Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

Rosh Hashanah is a big holiday celebrating the coming of the Jewish New Year. Orthodox and conservative Jews celebrate it for 2 days, and Reform Jews only for 1 day.

Steps

1. 1 Think about your past and future. Rosh Hashanah is translated from Hebrew as "head of the year" and is considered the birthday of the world, and therefore this holiday is the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah is a time to learn from the mistakes of the past year and think about how to improve in the coming year. This is also the time to make plans for the future.
2. 2 Visit the mikvah (in Hebrew: "a place for performing ritual ablution").
3. 3 Attend a Rosh Hashanah service at a synagogue People often dress smartly for this important holiday. A smart dress or suit is a good choice.
4. 4 Listen to the shofar. This is the only commandment directly mentioned in the Torah about keeping the holiday. The shofar is a ram's horn.During the service, a special person who is called "Baal Tkia" blows the shofar. It is a symbol of spiritual awakening and reflection. Since we do not know exactly how the shofar was blown in the ancient temple, in order to be sure that everything is being done correctly, four different beeps are made:
   • Tkia: One low note, long notes for a few seconds, and then the sound is cut off abruptly.
   • Shvarim: Three short blasts of one to two seconds in duration, which abruptly change from low to high sounding.
   • Trois: Nine short, quick beeps.
   • Tkia Gdola: This is one long, uninterrupted beep, traditionally lasting nine seconds, but in progressive communities, this beep is often sounded for as long as possible.
5. 5 Observe the rite of Tashlikh (Hebrew: "throw"), which is a trip to a reservoir with running water, where all the contents of the pockets are thrown away. Most people throw stale bread crumbs into the pond. This ceremony is performed on the first day of Rosh Hashanah.
6. 6 Recite Rosh Hashanah blessings on candles, wine and challah (Hebrew: "bread"). The challah on Rosh Hashanah should be round, which symbolizes the annual cycle.
7. 7 Eat apples dipped in honey. Apples in honey are a traditional food for this holiday. This tradition symbolizes the hope for a "sweet new year". Pomegranate is another common food on Rosh Hashanah. According to Jewish tradition, the pomegranate contains 613 seeds, symbolizing the 613 commandments.
8. 8 Sometimes Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat and then the Shofar is not blown.

Tips

• Invite your family members to your place for a festive meal at Rosh Hashanah or visit them.

Warnings

• If you belong to the reform movement and cannot celebrate the holiday on the first day, celebrate it on the second day.

What do you need

• Rabbi
• Synagogue
• Prayer Book with Prayers for High Holidays
• Candles and candlesticks
• Wine and Kiddush Cups
• Challah