Learn about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

Jennifer Frank, PhD, works on Special Projects for the Office of Research and Scholarship, and will be observing the high holidays with her son and his family.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the two holiest holidays in the Jewish calendar, take place in the fall. The exact dates are determined by the Hebrew calendar, and this year Rosh Hashanah (pronounced rash-huh-shaa-nuh) will be on Sept. 25-26 and Yom Kippur (yam-kuh-poor) will be on Oct. 4-5. Like all Jewish holidays, these are observed from sundown to sundown, and on these days, Jews refrain from work and many attend synagogue for extensive prayer services.

Nurses can best help their Jewish colleagues by recognizing their need for time off on these special days.  Many schools and institutions avoid scheduling exams or important events on the Jewish high holidays. The holidays can also be a difficult time to be a patient, as hospitalization or treatment can create a barrier to accessing traditions and services. It may be possible to stream services from a patient’s synagogue. Staff should acknowledge the holiday and the difficulty in being hospitalized during this time. If possible, families may bring holiday foods for Rosh Hashanah.

Rosh Hashanah, the start of the New Year in the Jewish calendar, is the symbolic birthday of the world. The typical holiday greeting, “shana tova,” means “Have a good new year.” For a sweet year, Jews dip apples in honey, bake round challah instead of the usual braided loaf and enjoy a festive family meal before sundown. The sermon on Rosh Hashanah always includes the story of the Binding of Isaac from the book of Genesis, and the service includes the blowing of the shofar (show-faar), an instrument made of ram’s horn, throughout the service. You can listen to shofar sounds athttps://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-shofar-blasts/.. To close out the day, at sundown the community often meets at a body of water such as a river or stream to symbolically cast away their sins in the form of dried bread, a tradition known as tashlikh (tash-lik).

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year in the Jewish faith. Prior to sundown, it is customary to share a meal or a sweet snack such as honey cake. Many Jews also spend the entire day of Yom Kippur in synagogue do not eat from sundown to the following sundown in order to better reflect and repent on their sins. Yom Kippur ends with a single shofar blast. At sundown, the community may gather at the synagogue to “break the fast” or individuals may choose to ‘break the fast” at home with their family or friends.

Understanding these holidays and the needs of Jewish colleagues or patients during these events is a helpful step toward inclusion. It can enable nurses to better support their patient’s needs, and it can help create a sense of understanding and community.