Rosh Hashanah 2011: Dates, History, Customs, Jewish New Year Explained

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is celebrated in 2011 from sundown on Sept. 28 to nightfall on Sept. 30. The Hebrew date for Rosh Hashanah is 1 Tishrei 5772.

Though Rosh Hashanah literally means "head of the year," the holiday actually takes place on the first two days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, which is the seventh month on the Hebrew calendar. This is because Rosh Hashanah, one of four new years in the Jewish year, is considered the new year of people, animals and legal contracts. In the Jewish oral tradition, Rosh Hashanah marks the completion of the creation of the world.

Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days, or Yamim Noraim (the "Days of Awe"), and is followed 10 days later by Yom Kippur, the "day of atonement." The Mishnah refers to Rosh Hashanah as the "day of judgment," and it is believed that God opens the Book of Life on this day and begins to decide who shall live and who shall die. The days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are viewed as an opportunity for Jews to repent (teshuvah, in Hebrew) and ensure a good fate.

Jews traditionally gather in synagogues on Rosh Hashanah for extended services that follow the liturgy of a special prayerbook, called a mahzor, that is used during the Days of Awe. At specific times throughout the service, a shofar, or ram's horn, is blown. The mitzvah (commandment) to hear the shofar, a literal and spiritual wake-up call, is special to this time of year.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/23/rosh-hashanah-2011-the-je_n_978220.html?ref=judaism

(Old joke)

Synagogues are too political, both from within and without.
It's not like I haven't been there. I have even been president of a synagogue.
Somehow it lost everything for me in the past couple of years. I'd rather go outside and just be.

That is my tshuvah.

The rest of it has little meaning now, but apples taste good when dipped in honey (especially Jazz and Fuji apples). Raisin challah makes good French toast too.

The two-day thing was just in case calendar calculations were wrong in ancient times, to be on the safe side of hitting the right date. We modern Jews figure we have the calendrical system pretty well figured out by now, so one day hits it spot on.