Guest Post from Shannon Gonyou, Author of Since Sinai: Rosh Hashanah
This week, Jews around the world gathered to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, and are now turning to preparations for the rest of the fall holidays: Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, and Shemini Atzeret. To say that the fall is busy for Jews would be an understatement, particularly for Jews who are adjusting to a new school year (or helping kids do the same). Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. Instead of celebrating with fireworks and champagne toasts, Jews bring in the New Year with round loaves of challah, apples dipped in honey, and the sharp cry of the shofar (a ram’s horn that is blown in the month leading up to the holiday to “wake us up” to the new year and day of judgment ahead). Although the mood of the “high holidays” Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are supposed to be serious and reflective, since we are focused on evaluating a year’s worth of behavior and our destiny for the year ahead, Rosh Hashanah tends to be a more light-hearted event for family and delicious food. Yom Ki