#tishri

Rosh Ha-shanah is both the Jewish New Year celebration and Yom Ha-Din, 'Judgement Day.' The celebration marks the birthday of the world and on this day God judges every living creature which has come into the world. As the Day of Judgment, Rosh Ha-shanah is a solemn occasion when God makes a judgment about whether we live or die in the coming year. God writes this down, though it is not signed and sealed until Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Because of this, Rosh Ha-shanah is an occasion of both solemn and celebratory connotations.

Rosh Ha-shanah also marks the first day of the month of Tishri. On this day a ceremonial ram's horn, the shophar or shofar, is blown to call sinners to repentance. Then begins the Ten Days of Penitence that culminate with the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. On Rosh Ha-shanah, those celebrating eat sweet delicacies with ingredients such as honey, apples, and raisins to represent optimism for a sweet future. The apple is particularly crucial to the table as at the commencement of the meal a blessing is said over an apple, symbol of the divine presence, dipped into honey to try to encourage a sweet year.

The Hebrew month of Elul initiates a 40 day period called Teshuvah. This is the Hebrew year 5778. In a Gregorian calendar of the year 2018, this would be August 11 or 12 or 13 depending on when the new moon is confirmed by two witnesses.

Elul is the last month of the civic calendar in Judaism. Elul is the sixth month of the religious calendar. Jewish tradition points to the name of the month to…