When the sun set on Wednesday, the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah began a new year on the Jewish calendar.
Many of you may not have the slightest idea of what Rosh Hashanah is and why someone in The Scout would be writing about it. But to me, this holiday means a lot of things. Most importantly, it means family time together and self-reflection on the past year.
First, a little crash course on Rosh Hashanah.
The literal meaning of the words Rosh Hashanah in Hebrew mean “head of the year.” This Rosh Hashanah signals the start of calendar year 5775 for the Jewish people.
Rosh Hashanah is also the start of the Jewish High Holy Days and will begin 10 days before the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur, or “the day of atonement.” Jews all over the world will go to synagogue for two days, Thursday and Friday, to pray and wait until the end of the service and the commandment of hearing the shofar (ram’s horn) blown.
As mentioned above, there is a lot more to Rosh Hashanah than just the basic understanding of what the holiday means. Rosh Hashanah is a time for families to gather together and share a festive meal to welcome the new year, especially with apples and honey to signify a sweet new year.
For the past eight years, I have been traveling to Spring Valley, Illinois, a small town about an hour from Peoria.
Each year, 25 of my family members make the trip to this small town to bring Jewish life to Central Illinois. A small synagogue that has been standing for over 100 years opens its doors once a year for Rosh Hashanah.
This family gathering is a time to celebrate and reflect on the year we just completed and look forward to the year that is upon us.
As I’ve grown older, the time spent with family seems more and more precious. So, when fall rolls around and this holiday comes in with it, I can always count on having time with my family because time with them is rare as a college student.
Happy new year, everyone.
