High Holiday trivia

Charles Flum, President

Are you new to the area or unaffiliated with a Reform synagogue?

You need look no further. If you have never been to our High Holy Day services, now is the time to come as there is no cost to you. Rosh Hashonah services are Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. Yom Kippur: Kol Nidre is Oct. 11 at 7 p.m., morning service Oct. 12 at 10 a.m. Yiskor and Neillah start at 3:30 p.m. If you are interested in coming to join “the small congregation with the big heart” please call President Charles Flum 239316-8611 to register. Non-members must register to attend.

Trivia facts

Rosh Hashonah is not the only new year in the Jewish calendar; there are four. Rosh Hashonah is the beginning of the religious year, the first of Nissan is the beginning of the civil calendar, the fifteenth of Shevat is the new year of trees and the first of Elul is the new year of tithes.

Rosh Hashonah is celebrated for two days by Conservative and Orthodox Jews; Reform Jews celebrate for one. In Roman times, when Jews were dispersed throughout the empire, it was difficult to determine the exact day as it took time for the announcement from Jerusalem to reach throughout the empire. The rabbis decreed that Rosh Hashonah should be two days. There is presently no uncertainty as to the calendar, therefore, Reform Jews worship for one day. It is a mystery to me how the rabbis decided that Yom Kippur is one day as two days of fasting is too much. Didn’t the calendar uncertainty apply here as well?

The first day of Rosh Hashonah never falls on Wednesday, Friday or Sunday. If it fell on Wednesday, Yom Kippur would be on Friday. There would be no time to prepare for Shabbat. If it fell on Friday, Yom Kippur would be on Sunday, leaving no time to prepare for Yom Kippur. If it fell on Sunday, Hoshanh Rabbah would fall on Shabbat. That is not allowed as the beating of the willows, a part of Hoshanah Rabbah, is forbidden on Shabbat.

The shofar is not blown when Rosh Hashonah falls on Shabbat because one may need to carry the shofar, which is forbidden.

In the third century, the three shofar sounds were established. Tekia and terua are found in Numbers. The third century rabbis debated what sounds these were as they had not been firmly established. Tekia was one long blast. Terua was determined to be nine staccato notes. A new sequence was introduced, shevarim, which was three undulating notes.

The greeting for Rosh Hashonah is “leshana tova tikatevu,” may you be inscribed for a good year. The greeting for Yom Kippur is “gamar chatima tova,” literally a good final sealing. It means you wish the person to be sealed into the Book of Life for the coming year.

The round challah we eat is symbolic of the hope the coming year will be complete, unbroken by tragedy.

There is a ban on wearing leather on Yom Kippur. Therefore, many Jews wear sneakers. They do have to be careful that the sneakers themselves do not have any leather.

Kol Nidre is said three times for two reasons: 1) so latecomers to the service hear it; and 2) in court, when a person is released from a vow, the court declares “you are released” three times.

Jonah is read at mincha for two reasons: 1) it proclaims the universality of God, a High Holidays theme; and 2) so man can repent, which is also a theme.