While it may just be a day off of school for those who don’t celebrate, Rosh Hashanah is a symbolic day in the Hebrew calendar that represents the start of the new year. This year, Rosh Hashanah falls Sept. 25-27, and Heritage closes campus Monday Sept. 26 in honor of the occasion. Jewish students will spend the day attending services at their Synagogue: praying, blasting the shofar, sharing food and lighting candles.
The words “Rosh Hashanah” translate to “head of the year” in Hebrew. There are multiple rituals conducted on this holiday. One is eating apples and honey, which signifies hoping for a “sweet new year.” Another is blowing the Shofar, which is a ram’s horn, which the Jewish people do for eleven different reasons. Some also feast on pomegranates to symbolize knowledge from the past and for the new year.
Sophomore Defne Pisan celebrates the holiday with her family and friends. “I usually go to my family friend’s house, who’s dad is a rabbi, where we say prayers before eating apples and honey,” Pisan said. “I love Rosh Hashanah because apples and honey are one of my favorite food combos.”
Rosh Hashanah, along with Yom Kippur which falls Oct. 4-5, combined, are known as the Jewish High Holidays (a time of forgiveness), otherwise known as “Yamin Nora’im” in Hebrew.
For those who don’t celebrate, be sure to wish Jewish friends a “l’shana tova,” or a sweet new year.
