New Year in Israel is celebrated in a traditional way by the Israelites. Foreign travelers who come to the city in large numbers also take part in the New Year in Israel along with the locals. Rosh Hashanah is the first day of the Jewish New year. The celebration of Rosh Hashanah mainly occurs on the first and the second days of Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means head of the year or first of the year. Rosh Hashanah in Bible refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron or the day of remembrance or Yom Teruah which is the day of the sounding of the shofar. The holiday is instituted in Leviticus 23:24-25.
New Year in Israel has altogether a different meaning for the people of Israel. While Americans use the New Year as a time to plan for a better life, making all kinds of resolutions, the Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the New Year.
One of the most important observances of New Year in Israel is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the synagogue. A total of 100 notes are sounded each day. There are four different types of shofar notes like the tekiah, shevarim, teruah, staccato and tekiah gedolah.
Families gather and feast at the time of New Year in Israel. They eat lots of traditional foods at this time. The womenfolk will be busy preparing a lot of food for the meal for this special day. They eat head of a fish, apple with honey, because they want to have a sweet year like honey, and pomegranate, because they want to do many good things this year.
At the end of the celebration, they eat a cake, usually a honey cake. In addition to dipping an apple honey, they also eat round challah bread to symbolize the circle of the life and the cycle of a new year. The challah is also in the shape of a crown because they refer to God as royalty several times throughout the holidays. They eat the cake because they hope for a sweet and healthy year.
No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah. Most of the educational institutions and offices are closed on this day. On this pious occasion, religious services for the holiday focus on the concept of God’s sovereignty to mankind.
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