Rosh Hashanah

• • Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year festival
  • It lasts for two days and commemorates the creation of the world
• Judaism teaches that Rosh Hashanah is also a time when God judges all of humanity

  • The belief is that God considers a person's good and bad deeds over the last year and decides what the next year will be like for them
  • It is linked closely to judgement and urges us to repent for our past sins
  • During this time Jews consider how they could have lived better lives
• Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are a chance for Jews to ask questions about their actions and life throughout the year
• Jews believe that on Rosh Hashanah, God judges people for their past deeds and writes this down in a book, which is then sealed on Yom Kippur
• At Rosh Hashanah, they hope that they and their loved ones will be written in the Book of Life
• It is a time for Jews to reflect on their year, including their good deeds and their bad deeds
• Special services are held at synagogue on the eve of Rosh Hashanah

  • The Shofar (horn) will be blown and special fruits are bought
  • Jews greet each other by saying 'may you be written down for a good year'
  • Slices of apples are dipped in honey and a circular challah loaf is eaten (symbol of the cycle of the year)
• In the morning service, the shofar is blown 100 times to symbolise a call for repentance
• The Tashlich ceremony takes place during Rosh Hashanah

  • At this ceremony, sins are cast out (or thrown away) and people ask for God's forgiveness
• Jews will often pray at a running stream and cast crumbs into the water as we hope to cast our sins away
• It is believed that on Rosh Hashanah God writes names into one of his three books. These are:

  • The Book of Life, for those who are wholly good
  • The Book of Death, for the truly evil
  • An Intermediate book, which is where most people's names are written
• Jews believe they can influence which book God writes their name in if they take action during the festival

  • People can do charity work or anything they feel will make up for the harm they have caused over the past year
• In the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Jews consider their past deeds

  • Judaism teaches that for God to forgive us, we must seek forgiveness from others
• Time is spent in the synagogue during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as they are the most important festivals in the Jewish year