Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, is set to begin at sundown on Wednesday, Oct. 2, ushering in the Jewish High Holidays, a 10-day period that culminates with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This year, Yom Kippur observances will commence around sunset on Friday, Oct. 11, and conclude after nightfall on Saturday, Oct. 12.
Rosh Hashanah is a time for reflection, repentance, and prayer as individuals and communities welcome the new year by seeking forgiveness and setting intentions for the coming year. It is a period of introspection and spiritual growth, symbolized by the sounding of the shofar, a ram’s horn, to awaken the soul to repentance and renewal.
Yom Kippur, known as the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, is a solemn day of fasting, prayer, and atonement for the sins of the past year. Observers refrain from eating and drinking, focusing instead on prayer, reflection, and seeking forgiveness both from the divine and from those they may have wronged.
The Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic organization and the Union of Reform Judaism offer detailed descriptions and guidance on the observances and traditions associated with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. These resources serve to assist individuals in observing these sacred days in a meaningful and spiritually enriching manner.
As the Jewish community prepares to observe these significant holy days, the focus is on introspection, repentance, and renewal, seeking to strengthen spiritual connections and deepen the bond with tradition and faith. The observance of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur provides a time for contemplation, forgiveness, and a fresh start as individuals and communities unite in prayer and reflection to welcome the new year and seek divine mercy and blessing for the year ahead.
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