Yes, we know that it is not even October and that January is months away, but it is in fact the Jewish New Year. It's Rosh Hashana here in Israel, marking the beginning of the Jewish High Holiday Season. The kids are out of school for the week, stores are closed, and people are gathering with friends and family to relax and celebrate. It also happens to be Stewart's birthday, and I think he is loving the extra festivities, although it is a bit of a bummer when all the cool restaurants and places to visit are shut down on your bday. Raincheck? You bet.
So what exactly is Rosh Hashana (רוש השנה) you may ask? Well, it means "Head of the Year," and it is the new year based on the Jewish Lunar calendar.
A little background:
The Bible refers to this holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of rememberance) or Yom Teruah (the day of sounding the shofar), and was instituted in Leviticus 23:24-25.
This holiday is meant to be a time of repentance and soul searching; a time to reflect on the year that has past and make amends for the sins one has committed. Jewish tradition teaches that on Rosh Hashanah God writes the fate of every person in the book of life and determines who will live or die. (If you were on the naughty list, you have until Yom Kippur, 10 days later, to right your wrongs before the book is actually sealed). The Shofar, or ram's horn, is blown 100 times each day during Rosh Hashanah as a call to prayer. It is intended to remind everyone to pray continually and also inspire everyone to improve their deeds for the coming year.
Another common practice for Rosh Hashanah is "Tashlikh" or "casting off". People fill their pockets with pieces of bread and then throw them into running/ natural water such as the ocean or a stream. This symbolized casting off your sin, and starting the new year with a clean slate.
As with any holiday, families and friends gather together for meals, and there are many foods that are symbolic for this holiday. Apples are dipped in honey for a sweet new year. Pomegranates are said to have 613 seeds, the same number of commandments in the Torah, so they are also present at the meal. The head of a fish is served, because you would rather be the head than the tail (um, just go with it), and the typical braided Shabbat bread, Challah, is modified into a circle to represent the circle of life.
During this holiday, we were invited to share a holiday meal with two different families. Both meals were absolutely lovely, and being Tel Aviv, they were each more focused on tradition and family than religion. We have not heard the Shofar blown, we have not seen people throwing bread in the sea (we did take a stroll to see if anyone was out), and people don't exactly flock to the synagogues in our neck of the woods. I'm sure the scene is quite different in Jerusalem or other conservative areas of the country. However, here it's mostly secular and similar to a non-Christian celebration of the American Christmas. Regardless, the food was divine, and the company was simply wonderful. Israelis are genuinely hospitable and welcoming, and beyond generous with our bumbling, Jew-ignorant American family.
Didn't our friends prepare a lovely table?
Although theologically we don't agree with the notion of God writing everyone's fate in the book of life once a year (to include a 10 day do-over period), there is something very beautiful about a time to reflect on the year that has past and taking special care in inventorying your spiritual life. This new year's experience is not like the typical American new year's resolution list. There isn't the superficial "eat less, exercise more, take better care of myself, blah blah blah." It's a time of sincere reflection on who you are as a person, your relationship with God, and how you treat others. It is also a time of forgiveness. And Lord knows, we could all use more of that!
Shana Tova ve Metuka!
(May you have a good and sweet New Year)
Shalom Y'all
