"Happy New Year" and "L'Shana Tovah" on Yom Kippur

In brief, the Jewish New Year 5775, Rosh Hashanah, began ten days ago in which the faithful are instructed to put their affairs in order and mend fences with those whom they have had disagreements or conflict.

Sundown marks the first night of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish religion's official New Year. Rosh Hashanah, meaning "head of the year" or "first of the year," is one of the religion's holiest holidays.

Rosh Hashanah occurs in either September or October, always on the first day of Tishrei, which is the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. The holiday is a commemoration of God's creation of the world. Similar to the way individuals celebrate New Years Eve on Jan. 1, those observing Rosh Hashanah also use the holiday to reflect and plan for changes in the coming year.

One of the holiday's most popular traditions is tashlikh, an act also known as casting off. Using a creek, river or any flowing body of water, individuals are invited to "empty their pockets" by throwing bread into the water on the first afternoon of the holiday.

Despite Rosh Hashanah being considered one of the Jewish religion's most important holidays, the name "Rosh Hashanah" is not used in the Torah. The holiday is instead referred to as Yom Ha-Zikkaron, which means the Day of Remembrance, or Yom Teruah, the Day of the Sounding of the Shofar.

Instead of wishing Judiasm observers a "Happy New Year," consider uttering the appropriate phrase "L'shana tovah" which roughly translates to the same meaning. If you want to expand on your greeting, say, "L'shana tovah u'metukah" which means have a "good and sweet year."

Yom Kippur is known as the Day of Antonement, which is a traditional request for forgiveness prior to Yom Kippur. One wants to go into our Day of Judgment with as clean a slate as possible. Those we have hurt are the only ones who can provide us with forgiveness and so we must ask them for that forgiveness.

G-d bless and may the coming year be a year of Blessing and Joy. And may it be a year of opportunity and the realization of that opportunity.

Shana Tova
Shane Thom