Rosh Hashanah, sometimes called the Jewish New Year, is being celebrated this week. In 2025, Rosh Hashanah begins the evening of Monday, September 22nd and goes through Wednesday, September 24th. Even though my family is not Jewish, as Christians we see the truth of the Messiah in all the Jewish feasts.
According to the Torah, the New Year actually begins with Passover, but Rosh Hashanah also signifies an opportunity to reflect and then to start anew. This day is also known as The Day of Trumpets or The Feast of Trumpets, and is the start of a ten-day period of repentance in preparation for the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). In Leviticus 23, God tells Israel: "On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts."
The blowing of the shofar (ram's horn) summoned the people of Israel to gather, whether for a sacred assembly, to break camp and move, to prepare for war, or to listen to the word of the Lord. The sound of the shofar commands attention and reminds us of the solemn necessity of turning back to God during these holy days.
This assembly known as The Day of Trumpets was a special sabbath with offerings and preparation that would turn the people back to God. It is a day linked to atonement, with God's instructions in Numbers 29 specifying, "a male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you." There were other kinds of offerings by fire made as well; offerings not made today because there is no Temple or Tabernacle.
The Torah reading is about the patriarch Abraham's journey and willingness to obey God and offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. But God provided a ram for the sacrifice instead! And we know that God has also provided a sacrifice for all of us - his own Son, Jesus the Messiah. God always provides.
It's traditional to eat fruits, honey cake, and apples dipped in honey. These sweet foods are a reminder of the biblical celebration described during the time of Ezra, when the people were instructed to "Go, eat rich food, drink sweet drinks, and send portions to those who can't provide for themselves; for today is consecrated to our Lord." (Nehemiah 8:10) Round or braided Challah is another traditional treat for Rosh Hashanah, and one I particularly love.
Challah (makes two braided loaves)
(Recipe based on the one in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois)
Add 3/4 tbsp yeast, 3/4 tbsp salt, 2 lightly beaten eggs, 1/4 cup honey, and 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter to 7 ounces lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl. Mix together, then stir in 3-1/2 cups unbleached flour with a wooden spoon. Don't knead, just mix with the spoon, although you might need to use your hands a bit. Lightly cover the bowl and let the dough rest for about two hours at room temperature. The dough should rise and then collapse or flatten a bit on top during that time. Then put it in the fridge for about an hour to make it easier to work with (or you can keep it up to five days covered in the fridge if you don't want to bake it right away).
Dust the dough with flour and cut off about half of it (size of a grapefruit or so) to make one loaf. Stretch and turn the piece of dough quickly into a ball and put it on a cutting board dusted with flour. Divide it into thirds using a knife. Roll each third into a ball and then into a rope. Braid the three ropes together, starting from the middle and going to one end, then turning the braid and braid from the middle to the other end. Let the braid rise on a cookie sheet that has been lightly greased or covered with parchment paper for an hour and twenty minutes. Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350*F and brush the loaf with an egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the challah cool before slicing and eating.
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There is a custom called Tashlich (which means 'casting off') that is symbolic of seeking and offering forgiveness. Take a bag of breadcrumbs to a pond or lake and take turns with your family members tossing crumbs into the water and watching them float away. Micah 7:19 says that God "will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." This is also a good time to reflect on whether we have wronged anyone and need to ask their forgiveness.
It's customary for Jewish people to greet each other with the wish "may your name be inscribed for a good year", or a simple wish for a sweet year:
L'Shana Tova!
"Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has kept us and sustained us and brought us to this season."
~Traditional Jewish blessing for Rosh Hashanah~
Just as the trumpet summoned Israel from ancient times, we look forward to the day when the trumpet will sound indicating the Messiah's return to gather all his people.
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a rousing cry, with a call from one of the ruling angels, and with God's shofar; those who died united with the Messiah will be the first to rise; then we who are left still alive will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we will always be with the Lord. ~I Thessalonians 4:16-17
Portions of this article are based on my previous article From the High School Lesson Book: Rosh Hashanah which appeared in October 2016. A version of this article will also appear on A Fresh Cup of Coffee.
Sources include: How to Celebrate a Messianic Jewish Rosh Hashanah from Jews for Jesus; Rosh Hashanah from Jews for Jesus
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