Rosh Hashanah

A few weeks ago, Jewish people all over the world celebrated the holiday of Rosh Hashanah. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year, and it literally means head of the year in Hebrew. Often referred to as one of the “high holidays”, Rosh Hashanah is one of the holiest and most important days of the year in the Jewish religion.

Many Jews attend services at local synagogues on Rosh Hashanah. Since this holiday is so important, Rosh Hashanah services usually include some extra prayers and are longer than typical services. Rosh Hashanah services are also characterized by the blowing of the shofar, which is a ram’s horn that is played in a manner similar to a trumpet. (A shofar is pictured above.)

Families often celebrate Rosh Hashanah by eating a special meal together. The foods eaten during this meal can vary depending on local and family traditions. Most Rosh Hashanah meals include apples and honey, which symbolize a sweet new year. Oftentimes, round challah bread is also served to represent the ongoing cycle of the year. In addition to these traditional foods, my family enjoys eating brisket, turkey, steamed vegetables, and sweet potato pie on Rosh Hashanah.

Although I am not very religious, I very much enjoy celebrating Rosh Hashanah with family and friends. I feel that it is an important part of my heritage, and I look forward to passing the traditions of this holiday down to future generations.

For more information on this holiday, please visit http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday2.htm

Vocabulary

Literally (adverb) – actually, really
Refer (verb) – to speak about someone or something
Synagogue (noun) – a building where Jewish people go for religious services
Characterized (verb) – having certain traits
Manner (noun) – the way in which something is done
Vary (verb) – to be different
Cycle (noun) – a set of events that happens again and again
Heritage (noun) - Something that is passed down from generation to generation; a tradition

Vocabulary Practice

1. During a fire drill, we need to leave the building in an orderly _________.
2. The four seasons are an example of a __________.
3. Our school is ____________ by enthusiastic teachers.
4. We go to the ____________ for holiday services.
5. I was ____________ sneezing all day because I had a terrible cold.
6. Prices may __________ from one store to another.
7. During tomorrow’s lesson, the teacher will ____________ to the article we read today.
8. Family traditions are part of your _____________.

Grammar Point

Adjectives are words that provide information about a noun. It has been said that they add “color” to a description. In this blog entry, I used several adjectives to describe the characteristics of the Rosh Hashanah holiday.

Grammar Practice

a. Underline all of the adjectives in this blog entry.
b. Choose five of the adjectives you underlined and write a sentence using each one.
c. Imagine your sentences without adjectives. Do they still make sense? Does the meaning of the sentences change? If so, how?