High Holy Days

On Wednesday evening and on Thursday, Jews will gather at synagogues to mark the start of the High Holy Days, often called the Days of Awe because of the emphasis on God the Creator and giver of life.

The 10-day reflective period starts in a celebratory mood with Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year. Because synagogue attendance is highest for the High Holy Days, New Year greetings are frequently exchanged as scores of friends and acquaintances see each other, some for the first time in months.

Rosh Hashanah will be observed at most Reform temples from sundown Wednesday to sundown Thursday. The Conservative and Orthodox synagogues, by tradition, will extend Rosh Hashanah into a second day, ending at sundown Friday.

Aside from the social cordiality, Judaism intends the High Holy Days as an introspective period when Jews are asked to seek forgiveness from those they may have offended or wronged. The culmination comes with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which will begin this year at sundown on Oct. 10. Observant Jews abstain from food and drink during the 24 hours of Yom Kippur, and will only break the fast on the evening of Oct. 11.

One of the symbols of the Days of Awe is the Book of Life, a metaphor for God’s judgment and mercy. It is said the book is opened on Rosh Hashanah and closed on Yom Kippur, an annual rehearsal of the Day of Judgment.

The Shofar

The principal symbol of the High Holy Days is the shofar, or hollowed ram’s horn, which is sounded 100 times in traditional Rosh Hashanah services. One long blast on the shofar is sounded at the end of Yom Kippur.

The medieval Jewish sage Maimonides said the blasts from the shofar were moral wake-up calls for Jews. Hebrew lore says that a horn from the ram that Abraham sacrificed became the first shofar. In biblical times, it was sounded for great events such as the anointing of a new king, but today it is almost entirely confined to the synagogue.

Tashlich and other rites

Somewhere between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur some synagogues observe an outdoor family service called Tashlich. Bread crumbs, perhaps emptied from one’s pockets, are tossed into a stream--symbolically getting rid of sins and having them carried away in the water.

On Oct. 5, community services are held at Jewish cemeteries to remember deceased family members and friends.

The Services

Rosh Hashanah services include the retelling of the Genesis story of Abraham being asked by God to sacrifice his son. The biblical account, in which God tells Abraham at the last minute to spare his son and a ram is sacrificed instead, is presented as a model of faithfulness.

The culminating Day of Atonement liturgy begins with the haunting prayer, Kol Nidre, literally “All Vows,” as the congregation stands in the Yom Kippur eve service. Many Jews will spend much of the daytime hours on Oct. 11 for the series of services at the synagogue. In the afternoon, the Book of Jonah is read, recalling that an entire community was spared from destruction because the community repented.

“May it be Thy will to renew unto us a good and sweet year”--Rosh Hashanah Prayer

At Jewish homes apples are eaten with honey “so that the rest of the year will be sweet.” A festive meal may begin with blessings over sweet wine and rich egg bread formed in a round shape to reflect the annual cycle of years and seasons.

Rosh Hashana: New Year

Although Jews normally accept scientific evidence that the Earth is billions of years old, this will be the year 5758 on the Jewish calendar, a custom in keeping with an ancient reckoning for the world’s age.

Researched by JOHN DART / Los Angeles Times