Community Corner

Jewish New Year Begins at Sundown on Wednesday

The year 5774 according to the Jewish calendar begins with services Wednesday evening and Thursday morning at San Diego-area congregations.

The Jewish new year celebration, known as Rosh Hashanah, begins at sundown on Wednesday with services at area congregations.

Rosh Hashanah means lliterally "head of the year" in Hebrew. It marks the beginning of a 10-day period of prayer, self-examination, and repentance ending with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This year is 5774 in the Jewish calendar.

The San Diego Jewish Journal has posted a complete list of holiday services at area congregations.

Customs observed on Rosh Hashanah include sounding the shofar, a musical instrument made from a ram's horn, and eating sweet foods for a sweet new year.

Many congregations celebrate one day of Rosh Hashanah, while others observe two days.

One practice associated with Rosh Hashanah is Tashlich, a ceremony in which Jews symbolically cast away their sins by tossing pieces of bread into a body of water. Many San Diego congregations host Tashlich services at area beaches.


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