Jewish communities across Michigan are set to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, this weekend beginning at sundown on Friday, Sept. 11.
The holiday, starting Friday night, marks the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days, leading up to Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement.
Rosh Hashanah, which translates from Hebrew and means “head” of the year, is commemorated with special prayers, foods, gatherings and more.
Here's what to know about the Jewish New Year.
When is Rosh Hashanah?
Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset on Friday, Sept. 11, and will end at dusk on Sunday, Sept. 13.
The celebration of the new year is the only Jewish holiday that is two days long, both inside and outside Israel. It’s called yoma arichta, translated as “a long day” because the 48-hour
celebration may be thought of as one extended day.
Why is Rosh Hashanah celebrated?
Rosh Hashanah is often treated as a time to reflect on the previous year and focus on hopes for the coming year, according to Jordan Rosenblum, the Belzer Professor of Classical Judaism and Max and Frieda Weinstein-Bascom Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“It's the beginning of the Jewish calendar, and like all new years there are, it’s a time for sort of taking stock, right? What do I want to improve? You know, the equivalent of joining the gym in January,” he said.
Rosh Hashanah is also important for some Jewish people as a celebration of the creation of humanity. It may be referred to as the "birthday of the world," marking the time when God created — or when the breath of life entered — Adam and Eve.
How is Rosh Hashanah celebrated?
Many Jewish people will attend services at synagogues and other spaces for worship on Rosh Hashanah. Jewish congregations will recite special prayers and songs to mark the new year.
Some Jewish communities will blow a shofar, a curved ram’s horn.
While the holiday is uplifting, it also urges believers to reconcile conflict from the past year and start the new year with a clean page.
“It’s meant to kind of stir you, awaken you to the idea of thinking of new year, taking stock, preparing to atone, and in the month leading up to Rosh Hashanah it begins to be used as a kind of wake up,” Rosenblum said. “It really kind of pierces the air, and you can't ignore it.”
Some Jews may also pray near a body of water in a Tashlich ceremony, in addition to tossing pieces of bread or other food into the water to symbolize sending off sins.
How many people of the Jewish faith live in Michigan?
Michigan's Jewish population in 2024 was 129,000.
According toJewish Virtual Library, the U.S.'s Jewish population in 2024 was 7.69 million people.
What are some traditional Rosh Hashanah foods?
Rosh Hashanah celebrations don’t just take place within the walls of a synagogue. Many Jews will gather with friends and family to eat special foods and hold commemorations.
- Some Jewish people eat apples and honey together to represent a sweet new year.
- People may also eat challah, a braided bread, in a round loaf to represent a cycle of the year.
- Pomegranate seeds also represent the 613 mitzvot, or commandments, that are cited in the Torah, the Jewish holy book.
Is it OK to say 'Happy Rosh Hashanah'?
Yes, happy Rosh Hashanah or happy new year are both appropriate greetings if you are talking to Jewish friends, family, co-workers, or classmates around the holiday. You can also say “Shanah tovah,” which means good year in Hebrew.
Do you fast during Rosh Hashanah?
Jews will fast for Yom Kippur and other holidays, but not Rosh Hashanah.
The Jewish new year is often celebrated with "delicious festive meals," according to My Jewish Learning.
Detroit Free Press reporter Jalen Williams and the Democrat and Chronicle contributed.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jewish new year begins at sundown Sept. 11. What Rosh Hashanah means
