Rosh Hashana & Yom Kippur: What’s the Jewish new year all about?

PORTLAND — Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year celebration, begins at sunset Sunday night.

Rosh Hashana brings with it a ritual of reflection not often seen in secular New Year’s Day buzz. Jews spend time considering their achievements and failings in the last year. Some apologize to others they’ve hurt.

“I don’t know how you can move forward without looking back,” said Rabbi Michael Cahana, senior teacher at Congregation Beth Israel. “American culture doesn’t really value reflection, generally speaking. Judaism does value reflection.”

In synagogues, Jews collectively confess sin. Wrongdoing is often done in a web, said Rabbi Ariel Stone, senior teacher at Congregation Shir Tikvah. Someone could have stopped it. Someone else encouraged it. So, together, congregations recite confessions.

Jewish families celebrate by sharing meals at home. Foods special to the holiday include honey, apples and pomegranate.

Jews also make resolutions for the next year, generally related to spiritual and personal improvement deeper than regular workouts.

“There’s a big focus on the idea of renewal,” said Rabbi Ken Brodkin, who leads Congregation Kesser Israel. “This is a time to really think about how we’re going to make ourselves this coming year.”

The celebratory Rosh Hashana is followed by Yom Kippur, a day of atonement that begins at sundown Tuesday. Yom Kippur is a day of fasting, and some Jews spend the entire day praying in a synagogue. The days in between the two holidays are called Days of Awe and are a time for introspection ahead of Yom Kippur.

Like Rosh Hashana, the Days of Awe and Yom Kippur are part of preparation for the new year. It’s about wiping the slate clean by making reparation for past sin.

Together, the holidays are called High Holy Days.