Rosh Hashanah

• Importance:

  • One of the most important Jewish festivals. During this time Jews remember Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt and freezing them from slavery after God had asked them to do this.
• Preperation:

  • the Pharaoh gave in and told Moses and the Israelites to go at once. They left in such a rush that their bread did not have time to rise. This is why, before Passover, Jewish people eat unleavened bread called matzah. In many Jewish homes, children enjoy taking part in a ritual search for any specks of leaven left behind.
• Celebration:

  • on the first night of Pesach, a special service called a Seder takes place over a family meal in the home. On the table, there are several matzot (plural of matzah) on top of each other. At the start of the Seder, the middle matzah is broken and the largest piece is hidden. During the Seder, the children hunt for it. The one who finds it receives a small prize
• Celebration:

  • Wine- four small glasses of wine represent the four expressions of freedom, symbolising the Israelites being brought out of slavery. The wine symbolises joy and happiness. An extra cup of wine is placed on the table and the door is left open for the prophet Elijah. Jews believe that Elijah will reappear to announce the coming of the Messiah and will do so at Pesach.
• Celebration:

  • Cushion - during the evening, the story of how the Israelites fled from Egypt is retold. Everyone at the Seder has a cushion to lean on. This is because in the ancient past people reclined on cushions during meals. The custom is meant to remind Jews that they are now free people and no longer slaves.
• Celebration:

  • Exodus - the Passover Haggadah tells the story of the Exodus from Egypt. Everyone is to imagine him or herself as if they were redeemed from Egypt themselves. The evening, which includes stories and songs, is a mixture of joy and sadness. Jews do not forget that they were once slaves, but they also celebrate their freedom.
• Celebration:

  • One of the synagogue rituals for Rosh Hashanah is the blowing of the shofar, a ram's horn trumpet. A hundred notes are sounded in a special rhythm. The sound of the shofar starts a ten-day period known as the Days of Awe, which ends with Yom Kippur.
• Celebration:

  • After the Rosh Hashanah service, a special meal is eaten at home, including:
  • apples dipped in honey - a symbol of the sweet New Year that each Jew hopes lies ahead
  • a sweet carrot stew – symbolising reproduction because in Yiddish, the word for carrot, 'mern', has the same meaning
  • challah bread in a round loaf, rather than the plaited loaf as served on the Sabbath, symbolising a circle of life and the year
  • pomegranate – often seen on the table because of a tradition that pomegranates have 613 seeds, one for each of the commandments that a Jew is obliged to keep.
• Celebration:

  At the meal, Jews dip their first piece of bread in honey and say, 'May God give me a sweet and happy new year'.