Contrary to popular belief, Passover and Chanukah are not the most important Jewish holidays.          Rosh Hashonah starts tomorrow at sundown, and the praying goes on for 10 days until they end         on Yom Kippur, when our fates are sealed in the "Book of Life" for the next year.

Tradition dictates we eat a round challah bread (for the cycle of life) and eat honey cake and dip apples in honey (to ensure a sweet year.)

L' Shonah Tovah (English transliteration of the Hebrew for Happy New Year)!

Keep your eye on the doughnut, not on the hole -- DL

Based on the time of her post last night, I'm going to assume that it starts tonight, Friday, at midnight. If that is what you're asking.

Happy Jewish New year!!!

Kelly

How Do You Live Your Dash?

Check out the Kids' blogs:
The CaleBlog and the Zoe Blog

Rosh Hashanah only lasts for 2 days. It starts at sunset tonight, Friday, and ends at nightfall on the 24th.

The days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is called the Days of Awe. One of the ongoing themes of the Days of Awe is the concept that God has "books" that he writes names in, writing down who will live and who will die, who will have a good life and who will have a bad life, for the next year. These books are written in on Rosh Hashanah, but actions during the Days of Awe can alter God's decree. The actions that change the decree are "teshuvah, tefilah and tzedakah," repentance, prayer, good deeds (usually, charity). These "books" are sealed on Yom Kippur. This concept of writing in books is the source of the common greeting during this time, "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year."

Yom Kippur means "Day of Atonement," and that pretty much explains what the holiday is. It is a day set aside to "afflict the soul," to atone for the sins of the past year. In Days of Awe, I mentioned above the "books" in which God inscribes all of the names. On Yom Kippur, the judgment entered in these books is sealed. This day is, essentially, your last appeal, your last chance to change the judgment, to demonstrate your repentance and make amends. This is only to atone sins between the person and God, not a person to another person.

Kelly

How Do You Live Your Dash?

Check out the Kids' blogs:
The CaleBlog and the Zoe Blog

Thanks, Kelly, for filling in the blanks.  Do you know all the ads at the bottom of the page are about the Jewish Holidays?

Erwin, to be specific, Rosh Hashonah starts tonight at sundown (all Jewish Holidays start at sundown.)  The determination of how life will be in the next year is determined by prayers and repenting during the next 10 days.  (From a religious point of view, last year is over.)  Then on Yom Kippur, our fates are sealed when the Book of Life is closed.  However, like Kelly said, prayer, charity, and repentance can always alter a bad fate.

For me, this is just tradition, not fundamental religious belief; I just thought it was interesting for you all and to start a thread for my fellow Jewish members.

Keep your eye on the doughnut, not on the hole -- DL

hajom harat olam (I should do Hebrew class again, I forgot so many things :-) )
Jews are those with a Jewish soul .. that might be difficult to explain, but all who it concerns know who they are (some of them even have a fascination with Iran as of lately ;-) )

Bless them all, with sweet stuff and things that should be!

Well, John, so as not to get the masses confused, the Reform Jews start a day late, while the Orthodox and Conservative groups start the day it says on your calendars.  I once learned that this difference was due to trying to follow the holiday as if it were taking place in Israel.  Generally, in the very olden days, it took someone a day to travel to the congregation to let them know the holiday had started.  So the more conservative groups add that extra day.

I hope that makes sense.  For all 9-10 days, we still say Happy New Year, although I think both John and Jazz did a good job with their English-version of the Hebrew.

Keep your eye on the doughnut, not on the hole -- DL