More about Calendar

Forty days in the wilderness! The season of repentance is often referred to as the Jewish version of Lent, but which came first? This teaching from 2010 makes the case that the Christian season of Lent was originally based on the Jewish season of Teshuvah. This teaching calls upon us to employ asceticism and meseret nefesh in a forty-day face-off with the devil as we train for Yom Kippur.

What is Rosh Hashanah?

When you look at some calendars you might notice the day labeled “Rosh Hashanah” either in September or early October. This is an important Jewish holiday which comes right from the Bible. It has important and deep spiritual meaning that is relevant to both Jews and Christians

Rosh HaShanah Menu

"Rosh Hashanah Menu" is a lighthearted discussion of the tradition of eating symbolic foods on Erev Rosh Hashanah, recorded in 2008.

Is Rosh Hashanah the New Year?

The Torah commands that we observe a certain holiday on the first day of the seventh month. Scripturally, it is given two similar names: yom teru'ah (Day of Blasting/Shouting) in Numbers 29:1 and zichron teru'ah (Remembrance of Blasting/Shouting) in Leviticus 23:24. Jewish tradition refers to this day as Rosh HaShanah, which means "Beginning (lit., 'head') of the Year." But how can the beginning of the year occur in the seventh month? Didn't God command that the new year is to begin in the springtime?