As the Jewish community prepares to welcome the year 5785 on the Hebrew calendar, Rosh Hashanah 2024 brings unique challenges and opportunities. Set to begin on Wednesday, October 2, and conclude on Friday, October 4, this year's observance will seamlessly transition into Shabbat, necessitating additional preparations. From traditional foods to the blowing of the shofar, the celebration encapsulates renewal, reflection, and hope for the coming year.

Rosh Hashanah symbols

Every year, on the night of Rosh Hashanah, it is customary to eat symbols – foods that symbolize blessings for the new year. Each symbol is accompanied by a special blessing and deep spiritual meaning. The holiday symbols are an integral part of the holiday and accompany the family meal in a spirit of renewal and blessing.

1. Pomegranate: The many seeds of the pomegranate symbolize abundance.
2. Apple in honey: Symbolizes a sweet year.
3. Rubia (beans): The rubia symbolizes multiplication and growth.
4. Leek: The leek symbolizes hope for the removal of enemies.
5. Fish head: To be like the head and not the tail.

Shofar blowing

Shofar blowing is one of the central customs of Rosh Hashanah. The blowing symbolizes a call to repentance, the coronation of God as King of the universe, and the opening of the gates of heaven for our prayers. Types of blasts:

1. Tekiah: A straight, long sound.
2. Shevarim: Three short blasts.
3. Teruah: A series of short and continuous blasts, totaling nine.

In every synagogue, 30 blasts are sounded before the Musaf prayer, and another 70 blasts during it. The blasts are considered a central stage in the prayer, and it's important to listen to them with concentration and without distractions.

Eruv Tavshilin: What is it and how to perform it?

When Yom Tov connects to Shabbat, one must perform an eruv tavshilin that allows preparation of food for Shabbat during the second day of Yom Tov. One should take challah bread and a prepared dish, say the blessing, give it to someone else who will also say a blessing, and thus, it is permissible to cook on Yom Tov for Shabbat.

It's important to know that eruv tavshilin permits cooking from the second day of Yom Tov for Shabbat, but not from the first day of Yom Tov to the second. It is forbidden to cook or set the table for the second evening meal of Rosh Hashanah before the end of the first day, that is, Thursday evening, a minute or two before the time corresponding to the end of the second day of Yom Tov on Friday.

Lighting Shabbat and Yom Tov candles

Shabbat and Yom Tov candles need to be prepared in advance, and one should ensure that memorial candles or other candles will burn for the entire required time so that we can transfer fire from existing fire during the holiday and Shabbat.

When is Rosh Hashanah 2024? Entry times

1. Jerusalem: 17:47
2. Tel Aviv: 18:03
3. New York: 18:17
4. Los Angeles: 18:16

When is Rosh Hashanah 2024? Exit times

1. Jerusalem: 18:56
2. Tel Aviv: 18:58
3. New York: 18:14
4. Los Angeles: 18:14

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Shortly after hosting the White House's first-ever Rosh Hashanah reception on Friday, US President Joe Biden joined rabbis and Jewish clergy for a High Holy Days call on Zoom.

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Biden started by expressing his sympathies with those affected by Hurricane Ian's destructive path through Florida.

"I know it's especially hard for so many Jewish families in Florida, who just finished celebrating the New Year and are now in this solemn part of the High Holy Days," said Biden. "I was just with Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and [Congressman] Ted Deutsch (two Jewish US representatives from Florida) at the reception and they're working with me doing everything we can to help search and rescue missions, recovery and rebuilding efforts, which is going to go on for a significant amount of time, I'm afraid. And whatever it takes, we're going to stay there until we get it done."

He told those on the call a story about the first lady taping a note on his mirror during a particularly troubling time about eight years ago. The note contained a quote that said, "Faith sees best in the dark."

"And that's what all of you do every day as you look through and create light [in] your congregations all across America. So consequential. So, the main thing I want to say to you is this: Thank you. Thank you, thank you," said Biden. "You provide strength and hope every single day of the year, and especially during this season of introspection, renewal and repentance. And it matters."

While Biden strung together a few well-worn stories about his relationship with Israel and his meetings with various Israeli leaders, he referenced his most recent trip to the Holy Land this summer, when he met with two Holocaust survivors who emigrated to America after the war.

"They returned to that sacred ground to speak with young people, so the young would never forget. So they'd understand. The Jewish people know better than any that silence is complicit. We cannot remain silent. As president, I will not remain silent," said Biden.

He spoke of his administration's work with Congress to secure record funding for security for nonprofits, including synagogues and religious organizations. "No one in America should ever fear of going to a religious service or school, or walking down the street wearing a symbol of their faith," said Biden.

He closed by beseeching those on the call to take matters into their own hands in order to affect change, noting that "the promise of tomorrow is embedded in thousands of years of Jewish history and the story of America as well."

Deborah Lipstadt, the US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, also joined the call for a brief question and answer session with select rabbis. She said that while domestic anti-Semitism doesn't fall under her purview, she recently met with Deputy Attorney General Kristen Clarke, whose responsibility it is to monitor and respond to hate crimes. She said she's also been in touch with the Department of Education on the issue.

"Just so that we can know what one another is doing so that we can be in touch, so that we can support one another and be [aware] of information when things happen," Lipstadt said.

Lipstadt, who graduated from the City University of New York system, where anti-Semitism is on the rise, took the occasion on Friday to "encourage students on campus to look to the various Jewish student organizations for help, for support, and to recognize that nothing was solved by silence."

Friday's call was hosted by Shelley Greenspan, the White House liaison to the American Jewish community.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Among the 30,000 Israelis who traveled to Uman in Ukraine to worship at the grave of Rabbi Nahman of Breslev over the High Holidays, some 3,440 have already tested positive upon their return to Israel, health authorities reported Sunday evening.

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Of the positive cases among the Uman pilgrims, 25% were hospitalized and 19 were listed in serious conditions. Four of the Uman visitors have already died, with two of the deaths confirmed to be from COVID and the two other fatalities under investigation. A whopping 81% of the Uman visitors who contracted COVID were unvaccinated, and 91% are under age 50.

"This is a 10% positive rate, which is very high. The confirmed carriers cooperated only partly with the contact tracing, but I hope that they protected themselves and their family members," a senior healthcare official said.

Meanwhile, among the general population, 3,208 new cases were confirmed on Sunday, the Health Ministry reported Monday morning, a positive rate of 4.26% of the tests processed. The virus reproduction rate (R) was also down to 0.77, but it was unclear whether these lower figures were due to an actual decline in the number of cases or the fewer tests processed during the holidays.

As of Monday morning, there were 671 COVID patients listed in serious condition, with 90% of the serious cases contracted by people who had not received the booster shot.

Nearly 120,000 public school students, who are scheduled to go back to school this week after the Sukkot holiday ends, were in quarantine on Monday, and 3,843 teachers and other educational staff were in quarantine.

Authorities expect that the return to school, as well as Israelis returning from vacations abroad, will cause a spike in the number of new cases over the next few weeks that will begin to drop if the public continues to be vaccinated and observe public health precautions.

Healthcare officials have warned that Tuesday through Thursday this week, testing sites are expected to be unusually crowded because of the tests required by Israelis returning from abroad and home antigen tests whose results demand a second test. The IDF Home Front Command is currently operating 160 testing sites, 30 more than were available as of Rosh Hashanah on Sept. 6. However, one official said, "Community clinics are still not giving it their all."

On Sunday, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz convened a press conference at Wolfson Medical Center at which he expressed his satisfaction at the efficacy of the COVID booster shot and the government policy of "not instating lockdowns and not harming the economy."

Also on Sunday, Israel received its first shipment of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, N12 reported. The AstraZeneca vaccines will be offered to Israelis who have sensitivities to components of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

Recent studies have indicated that the AstraZeneca vaccine might not require recipients to get a booster shot.

In related news, Israel's Coronavirus cabinet is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. Sunday for the first time in over a month.

The cabinet is meeting as the number of serious COVID cases remains high and after unprecedented public criticism from healthcare experts, published a few days ago, of the government's policy during the latest Delta wave.

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Thousands of worshippers gathered at the Western Wall on Wednesday morning for the traditional Priestly Blessing. The first was scheduled for 9:15 a.m., with a second to follow at 10:15.

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Participants in the ceremony included Israel's Ashkenazi and Sephardi chief rabbis, David Lau and Yitzhak Yosef, as well as Rabbi of the Western Wall Shmuel Rabinovitch.

Security and religious authorities warned ahead of the blessing that if the Western Wall plaza became too crowded, entrance to both the Old City and the Western Wall itself would be barred. The Western Wall Heritage Foundation has appealed to the public not to attend the blessing on both Wednesday and Thursday, to allow as many people as possible to take part in the ceremony.

As the festival of Sukkot begins, the Jerusalem District Police were on alert, with hundreds of police officers, Border Police, and police volunteers fanned out across the city. Multiple security checkpoints have been set up at the entrances to the Western Wall area in an attempt to handle the expected crowds.

The public has been asked not to drive their personal vehicles to the Old City during Sukkot. Transportation options include buses, shuttles, and the city's light rail. Visitors are urged to follow police instructions as well as COVID regulations, including wearing masks at gatherings or prayer ceremonies.

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With the High Holidays approaching and the Delta variant surging, many synagogues across the United States are preparing to welcome congregants for in-person holiday services for the first time in two years and are juggling to keep up with a changing landscape.

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"A month ago, our High Holiday plans looked different. Then came Delta," Rabbi Karen Bogard of the Central Reform Congregation in St. Louis said.

Under normal circumstances, the Central Reform Congregation rents a hall for the High Holidays to accommodate the large number of people coming to services. This year, knowing the number of people indoors would be limited by COVID-19, the congregation was planning to hold services in its sanctuary.

"Originally, all of our main services were going to be indoors for people who were fully vaccinated. We had the capacity for 500 people with others in a tent outdoors," explains Bogard. "Now, we're not having anything indoors."

Instead, all daytime services at Central Reform Congregation will be outdoors, while evening services on both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur will be broadcast online.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for the week ending Aug. 27, there were more than 16,000 new cases of COVID-19 in Missouri. Bogard said the synagogue had always planned to stream the High Holiday services (it has been offering online services for several years now), but the rise in coronavirus cases sealed the deal. When more than 400 synagogue members responded to a recent survey about their holiday plans, some 50% said they planned to stay home and watch services online with their families.

"We were so close. I was so excited," Bogard said. "I knew it wasn't going to feel the same [as years past] because we were doing it in our building and not renting a larger hall, but I was looking forward to that. It's kind of hard; it's like whiplash with all the sudden changing of plans and having to reverse course."

In Texas, which is also seeing high rates of COVID-19 transmission – the CDC reports there were more than 116,000 new cases in the week ending Aug. 27 – Congregation Agudas Achim, a large Conservative synagogue in Austin, will hold indoor, in-person services in its sanctuary, which can seat 750 people. This year, capacity will be capped at 50%. Other smaller minyanim will be held in different parts of the building.

"Last year we didn't have in-person services. However, I don't want to do that again," said Rabbi Neil Blumofe, adding that with the COVID-19 vaccine and masks it is possible to be back indoors again.

"It's really essential for a synagogue to be open and have an opportunity for people to be together and spiritually participate in our traditions. Our congregation has been informed every step of the way and we have had meetings with stakeholders and the medical and science community. … People miss the community and realize the power of what a synagogue is."

The congregation will also provide online prayer services. "We've invested quite a bit in that," Blumofe said, "not for the convenience factor, but for people who don't feel safe coming because of pikuach nefesh (saving a life)."
Although no official numbers exist, anecdotally the presence of online services has been a benefit to some congregations that offer them, beyond just those in their communities who do not feel safe at indoor services.

Online services, rabbis report, have opened the door to individuals who may not have entered a synagogue before or who live far from a local congregation, allowing them to participate in the holidays.

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While having online services will work for some streams of Judaism, Orthodox synagogues will once again rely on a hybrid of indoor/outdoor prayer to meet the needs of their congregants who do not use computers on holidays.

For Rabbi Ben Kean, the new incoming religious leader at Congregation Beth Abraham-Jacob in Albany, NY – he served as interim rabbi last year – that means he'll be splitting his time during services, whose start times are being staggered so that he can oversee the blowing of the shofar at each service.

"Traditionally, the synagogue has had only one service even during the holidays, and I think there's something nice about having as many people together as possible," he said. But with a number of regular attendees not comfortable inside for services, an outdoor option is being offered.

While having multiple services and minimizing the numbers of attendees at each may seem like a good solution – be they indoors or out – it also creates a staffing challenge, particularly for smaller congregations who must, at minimum, find additional cantors, Torah-readers and shofar-blowers.

"That's a challenge, but not one that's insurmountable," Kean said. "It's worthwhile to ensure that everyone is safe and comfortable."

Regardless of where or how, people will be praying, Rabbi Bogard of the Central Reform Congregation said it was important to keep in mind that "there are some people who are very lonely and don't have friends or family to gather with."

For them, she said, it's important to reach out and make sure they feel connected.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Jews in Germany wishing to attend synagogue over the High Holidays will need to abide by the government's "3G" policy that came into effect in late August: Geimpft, genesen, getestet – "vaccinated, recovered, tested."

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As Germany's version of the Israeli "green pass" system, "3G" allows individuals to take part in public events and activities, such as celebrations and indoor restaurant dining, only if one of the three conditions is met.

Each of Germany's 16 federal states varies in the policy's implementation. In Berlin – home to some 100,000 Jews – "3G"  does not apply to religious worship as long as distancing is adhered to, though most synagogues base their own systems on it.

"Every synagogue decides for itself how they want to deal with it," said Rabbi Boris Ronis, leader of the Conservative-liberal Rykestrasse synagogue, one of the oldest and largest shuls in Berlin. It was spared destruction during the Kristallnacht pogroms thanks to its location in the heart of a residential area; now, the trendy, café-lined neighborhood of Prenzlauer Berg.

"It's difficult. It's the coronavirus. Nobody knows," Ronis said. "We ask the people for '3G,' and that's it. We wear masks and socially distance. That's what we can do."

For large synagogues like Rykestrasse, walk-ins are allowed, but smaller synagogues may require registration to abide by regulations given the limited space – a habit some synagogues have already implemented for security purposes during Shabbat and holidays.

"On normal days, only every second seat in the synagogue is occupied. For the holidays, we've come up with something special. Last year, we were the first synagogue in Germany to inaugurate an open-air shul for the High Holidays. Services will be held there this year as well," said Jana Erdmann, head of press and communications for Chabad's Jewish Educational Center in Berlin. The open-air synagogue consists of a large tent, heated when necessary.

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However, it might be more difficult for parents with small children to attend. This year, sensitivity to the spread of infection has made playgroups impractical, both at Chabad and Rykestrasse. At the height of the last lockdown (from November 2020 to May 2021), singing liturgy – as opposed to reciting – was not allowed, but now worshippers can belt out prayers from a fixed seat and at a distance.

An added obstacle to German synagogues, which serve a Jewish population of some 200,000, is security. In 2019, a Syrian refugee wielded a knife in front of the New Synagogue of Berlin, shouting "Allah Akbar." Days later, on Yom Kippur, a right-wing extremist attempted to shoot worshippers at the synagogue of Halle but could not make it through the bolted gate.

"The police presence is generally higher than usual during Jewish holidays, and tighter security measures are in place because of repeated attacks in recent years," Erdmann said. "The pandemic has further fueled antisemitic sentiment. Both our security and the police – who are positioned in front of our building – are attentive to this."

Rykestrasse has not changed its security concept this year, believing the threat is omnipresent. "This is Germany," Ronis said.

Security guards at synagogues usually screen people who enter for any red flags. This year, synagogue-goers might also have to wave their "3G" status before entering.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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US President Joe Biden may have gotten himself in hot water during a well-meaning teleconference with Jewish religious leaders in advance of the High Holidays on Thursday.

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The teleconference was facilitated by the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Rabbinical Assembly, the Rabbinical Council of America and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association.

During the roughly 16-minute-long teleconference, Biden lamented the rise in antisemitism in the United States.

"The point I'm trying to make here is that I used to think coming out of the civil-rights movement and being involved in the Jewish community as a kid, and the civil rights movement in Delaware, I used to think that hate could be defeated; it could be wiped out. But I learned a long time ago, it can't. It only hides. It hides. It hides under the rocks. And given any oxygen at all, it comes out. It's a minority view, but it comes out, and it comes out raging," said Biden.

"And it's been given too much oxygen in the last four, five, seven, 10 years, and it has seen itself, whether it was – I remember spending time at the – you know, going to the – you know, the Tree of Life Synagogue, speaking with the – just – it just is amazing these things are happening – happening in America," he said.

"And I guess the point I want to make is that it just shows that if we walk away from 'never again,' it's going to happen again. It can't happen again. And so, I guess the point I'm making is that the attack in Pittsburgh, those attacks – all antisemitic attacks – aren't just a strike against the Jewish community; they're a strike against the soul of our nation and the values which we say we stand for. No matter its source or stated rationale, we have to and will condemn this prejudice at every turn, alongside other forms of hate."

But Barb Feige, executive director of the Pittsburgh synagogue where 11 worshippers were murdered by a gunman in 2018, told the New York Post that Biden has not visited the synagogue in the nearly three years since the shooting.

In a statement, the White House said Biden was referring to a phone call he made after the shooting to Jeffrey Myers, the rabbi of the Conservative congregation, one of three in the Tree of Life complex.

In a statement to CNN on Friday, Myers said: "President Biden kindly called me on my cell phone as I was sitting in Dulles Airport awaiting a return flight to Pittsburgh after I testified before Congress in July 2019. In a heartfelt way, he extended his condolences and asked how we were doing. We spoke about the challenges of antisemitism, and he made clear he would confront it with us as president. The conversation meant a great deal to me, and I will always be grateful for his kind words and continued support of our community."

Then-President Donald Trump visited Tree of Life in October 2018, the month of the massacre.

In the teleconference, Biden first recalled his time as vice president under former President Barack Obama – hosting High Holiday events at the Naval Observatory, the residence of the vice president – and apologized for not being able to host the religious leaders this year at the White House because of COVID-19.

He made several mentions that he's a practicing Catholic but said that the ideals of the Jewish High Holidays are universal.

"Renewal. Renewal. When I was running for president, I placed the idea of renewal at the center of my campaign. I said my mission was to restore America's soul. I got criticized for that, but I meant it in a literal sense," said Biden. "We seem to have lost our way. We lost the – a sense of comradery. We treated each other so harshly, the way we spoke of one another and the way in which we dealt with politics."

Biden spoke about his interactions with former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in Israel during the time of the 1967 Six-Day War, taking his children and grandchildren to visit concentration camps in Europe, in addition to his daughter's wedding to Howard Krein, a Jewish plastic surgeon from Philadelphia, in 2012.

The families wanted to do a joint Catholic and Jewish wedding, and Biden contacted a friend of his in Delaware who could find a rabbi to officiate a wedding in a Catholic church.

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"And we had a chuppah on the altar, and we had a co- … it was co-officiated. Now, some of you aren't going to like this, but it was co-officiated by a Catholic priest, as well as a Jewish rabbi," he said.

He only had one request – that the Catholic hymn "On Eagle's Wings" be played during the ceremony. Instead, he joked, they played a Jewish wedding song of a name he couldn't remember.

"There's so much we can do. People are looking over the edge, and they're all of a sudden realizing we got to change. We've got to change," he concluded after quoting an Irish poet. "And I – I'm not being solicitous, but I – I think the Jewish community is sort of the backbone of staying with what's right. And so, I'm looking forward to continuing to work with you. And again, happy holidays."

Featured on JNS.org.

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Israel's coronavirus infection rate stands at 8.43%, according to Health Ministry data published Friday. Of the 140,967 people who tested for the virus Thursday, 11,210 were found to have COVID-19.

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Israel has 91,936 active cases of the virus. There are 667 Israelis in serious condition, 143 of whom are on ventilators.

Although 1,002,182 people have recovered from the virus since the start of the pandemic, 7,122 have died.

On the inoculation front, over 6,005,150 Israelis have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Over 5,501,924 have received two doses, and over 2,493,222 Israelis have received three.

Israelis will no longer need to quarantine for one week upon returning to the country from overseas under new Health Ministry guidelines that took effect Friday. According to the guidelines, individuals inoculated with three doses of the coronavirus vaccine, as well those who received their second dose within the last six months, will need to quarantine for 24 hours or until they receive a negative test result, whichever comes first.

While the Health Ministry has yet to publish official guidelines for the upcoming High Holidays, Health Ministry Director-General Nachman Ash has recommended Israelis downsize their gatherings and ask all those attending to take a rapid coronavirus test in advance. Ash further recommended guests keep their distance from one another and celebrate in the open air – in yards, parks, or on balconies – when possible.

Noting these were not government-mandated steps, Ash told Israel Hayom he nevertheless recommended families adopt a "green family pass" for such an occasion. "Anyone who hasn't yet been vaccinated, get vaccinated today," he said.

As for prayer services, Ash said, "It's better to hold prayers outdoors and not in synagogues. We worked with local authorities to allow this."

The ministry has engaged in outreach efforts with the Haredi community to advocate outdoor prayers.

Israeli Medical Association Chairman and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev School of Public Health Director Professor Nadav Davidovitch expressed concern over the spread of the virus ahead of the holidays.

"Morbidity levels in Israel remain high. We face a significant challenge …. ahead of the holiday period, the prayers, and communal meals. We must all think and speak to family and friends about how we plan to celebrate and how we can better conduct ourselves at holiday meals, including [in] a ventilated place and [by] limiting the number of participants," he said.

"We can't leave things up in the air," Davidovitch said. "The state must issue guidelines, but we already know what it's like to live with the coronavirus and can behave responsibility by adapting to the complex situation at hand."

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As Israel approaches the High Holy Days – traditionally celebrated with friends and family and in large gatherings –Israel Hayom has reached out to health experts for their advice on how to celebrate the festivities in the safest way possible during pandemic times.

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Social distancing

Professor Hezi Levi, former director-general of the Health Ministry and now director of Ashkelon's Barzilai Medical Center, said: "Instead of imposing a lockdown, what we need is more caution exhibited by the public. That is, to limit indoor gatherings to 50 people as per Health Ministry guidelines, to wear masks, keep social distancing, and – for those who come into contact with a carrier or test positive for the coronavirus – to self-isolate.

"The state and the public needs to step up its vaccinations as much as possible. If the public adheres to the guidelines, then despite the opening of the school year and the holidays, we will not see a significant outbreak, although we are expecting a certain increase in morbidity."

Extra caution in synagogues

Expert epidemiologist Hagai Levine stressed that gatherings in synagogues posed the biggest threat for COVID resurgence. 

"First, I'd like to note that it is difficult to foresee what will happen in the upcoming month. However, in my opinion, we need to keep our fingers on the pulse and be alert at all times. Even if only vaccinated attendees enter, there may still be carriers, and the worshippers will be at risk of developing serious illnesses."

At-risk Israelis should pray outdoors

Professor Zvika Granot, from Hebrew University's Faculty of Medicine, said that Israelis with chronic diseases, or others more prone to serious illness, should pray outdoors.

"At the end of the day, we need to learn to live alongside the coronavirus until it disappears. But until that happens, the elderly and at-risk population must protect itself. The thing is that triple-jabbed people can still catch the coronavirus. Therefore, making sure that all worshippers are vaccinated does not guarantee safety for the congregants.

"Remember that the vaccine does not provide 100% protection, and with elderly people and those with illnesses, even less so, and therefore, being careful is crucial. That is how we will be able to live alongside COVID until it is gone."

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As Rosh Hashanah approaches, the Western Wall was cleared this week in a semi-annual ritual of tens of thousands of prayers and notes to God written by visitors, who stuck them between the stones of the ancient edifice.

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On Wednesday, the ritual took place with precautions against coronavirus infection in place, after a relapse in the infection rate.

Video: Reuters

Workers in protective masks held onto their sticks with gloves as they extracted the paper notes left in "God's mailbox."

Religious authorities also operate a service in which people can email their prayers for placement between the stones.

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