September is a busy month for religious Jews as the Jewish month of Tishrah falls in September and with it several important Jewish holidays, most commonly referred to as the Jewish High Holidays. The Jewish High Holidays of September or Tishrah are Rosh HaShana/Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement. Other Jewish holidays in September are Sukkot and Simcha Torah. Here is a brief overview of the first of the Jewish High Holidays, Rosh HaShana or Jewish New Year. The reason that the Jewish New Year does not coencide with the Gregorian calander is because the Jewish New Year date is taken from the Bible.

Rosh HaShana/Jewish New Year

In 2010 the Jewish New Year, Rosh HaShana, will be celebrated from sundown on September 8th until sundown on Friday 10th September 2010. The Jewish New Year is celebrated for two consecutive days, but some Reform Jews observe Rosh HaShana for only one day. Jewish New Year/ Rosh Hashana is observed by religious Jews in the same way they observe Shabbat (by not using electricity, driving, cooking, watching TV, writing, using phones and many other laws forbidding work of any kind) with the exception of being able to use "esh m esh" or "fire from fire", so if a candle is lit before the holiday starts they can then use that candle light to light other things like a barbecue or cigarette.

This slight alleviation from the restrictions of Shabbat makes the Jewish New Year a relaxed fun Jewish holiday. On Rosh HaShana, like Shabbat the married women of the household light candles and recite a blessing. Also as on the Shabbat eve, wine and bread are blessed at the Rosh HaShana evening meal.

Many Jewish families have a barbecue during the day and then a large family meal in the evenings. There are also several traditional foods on the Jewish New Year, these traditional foods vary from country to country but they all center around being sweet, thus wishing us all a sweet New Year. On the first eve of Jewish New Year an apple dipped in honey is eaten by most observant Jews, and on the second day of the Jewish New Year it is customary to eat for the first time a fruit which has just come into season. There are blessings made on each of these traditional Jewish New Year foods.

Jewish Prayer on Rosh HaShana

On Rosh HaShana it is a mitzvah to hear the shofar (a ram's horn) blown in the Temple. On Jewish New Year the Shofar is blown four times throughout the holiday.

In the afternoon of the first day of Rosh HaShana the prayer of Tashlich is said on the edge of a large body of water (lake, sea) casting off our sins into a large body of water, to start the New Year afresh.

It is on Rosh HaShana that G-d is said to judge his people's deeds and determine what will await them in the New Year.

In line with the New Year theme of a new beginning the Torah portion read in Temple on the first day of Rosh HaShana tells of the birth of Isaac. Isaac was the first Jew circumcised at 8 days old, which is the age all observant Jews are circumcised today. His father Abraham was the first circumcised Jew but he was circumcised at age 99. The birth of the prophet Samuel is also part of the Rosh HaShana Torah reading.

In some communities friends exchange gifts but this is not a Rosh HaShana Jewish New Year tradition. The correct greeting for Jewish New Year is "Hug Samauch" which means happy holiday.