HAPPY NEW YEAR 5784!

On the evening of Friday September 15, starts the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah), which translates to Head of the Year. In the Jewish tradition, there are actually four New Years! This holiday has many meanings. It is called the Day of Judgement or the Day of Remembrance. As the name alludes, it is the start of a new cycle of our lives. It is also the prelude to the next event that happens ten days later, called Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It gives the Jewish people plenty of time to reflect on their lives, to prepare themselves for the final decision, when the Superior Judge, King, God, whatever you want to call it, will decide what they will be entitled for in the coming year.

During a festive dinner on Rosh Hashanah, which is celebrated for two days, one of the traditions is to dip a slice of an apple into honey and to wish each other a “Good and sweet year” as well as “May you be inscribed in the book of life”. There are quite a few stories related to this holiday. One of them is about a man who before the start of Rosh Hashanah, sat down with two note-books in front of him and started his prayer, “Almighty God, during the last year I was not always good and had quite a few transgressions”, and with those words he started listing from his first notebook. When he finished reading, he opened the second book. “Dear God, but you also did not fulfill everything that I expected from you”, and he started to read from the second notebook all the things which were not good in his life during the previous year. “And now if you will forgive me, I will forgive you and we will be even.”

While Rosh Hashanah has a specific Jewish connection, Yom Kippur is universally applicable, since on this Day, God makes decision related to all of humanity. As in every holiday, we decorate our homes with flowers. These three very special images are from me to you. Wishing you a very good and sweet year!

 

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