High Holy Days and Rosh Hashana

We are entering the High Holy Days and Rosh Hashana began last night at sundown in Israel. Everything has really shut down. I thought it might be interesting for some of you to understand what this holiday is all about and it's significance. JUC continues with classes but some are postponed because some of our professors are Jewish. Here's an excerpt from Next Year in Jerusalem by Teddy Kollek (former mayor of Jerusalem) with Tom Dowley, pp. 132-234.

"Rosh Hashana is one of the Jewish High Holy Days or Days of Awe. It is the Jewish New Year falling in the 7th month on the Jewish calendar, Tishrei, celebrating the month in which God created the world. In the Days of Awe and during the preceding weeks, Jews are instructed to scrupulously examine their deeds and misdeeds during the previous year. According to Jewish tradition, God also decides who will live and who will die that coming year. 'God sits in judgment; before Him are three great books. The first volume contains the names of the good; the second the names of the bad; the third the names of those who are neither very good nor very bad. While He gives judgment immediately on those whose names are found in the first two books, those in the third are given 10 days--until Yom Kippur--to attempt by prayer, repentance, and good deeds to have their names moved to the first book. The liturgy prayers on that day also attempt to influence God's decision. The shofar (ram's horn) is blown in the synagogue 100 times each of the 2 days of Rosh Hashana to motivate repentance. On the eve of Rosh Hashana just before the evening meal, everyone dips pieces of apple in honey and eats them; symbolizing the hope that the coming year will be prosperous and sweet'."

This is another beautiful Thursday in Jerusalem with a slight change in the air that makes me think fall is almost upon us.