ROʾSH HA-SHANAH AND YOM KIPPUR, holy days prominent in the Jewish religious calendar, mark the beginning of the new year and set off the special period traditionally designated for self-scrutiny and repentance. They are referred to as Yamim Noraʾim ("days of awe"), the time when the numinous aspect of Judaism comes into its own.

Roʾsh ha-Shanah ("head of the year," i. e., New Year) is the name given in postbiblical times to the biblical festival of the first day of the seventh month (counting from the spring month of the Exodus from Egypt) and described (Lv. 23:23–25, Nm. 19:1–6) as a day of blowing the horn.

Yom Kippur ("day of atonement ") is the culmination of the penitential season, the day of repentance and reconciliation between humanity and God and between people and their neighbors. It is the most hallowed day in the Jewish year and is still observed by the majority of Jews, even those who are otherwise lax in religious practices.

 

Works Cited:

Jacobs, L. (2005). Roʾsh Ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur. In L. Jones (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Religion (2nd ed., Vol. 12, pp. 7927-7929). Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3424502675/GVRL?u=berea&sid=GVRL&xid=c36bb15b

Check out some of our books below for more information on these two holidays:

Cover Art The Golem and the Wondrous Deeds of the Maharal of Prague by Yudl Rosenberg; Curt Leviant (Translator)
Call Number: E-Book (Berea College only)
Publication Date: 2008-10-01
Jessica Fisher's Frail-Craft is Louise Gluck's fourth selection for the Yale Series of Younger Poets, the oldest annual literary prize in the United States. Through deft, quietly authoritative lyrics, the poet meditates on the problems and possibilities, the frail craft, of perception for the reader or the dreamer, maintaining that 'if the eye can love - and it can, it does - then I held you and was held'. In her foreword to the book, Louise Gluck writes, 'What gives Jessica Fisher's work its sense of form, of repose, is her perfection of ear. That repose, with its strange mobility, its accommodation of surprise, is Fisher's particular genius. To enter these poems is to be suspended in them: like dreams, they both surround and elude.'
 
Cover Art Settings of Silver by Stephen M. Wylen
Call Number: 296 W983s - Hutchins Library - Circulating (3rd Floor)
Publication Date: 2000-07-01
An updated edition of the comprehensive introduction to the Jewish faith discusses the holy days of the Jewish year, and the daily observances and beliefs of Judaism. Original.
Cover Art Ecology and the Jewish Spirit by Ellen Bernstein (Editor, Introduction by)
Call Number: 296.38 E19 - Hutchins Library - Circulating (3rd Floor)
Publication Date: 1998-01-01
What is nature's place in our spiritual lives? In today's modern culture, we've become separated from the sacredness of the natural world. This book offers a different, eye- and soul-opening way of viewing our religion: A perspective grounded in nature, and rich in insights for seekers of all faiths. Respect for the holiness of Creation, our duty to protect the natural world, reverence for the land ... a focus on nature is part of the fabric of Jewish thought. Here, innovative contributors bring us a richer understanding of the long-neglected themes of nature that are woven through the biblical creation story, ancient texts, traditional law, the holiday cycles, prayer, mitzvot (good deeds) and community. Ecology & the Jewish Spirit explores the wisdom that the Jewish tradition has to offer all of us, to help nature become a sacred, spiritual part of our own lives. 
Cover Art Jewish Family and Life by Yosef I. Abramowitz; Susan Silverman; Elie Wiesel (Foreword by)
Call Number: 296.74 A161j - Hutchins Library - Circulating (3rd Floor)
Publication Date: 1998-09-15
Jewish Family and Life: Traditions, Holidays, and Values for Today's Parents and Children has become the definitive book for parents to turn to for sound advice on important and current parenting issues. It dispenses invaluable information that is relevant to Jewish families today, whether the family has a mixed marriage, two parents, a single parent, or adoptive parents. The book's three parts - Traditions, Holidays and Values - investigate contemporary issues in raising children and show concrete ways in which Judaism can play a practical role in enriching a family's spiritualand moral education. Each chapter includes lively, hands-on activities that you can do with your kids and simultaneously instill vital cultural and religious education. Vetted by a prestigious advisory board that is co-chaired by Nobel Prize-winner Elie Weisel, this book with help unify the family and re-establish rich traditions that have been lost over the generations.
 
Cover Art The Columbia History of Jews and Judaism in America by Marc Lee Raphael (Editor)
Call Number: E-Book (Berea College only)
Publication Date: 2008-02-12
This collection focuses on a variety of important themes in the American Jewish and Judaic experience. It opens with essays on early Jewish settlers (1654-1820), the expansion of Jewish life in America (1820-1901), the great wave of eastern European Jewish immigrants (1880-1924), the character of American Judaism between the two world wars, American Jewish life from the end of World War II to the Six-Day War, and the growth of Jews' influence and affluence. The second half of the volume includes essays on Orthodox Jews, the history of Jewish education in America, the rise of Jewish social clubs at the turn of the century, the history of southern and western Jewry, Jewish responses to Nazism and the Holocaust, feminism's confrontation with Judaism, and the eternal question of what defines American Jewish culture. Original and elegantly crafted, The Columbia History of Jews and Judaism in America not only introduces the student to a thrilling history, but also provides the scholar with new perspectives and insights.