Judaism 101
Judaism 101
Please note that this page contain the name of God.
If you print it out, please treat it with appropriate respect.If you do not have experience reading transliteration
please see the Guide to Transliteration.
When the first night of Rosh Hashanah occurs on Shabbat, as it does in 2023 (September 15) and 2026 (September 11), some text is added to some of these traditional blessings in honor of the Sabbath. This text is highlighted in yellow and should only be read on Shabbat. The toggle below can hide the Shabbat text to reduce confusion if your browser supports the toggle feature.
On the first night, candles should be lit no later than 18 minutes before sundown. On the second night, candles should be lit immediately after nightfall, kindled by an existing flame. For the candle lighting time in your area, consult the list provided by the Orthodox Union or any Jewish calendar.
The words highlighted in yellow should be read only on Shabbat.
Kiddush is recited while holding a cup of wine or other liquid, no less than 3.3 ounces. If wine or grape juice is not used, you should substitute shehakol nih'yeh bid'varo (by whose will all things come to be) for borei p'ri hagafen (who creates the fruit of the vine).
This kiddush is very similar to the one used on other holidays with slight variations specific to the holiday. The parts that are different for Rosh Hashanah are highlighted in silver to help you see what is special about this kiddush.
On Friday nights (Shabbat), we insert the first paragraph of Shabbat kiddush highlighted in yellow below. There are also a few other bits added for Shabbat, reminding us that it is Shabbat as well as Rosh Hashanah, and reflecting the fact that the shofar is not blown on Shabbat (the sound is known as "teruah"). The Shabbat parts can be turned off with the toggle above if this is supported by your browser.
Do not drink the wine until after completing Shechecheyanu below.
if using wine or grape juice
if using other liquids
Shehecheyanu is a standard blessing recited on the first night of all holidays, thanking God for allowing us to experience this thing again. Although it is normally only recited on the first night of a holiday, is recited on both nights of Rosh Hashanah. On the second night, it is traditional to make this blessing over a sweet fruit you haven't eaten in a long time (or ever!) to have a traditional reason for the blessing.
During Rosh Hashanah, it is traditional to eat apples dipped in honey, to symbolize our hopes for a "sweet" new year. The apple is dipped in honey and the blessing for eating tree fruits is recited. Note that the blessing for tree fruits is exactly the same as the blessing for grapes or wine except for one word: ha-eitz (the tree) instead of hagafen (the vine).
Take a bite from the apple dipped in honey, then continue with the following:
Rosh Hashanah
Common Prayers and Blessings
Prayers and Blessings
Jewish Liturgy