High Holidays - Chabad of Ventura

5 Ways the High Holidays of 2023 Are Unique

Tuesday, September 12, 2023 - 10:45 AM

1. There Is a Full Week of Selichot

The High Holiday Season begins with Selichot, early morning prayers asking G‑d for forgiveness. Ashkenazim begin this daily ritual on a Saturday night (after midnight) before Rosh Hashanah. Since Rosh Hashanah starts on Friday afternoon, we have a full week of Selichot this year.

Read: Why Do Selichot Follow Such an Odd Schedule?

2. The First Day of Rosh Hashanah Is Shabbat

Since day one of Rosh Hashanah is Shabbat, there are a number of things that differ from an ordinary year:

While cooking and baking are normally allowed (with certain restrictions) on Rosh Hashanah, it is not allowed when Rosh Hashanah coincides with Shabbat. If you wish to cook or bake on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, be sure to leave a flame burning all through Shabbat (which you need anyway so you can light candles on the second night of the holiday, and you can use that flame to cook with once night has fallen on Saturday night and you’ve said “baruch hamavdil bein kodesh lekodesh,” “Blessed is He Who separates between the sacred [Shabbat] and the sacred [holiday].”
Since we do not blow shofar on Shabbat (read why here), shofar is only blown on the second day. There are also certain other differences in the prayer service, all of which are noted in the machzor (prayerbook).
For the same reason, we also delay Tashlich—when we visit a body of water and ask G‑d to cast away our sins—to the second day of Rosh Hashanah (or later).

3. You Need Not Take Off Work to Attend Rosh Hashanah Services

Since Rosh Hashanah is on a weekend, students and most people who work a regular work week will not need to take off any time from work or school to fully participate in this holiday.

Read: Rosh Hashanah 2023 FAQ

4. We Usher in a Jewish Leap Year

Since a year comprising 12 lunar months is approximately 11 days shorter than the solar cycle, we occasionally tack on a 13th month to the Jewish calendar to keep things synced. Technically known as a shanah meuberet (“pregnant year”), this is often referred to as a Jewish leap year. And this coming year, 5784, is one such year!

Read: 13 Facts About Jewish Leap Years

5. Yom Kippur Is Sunday Night/Monday

This year, Rosh Hashanah, the first days of Sukkot, and Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah all coincide with the weekend, making for very neat planning.

The one exception is Yom Kippur, which starts on Sunday evening and ends on Monday night. So plan accordingly (perhaps even shopping for your pre-Yom Kippur fast the week before).

One upshot of this arrangement is that you then have four uninterrupted days to build your sukkah, purchase supplies, and do everything you need to get ready for Sukkot!

Read: Yom Kippur 2023 FAQ

High Holidays Ventura - Rosh Hashanah 2023 FAQ Part 1

Monday, August 21, 2023 - 4:06 PM

When is Rosh Hashanah 2023?

Rosh Hashanah 2023, which ushers in the Jewish year 5784, starts just before sundown on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, and ends after nightfall on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023.

Observed on the day G‑d created Adam and Eve, it’s celebrated as the head of the Jewish year. The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is blowing the shofar (ram’s horn).

Rosh Hashanah feasts traditionally include round challah bread (studded with raisins) and apples dipped in honey, as well as other foods that symbolize our wishes for a sweet year.

Read: What Is Rosh Hashanah?

Why Rosh Hashanah Is Important?

Wednesday, August 9, 2023 - 11:09 AM

Why Rosh Hashanah Is Important?

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah actually means “Head of the Year.” Just like the head controls the body, our actions on Rosh Hashanah have a tremendous impact on the rest of the year.

As we read in the Rosh Hashanah prayers, each year on this day “all inhabitants of the world pass before G‑d like a flock of sheep,” and it is decreed in the heavenly court “who shall live, and who shall die ... who shall be impoverished and who shall be enriched; who shall fall and who shall rise.”

It is a day of prayer, a time to ask the Almighty to grant us a year of peace, prosperity and blessing. But it is also a joyous day when we proclaim G‑d King of the Universe. The Kabbalists teach that the continued existence of the universe depends on G‑d’s desire for a world, a desire that is renewed when we accept His kingship anew each year on Rosh Hashanah.