PEEKSKILL, N.Y.-- Starting Wednesday night, Peekskill residents of the Jewish faith will celebrate Rosh Hashanah, or The head of the year, and continue with the days of awe for the 10 days following until the next most important holiday of their religion, Yom Kippur.
In Judaism, we believe in free will, and that we can always change our fate, explained Rabbi Lee Paskind of the First Hebrew Congregation of Peekskill. But for these days we pay special attention to our actions of the past year, and reflect on them.
Paskind explained that while the two holidays, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, are separate holidays, they are both times at which the Jewish people believe they can reflect on their behaviors and relationships, and with the start of the new year they can start fresh. The rabbi also explained that those who follow Judaism also believe that on Yom Kippur their God decides to include them or inscribe them in the book of life for that year.
On Rosh Hashanah, the Rabbi said he will blow the shofar, traditionally made out of a rams horn, for two reasons: It acts as somewhat of an alarm for the Jewish people, and to remind God that his people are here and of the sacrifices their ancestors made.
Paskind said a rams horn is used as it was written in the Torah that Abraham was told by God to sacrifice his son, Isaac, and at the last minute, a ram was sent to replace his son. The shofar is blown to remind God of the sacrifice that Abraham was willing to make.
We believe that we can change our destiny, but we also call on God to remember us, to inscribe us in his book. Its asking God to keep us in mind, he said. And its also a wakeup call, a call for introspection so we can wake up our soul, our conscious and scrutinize our behaviors of the past year.
Yom Kippur is a time to repent, the Rabbi said, which is the Hebrew word Teshuvah, which literally means turning around.
Its when we recognize that first step, that we have done something we shouldnt, we then realized we have to change it, and we have the power to do so, he said. It also reminds us that we all have the power within us to change or fix something about ourselves, and our relationships.
To wish your neighbor a Happy New Year, you can say LShanah Tovah, which in translation means For a good year, or you can say "L'Shanah Tovah Tikatevu," which means May you be written, inscribed for a good year.
Its a time when we can look back and try to improve ourselves," Paskind said. For that reason, he said, the holiday is "very optimistic.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Cortlandt and receive free news updates.