Rosh Hashanah (Raw-sush-Aw-na)
In Judaism, Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, the first of the High Holy Days, or Days of Awe. It is seen as the day when God created Adam and Eve, thus inserting humanity into the universe and beginning ten days of penance. Rosh Hashanah is seen as a day of prayer for a blessed New Year and a day of celebration to proclaim God King of the Universe.
Common Practices
The most important tradition of Rosh Hashanah is the blowing of the Shafar. The Shafar is first blown thirty times after the reading of the Torah during the morning service, with up to seventy additional blasts blown after the Musaf service. Believers will wish each other to “be inscribed and sealed for a good year.” The Tashlich ceremony will be performed on the first afternoon of Rosh Hashanah, in which believers symbolically wash their sins into the sea. Special prayers and feasts will also occur.
Community Considerations
Do not schedule important events or activities. Expect that observers will not attend meetings or communicate.