What is Rosh Hashanah? | Rosh Hashanah for Kids | Jewish New Year

Summary

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a time of reflection and celebration marked by synagogue attendance, prayer, and the sounding of the shofar, a ram's horn. Families gather for meals featuring symbolic foods like apples and honey, and pomegranates, symbolizing good deeds. A special ritual involves visiting bodies of water to symbolically cast away sins. This period culminates in Yom Kippur, a time for atonement and reconciliation.

Takeaways

• 📅 Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish New Year festival celebrated in autumn.
• 🕍 Jewish people typically do not work and visit the synagogue for prayers during Rosh Hashanah.
• 📣 A 'shofar', a ram's horn, is blown up to 100 times a day to mark the new year.
• 🏡 If someone is ill, they might have the shofar blown at their home.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family meals are significant, with candles lit and prayers said together.
• 🍎 Symbolic foods like apples and honey are eaten to symbolize a sweet new year.
• 🍞 Challah bread is dipped in honey as part of the Rosh Hashanah meal.
• 🍇 Pomegranates are consumed to express the hope for many good deeds in the coming year.
• 🌊 On the first afternoon, Jewish people visit bodies of water to say prayers and symbolically cast away their sins.
• 📆 Yom Kippur, a significant Jewish festival of atonement, follows 10 days after Rosh Hashanah.
• 🕊 The period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is for Jewish people to be kind and resolve disputes.

Q & A

What is Rosh Hashanah?

Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish festival that celebrates a new year and new beginnings, and its name means 'Head of the Year.'

When is Rosh Hashanah celebrated?

Rosh Hashanah is celebrated in the autumn.

Why do Jewish people not go to work during Rosh Hashanah?

Jewish people typically do not go to work during Rosh Hashanah to devote their time to religious observances and family activities.

What is the significance of the shofar in Rosh Hashanah?

The shofar, a special horn made from a ram's horn, is blown to signal the start of the new year and is an important part of the celebration.

How many times can the shofar be blown each day of Rosh Hashanah?

The shofar can be blown up to 100 times each day of Rosh Hashanah.

What is the purpose of blowing the shofar at someone's house if they are ill?

If someone is ill and cannot get to a synagogue, they might ask someone to visit their house to blow the shofar to ensure they hear it as part of the celebration.

How do family meals play a role in Rosh Hashanah?

Family meals are an important part of Rosh Hashanah, where families eat together, light candles, and say prayers.

What symbolic foods are eaten during Rosh Hashanah?

Symbolic foods eaten during Rosh Hashanah include sweet foods like apples and honey, which represent the hope for a sweet new year, and pomegranates, symbolizing the wish to do many good deeds.

Why do Jewish people visit a body of water on the first afternoon of Rosh Hashanah?

Jewish people visit a lake, river, or the sea on the first afternoon of Rosh Hashanah to say special prayers and symbolically 'cast away' their sins into the water.

What is the relationship between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur?

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is another important Jewish festival that occurs 10 days after Rosh Hashanah, and the time in between is for reflection, kindness, and resolving disputes.

What does 'Shana Tova' mean and when is it said?

'Shana Tova' is a Hebrew phrase wishing someone a good year, typically said during Rosh Hashanah.