rdewald's Journal: What I wish I'd been told about the Jewish New Year

Lenny Bruce said that everyone who lives in New York City is a little bit Jewish. That 's true.

Before I moved to NYC my experience with Jews was very limited, I'd met only a few, I had none as friends, and mostly what I knew of the culture was gleaned from offhand comments made by Mel Brooks and Larry King. Now most of my friends are Jewish and I am quite familiar and comfortable with Jewish culture and customs.

When I was new in NYC, I wish someone had told me what I'm about to tell you about the upcoming High Holy Days, the Jewish New Year, which is as big a deal for Jews as Christmas is for Christians, if not bigger, because it includes an imperative for self reflection and atonement that is sadly missing (if inappropriately so) from popular rituals at Christmastime for Christians (as an aside, Jews in NYC go downtown to Chinatown for Chinese food on Christmas).

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a two day celebration beginning at sundown on Friday, September 22nd (which is the beginning of the Jewish day) and ending at nightfall on Sunday, September 24th (it is on a different (Gregorian) calendar day every year). Jews welcome the new year with sweet foods imbued with symbolism, typically apples and honey, in the hopes of having a sweet new year. Observant Jews (what Christians call good church-goin' folk) will spend much of this time at their church, called a synagogue. Gentiles in NYC refer to this day punningly as "Rush-a-home-a" because Jews need to be home or in synagogue at sundown, so they usually leave work at about 2 in the afternoon.

The Days of Awe are the 10 days beginning with Rosh Hashanah and concluding with Yom Kippur, which this year is on October 2, 2006. This is a time of serious reflection for Jews. They take stock of their lives, decide what they want to change, repair themselves, repair their relationships, and get ready for the new year. There's actually a lot more to it than that, but different Jews have different rituals (according to their particular tradition) and take this all with differing degrees of seriousness. All Jews will at least reflect on their lives and make apologies and amends during this period (just as all Christians give gifts at Christmas).

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, Oct 2 this year, is the holiest day of the Jewish year. If a Jew is religious only one day all year it is Yom Kippur. From sunset on the eve of Yom Kippur to nightfall on Yom Kippur, Jews do not eat or drink (they may refrain from other things depending on their particular tradition) and they spend most of their time in prayer and reflection. This is when The Big Guy upstairs forgives their transgressions and *inscribes them in the book of life* for the following year. It's a big deal, the biggest deal all year.

L'Shanah Tovah (leh-SHA-nuh TOH-vah) is the appropriate holiday wish. If you don't want to practice your Hebrew, you can say "May you be inscribed well," which is what L'Shanah Tovah means. You are wishing them to be inscribed in the book of life fortunately so that their coming year is prosperous. Before Yom Kippur, you can say "have an easy fast."

If you really want to do something nice (as a non-Jew) for an observant Jew, a holiday table centerpiece of white flowers is appropriate, just make sure it gets there during the day this Friday. Cards are nice, too. Hallmark has a selection. Google-it if you want to know more.

Now you're all a little Jewish.

Christmas?

[sielwolf]

I'd say if there was a Christian holiday that matched the importance of the HHD's it would be Easter. Christmas is at best second tier and only has currency because that allowed it to become monstrously merchandized. Easter is the crux of the whole thing. All the stuff leading up to it is only validated because of that. It's also where most of the ritual is: Ash Wednesday, Lent (for the Catholics), Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter itself. It's the heart of the calendar.

Re:

[rdewald]

From a religious perspective, you're right. I was approaching the metaphor from more of a cultural perspective. Families tend to gather more at Christmas, far-flung adult children come home, people take a bunch of time off, etc. But, it's just a metaphor, it's bound to break down at some point.

Re:

[turg]

What's a metaphor?

To keep cows in.

My Jewish Quotient

[robi2106]

I have observed many of the Jewish Holy Days for the first 14 years of my life, having been brought up nearly Jewish and nearly Christian, but not completely either. It was a very valuable experience. We kept the 7 Biblical Holy Days, to some extent, including the Rosh Hashanah, Shavuot (Pentecost), Yom Kippur - Atonement, Sukkot, the Passover (complete with an entire house cleansing to eliminate all leavened bread crumbs), and especially the actual Sabbath (sun down to sundown) though we didn't do the wh

Is it coincidence??

[YTYTYTYTYTY]

Or do these holy days reoccur on or about the Vernal Equinox??

If so, are all Jewish Holy days, with the possible exception of Passover, astronomically linked??

Inquiring minds and all that...

Oopd, silly me, make that "Autumnal Equinox"

[YTYTYTYTYTY]

Doh!!!!

Re:

[rdewald]

No, it is a lunar calendar, the coincidence with the equinox is just that.