"One should not wear embroidered and silk garments on Rosh Hashanah like other holidays, so that the fear of judgment will be upon him" (Taz). Therefore, it is customary to dress in simple and nice clothes, but not fancy ones.

After the afternoon prayer, "Tashlich" is said beside a body of water or spring. Some Ashkenazim have the custom not to say it.

The post When is Rosh Hashanah and how to celebrate: The complete guide appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

"One should not wear embroidered and silk garments on Rosh Hashanah like other holidays, so that the fear of judgment will be upon him" (Taz). Therefore, it is customary to dress in simple and nice clothes, but not fancy ones.

After the afternoon prayer, "Tashlich" is said beside a body of water or spring. Some Ashkenazim have the custom not to say it.

The post Rosh Hashanah 2025: The ultimate guide and all the answers appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

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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Foreign Minister Eli Cohen arrived in Moldova Monday in preparation for the arrival of a record number of pilgrims to Ukraine's Uman ahead of Rosh Hashanah.

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Cohen's was the first visit by an Israeli foreign minister to Moldova, which became the main entry point for travelers to Uman since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, in over a decade. The site is the burial place of the revered Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.

Video: The siren is heard in Uman, Ukraine.

The foreign minister met with his Moldovan counterpart Nicu Popescu as well as the President of Moldova Maia Sandu, with whom he discussed, among other things, preparations ahead of the arrival of the pilgrims and ensuring a quick and smooth passage into Ukraine.

Cohen was accompanied by Jerusalem Affairs and Jewish Heritage Minister Meir Porush and MK Eliyahu Revivo (Likud), who are leading the preparations for the Uman festivities in the government and the Knesset.

As many as 71 direct flights are expected to fly from Israel to Moldova, with tens of thousands to cross the border into Ukraine over a period of three days.

The Israeli officials also met with representatives of the Jewish community of Moldova. Porush and the representatives toured the local airport to examine the possibility of increasing capacity and manpower.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials discouraged traveling to Uman due to the ongoing fighting.

"Our recommendation is to avoid arriving on Rosh Hashanah, considering the war, the regular bombings, and the possibility of provocations from Russia," Ihor Taburets, governor of the Cherkasy region, where Uman is located, said.

According to Taburets, the authorities understood, however, that worshippers would arrive in Uman in any case and were preparing ahead of time.

A political source said that "so far there is no limit to the number of" pilgrims allowed to travel to Uman this year.

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As Israelis prepare to welcome a new Jewish year with the traditional family meal, the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry has released new figures on our culinary preferences.

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According to the data, every Israeli eats about 345 grams (12 ounces ) of fish every week, but during the Rosh Hashanah period this almost doubles. 

Fresh fish account for almost 30% of the fish consumed during the holiday, compared to about 25% during other times of the year. The most popular fish during the High Holy Days, according to the retailers, are tilapia and salmon, which account for 36% each. Sea bream is second, accounting for about 5%, and then carp, with 4%. 

Israelis consume about 19.6 kg (43 lb) of beef per person each year. Some 40% is from livestock slaughtered in Israel. During the week just before Rosh Hashanah, demand for beef spikes by about 84%, according to supermarket chains. 

Israelis eat about 65 kg (143 lb) of chicken each year, which is a world record. In the US, which is ranked second, people eat only about half the amount each year. The global average stands at roughly 15 kg per person (33 lb). Israel's poultry farms in Israel has some 500 employees on site. Sales of poultry products usually go up by 57% in the days leading up to the holiday. 

As for pomegranate, which has become one of the symbols of Rosh Hashanah, it is in high demand in the final week of the Jewish year, seeing a 15% increase in sales. Each year, Israelis buy some 45,000 tons (99 million lb) of the fruit, consuming about 5.4 kg (11 lb) per person each year. This includes juice and other derivatives. 

Israelis consume about 5.6 liters of wine each year (190 oz), which is relatively low compared to other countries, especially in Europe and the US. In France, for example, each person drinks 46 liters (1555 oz). Israelis do not have a clear preference when it comes to red vs. white wine, each having a roughly 50% stake in the overall consumption. That said, white wine has become increasingly popular in recent years, as has sparkling wine. Some 70% of vineyards in Israel grow grapes for red wine, with the most popular being Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, and Merlot 

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The Central Bureau of Statistics published this week its final demographic figures ahead of the upcoming Jewish new year. 

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According to the report, Israel currently has 9,593,000 residents, with that number expected to cross 10 million at the end of 2024 and 15 million at the end of 2048. Israel's population will have essentially doubled by the end of 2065, the report says. 

A breakdown of the population according to ethnicities shows that 7,069,000 are Jews or roughly 74%. Some 2 million are Arabs (comprising some 21%) while about half a million residents (some 5%) have a different ethnic background. 

Some 177,000 new babies were born in the Jewish year 5782 (which ends Sunday night), while 53,000 people passed away, including 4,400 from complications of the coronavirus. 

The war in Ukraine has impacted Israel's overall immigration figures significantly. Net immigration for the past 12 months stands at 63,000, including 59,000 who qualify as Olim, with about 40,000 of those making aliyah from Ukraine.

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A former Jewish employee of Unilever filed a lawsuit against the conglomerate Thursday for allegedly firing him for taking days off from work during Rosh Hashana, according to the New York Post. 

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Court papers said the incident occurred in 2019, when David Rosenbaum – a general manager at Unilever's headquarters in New Jersey – alerted his boss, Frank Alfano, that he planned to take several days off for the High Holidays in the fall, with Alfano allegedly replying "he could not take off for Rosh Hashana and probably not for Yom Kippur as well."  

Rosenbaum attempted to explain that religion required him to not work on those days but to no avail. He then proceeded to take the time off anyway and emailed higher-ups on Sept. 30, 2019 – on Rosh Hashana eve – explaining how Alfano's actions went against the law. In reply, a Unilever lawyer merely promised to speak with Human Resources, according to the claims. 

The next day, Rosenbaum was fired over the phone for failing to show up at work. The lawsuit also claimed that in a prior incident, Alfano retaliated against Rosenbaum for a complaint he made earlier that year after Alfano allegedly touched him, propositioned him, and asked to lend him money. 

Rosenbaum alleged his situation is "further evidence of Unilever's antisemitism, which was demonstrated in July 2021, when Unilever's subsidiary, Ben & Jerry's, began an illegal boycott of Israel by refusing to sell its ice cream there," the suit claims.

The ice cream conglomerate announced it would no longer sell its products in Judea and Samaria after 2022. The lawsuit claimed the move was inconsistent as Ben & Jerry's continues to sell its ice cream in countries that consistently violate human rights. 

Rosenbaum's attorney, Cindy Salvo, told the New York Post that her still-unemployed client has had a hard time finding a job during the pandemic.

According to Salvo, it was bad enough that Alfano did not let Rosenbaum take the time off, but what is even worse is that the upper-level management did nothing about it after receiving his email. "They didn't engage in any interactive process," she said. 

Returning Israel Hayom's request for comment, Unilever said it "strongly rejects the claims and has a zero-tolerance policy against antisemitism or any other form of discrimination in the workplace."

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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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The Delta wave continues to subside, according to Health Ministry data. Of the 60,230 Israelis that were tested for the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, 3,247 (5.44%) tested positive. The reproduction rate, which dropped below 1 on Wednesday (0.95), declined further by Thursday and now stands at 0.83. A reproduction rate of less than 1 means an outbreak is subsiding.

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There are currently 84,505 active cases in the country, with 1,114 Israelis hospitalized. Of those, 227 are in critical condition, and 160 are on ventilators.

Data shows that 144,454 students are currently in self-isolation, as are 3,757 members of the teaching staff, of whom 2,279 carry the virus. Pupils from as many as 100 cities ─ including Eilat, Ashdod, Safed, Lod, Tiberias, Bat Yam, Ramla and Bnei Brak ─ will continue their studies via Zoom as these have been designated by the government as "red" cities due to high morbidity rates.

The ministry also reported long lines at drive-through coronavirus testing sites throughout Rosh Hashanah. Many complained they had to wait for three hours in line and ran out of gas and water.

Since the launch of the booster campaign, 2,690,387 Israelis have received their first jabs. Altogether, 6,024,339 have been fully vaccinated, and 5,519,095 received their first doses.

Nevertheless, despite showing signs of abating, the Delta wave continued to wreak havoc over the festivities. It claimed the lives of 50 Israelis over the two-day holiday. Fourteen patients died on the first day, Monday, and another 26 on Tuesday. Fifty-six Israelis have died of COVID since the beginning of the week.

Among the deceased over Rosh Hashanah was a 30-year-old unvaccinated woman who had given birth to a baby a week prior. After the birth, she was hospitalized at the coronavirus ward of the Emek Medical Center in Afula. Her condition deteriorated on Tuesday, after which she was transferred to the coronavirus intensive care unit Carmel Medical Center in Haifa, where she was on a ventilator. Her condition continued to deteriorate, and despite efforts on behalf of doctors to save her, she succumbed to the virus.

Another 28-year-old unvaccinated woman, who had given birth to a baby via C-Section in recent days, is hospitalized at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera. According to the hospital, she was put on a ventilator and her condition is serious, but stable. The baby is in good condition, currently hospitalized at the medical center as well.

According to data, 25 pregnant woman are hospitalized due to COVID in hospitals across the country. Another 26 hospitalized patients are mothers who had recently given birth. Of the latter, 65% had not been vaccinated.

Israel has reported 1,142,371 cases, including 7,279 deaths, since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization doubled down Tuesday on an earlier appeal for a moratorium on boosters that has largely been ignored as rich countries with large supplies of vaccines continue to offer citizens booster shots and poorer countries struggle to lay hands even on first doses.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said he was "appalled" after hearing comments from a top association of pharmaceutical manufacturers that vaccine supplies are high enough to allow for both booster shots for people in well-supplied countries and first jabs in poorer countries that face shortages. He said that's already been the case.

"I will not stay silent when companies and countries that control the global supply of vaccines think the world's poor should be satisfied with leftovers," he told a news conference. "Because manufacturers have prioritized or been legally obliged to fulfill bilateral deals with rich countries willing to pay top dollar, low-income countries have been deprived of the tools to protect their people."

Tedros had previously called for a moratorium on boosters through the end of September. But wealthy countries – including Britain, Denmark, France, Greece, Germany, and Spain – have begun or are considering plans to offer third shots of two-dose vaccines to their vulnerable people such as the elderly or those with compromised immune systems.

Israel has been providing third doses to a wide swath of people who already received a full two-dose regimen months earlier, and has even started mulling about providing a fourth jab. And last month, United States health officials recommended that all Americans get boosters to shore up their protection amid evidence that the vaccines' effectiveness is falling. WHO officials insist the scientific justification for boosters remains unclear.

Tedros acknowledged that third doses might be necessary for at-risk groups, but said: "We do not want to see widespread use of boosters for healthy people who are fully vaccinated."

Responding to the WHO calls on booster shots, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the US has donated and shared about 140 million doses with over 90 countries, "more than all other countries combined."

She added: "From Senegal to South Africa to India, we've made significant investments in boosting global productions of COVID vaccines. At the same time, the President and this administration has a responsibility to do everything we can to protect people in the United States."

US health officials are continuing to assess the science and utility of boosters, and there are growing indications that the US may miss the Biden administration's Sept. 20 target date for a wide rollout of extra shots for vaccinated people.

The WHO chief said he received a message of "clear support" from health ministers at a meeting of the influential Group of 20 countries this week for a commitment to help hit a WHO target that all countries vaccinate at least 40% of their people by year's end.

"A month ago, I called for a global moratorium on booster doses, at least until the end of September to prioritize vaccinating the most at risk people around the world who are yet to receive their first dose," Tedros said. "There has been little change in the global situation since then."

"So today, I'm calling for an extension of the moratorium until at least the end of the year to enable every country to vaccinate at least 40% of its population," he said.

The WHO says 5.5 billion coronavirus vaccine doses have been administered so far, but 80% of those have been to upper- and middle-income countries. Rich countries have also offered to donate 1 billion doses to other countries, but fewer than 15% of those doses have "materialized," Tedros said.

He noted that manufacturers have pledged to prioritize the UN-backed COVAX program, which aims to get vaccines to the neediest people in the world – no matter how wealthy the country.

"We don't want any more promises. We just want the vaccines," the WHO chief said.

Earlier Wednesday, COVAX managers again scaled back their target to ship doses this year, projecting about 1.4 billion doses will be available through the program by year-end – down from about 1.8 billion previously. They had originally hoped to ship 2 billion doses this year.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which co-runs the program, said COVAX has faced setbacks including export restrictions from hard-hit India – a key producer of vaccines – as well as regulatory hurdles for some vaccine candidates and manufacturing troubles elsewhere. But it also said deliveries are ramping up strongly, and another 1.1 billion doses are expected to be available by year-end through the program, up from 330 million so far. Most of those doses have gone to or are destined for poorer countries.

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The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations said Tuesday that about 1.5 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses are now being produced every month, and cited projections that a total of 12 billion will have been produced by year-end.

Dr. Bruce Aylward, a top adviser to Tedros, acknowledged that "some countries may be going ahead with decisions" to widely administer boosters, but that the WHO call for a moratorium "makes a real difference." He said some countries – which he did not identify – have approached the WHO about whether booster policies could be delayed.

But admittedly, the WHO's first call for a moratorium through September has not fixed the gaping imbalance in access to vaccines.

"Our role is to make sure that we put forward the strongest possible arguments and way out of this pandemic – and the way out of that is a moratorium and to extend it," Aylward said. "Because since the last time we called for it, the equity gap has gotten greater, the amount of vaccine available to low-income countries has gone down."

In the meantime, The European Medicines Agency has added Guillain-Barre syndrome – an extremely rare nerve-damaging disorder – onto its list of possible side-effects of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.

The medicines regulator said a causal relationship between GBS and the AstraZeneca shot, known as Vaxzevria, was a "at least a reasonable possibility" after 833 cases of GBS were reported out of 592 million doses of the vaccine given worldwide by July 31.

The EMA categorized the side-effect as "very rare", the lowest frequency of side-effect category it has, and has emphasized that the benefits of the shot outweigh the risks. The US Food and Drug Administration has added a warning over Guillain-Barre syndrome as a possible side-effect of Johnson & Johnson's shot. Both vaccines use viral vector technology, and have also been associated with rare blood clots.

The EMA also tagged some other less severe side-effects to vaccines from Johnson & Johnson, Moderna as well as AstraZeneca's shot.

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