The Head, not the Tail

Symbolism abounds in every piece of the Jewish ceremonies, and this year I got to learn some about the ones in Rosh Hashanah.

(First, a non-symbol thing to point out. The pronunciation is ROSH hashaNAH with the heaviest accent on the NAH. That one only took me a week to break the habit!)

If you read my earlier post, you may have discovered that, this year, ROsh HashaNAH started at sundown on Wednesday and went to sundown on Friday. So that means two nights partying, and as luck would have it, two of my co-workers invited me to join their families in celebrating, one on each night.

I won't swamp you with the details of how each family celebrated as there were some differences, but I'll try to pass on some of the symbols as best I can from what I absorbed during the ceremonies and translations.

Round Chalah (a sweet soft bread, usually made braided, not round) is broken by the father and drizzled with honey. The round bread is for the crown, or for the seasons. The honey, as with the many sweet things served during the meal, is for sweetness and hope in the new year.

Then came some savory tarts, one root vegetable one (onions, leeks, celery root, and such) and one spinach. The roots are to put the end to enemies - by being a pun! I checked into it here at home, and this is what one website says about it: "Both the Arabic and Hebrew words for leek sound like the Hebrew word for "cut off." God is asked to prevent, or cut off, those who would harm the Jewish people." The spinach is for a green year with lots of crops.

Next was "a new fruit of the season", this time a pomegranate, in the hope that one's good deeds in the coming year will be as plentiful as its seeds. Or, as my friend's sister said as she made sure I got a big scoop, that it's for having LOTs of children. Maybe I will come back to the US with triplets. (Hmmm... when is Mark getting here?)

There were many, many other foods served with their own symbolism, but the one that gave the title to this post is a fish. You eat a whole fish, with its head still attached, so that in the next year you are at the head, not the tail.

*btw, the pics are just from my wanderings in Jerusalem

Holidays are upon us

Yesterday marked the beginning of a series of holidays here in Israel. Here is what my Hebrew teacher gave me about the festivities.

The Jewish New Year and the holiday season is approaching and we would like to provide you and your families with some information about the nature of the Holy Days and about what goes on in the country during this period. We trust that you will prepare yourselves accordingly and that you will have the opportunity of experiencing the special nature of the holidays together with the people of Israel.

ROSH HASHANA EVE / JEWISH NEW YEAR
Wednesday, September 12 – Friday, September 14

Rosh Hashanah is the first of the "High Holy Days”. During the two days of Rosh Hashanah, Jewish businesses are closed and public transport does not operate. For Israel's non-religious majority who may or may not attend synagogue, Rosh Hashanah is a period where extended families get together for meals and for outings to the beach and other day destinations. There is an atmosphere of festivity and celebration during this period, similar to that of the Christmas/ New Year period in other countries.

Special food is sold in the supermarkets for the holiday and you will see that a lot of honey and honey products are sold, as it is a Jewish custom to eat an apple dipped in honey over the Rosh Hashanah holiday in order to herald a sweet year.



YOM KIPPUR / DAY OF ATONEMENT
Friday, September 21 - Shabbat, September 22

Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar and is observed by the majority of the Jewish people throughout the world, even if they are not religious. A 25-hour fast is observed, beginning at sundown on Yom Kippur Eve, and most of Yom Kippur is spent in the synagogue reciting special prayers. There are two reasons for the somber atmosphere of Yom Kippur.

The first and foremost one is the traditional religious one as it is on this day, according to the Jewish faith that a persons fate is sealed for the year to come and on this day we ask God's forgiveness for all the transgressions we have made during the year. The second reason is that on the day of Yom Kippur in 1973, Israel's enemies launched one of the most aggressive wars on the country, during a day when the country was the least prepared, resulting in a death toll of thousands of Israeli soldiers. For many people this day is also a commemoration to these fallen men and women.

All Jewish businesses and public transportation come to a halt at around 13:00 on the eve of the fast (October 1). By sundown, all other kinds of traffic come to a stop as well (except for emergency vehicles). Ben Gurion Airport is closed. National T.V and radio broadcasts also cease during Yom Kippur. Normal activity resumes after nightfall on October 2.

Not only does public transportation come to a stop, but also private cars are not driven out of respect for the Holy Day, (please take note that this applies to you too.) Please be aware that although no cars are allowed in the streets, kids take over the roads riding bicycles and rollerblades.




SUKKOT/ FESTIVAL OF THE TABERNACLES AND THE INTERMEDIATE DAYS
Wednesday, September 26 – Thursday , 4 October

The Festival of Sukkoth begins on the fifth day after Yom Kippur and it is quite a drastic transition, from one of the most solemn holidays in our year to one of the most joyous.
This festival is sometimes referred to as the Season of our Rejoicing and it lasts for seven days. The two days following the festival are separate holidays Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah but are commonly thought of as part of Sukkot.

The word "Sukkot" means "booths," and refers to the temporary dwellings that the Jewish people are commanded to live in during this holiday. Sukkot has a dual significance: historical and agricultural. The holiday commemorates the forty-year period during which the children of Israel were wandering in the desert, living in temporary shelters. Sukkot is also a harvest festival. In honor of the holiday's historical significance, we are commanded to dwell in temporary shelters, as our ancestors did in the wilderness. The commandment to "dwell" in a sukkah is taken literally by many religious people in Israel but the majorities of the population who erect them invest time and energy in decorating them and eat their meals in them, weather permitting. Traditionally Sukkot also heralds the first rain of the season and a special prayer is said to encourage an abundance of rain in the coming winter.

The days of Sukkot (26-27 September and 3-4 October) are religious days and these days can be compared to Shabbat and other holidays where most shops and businesses are closed but restaurants and tourist sites will be open. During the intermediate days of Sukkot (8-12 October), life continues as normal although some businesses and places of work operate on a half day basis. Traditionally, Sukkot is a time of taking trips and having picnics and the beaches, Nature Reserves and Parks and historical sites are packed to capacity. It is also customary for the religious population to make pilgrimages to Jerusalem so there is more activity in the city during this week.

To all of you A Sweet & Happy Jewish New Year and we hope that you enjoy the holiday season!