Our
Synagogue in
Mattancherry will be closed for
the Rosh Hashanah holidays for a few days from September 21, 2017.
Rosh
Hashanah is the New Year celebration of Jews living all around the world. It
starts on the sunset 29 the of Elul, the last month and goes on till the 2nd
of Tishrei, the first month of the year.
The
celebration and festivities are in the memory of the day when God created Adam
& Eve, which also coincides with the day Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac on
God’s command.
The New
Year also marks the beginning of the high holidays which extend upto Yom
Kippur which falls after the tenth day from the New Year.
The
rituals of the festival include the sounding of ‘shofar’ (the Ram’s horn, much
like our conch shell in temples), candle lighting, special meals including ‘Challah’
bread along with sweet delicacies. No creative work is allowed on these two
days.
The sweet
delicacies include the tradition of dipping challah bread in honey instead of
salt and eating apples with honey. In some places Pomegranate are eaten symbolizing
the hope that the good deeds and merits in the New Year be as many as the seeds
of the fruit.
Some
traditions include eating the head of fish or Ram in the hope of being the head
of things rather than the tail in the New Year.
In these
days, God is declared the King of the world in the belief that the existence of
the world depends on the desire of the God to have a world and those who
acknowledges His supremacy assures a place in the world.
The high
holidays include Yom Hazikaron – Day of remembrance, Yom Hadin – the day of
judgement and Yom Kippur which comes ten days later from the New Year’s Day. The
high holidays are collectively referred as Yamim Nora’Im.
The
greetings on the occasion means “may you be inscribed and sealed for a good
year”
Le Shanah
Tovah tikatev vetichatem (for male)
Le Shanah
Tovah tikatevee vetichate mee (for female)
