On September 19th, 20th, and 28th, Jewish people all around the world celebrated Rosh Hashanah (19th and 20th) and Yom Kippur (28th). Many people have never heard of these holidays, and if they have, they don’t know much about them.
Rosh Hashanah is the celebration of the Jewish New Year. This Rosh Hashanah started the year 5781. Rosh Hashanah comes with many traditions like eating apples and honey, and round challah, a traditional Jewish bread. People also spend hours praying, talking with family, reflecting on the past year, and hoping for good things in the next one.
Yom Kippur, on the other hand, is a very solemn holiday. On Yom Kippur, you are supposed to do nothing but pray, so it is a fast day. There is to be no consumption of food or water from one sunset to the next, and many people spend the majority of that time at synagogue. That isn’t possible this year, but people are finding workarounds with either Zoom or socially distant get-togethers. Yom Kippur is about repenting for your sins as G-d seals the book of life for the following year. It is also the holiest day of the year for Jews.
Both of these holidays are very important; they are some of the most observed holidays within the Jewish community. Personally, I am lucky enough to attend a school that does not have classes on Yom Kippur and the first day of Rosh Hashanah but many people aren’t as fortunate. People like my brother are at risk of being fired because they called out of work to observe the holiday. Others can’t afford to take a day off from work to pray. Some teachers will deduct points from a student’s grade for taking the day off for services, even if they knew the student would be absent. These are all issues that could be a lot easier to deal with if more non-Jewish people recognized and understood the importance of these holidays.
Written by Lilia
Artwork by Zara Masood
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