From a religious perspective, we are not really anything, but we identify as culturally Jewish and are Buddhist practitioners. The best part of being culturally Jewish? The holidays, of course! What Jew doesn’t love a good party… food at the foundation, and love and hugs all around. It is really the most wonderful culture to share in.
Today, we wish you a wonderful start to Rosh Hashana from The Brand Fam.
As a child I think I only observed the holiday 2 times with my grandmother’s deeper connection with religious practice. As an adult I have celebrated more often, as a way to retrieve some sense of heritage and hope for keeping the connection for my children to my familial culture. It is believed that the Jewish tie is connected between the mother and child, so if the blood line of Judaism comes through the mother, it cannot be broken. My mother’s line is Jewish, so therefore myself, and my children are by definition, Jewish.
We are fortunate, even here in Gautemala, to have found friends to celebrate with. We will be going to our new friends Osnat, Tim and Ela’s tonight to enjoy a potluck and begin the two day celebration.
L’shana tov!
What is Rosh Hashana? (taken from Judaism 101)
In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, “head of the year” or “first of the year.” Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. It is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year. The common greeting at this time is L’shanah tovah (“for a good year”).
Two cool traditions: The shofar is a ram’s horn which is blown somewhat like a trumpet. One of the most important observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the synagogue. A total of 100 notes are sounded each day. Another popular observance during this holiday is eating apples dipped in honey, a symbol of our wish for a sweet new year.
