Judaism can mean many things to many different people. Some will tell you that it’s their religion, while others would define it as their culture. Jews vary between the Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist sects. A Jew may identify him or herself as Ashkenazi or Sephardi. Many will say that they are atheistic, while others as God-fearing.
As a first-year student at Carleton, I have already been asked by my curious friends to explain many different concepts in Judaism that are slightly confusing.
“What is kosher?”
“What do Jews actually do on the Sabbath?”
“What on earth are Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur?”
“Is Drake really Jewish? What about Mac Miller?”
Make no mistake. These are all fantastic questions. And as the new Judaism blogger for the Charlatan, I’m going to attempt to clarify some of these mysteries.
The most relevant themes in Judaism at this time of the year are the holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Like almost anything related to Judaism, the ways in which Jews observe Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, known as the “High Holidays,” vary from person to person and family to family.
Rosh Hashanah, which began Sept. 28 and runs until Sept. 30 at sunset, marks the Jewish New Year. From a religious standpoint, the purpose of this special occasion is for Jews to evaluate their behaviours throughout the past year (even during the month leading up to these two days), and begin to make amends for any wrongdoings done to a fellow person.
On Rosh Hashanah itself, most synagogues are typically packed, as the emphasis of the prayer services is apologizing to God for one’s sins since the previous Rosh Hashanah. For this reason, it’s also known as “the day of judgment” and “the day of remembrance.”
One of the main symbols of Rosh Hashanah is the shofar, a horn (usually of a ram), that is blown 100 times each day of the holiday. Naturally, there’s an obvious follow-up question to the mention of this ritual: Why?
According to ancient Jewish commentators, there are many possible explanations as to why the Torah commands the shofar to be blown on Rosh Hashanah. For instance, to serve as a reminder for the Jewish people of the creation of the world, or to wake up the Jews and encourage them to return to God’s ways. Another common explanation is the Binding of Isaac, when Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son but instead ended up offering a ram.
Culturally, Rosh Hashanah is known to be a very joyful celebration. Jews will wish each other a “Shana Tova Umetukah,” which is Hebrew for “a good and sweet year.” During this time, Jews traditionally eat apples dipped in honey to further express the theme of having a sweet upcoming year.
On the contrary, Yom Kippur, which occurs eight days after Rosh Hashanah ends, is a less thrilling occasion. Like the first part of the High Holidays, Yom Kippur stresses repentance for the sins committed in the last year, throughout five different prayer services in synagogue.
Known as “the day of atonement,” Yom Kippur is about apologizing to God, and consists of numerous restrictions to prove one’s desire for forgiveness. Perhaps the heaviest of these restrictions is the prohibition of eating and drinking from the moment Yom Kippur begins at sunset to the time it ends the next evening.
Many consider Yom Kippur to be the holiest day of the year in the Jewish calendar due to the intensive prayer that it includes as well as its obligatory fast. It’s said that on Yom Kippur, the fate of each Jew for the next year is sealed by God.
While some may not fully believe in the obligatory or customary rituals of the Jewish High Holidays, it’s difficult to reject the intention of either. It never hurts to stop for a moment and think of anyone you may have wronged in the past year or any bridges you may have burned. A day of atonement may just help.
To Jews and non-Jews alike, I wish you a Shana Tova Umetukah. Have a good and sweet year.
