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רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה
Rosh Hashanah 5787
The Jewish New Year
Rosh Hashanah (literally 'Head of the Year') is the Jewish New Year, marking the beginning of the High Holy Days — the Ten Days of Repentance that culminate in Yom Kippur. It's a time of prayer, reflection, and renewal. The shofar (ram's horn) is blown in synagogue, and symbolic foods like apples and honey represent the hope for a sweet new year.
Rosh Hashanah Traditions
How Jews observe Rosh Hashanah around the world.
Hearing the shofar (ram's horn) blown in synagogue
Eating apples dipped in honey for a sweet new year
Tashlich — casting breadcrumbs into flowing water to symbolize casting away sins
Attending synagogue for extended High Holiday prayers (Machzor)
Wishing people 'Shanah Tovah' — a good year
Round challah (symbolizing the cycle of the year) instead of the usual braided loaf
Eating symbolic foods (simanim) — pomegranates, fish head, dates, leeks
Festive holiday meals with family and community
Rosh Hashanah Food Guide
Traditional foods and where to find them.
Apples and Honey
The most iconic Rosh Hashanah food — sliced apples dipped in honey to symbolize a sweet new year.
Find nearbyRound Challah
Sweet, round challah bread (often with raisins) symbolizing the cyclical nature of the year and the crown of God's sovereignty.
Find nearbyPomegranate
A siman (symbolic food) — pomegranates represent the wish to be filled with merits like a pomegranate is filled with seeds.
Find nearbyHoney Cake (Lekach)
Traditional sweet honey cake served as a dessert or given as a gift, symbolizing sweetness in the new year.
Find nearbyTzimmes
A sweet carrot and fruit stew, often made with honey and prunes. The sweetness is symbolic of a sweet new year.
Find nearbyKashrut Notes for Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah is a Yom Tov — cooking is permitted on the holiday itself (unlike Shabbat), but only for same-day use
No work is performed on Rosh Hashanah; it is treated like Shabbat in terms of restrictions
If Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat, the shofar is not blown
Wine must be kosher-certified; sweet wines are traditional for the holiday
The simanim (symbolic foods) should all be kosher-certified
Many families order catered Rosh Hashanah meals from kosher restaurants
Find Kosher Food for Rosh Hashanah
Browse certified kosher restaurants, bakeries, and caterers in your city.
Los Angeles
From Pico-Robertson to the Valley
New York City
The Kosher Capital of America
Miami
Sun, Sand, and Kosher Everything
Chicago
Deep Dish Meets Kosher Tradition
Brooklyn
The Heart of American Jewish Life
Lakewood
America's Fastest-Growing Kosher Hub
Teaneck
The Modern Orthodox Food Capital
Baltimore
Star-K Central and Kosher Comfort
Philadelphia
Brotherly Love, Kosher Style
Houston
Texas-Sized Kosher in the Bayou City
Atlanta
Southern Hospitality Meets Kosher Cuisine
Dallas
Kosher in the Heart of Texas
San Diego
Kosher by the Coast
Denver
Mile-High Kosher Dining
Phoenix
Desert Oasis for Kosher Food
Boston
Where Tradition Meets Innovation
Detroit
Motor City's Kosher Scene
Cleveland
Heartland Kosher at Its Best
Seattle
Pacific Northwest Kosher
St. Louis
Gateway to Kosher
San Francisco
Bay Area Kosher Culture
Washington DC
The Nation's Kosher Capital
Las Vegas
Kosher Hits the Jackpot
New Jersey
The Kosher Corridor — Teaneck to Lakewood
Baltimore
Star-K Country — A Proud Kosher City
Philadelphia
From Rittenhouse to the Main Line
Houston
Texas-Sized Kosher Scene
Boca Raton
South Florida's Kosher Hub
Rosh Hashanah FAQs
Common questions about Rosh Hashanah 5787.
When is Rosh Hashanah 2026?
Rosh Hashanah 2026 (5787) begins at nightfall on Monday, September 21, and ends at nightfall on Wednesday, September 23. It is observed for two days in the diaspora.
What do you eat on Rosh Hashanah?
Rosh Hashanah has many symbolic foods (simanim): apples and honey (sweet new year), round challah, pomegranate (filled with merits), fish or ram's head (to be at the head), dates, leeks, beets, and more. Sweet foods like honey cake and tzimmes are traditional.
What is the shofar?
The shofar is a ram's horn blown in synagogue on Rosh Hashanah (and during Elul, the month before). The Torah commands hearing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah. Different blasts have different names: tekiah (one long blast), shevarim (three medium blasts), and teruah (nine short blasts).
What does 'Shanah Tovah' mean?
'Shanah Tovah' means 'good year' in Hebrew. The full phrase is 'Shanah Tovah u'metukah' — a good and sweet year. Other greetings include 'L'shanah tovah tikateivu' — may you be inscribed (in the Book of Life) for a good year.
How are Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur connected?
Rosh Hashanah begins the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah — the Ten Days of Repentance — which culminate in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Jewish tradition teaches that on Rosh Hashanah, God opens the Book of Life and judges who will have a good year, and on Yom Kippur that judgment is sealed.