Today, as the day draws to a close, the Coastside Jewish Community will ring in year 5773 as part of their celebration of Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year. The festivities will continue until nightfall on Tuesday, Sept. 18.
The Coastside Jewish Community services at St. Edmund’s Church in Pacifica include Rosh Hashana at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Sunday, Sept. 16, and 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, Monday, Sept. 17. Services also include a family service, child care, Oneg (a vegetarian dish to share and your own dishes/flatware) and Tashlich (a long-standing Jewish practice usually performed on the afternoon of Rosh Hashanah) at Linda Mar Beach.
The holiday also includes Yom Kippur, with services at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25, and 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26. Contemporary Songs for Reflection, a musical participatory program, will be back again at the Yom Kippur service. Also included in the observance are a family service, child care and Yizkor and Neilah services and a vegetarian potluck meal.
Rosh Hashanah, which literally means “head of the year,” signals the beginning of the High Holy Days. Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, marks the end, and together they are two of the holiest days for Jews.
Like most New Year celebrations, Rosh Hashanah is a time of introspection and a time to bring about changes in the coming year. The traditional blowing of the shofar, or ram’s horn, during services on Rosh Hashanah marks a time to contemplate past mistakes and find ways to make things right.
On this day, as on Sabbath, Jews avoid work and spend the day with family. And where there’s a family gathering, can food be far behind? It’s no surprise that after services Jewish families tuck into an elaborate spread of traditional dishes.
The day begins with eating apples dipped in honey, in hopes that the new year will also be sweet. Another tradition is to bake challah, a round-shaped bread that is a symbol of the circle of life.
So, it's time to get into that festive mood! Patch has come up with some great recipes that will make your Rosh Hoshanah meal extra special this year.
Newton Patch contributor Wendy Schapiro shared her family recipe for a mouth-watering, traditional meal complete with a side dish and dessert, route: {:controller=>"articles", :action=>"show", :id=>"rosh-hashanah-recipes-noodle-kugel-and-apple-crumble"} -->, and
