Dear clients and friends:
I hope this email finds you, your family, and all your friends happy and healthy!
I am writing to you on the eve of the ancient Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, which begins at sunset today. The name of this holiday, which has been practiced by Jews and Christians for thousands of years, literally means “Head of the Year”. It takes place during the time when tradition says the entire world was created by G-d and it is also the time when G-d judges the deeds of all mankind!
My friends, Rosh Hashanah has many lovely traditions: worshipers attend synagogue services to experience the triumphant blowing of the “Shofar” ram’s horn, they eat apples dipped in honey to symbolize a wish for a sweet year to come, and they also “nosh” on a tasty Pomegranate fruit. The pomegranate’s many seeds symbolize fertility and wisdom, and it is a super-healthy snack, boosting your immune system with anti-cancer and antioxidant properties!
Many folks who celebrate this holiday also follow an interesting atonement ritual called the “Tashlikh”, which is performed near a body of water such as a stream or river.
During this ceremony, the congregants empty their pockets into running water (they typically place small bits of bread in their pockets ahead of time) in a symbolic “casting off” of their past year’s sins!
As I’m sure so many of you will agree, our modern lives are hectic. We move from task to task, errand to errand, always glancing at our phones, checking the time, and reviewing our texts and emails. But Rosh Hashanah is one of those times when G-d’s command for us all is to stop, enjoy the Sabbath, and be intentional about having a relaxing weekend with our loved ones!
During this holiday celebrants offer each other the traditional holiday greeting of “L’Shana Tova” (pronounced “Leh-Sha-Na-Toe-Vah”), which literally means, “To a Good Year” – and for which the response is the same in return – “Shana Tova!”
And so my friends, from our family to yours, L’Shana Tova!
