Jewish New Year Begins Today!

It’s that magical time of the year again in Budapest when the Jewish community comes together to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. As the 5785th year approaches, synagogues across the city are buzzing with excitement, preparing special programs and festive meals to welcome in the New Year.

The two-day holiday kicks off on October 2nd this year. It marks the anniversary of the creation of the world according to the Jewish calendar. Rosh Hashanah literally means “head of the year” in Hebrew. Just as the head controls the body, it is believed that one’s actions on Rosh Hashanah have a profound impact on the entire upcoming year. So local rabbis are encouraging everyone to make the most of these two special days!

One of the key traditions is the sounding of the shofar, a ram’s horn, during lengthy morning prayer services in the synagogues. Its piercing sound serves as a spiritual alarm clock, awakening souls to reflect on the past year and resolve to do better.

But Rosh Hashanah is not all somber introspection – it’s also a joyous time filled with sweet, symbolic foods and warm wishes. Round challah bread is dipped in honey rather than the usual salt, expressing hopes for a well-rounded, sweet year ahead. Apples, dates, pomegranates and even fish heads make an appearance on holiday tables, each with its own symbolic meaning connected to blessings for the New Year.

In some homes, the festivities take on an almost mystical nature, with people spending the day engaged in activities they wish to pursue throughout the year and avoiding ominous things like sleeping, lest it portend a somnolent year ahead. In a quaint ceremony called Tashlich, people gather by the river to symbolically cast off their sins in the form of breadcrumbs tossed into the water.

Budapest’s synagogues are going all out for the occasion. The historic Óbuda Synagogue, the city’s oldest still in operation, is hosting an open Rosh Hashanah celebration complete with prayer services led by Rabbi Slomó Köves, a lavish holiday meal, and a performance by the world-renowned Zorger Cantorial Choir. Similar festive meals are planned at the Újbuda, Vasvári, Budavár, Rumbach and Zsilip synagogues and the Ohel Eszter prayer house.

At the famed Dohány Street Synagogue, the largest in Europe, Rosh Hashanah services begin promptly at 6:00 pm on October 2nd. Worshippers will gather again the next morning as the shofar’s call ushers in the first day of the New Year.

No matter where you celebrate in Budapest, Rosh Hashanah is a time to come together with family and friends, reflect on the past, look ahead to the future, and wish each other “Shanah Tovah” – a good and sweet New Year. The holiday spirit is palpable on the streets as people bustle about with bouquets of flowers and bags of round challah.

So as Budapest’s Jewish community comes together to celebrate this Rosh Hashanah, the prevailing wish is that the shofar’s call will herald in a year of sweetness, blessings, and peace for all. Shanah Tovah!