Rosh Hashanah Prayers-As the Jewish faithful begin the Rosh Hashanah holy days or Jewish New Year Friday at sunset, they will be saying special prayers and lighting special candles.Beginning Saturday or Sunday, depending on the congregation, the sounding of the shofar – a trumpet made from a ram’s horn – will begin. The ritual is symbolic of what the High Holy Days are about: a call for introspection, forgiveness and changing one’s course in life, said Rabbi Charles A. Klein of the Merrick Jewish Centre.
It “asks us to wake up, to take a serious look at our lives,” he said, “and not just to sleep away our lives.”
The High Holy Days will culminate with Yom Kippur, which starts at sunset on Sept. 27. That day is the most solemn and important on the Jewish calendar – the faithful will fast for at least 24 hours and engage in intense prayer.
Klein said preparations for Rosh Hashanah began a month ago, as Jews around the world began a period of spiritual introspection. As that reflection moves into the High Holy Days, many Jews may take actions, such as seeking forgiveness from others for any wrong they’ve done.
0 Comments