Rosh Hashanah 5772

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins at sundown tomorrow. The festival lasts for two days and commemorates the creation of Adam and Eve over 5700 years ago, on the 6th day of Creation.

Rosh Hashanah is also a judgement day, when Jews believe that God balances a person's good deeds over the last year against their bad deeds, and decides what the next year will be like for them. It's a time for people to think about their priorities in life and to reflect on what has been achieved in the past year.

After services in the synagogue a special meal is eaten at home, including apples dipped in honey, a symbol of the sweet New Year that each Jew hopes lies ahead; a sweet carrot stew called a tzimmes is often served; Challah bread in a round loaf, rather than the plaited loaf served on the Sabbath, so as to symbolise a circle of life and of the year; often a pomegranate on the table because of a tradition that pomegranates have 613 seeds, one for each of the commandments that a Jew is obliged to keep.

As the Hebrew years comes to a close and a new one starts, I would like to wish all my Jewish customers and friends a very happy and sweet new year. In the words of the traditional blessings, "May this year and its misfortunes finish, and next year with all its blessings start. May you and all of Israel be inscribed in the books of life, peace happiness, blessings and good fortune."