NEW YORK — Rosh Hashanah, one of Judaism’s holiest days, has been celebrated for more than 2,000 years, yet it wasn’t always the start of the year. Despite its current role as the Jewish New Year, the Torah originally assigned that title to a different month.
According to the Book of Exodus (12:2), the Jewish calendar’s first month is Nisan—the month of Passover. Rosh Hashanah, which occurs on the first day of the month of Tishrei, was later designated as the beginning of the civil year in rabbinic tradition. The shift reflects a more profound transition in Jewish religious thought, from a calendar rooted in agricultural cycles to one shaped by spiritual reflection and communal ritual.
Today, Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Ten Days of Awe, a solemn period of introspection that culminates with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The holiday serves as a time to reflect on the past year, seek forgiveness, and pray for a good year ahead.
From Biblical Mention to Rabbinic Development
The name “Rosh Hashanah” appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Ezekiel 40:1, and even then, it’s unclear whether it referred to a new year celebration. The holiday’s modern form did not fully emerge until the early rabbinic period, after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.
The Mishnah, Judaism’s first major written legal code compiled around 200 CE, lists Tishrei 1 as one of four New Year dates. It codified Rosh Hashanah as the new year for civil, agricultural, and judicial purposes. From there, the holiday’s religious elements evolved, including the shofar blowing, symbolic foods, and liturgical additions like “Avinu Malkeinu” and the “Unetaneh Tokef” prayer.
The Shofar’s Ancient Roots
Perhaps the most iconic part of Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the shofar, a ram’s horn blown in synagogue services. The practice is rooted in Leviticus 23:24, which refers to the day as a “memorial of blowing [the horn].” Over centuries, the shofar has come to symbolize both divine awakening and personal repentance.
Rabbinic sages, including Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, emphasized the shofar’s spiritual function—designed to stir the soul and call the community to moral reckoning.
Medieval Influence and Global Observance
During the medieval period, Jewish communities across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East began to develop distinct customs tied to Rosh Hashanah. Ashkenazi Jews embraced symbolic foods like apples dipped in honey and pomegranate seeds, reflecting hopes for sweetness and abundance in the year ahead. Sephardic communities often recite a special seder-like sequence of blessings on various fruits and vegetables.
The holiday also took on a mystical dimension through Kabbalistic teachings in the 16th century, especially in Safed, a spiritual hub in northern Israel. These teachings viewed Rosh Hashanah not just as a time of judgment but as a moment to align human action with divine will.
Rosh Hashanah in the Modern World
In modern times, Rosh Hashanah is observed by Jewish communities across the globe, from New York to Jerusalem, Buenos Aires to Johannesburg. It remains both a religious and cultural touchstone, followed even by many secular Jews as a time for family gatherings and community prayer.
Notably, many U.S. public schools with large Jewish populations recognize Rosh Hashanah as a holiday and close for the day. Presidents of the United States have regularly issued public greetings in recognition of the holiday, a practice dating back to at least the early 20th century.
In Israel, it is both a religious and national holiday, with government offices and businesses closed. Special television programs, concerts, and prayer services mark the occasion.
Continuing Significance
Rosh Hashanah’s longevity lies in its ability to adapt while preserving its essence. Its combination of communal reflection, ritual practice, and hope for renewal has helped it endure through centuries of exile, persecution, and transformation.
Despite its ancient origins, the holiday continues to address profoundly modern concerns—accountability, moral growth, and the power of second chances.
As Jewish communities prepare for the next Rosh Hashanah, they participate in a ritual that links past to present and individual to community, while looking ahead to an uncertain future with clarity, tradition, and hope.
Rosh Hashanah 2025 begins at sundown on Monday, Sep 22, 2025, and continues through Wednesday, Sep 24, 2025.
For all the news that the Rockland Daily News is sharing, make sure to follow Rockland Daily News on Facebook.
More: Rockland County News
Ten years of experience reporting. From car chases and courtroom verdicts to House fires, Holsford thrives during breaking news and finds it a privilege to help drive the conversation in Rockland County and the Greater New York Area. Born in San Bernardino, Thomas is a New York boy at heart. He received his bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism, specializing in political science and sociology, from the University of Illinois
