Rosh Hashana teaching resources

Rosh Hashanah will soon be upon us and to mark this occasion we have designed a poster which you can download and display at home, in the Synagogue or educational setting. Rosh Hashanah is always celebrated on the seventh month of the Hebrew Calender.

In 2011 it will begin at sunset on the 28^th of September and conclude at sunset on September the 30^th. It is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days and commemorates the creation of the world and marks the beginning of a new year in the Hebrew calendar.

Jews consider it to be a day of judgement when God weighs a person’s good deeds against their bad deeds over the past year and decides what the next year will be like for them. It is a time for contemplation and prayer, when people are encouraged to reflect on their priorities in life and ask for forgiveness for wrongdoings. It comes ten days prior to Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement. Jewish tradition dictates that God writes down a person’s fate into the Book of Life on Rosh Hashana but it is not until Yom Kippur that their fate is sealed.

In the lead up to Yom Kippur Jews try to make amends for their failures and seek forgiveness. This period is known as the Days of Awe and they commence after a trumpet made from a rams horn (known as a Shofar) is blown. Here’s a video clip of a Shofar being blown:

Rosh Hashana is celebrated with a service in the Synagogue after which a feast is held where it is customary to serve apples dipped in honey and a sweet carrot stew (called tzimmes). The sweetness is supposed to serve as a symbol of the sweet New Year ahead. Hallah bread is also served. Its round form symbolises the circle of life and of the year. Pomegranates are often placed on the dining table. The seeds of the pomegranate represent each of the Jewish commandments.

Here’s a link to a few recpies that you might want to try out on Rosh Hashana: www.aish.com/Recipes_for_a_Sweet_New_Year

You might find this page on the BBC website useful: //www.bbc.co.uk/rosh_hashanah

It gives some advice relating to the teaching of religious festivals and in particular Rosh Hashana in Keys stage one.