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LEX 18 Digital: What is Rosh Hashanah?

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Posted at 1:32 PM, Sep 27, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-27 13:32:54-04

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — With Rosh Hashanah just around the corner, LEX 18 Digital sat down with Rabbi Shlomo Litvin to talk about the holiday and the traditions that come with it.

Rabbi Litvin is the director of the Chabad at the University of Kentucky Jewish Student Center and Chabad of the Bluegrass.

In this LEX 18 Digital video, he tells us what Rosh Hashanah is, how it is celebrated, and where you can celebrate it in Lexington.

For more information on the Chabad of the Bluegrass click hereor follow them on Facebook.

Rabbi Litvin shows us more about the shofar in the video below:

Rosh Hashanah greetings with Rabbi Litvin:

Vocabulary

Rosh Hashanah: Rosh Hashanah is commonly translated as Jewish New year. It is the first day of the year on the Jewish calendar. It literally means the "head of the year." It symbolizes that just as the head leads the body, that day leads the direction of your year.

Yom Teruah: Yom Teruah is the biblical name of the holiday. It means "The Day of Horn Blasting," specifically referring to the Shofar.

Shofar: The Shofar is a Ram's Horn dating back to the biblical story of Abraham. There are three blasts: Teki'ah (one long sound), Shevarim (broken sounds), Teru'ah (multiple short sounds).

Piyyutim: Poetic prayers written by great rabbis of the ages.

Machzor: A prayer book especially written for for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Shanah Tovah Umesukah! (May you have a good and sweet year!)