Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, will be celebrated this year on Oct 3-4. Observed on the first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, this religious holiday typically falls in late September or early October.
Rosh Hashanah, which translates to "beginning of the year," is a two-day festival that, according to Jewish belief, marks the birthday of the world. This year, the holiday will commemorate 5,785 years since the creation of the world and humanity by God.
Turkey's Chief Rabbi, İsak Haleva, issued a message for the occasion, saying, "My dear brothers... In this time filled with spirituality and prayer, I sincerely wish each of you a happy new year with the belief that our prayers, which we will offer together in our synagogues, will be accepted by Almighty God. May you and your loved ones enjoy many more years in health, peace, and prosperity. I bless you with the blessings of our Holy Torah.
"Tizku LeShanim Rabot / Shana Tova Umetukah." (May you merit many more years / A good and sweet year)."
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also extended his greetings in a message, stating, "I congratulate our Jewish citizens on the occasion of Rosh Hashanah and hope it brings peace, tranquility, and stability to our region and the world."
Rosh Hashanah is considered a period when God opens the "Book of Life" in the heavens to judge humanity, determining the events that will unfold in the coming year.
Rituals and prayers
During Rosh Hashanah, sweet foods like apples dipped in honey are traditionally eaten to symbolize hopes for a sweet and prosperous year. Round challah bread, baked in circular shapes, represents the continuity of life. Another significant custom is "Tashlikh," a symbolic ceremony where sins are cast into flowing water to cleanse oneself of wrongdoing.
Rosh Hashanah also marks the beginning of the "High Holy Days" (Yamim Noraim), a 10-day period of introspection that concludes with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
The prayers of Rosh Hashanah focus on three central themes: Malchuyot (Kingship), Zichronot (Remembrance), and Shofarot (Shofar blasts).
Malchuyot emphasizes the sovereignty of God, reminding believers that He reigns over the universe and all within it.
Zichronot highlights the significance of every individual in God's eyes, affirming that all of creation holds value and meaning.
Shofarot recalls the sound of the shofar, or ram’s horn, heard when the Torah was given at Mount Sinai, symbolizing God’s guidance for humanity. (VK)