule, though.
If you have never gone to services before:
Davening is Jewish prayer. I’m going to do a full post on this later, but these are the basics.
Maariv is the name of the evening davening service. Shacharit is the morning davening service. Mincha is the afternoon davening service.
You can daven on your own if you want to. Certain prayers require a minyan (10 Adult Jews, sometimes 10 Adult Male Jews), depending on your philosophy on this sort of thing. On the High Holidays, however, seriously, just, go to service. Please. I beg you. It’s not the same otherwise.
The Tallit (prayer shawl) is typically only worn at Shacharit. Exceptions might apply to Rabbis & Cantors on the Tallit. Do not wear either if you are not decidedly Jewish (either finished with your conversion or raised Jewish / maternal Jew / whatever movement you ascribe to says you are).
You can wear a kippah regardless of whether or not you’re a Jew! That’s okay. And you can wear it all day if you want.
Prayers can be done in any language, but usually they’re done in Hebrew (except notable exceptions in Aramaic). Prayers are said out of a siddur (Jewish prayer book). (On the High Holidays we use a Mazchor instead. Long story. Special Prayer Book for these days.) If you can’t read or speak Hebrew, oftentimes transliterations are provided; if they aren’t, it’s equally valid to use English or whatever language you’re most comfortable with.
Many people wear their nicest clothes, especially on Rosh Hashanah, for what are obvious reasons.
Service is where the bulk of Rosh Hashanah traditions and celebration takes place. It’s where you gather with your fellow Jews and give thanks for reaching a new year, and ponder what that means, for you and the community. You hear the shofar (more on that in a second), you listen to Torah, and you see friends and family. Go. To. Service.
Sometimes you can’t go to service. Schools and places of employment can be assholes about this and not let Jewish people have off their second holiest yearly occasion. If you can’t go to service because you’d lose your job or jeopardize your future, HaShem understands.
There are online High Holy Days services!!! Plenty of synagogues around the country and world will livestream their service. It’s not quite the same, but it works, especially if you can’t get away long enough for services in person. These aren’t Orthodox services, however, because in that tradition it is not allowed to use technology on holidays and Shabbat. Here is a (kind of old) article listing places that you can stream the high holiday services. I did this last year because I couldn’t get the day off (stupid… teaching… schedule…). It definitely helps, and you can stream many of these from mobile.
You can daven on your own!! As said above. If you wish. It definitely helps in feeling connected to Jewish people davening around the world.
You can also take part in many traditions on your own, as listed below!
Listen to the Shofar (or blow it yourself, if you feel so inclined)
In the Torah, Rosh Hashanah is literally the day for horn blasting
In preparation, Jewish people actually blow the shofar (ram’s horn instrument) every day of Elul except Shabbat and the last day of the month (to, you know, make it distinct from Rosh Hashanah). I’ve been doing this. My roommates are… annoyed.
There is extensive blowing of the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah, to sort of sing in the new year
Essentially, it’s a wake-up call
In Elul, it is blown to remind people that the high holidays are coming. Wake the Fuck Up!!! You gotta check yourself before you wreck yourself!!!
On Rosh Hashanah it is essentially last call. You gotta be on that teshuvah now, friends, or else you’re just plain out of luck.
The shofar is blown again on Yom Kippur. Honk!
It is a Mitzvah to hear the sounds of the shofar. A mitzvah particularly connected to Rosh Hashanah. Try to hear it.
There are varying kinds of shofar blasts
Tekiah is one unbroken long blow that lasts from 2 to 4 seconds; this is a sound of joy
Tekiah Gedolah is an even longer Tekiah, about nine seconds or just straight up as long as the player can do it. It often concludes Yom Kippur.
Teruah is about nine short blows in rapid succession; meaning alarm, call to action, or sorrow
Shevarim is three quick separated blasts, like a broken up Tekiah; it represents melancholy
You can, of course, try to practice the shofar yourself
Shofars can be bought on Judaica stores online. You can also see if your synagogue has ones for public use.
It’s hard to get the trick of, so honestly I just recommend getting your own. Each one has a different trick to it.
You want to vibrate your lips (or inner lips) against the mouth piece, and you want your lips to be dry. Think playing a trumpet. A really, really, really weird trumpet.
You don’t actually have to blow very hard,and you don’t want to overexert yourself. Just blow a little, and get those lips vibrating.
Seriously, tighten your lips as much as you can. You want that hecking good vibration my friend.
Practice!!! Practice makes perfect. And don’t be afraid to be LOUD!
After Rosh Hashanah services for the first day, it is literally Jewish tradition to throw bread into a source of running water (ideally one with fish in it).
This is called the Tashlich service, and obviously it is more than potentially harming the health of waterfowl
It is based off of a verse from the scroll of the prophet Micah (7:19): “He will take us back in love/He will cover up our iniquities/You will hurl all our sins/Into the depths of the sea”
(ישוב ירחמנו יכבש עונתינו ותשליך במצלות ים כל-חטאותם)
If you’re thinking “wow this sounds superstitious” you are… not wrong
Obviously, throwing bread into water is not really going to save you from being a bad person. You gotta do teshuvah
Still, it’s an old custom, considered beautiful around the world.
It has been given more symbolic, rather than superstitious, meaning as well
The water is connected with the binding of Isaac; stories say that when Abraham refused to heed the voice in his head telling him not to kill his kid, a raging river blocked Abraham’s way. Abraham proceeded anyway, and HaShem helped him when the waters reached his neck.
Water also symbolizes the creation of the world and all life
Bodies of water with fish are ideal because “Man cannot escape G-d’s judgment any more than fish can escape being caught in a net”, but any body of water is fine
The bread symbolizes one’s sins, which are then cast off into the water, and “removed” from one’s person
Still, do teshuvah too. I mean it.
We’re here, we’re alive, let’s eat!
My infinite quantities of sass aside, there are plenty of foods associated with Rosh Hashanah, in particular ones involved with the symbolism of the holiday
Sweet foods are eaten to sweeten the year
The most famous one being, of course, apples dipped in honey
Challah can also be dipped in honey! This is actually a major tradition.
Honey is seriously a big thing - it’s a symbol of the wish for a sweet new year
Plus, you know, this is an early autumn festival. Nothing says the beginnings of fall like honey, imo.
There’s also honey cake and tayglach, a honey and nut pastry
Fruits are good too my dudes
Pomegranates are a traditional Rosh Hashanah food! It is said that the pomegranate has 613 seeds, corresponding to the 613 mitzvot. It’s also a symbol of fertility and the infinite number of possibilities for a new year.
Other kinds of fruit are good too, especially new fruits that you don’t typically eat
Pumpkin and other fall fruits are great picks (they’re even traditional in some sephardic circles! They symbolize proclaiming merits & tearing away our bad traits)
Dates are a food that is eaten at almost every freaking Jewish holiday
They symbolize ending bad things (wickedness) so, yeah, Jewish people eat them a lot
You can also eat other vegetables!
Leeks and Onions are associated with the Exodus, and we’re charged with remembering the Exodus every day, soooo…
Beets symbolize our enemies disappearing
Peas & Beans indicate a desire for increased blessings in the upcoming year
There’s even a Mediterranean Sephardic Seder for Rosh Hashanah
You can eat… a lamb’s… head? Or a fish head…. so that you are at the “head” and not the “tail” of what you take on in the new year. I’m. You know what, go for it. Follow your dreams. I’m sorry for being a squeamish vegetarian who’s allergic to fish. I’m going to eat a head of lettuce instead. Well, not the whole head. Part of a head.
Challah is always delicious, but Rosh Hashanah Challah is especially so
It is baked in a round circle as a reminder of the ciiiiircle of liiiiiiiife
And it mooooooves us aaaaaaaaaaaall
Plus you can put lots of different things in challah to make it even more resonant. Make honey-apple challah! Make pumpkin spice challah! Follow your challah dreams!
Making challah isn’t actually that hard; it’s a pretty forgiving bread. You just need bread flour, sugar, salt, yeast, vegetable/olive oil, and eggs.
Don’t forget the wine/grape juice! All holidays are typically sworn in with a blessing over wine (except holidays like Yom Kippur where we, you know, fast, and don’t eat or drink)
Study Traditional Rosh Hashanah Texts
Look, if you haven’t been able to tell yet, I’m a giant nerd. Of course I advocate reading.
You can use the wonderful online resource Sefaria to get access to basically any text you want. It even has an app!
Typically Genesis 21:1 - 21:34 is read, along with 22:1 - 22:24. This is the story of Isaac - how Sarah, struggling with infertility, finally has a son, Isaac; and then Abraham is ordered to sacrifice Isaac, only to be stopped at the last second.
Numbers 29:1 - 29:6 is read too, which describes Rosh Hashanah in the Torah
1 Samuel 1:1 - 2:10 and Jeremiah 31:1 - 31:19 are also read. The former describes Hannah praying and giving sacrifice to give birth to her son Samuel, who would become a famed prophet; the latter is a poem describing the rescuing of Israel by HaShem
You can also just straight up look up Rosh Hashanah on Sefaria and read varying commentaries and discussions of the holiday
I also recommend reading the beginning of Genesis and contemplating the creation of the world (more below)
Think About the History of the World
Since it’s, traditionally, considered to be the Birthday of Creation, you can and should meditate/contemplate the history of the universe
Think about what we know happened now:
13.8 Billion Years Ago, the Universe banged into being
4.6 Billion Years Ago, the Solar System coalesced into being
4.2 Billion Years Ago, the first Life emerged into being
1.9 Billion Years Ago, the first Eukaryotes diverged into being
541 Million Years Ago, the Cambrian animals exploded into being
367.5 Million Years Ago, the first Tetrapods crawled into being
350,000 Years Ago, the first Humans walked into being
You can, of course, focus on anything you want to. The fact that extinctions lead to specific things being here today, along with changes in life forms spurring on changes in other life forms. You can contemplate the evolution of dinosaurs (& birds, obviously); mammals, flowers, scorpions, whatever you want. It’s up to you.
You can also think about the history of the universe - how stars are made, how planets form, all the various kinds of space dust and objects, whatever the heck dark matter is
You can, of course, dwell on human history - how we went from weird bipedal apes to whatever this mess we call the modern day is
And, obviously, Jewish history, and the history of the Jewish people. A very good one to think about today.
Just spend time contemplating the universe. I highly recommend it.
Think About your Past Year, and What You’d Like to Improve On
Did I mention teshuvah enough times? No? Alright, here we go again. Teshuvah.
The. Main. Theme. Of. Rosh. Hashanah. Is. Bettering. Your. Self.
Return to HaShem, return to the Jewish community, return to good conduct, return to the mitzvot, return to the right path
You should be thinking, hard, about whether or not you are where you want to be. Whether or not you are who you want to be.
This might be, can be, and honestly should be hard. It should be hard to do that much introspection.
Sometimes, teshuvah means taking care of your mental health and basic needs. That’s okay.
Sometimes, teshuvah means apologizing to those you have wronged, and doing what you need to do to be a person who won’t make those wrongs again. That’s okay too.
Teshuvah looks different for every individual person. It’s your returning, not anyone else’s.
If you do nothing else this day, think on this. Think on how you want to change in this new year, and how you want to Return. You’ll thank me later.
Also, don’t forget to give tzedakah. Every Jewish occasion is an occasion for tzedakah.
Judaaaism is all about communityyyyyyyyyy
Find a group of friends to do Rosh Hashanah things with. Host or go to an evening dinner and party to feast and celebrate with friends. Go to services with people you know. Talk to friends online and discuss the holiday.
If you are new in whatever way, don’t be afraid to reach out!!!! So many communities are so glad to take in new people. Just explain you’re new, and that you’re nervous, and people will be happy to help you.
Even if it’s just reaching out to other bloggers and being like “I live in the middle of Rural Nowhere and want to celebrate Rosh Hashanah somehow”, honestly I support this
Don’t spend Rosh Hashanah alone. Make sure to connect - to other Jews, to the people you love, to HaShem, to nature, to yourself. That’s all I ask.
I am but a weird dinosaur lover floating in the Jewish wind
I also have only my perspective, admittedly a well-informed perspective, but one perspective nonetheless. Talk to other people! Get their perspective!
Learn from all movements, cultures, and customs of Judaism. They all have something to say, something to inform about this holiday.
Read, engage, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Good luck, and SHANA TOVA!!!!
Buy the author a coffee!!!!
Thanks to @starlightomatic for helping me edit this post!
andulkaphoto
vaporwave
annaxmalina
dededos
areudirty
