11 Aug Rosh Hashanah Guide
Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish New Year
A time to reflect, reset, and hear the blast of the shofar
Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish New Year
A time to reflect, reset, and hear the blast of the shofar
Rosh Hashanah—which literally means “Head of the Year”—kicks off the Jewish calendar with a powerful mix of celebration and soul-searching. Spanning two days, it’s not just about marking a new year; it’s a deeply meaningful holiday where Jewish communities around the world pause to look inward, seek forgiveness, and set intentions for the year ahead.
Rosh Hashanah invites us to reflect on the past, take stock of where we are, and think about the kind of person we want to become.
A New Year Rooted in Reflection
“In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, there shall be a rest day for you, a memorial proclaimed with the blast of horns, a holy convocation.” —Numbers 29:1
Rosh Hashanah lands on the first and second days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei—usually sometime in September. Unlike secular New Year celebrations on January 1st, the Jewish New Year focuses on reflection, prayer, and spiritual growth.
You might hear Rosh Hashanah called by a few other names, each reflecting a different aspect of the holiday:
- Yom Truah: Day of Blasting (the Shofar)
- Yom Hazikaron: Day of Remembrance
- Yom Hadin: Day of Judgment
The holiday begins the Ten Days of Repentance (Aseret Yemei Teshuvah), culminating in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. According to Jewish tradition, this period is the time when God judges all human beings, reviewing their actions from the past year, and sealing those judgments on Yom Kippur.
Traditions and Meaning
Rosh Hashanah is rich with symbolism and traditions, making it one of the most philosophically rich holidays in Judaism.
What Are We Celebrating?
According to Jewish sages, Rosh Hashanah may mark several major milestones:
- The creation of the world
- The creation of Adam and Eve—making it the birthday of humanity
- The Binding of Isaac (Akedat Yitzchak), which is remembered in prayers and in the blowing of the shofar
Each interpretation brings a different focus: awe of creation, human responsibility, or faith and sacrifice.
“On Rosh Hashanah, all creatures pass before God like sheep.” — Mishnah, Rosh Hashanah 1:2
The Books of Life
Jewish tradition teaches that on Rosh Hashanah, God opens three heavenly books:
- The Book of Life: in which the righteous are inscribed
- The Book of Death: for the completely wicked
- A third book: for those of us in between, whose fate is sealed on Yom Kippur
This introduces a key theme of the High Holiday season: teshuvah (repentance). The ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are a spiritual window for change and forgiveness.
The Shofar & Prayer Services
Rosh Hashanah has many traditions and customs, all with their own meaning.
The Shofar: A Wake-Up Call for the Soul
The shofar, a ram’s horn, is one of the most iconic parts of the holiday. It’s blown in the synagogue in a series of blasts—Tekiah, Shevarim, Truah—each one meant to stir the heart.
Why a ram’s horn? According to the Babylonian Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 16a), it’s to remind us of the ram from the Binding of Isaac, connecting us to stories of faith, sacrifice, and divine mercy.
Special Prayers and Songs
Synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah are longer than usual, but they’re filled with meaningful prayers. You’ll hear extra sections in the Amidah (standing prayer), like:
- Malchuyot – celebrating God’s kingship
- Zichronot – remembering our actions
- Shofarot – connecting past and future through the shofar
Hatarat Nedarim: Annulment of Vows
In the lead-up to the holiday, some communities practice Hatarat Nedarim, a short ceremony to nullify vows made impulsively or emotionally during the past year. It’s a chance to go into the new year lighter and more honest with yourself.
Greetings and Connections
The most common greeting used on Rosh Hashanah is “Shanah Tovah” which means “A good year.” Some say instead, “Shanah Tovah Umetukah” which means “A good and sweet year.”
Sweet Foods and Symbolic Acts
No Jewish holiday (except for Yom Kippur) is complete without food, and Rosh Hashanah meals are especially symbolic. Each item on the table carries a wish for the year ahead.
Traditional Rosh Hashanah Foods
- Apple dipped in honey – For a sweet year ahead
- Pomegranate – So that our merits may be as many as the seeds of a pomegranate
- Carrots (Yiddish: meren) – A pun on “increase”
- Dates, Leeks or Beets – A wish to cut off or remove obstacles/evil/enemies
Rosh Hashanah recipes tend to be sweet, a nod to the sweet year we are hoping for. You’ll also likely see round challah, symbolizing the cycle of the year, or life itself.
Tashlich: Casting Off Sins
On the afternoon of the first day, many Jews perform Tashlich (“casting off”), gathering near a natural body of water to symbolically cast away their sins.
Tashlich is a meaningful and tangible way to reflect and reset, often involving shaking out one’s pockets or tossing bread crumbs into the water, inspired by the verse:
“You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” — Micah 7:19
New Year, New Beginning
Rosh Hashanah is far more than a cultural new year—it is a spiritual reboot, calling each person to examine their life and align with their highest values.
“Today the world is born anew…” — from the Rosh Hashanah liturgy
Rosh Hashanah offers Jews a profound opportunity to reflect, to seek growth and forgiveness, to express gratitude, and to take personal responsibility. It invites each of us to begin the new year with intention and compassion.
For The Jewish Agency, the period around the High Holidays is a special time to foster bonds between Jews to each other and to Israel. We have organized innovative initiatives, such as inviting Jews globally to submit their messages of hope for the Jewish people and Israel in the New Year, so we can project them onto our historic building in Jerusalem. And our educational programs serving the multitude of religious streams teach participants this information about the Jewish holidays and much more, to help Jews feel connected to one another.