Shofar Blowing
תקיעת שופרThe ram's horn is sounded 100 times during services — its piercing call awakens the soul to repentance and proclaims God's sovereignty.
Yamim Noraim · High Holy Days
Rosh Hashanah
ראש השנה
1–2 Tishrei · The Jewish New Year · Day of Judgment
Rosh Hashanah ("Head of the Year") opens the Jewish High Holy Days — a period of deep introspection, prayer, and renewal that culminates ten days later on Yom Kippur.
Upcoming Rosh Hashanah
- Hebrew Date
- א׳–ב׳ תשרי 5787
- Gregorian
- Sep 12–13, 2026
- Begins
- Ten Days of Repentance
Following Year (5788): א׳–ב׳ תשרי · October 2–3, 2027
The Significance of Rosh Hashanah
According to Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of humanity — the day God judges every person and inscribes their fate for the coming year in the Book of Life. The ten days from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur are called the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah (Ten Days of Repentance), during which Jews seek forgiveness and resolve to improve themselves.
Key Observances & Customs
Apples & Honey
תפוח בדבשDipping apple slices in honey is the quintessential Rosh Hashanah tradition — symbolizing the wish for a sweet new year.
Round Challah
חלה עגולהUnlike braided Shabbat loaves, Rosh Hashanah challah is round — symbolizing the cycle of the year and the crown of God's kingship.
Tashlich
תשליךOn the first afternoon, Jews gather at flowing water and symbolically cast away sins by tossing breadcrumbs into the water.
Simanim (Symbolic Foods)
סימניםPomegranates, dates, leeks, beets, and fish heads are each eaten with a short prayer for blessings in the new year.
Special Greetings
שנה טובה"Shanah Tovah" — A Good Year — or the fuller "L'shanah tovah tikateivu v'teichateimu" — May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.
Synagogue Services
Rosh Hashanah services are among the longest and most attended of the Jewish year. The Torah reading tells the story of the binding of Isaac (Akeidat Yitzchak), and the Haftarah recounts Hannah's prayer for a child. The Musaf service includes three special sections:
- Malchuyot (מלכויות) — Kingship: verses proclaiming God as sovereign of the universe
- Zichronot (זכרונות) — Remembrance: God's remembering of His covenant with Israel
- Shofarot (שופרות) — Shofar verses: recalling revelation at Sinai and the shofar of redemption
Rosh Hashanah & the High Holy Days
Rosh Hashanah is the first of the Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe). The ten-day period leading to Yom Kippur is a time for teshuvah (repentance), tefillah (prayer), and tzedakah (charity). The Shabbat that falls between the two holidays is called Shabbat Shuvah (Sabbath of Return).