Rosh Hashanah - Jewish festival of New Year (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Religious Studies): Revision Note

What are the Ten Days of Awe, and why are they important?

• The Ten Days of Awe (also called the Ten Days of Repentance) are the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

  • They begin with Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and end with Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)

• They are a time for Jews to reflect on and repent for their actions from the past year

• At this time, Jews seek forgiveness from G-d and other people

• It is a chance to make teshuvah (repentance or return to G-d)

• Jews believe the Ten Days of Awe are a time when G-d will judge them and an opportunity for them to ask for mercy

  • According to tradition, G-d writes the fate of each person in the Book of Life on Rosh Hashanah to indicate whether they are worthy of life

  • That fate is sealed on Yom Kippur, so the ten days offer a chance to change it through:

    • Prayer

    • Charity (tzedakah)

    • Good deeds

• It is also a time to help Jews spiritually prepare for Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year

  • It encourages sincere self-improvement and moral growth

What happens on the first of the Ten Days of Awe?

• The Ten Days of Awe begin with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year

  • It is a holy day of reflection, judgement and renewal

• Rosh Hashanah:

  • Lasts two days and commemorates the creation of the world

  • “Rosh” means “head” and refers to the direction the new year will take

• Judaism teaches that Rosh Hashanah is also a time when G-d judges all humanity

  • The belief is that G-d considers a person's good and bad deeds over the last year and decides what the next year will be like for them

  • It is linked closely to judgement and urges Jews to repent of their past sins

  • During this time, Jews consider how they could have lived better lives

• Judaism teaches that G-d decides on the first day of the year who will be forgiven, so Jews will ensure they apologise to everybody they have been unkind to during the past year

The events of Rosh Hashanah

• There are many events that happen on Rosh Hashanah:

  • The blowing of the shofar (ram’s horn) 

  • Special prayer services focus on G-d as king and judge

    • The Amidah and Unetaneh Tokef prayers ask G-d to inscribe people in the Book of Life

  • The Tashlich ceremony involves Jews going to a river or stream and symbolically casting away their sins by throwing breadcrumbs into the water

  • A festive meal includes sweet foods, such as apples dipped in honey, to symbolise hope for a sweet new year

• Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are chances for Jews to ask questions about their actions and life throughout the year, such as:

  • What is the most meaningful thing in my life?

  • Who in my life means the most to me? How often do I let them know this?

  • What are the most significant things I've achieved in the past year?

  • What do I hope to achieve next year and in my life generally?

• At Rosh Hashanah, Jews hope that they and their loved ones will be written in the Book of Life, meaning that they are deemed worthy of life

Why are the Book of Life and the shofar significant?

• The Book of Life is significant because it represents judgement and atonement

  • Jews believe that during Rosh Hashanah, G-d opens the Book of Life and judges each person’s actions

  • The book is sealed on Yom Kippur, based on a person’s repentance and deeds during the Ten Days of Awe

  • This is important to Jews for a number of reasons. It:

    • Encourages Jews to live a good and moral life

    • Motivates Jews to reflect, seek forgiveness and do good deeds

    • Symbolises G-d’s justice and mercy

• The significance of the shofar (ram’s horn) is that it acts as a spiritual wake-up call

  • The shofar is blown during Rosh Hashanah services

  • It reminds Jews to repent, return to G-d (teshuvah) and improve their actions

  • It is also a historical and religious symbol

    • It links back to the “binding of Isaac”, when a ram was sacrificed instead of Abraham’s son, Isaac

    • It is also used to announce important events in ancient Israel (for example, war or festivals)

What foods are eaten at Rosh Hashanah?

• After the Rosh Hashanah service, a special meal is eaten at home

• The meal includes:

  • Apples dipped in honey 

    • A symbol of the sweet new year that each Jew hopes lies ahead

  • A sweet carrot stew

    • Symbolises reproduction because in Yiddish, the word for carrot, “mern”, has the same meaning

  • Challah bread in a round loaf — rather than the plaited loaf as served on the Sabbath — symbolises the circle of life and the year

  • Pomegranate

    • Often seen on the table because of the belief that pomegranates have 613 seeds, one for each of the commandments that a Jew is obliged to keep

• At the meal, Jews dip their first piece of bread in honey and say, “May G-d give me a sweet and happy new year”

What happens during Tashlikh?

• Tashlikh means “casting off” in Hebrew

  • It is a symbolic ceremony performed on Rosh Hashanah, usually in the afternoon

• During Tashlikh, Jews go to a natural body of water (for example, a river, sea or lake)

  • They empty their pockets or throw breadcrumbs into the water

    • This act symbolises casting away sins 

• Tashlikh is important because it is a time for repentance and renewal. It:

  • Encourages Jews to reflect on their sins and seek a fresh start

  • Acts as a powerful visual symbol of teshuvah (repentance)

  • Is a symbolic form of spiritual cleansing

  • Helps Jews feel spiritually cleansed and more focused for the Ten Days of Awe leading to Yom Kippur

  • Is also a communal event, making it a shared experience with the family or community