Dear ALl, The Jewish new year falls on the 30th of Sept this year (the evening before, on teh 29th, begins the holiday.  The Jewish day runs from evening to afternoon.)  We call this new year the year 5768, for that is how many years ago the Rabbis calculated that Creation occurred.

"Reform" Jews celebrate for 1 day, & Orthodox, Torah-true, & Conservative Jews celebrate for 2 days.  The reason for the 2nd day is to make sure that the services are falling on the right day -- it used to be that heralds would run from Jerusalem to all the towns to announce the holiday.

Rosh HaShanah marks the beginning of the Ten Days of Awe, or the Ten Days of Repentance.  It is said that the righteous are inscribed in the Book of Life on Rosh HaShanah, but that the life of every other person, creature, & plant is held in the balance until Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.  (I'll post about the Day of Atonement right after Rosh HaShanah.)

Before & on Rosh HaShanah, we greet everyone with (translation) May you be written into teh Book of Life.  But after Rosh HaShanah & until Yom Kippur is over, we say, May you be sealed in the Book of Life.  (We don't want it to sound as though we are not sure that they are righteous & have been written in on Rosh HaShanah.)

It is incumbent on all men & boys to hear the Shofar (ram's horn) sounded -- & in modern times, all women & girls choose to hear it, too.  (Many Jewish laws are incumbent on males, discretionary for females.)   The horn is blown in distinctive blasts.  One of the reasons teh Shofar is blown is to remind us that it sounded to gather all the people about the mountains where G-d gave the Law to Moses -- Sinai & Horeb -- different mountains in Exodus & Deuteronomy.

Lovely song/prayers/chants are sung again & again on all the Ten Days of Awe.  We seek the mercy of the L-rd.

A folk custom is "tashlikh."  We put some bread crumbs in our pockets & gather around some flowing waters like a river (no ponds, which don't flow).  We say some Psalms, & cast the breadcrumbs into the water.  The custom comes from Micah 7:19.  It is no substitute for prayer, penitence, & charity, which avert a Holy decree that we would not be sealed in the Book of Life.

Once home for each meal, we eat challah (egg bread, round in shape for Rosh HaSHanah to signify the annual cycle) & dip both it & apple slices into honey for a sweet new year.

I am all ears for any & all questions that you may have.  I recognize that I have only scratched the surface in this description.  Yours in Him, Deb 

Happy new year debra,  I finally found a recipie for the apple honey cake from the web site,me aton for what all we did for for 10 days that I really don't get I need to look it at the reform site but at least I would like to know if you do it for 10 I don't know if you are orthadox or conserveative just like to know thats all....:)

Have a blesseded day

cynthia

Dear Cynthis, For most Jews, teh question of denomination is difficult.  Just as some Evangelical Christians find it hard to place themselves within a denomination.  I follow the Torah as though I were Conservative in some parts, & Orthodox or even Torah-true in some select parts (women shouldn't wear slacks, for example.).  HOWEVER, the only synagogue/shul within walking distance si Reform, & I find the Torah study exemplary & teh services have enough traditional Hebrew niggunim (musical chants) to satisfy me. 

We started to try to attain tshuvah (forgiveness) at the beginning of Elul (see the next post down).  However, during the Days of Awe (Rosh HaShanah through Yom Kippur, we redouble our efforts.

May you be writtenin the Book of Life for a good & sweet year, Yours in Him, Deb

Dear All, The New Year starts this year on Friday, 9/18/09 at sunset & ends on Sun 9/20/09 at sunset.  Because Sat is the Sabbath, we won't be hearing hte Shofar until after sunset & on Sunday.  We eat round loaves of egg bread ("challah") & we dip apples in honey for a sweet year.  Some families serve whole fish, saying "May you be like the head & not like the tail."  We also eat pomegranates, as it is said that they have 613 seeds each, & Moses gave us in the Torah/Bible 613 commandments/mitzvot.  Post to me any questions that you may have, & please read back to the beginning of this thread for more information.  May you be inscribed for a good year.  Yours in Hiiim, Deb

Making honey apple cake to bring in the sweetness of the new year out, happy new year  again debra hope you find happyness in your future.... :)

Dear Cindy CheapChic, YOu are always so kind!  May you, too, be inscribed & sealed for a sweet,healthy, & prosperous New Year.  Love inHim, Deb