Rosh Hashanah

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History Rosh Hashanah-

• Rosh Hashanah means “head of the year” in Hebrew. It is a time for reflection and repentance.
• It is referred to as the “day of judgment.”
• 2022 edition of Rosh Hashanah marks the start of year 5783 in the Hebrew calendar.
• Rosh Hashanah has its roots in the Talmud, although it isn’t entirely clear when the holiday was first celebrated. 
• The Hebrew term Talmud (“study” or “learning”) commonly refers to a compilation of ancient teachings regarded as sacred and normative by Jews from the time it was compiled until modern times and still so regarded by traditional religious Jews.
• The Talmud says that the world was created on the first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. 
• Jewish people celebrate Rosh Hashanah on the first and second days of Tishrei – which usually line up with September or October in the Gregorian calendar.
• According to National Geographic, the earliest mention of Rosh Hashanah by name is found in the Mishnah, a Jewish legal text dated to 200 C.E.
• It calls on people to consider how they might have failed or fallen short in the past year – and how to improve and grow in the coming year.
• This is symbolized by one of Rosh Hashanah’s most iconic traditions, taschlich, in which participants symbolically cast off their sins by throwing morsels of bread into a body of running water.
• There are 14.8 million Jewish people around the world, and practices associated with Rosh Hashanah vary even within individual communities. 
• People usually celebrate Rosh Hashanah by attending synagogue and refraining from work – including schoolwork and sometimes the use of electronics. Families might also light candles at home.
• It is often celebrated with special foods, like apples dipped in honey, which symbolize the hope of a sweet year to come.
• Challah bread, baked in round loaves instead of braids and dipped in honey, is also popular. So are pomegranate seeds and the head of a ram or fish – to symbolize the “head” of the new year.
• One of the most distinctive elements of Rosh Hashanah is the blowing of the Shofar’s horn, a ram’s horn. The blowing of the horn is used as a call to repentance during the holiday.
• The horn is typically blown in the morning of both days of Rosh Hashanah. The unique instrument dates back thousands of years to the time of Abraham and Isaac.
• Rosh Hashanah kicks off the High Holy Days, also known as the Ten Days of Penitence. 
• The High Holy Days end with Yom Kippur, which is considered the most sacred of Jewish religious holidays.
• Yom Kippur is also known as the Day of Atonement. It represents an opportunity for people to atone for their sins and ask for forgiveness from God and other people.
• While Rosh Hashanah tends to be a joyful celebration, Yom Kippur is a more somber holiday often marked by fasting.

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