Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah

“High Holiday Learning: Connecting to Jewish Tradition” - Finchley Progressive Synagogue, London (2025)

People learned about High Holiday traditions. The goal was to “make central the idea of belonging and being at ease” during the High Holidays. On the Shabbat between Rosh Hoshanah and Yom Kippur everyone was invited to participate in Tashlich (symbolically throwing sins into a body of water) by taking rice paper to a local brook. This activity was a way to “align and integrate contemporary issues of living thoughtfully with Jewish tradition.”

“We were absolutely delighted and grateful to receive this grant from you. We are so proud to be known as a shul where non-Jewish family members and friends feel welcome, included, and seen, and to spread the word of learning about Judaism.” - Rabbi Rebecca Birk

“The programs were so successful that we ended up extending them for further continued learning.” - Rabbi Rebecca Birk

“During these piquant times this has yielded such extraordinary results of creating a benign, positive face of the Jewish community. We couldn’t be more grateful to you for enabling these extra programmes.” - Rabbi Rebecca Birk

Rosh Hoshanah Blessing Seder Booklet – Funded in part by NCEJ

Rosh Hoshanah Blessing Seder - Congregation Or Ahavah, FL (2025)

Jewish Renewal Congregation Or Ahavah held a Rosh Hoshanah Blessing Seder in September. The Seder was preceded by participants sharing something about each of the hostages that remained in Gaza at that time. In addition to chicken and brisket, participants feasted on pomegranates, stuffed dates, beets, carrots, and chocolate fish.

Marketing: The program was advertised by email blasts and word of mouth.

View Rosh Hoshanah Blessing Seder Booklet (PDF)

"Our past experience tells us that nothing attracts people more than food and joyous music. Our strategy is to connect everything we do to teaching about Judaism and how what we do is repeatable in their homes and their lives.”
- Rabbi Debrah Shenefelt

Apple Jews - Hillel Minsk (2022)

During the program the organizers introduced the participants to the history and traditions of Rosh Hoshanah. Attendees also learned about other events offered by Hillel Minsk.

“During the year you can learn Jewish traditions, culture, and history, and at the same time fall in love, find friends, go on a trip — whatever you can imagine.” – Alena Kuliounich, Director

Sounds of the Season - The JCC of Greater Pittsburgh, (JCCPGH) (2020)

Sounds of the Season used creative experiences to immerse families in welcoming the New Year. Learning the sounds of the shofar and practicing the notes connected families to the global Jewish community. Building on the “call” from the shofar, families created a wind chime of Intentions for the coming year.