9781422276587

are not supposed to work on Rosh Hashanah and often spend much of the day in their synagogues in services that can be hours long. In Israel, all businesses are closed. Rosh Hashanah is also a time to spend with families and friends, as well as an important time to visit graves of loved ones, as many Jews believe the dead can speak to God for them. Jews have been celebrating Rosh Hashanah for about 2,000 years, or slightly more than half their history. n Origins of Rosh Hashanah Judaism, a religion practiced by people known as Jews, is one of the world’s oldest religious traditions. The Jewish people are believed to have descended from the patriarchs (or fathers) Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses, whose stories are told in the first book of the Torah, or Hebrew Bible. Jews believe in one God who created the universe. Unlike other messianic religions (those that hold out the prospect of a world savior or divine leader), Judaism generally posits that the messiah has yet to appear. In honoring the one god—known variously as Adonai, Yahweh, or the unnameable one—observant Jews keep Sabbath, also called Shabbat, as a day of rest, running from sunset to sunset from Friday to Saturday. There are currently more than 14 million Jews worldwide. Almost half of the worldwide Jewish community lives in the United States, mostly concentrated on the East Coast and in California. More than 1.5 million Jews live in New York State, which is more than 8 percent of the state’s population. Two Major Groups of Judaism: Orthodox and Reform Jews Variations in Rosh Hashanah celebrations depend on what branch of Judaism is being practiced. The main division in Judaism is between Orthodox Jews, who live their lives by following the Jewish holy books (the Torah, Talmud, and Mishnah) as the unwavering law of God, and Reform Jews, who feel that the holy books provide religious guidance but can also be interpreted as historical documents that must change with the times. Orthodox Jews follow strictly the religious laws as well as the dress and eating codes that are set forth in the Jewish holy books, while Reform Jews dress in modern clothing and are less strict about what they eat. The Jewish Calendar The Jewish calendar, which has been used since 3761 b.c.e., is a lunar calendar with 12 months. Each month has 29 or 30 days, making a year 354 days long. To keep the fall and spring holidays in the correct seasons, an extra month is added every 19 years. For the Jews each day begins at sundown, or dusk, and lasts until the following sundown.

Marking the Religious New Year

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