Jews around the world hear the sound of the ram’s horn (Shofar) at Jewish High Holiday services. Courtesy/Los Alamos Jewish Center

Los Alamos Jewish Center News:

The Jewish New Year, Rosh HaShanah, marks the beginning of a 10-day period of self-reflection on the Jewish calendar.

Unlike the secular new year, Rosh HaShanah is observed with worship services in the synagogue and the blowing of a ram’s horn – a wake-up call to reflect behavior over the past year and strive to improve in the coming year. The ten days end with the solemn holiday of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, when Jews traditionally fast from food and drink and spend much of the day in prayer and contemplation.

The Jewish calendar is linked to the solar and lunar cycles; Rosh HaShanah always falls on a new moon. This calendrical feat is accomplished with the use of leap days and leap months when needed to meet various constraints (Jewish calendar calculations require both sophisticated astronomical information and higher mathematics, though the internet now makes determination of holidays quite easy).  

This year, Rosh HaShanah begins the evening of Sunday, Sept. 25 and ends at nightfall Tuesday, Sept. 27. Yom Kippur starts Tuesday night, Oct. 4 and ends around 7:30 p.m. the next day. All days on the Jewish calendar begin at sundown.

In order to appreciate some of the liturgy, traditions, and spiritual messages of these fall festivals, Rabbi Jack Shlachter will be offering a pair of talks at the Los Alamos Jewish Center:

• 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31, Rabbi Jack will lead a discussion of the process of preparation for the Jewish High Holidays. Various tools to assist with self-examination during the month of Elul (the month preceding the Jewish New Year) will be outlined. They’ll also delve into some of the central passages in the Rosh HaShanah liturgy.
• 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14, part two of this two-part series will continue the chronology with a review of the days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur and an exploration of parts of the Yom Kippur prayers.

These adult learning sessions are free and open to the public. However, they request that guests RSVP and come a few minutes early so they can greet you. Unfortunately, unexpected guests and those arriving after 7:15 p.m. cannot be accommodated.

RSVP to losalamosjewishcenter@gmail.com, or call 505.662.2140.

The Los Alamos Jewish Center is at 2400 Canyon Road, just down the street from the Nature Center.