September means summer is winding down and fall is at your doorstep. You might feel the temperature start to drop as you break out a jacket for the first time in months and look forward to the golden colors of fall. The beginning of this season brings warm, cozy thoughts to mind for many of us. But if you’re Jewish, this time of the year means something more.

The Jewish month Tishrei, which corresponds with September-October, kicks off the busiest season on the calendar. The three-week whirlwind of observances begins with two days of Rosh Hashanah (the Feast of Trumpets), the Jewish New Year celebration. Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), a day of solemn prayer and repentance, comes a week later. This is followed by a celebration of Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) in which observers dwell in outdoor booths or tents for a week. 

These feasts make up part of the distinct fingerprint of the Jewish people, the incomparable tapestry of culture specific only to them.

More than just a time of celebration, these three holidays were ordained by God as one of the many ways He called and set the Jewish people apart as His Chosen People. We find the biblical origins for all three feasts in Leviticus 23. God instructed Moses to proclaim them as holy convocations (v. 2) to the people of Israel. As they are unique to the descendants of Israel, these feasts make up part of the distinct fingerprint of the Jewish people, the incomparable tapestry of culture specific only to them.

The way these holidays are observed doesn’t come naturally to most people. Gentiles have no equivalent holiday for living outside for a week or praying and fasting for a full day. But these celebrations are just as important events on the calendar to observing Jewish families as Christmas and Easter are to believers. We would do well to have a knowledgeable and empathetic heart for the Jewish people concerning these feasts.

We’ve covered these fall feasts in depth in the past—feel free to read our past teachings about Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. But let’s explore a quick overview of these special holidays.

What Is Rosh Hashanah?

Here are a few things to know about what Rosh Hashanah means to Jewish people:

• It’s the start of a new year—a chance to renew hope and enjoy a fresh start.
• It’s a time for happy feasting, with sweet foods like apples, challah (festival bread), and honey headlining the hearty meals.
• It’s a time to become pure, as Orthodox observers empty their pockets into the nearest body of water to cast away their sins in a practice called Tashlich.
• It’s a time to repent of sin and perform good deeds for the purpose of earning a spot for their name in the Book of Life.
• It’s a time to hear the shofar (ram’s horn), a reminder of the future regathering of all Israel back in their land and the future coming of the Messiah.

What Is Yom Kippur?

Here’s what you should know about Yom Kippur and its role in Jewish lives:

• It’s a day to pray, repent, and do good deeds to atone for sin in lieu of Temple sacrifices.
• It’s a day to rest from work in order to “afflict [their] souls” (Leviticus 16:29).
• It’s a day the Jewish world seems to slow to a halt to recognize people’s total dependence on the Lord.

What Is Sukkot?

And here are the highlights of Sukkot in the Jewish world:

• It’s sometimes called “The Holiday,” recognized as the greatest Jewish feast.
• It’s a week when Jewish observers build temporary booths outside where they eat their meals and often spend more time than in their own homes.
• It includes Hoshana Rabbah, the seventh day of the celebration when worshipers carry willow branches around the platform where the Torah scroll is read seven times, then beat them against the ground five times.
• It’s a week to commemorate God’s provision in leading the Israelites through the wilderness.

What Do These Things Have to Do With Your Jewish Friends?

If you want to be a true friend to them, you’ll find that reflecting the same joy and sincerity they have during the month of Tishrei will go a long way.

If you’re not Jewish, everything listed so far may never cross your mind in the fall months because they’re not part of your culture. But while they might not mean much to you, they mean a lot to your Jewish friends. It’s the holiday season they greatly look forward to. If you want to be a true friend to them, you’ll find that reflecting the same joy and sincerity they have during the month of Tishrei will go a long way. 

In a time where it’s fashionable to hate Israel and the Jewish people (but let’s face it—it’s been open season on them for most of human history), learning about and participating in the fall feasts can go a long way. They’re part of a world that doesn’t exist for most Gentiles. Taking part in that world makes your Jewish friends feel recognized, heard, and appreciated. Take the extra step this month to immerse yourself in these holy days. Not only may your Jewish friends take notice; you also might find yourself learning more about the Lord who instituted these days and fall deeper in love with Him. L’Shana tova!

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Happy New Year!

Fireworks pop off and cheers fill the air as the clock strikes midnight. Families and friends gather during the coldest time of the year to celebrate the dawn of a new year, often watching the Times Square Ball Drop in New York City. Auld Lang Syne graces the airwaves, while neighbors (sometimes not so gracefully) belt out the song’s chorus, too.

That’s the New Year celebration most of us are used to enjoying. But when the Jewish people think of the new year, they’re thinking of something far different.

We’re talking about Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year celebration. For starters, Rosh Hashanah doesn’t take place on January 1. It’s a 48-hour celebration that lasts from the evening of the first day to the evening of the third day of Tishrei, the first month on the Jewish calendar. This year those dates fall on September 18 at sundown to the 20th at sundown. This fall celebration doesn’t include fireworks, Times Square festivities, or Auld Lang Syne renditions. 

That’s not to say these are joyless celebrations—much the opposite! Feasting, family time, and the sounding of the shofar highlight the jubilation. Since it’s a joyful holiday, the defining food of Rosh Hashanah is fruit—a symbol of the hope held for a sweet new year. For the same reason, challah, a round bread symbolizing the eternal cycle of life, is dipped in honey. But as with all Jewish holidays, this day holds symbolism in reverence and uses the day to focus on one’s spirit.

Biblically-Based

Each Jewish holiday can essentially be boiled down to a main theme. For instance, Yom Kippur focuses on repentance, and the Feast of Tabernacles is a remembrance of God’s provision. Rosh Hashanah celebrates the Lord’s goodness coupled with the hope of a new year. With such a happy focus, it’s easy to see why this holiday is such a joyful time in Jewish communities. 

But Rosh Hashanah did not begin as the new year celebration it includes today. In fact, Scripture mandated this holiday to take place right in the middle of the Jewish year: the first day of the seventh month. But the Jewish calendar changed over time, and the month of Tishrei was no longer the seventh month; it became the first, and thus began Rosh Hashanah’s designation as a New Year holiday. 

Called the Feast of Trumpets in Scripture, it was during this celebration that all Israel would hear the blast of the shofar, a ram’s horn. The blast was a call to remember God’s faithfulness over the past year. During this celebration no one was permitted to do regular work but was to present a gift to the Lord (Leviticus 23:23–25).

Doesn’t it feel like you never have a break to just sit, breathe, relax, and reflect?

Breathe

We would do well to remember this lesson throughout the year. Our lives get so busy. In fact, when are they ever not? Doesn’t it feel like you never have a break to just sit, breathe, relax, and reflect? That’s why we need that shofar blast (at least metaphorically). In our progressive, productive world, business clutters our lives so much that we need to be reminded to carve out time to remember the Lord who gives us the ability to do everything we’ve ever done. When we do, it’s an awesome feeling, just laying our cares before our King and letting Him take care of us as we give Him thanks.

Think about the account of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38–42. Martha welcomed Jesus into her home. When He entered, she made preparations for her guest, being “distracted with much serving.” That doesn’t seem so bad, right? Welcoming Jesus into your home and serving Him sounds like the right thing to do. Yet Jesus didn’t commend her for this. Instead He praised her sister, Mary, for doing the exact opposite: not working out of earshot to serve Him physically but sitting at His feet listening to Him speak. 

This is what Jesus wants from us. Physical service is a great thing, but it should never come at the expense of spending personal time with Jesus, absorbing His Word, and resting in His goodness.

Physical service is a great thing, but it should never come at the expense of spending personal time with Jesus, absorbing His Word, and resting in His goodness.

Reflect

Everyone would do well to learn from the example of Rosh Hashanah, and I’m sure many already do. For many, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day is already a time to reflect on the previous year. But rather than just focusing on the fun highlights, a healthy practice is to note the moments throughout the year that God was at work in your life. 

Maybe this has been manifested in satisfying moments—personal milestones, relationships, financial security. Maybe your job has been a blessing to you or you’ve grown closer to your family and friends. It’s easy to thank God for these enriching moments. But maybe your gratitude can come through enduring hard times—illness, injury, grief, sorrow. Maybe you were diagnosed with the coronavirus or another terrible disease that you’ve since overcome or continue to battle. Maybe you lost a friendship or faced emotional pain from a loved one. Though painful, these moments can still direct our attention to God!  

So this year, whether you’re Jewish or not, try to celebrate Rosh Hashanah as a second New Year celebration. The key is to remember and acknowledge all the moments God has worked in your life over the past year. With that action in mind, it becomes easier to value God’s goodness in our lives and recognize it in moments we had taken for granted. Happy Second New Year!

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