Celebrating Rosh Hashanah: A Sweet Start to the Jewish New Year

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a time of celebration, reflection, and renewal. For preschoolers, this holiday is a wonderful way to introduce concepts of kindness, new beginnings, and togetherness. Rosh Hashanah is celebrated by Jewish communities all around the world, including in the UK, and offers a rich cultural and spiritual experience that children can begin to appreciate.

What is Rosh Hashanah?

Rosh Hashanah, which means "Head of the Year" in Hebrew, marks the beginning of the Jewish calendar year. It is usually celebrated in September or early October and lasts for two days. It is a time for Jewish people to reflect on the past year, make amends for any wrongs, and look forward to a fresh start with the new year. It is also a time for families to come together, share festive meals, and engage in special prayers.

The History and Significance of Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is one of the most important holidays in the Jewish faith. It is believed that on this day, God created the world, and Jewish tradition teaches that during Rosh Hashanah, God judges all people and decides their fate for the coming year. This makes it a time for reflection, prayer, and asking for forgiveness. While these ideas are complex, preschoolers can begin to understand it as a special time to think about how they can be kind, help others, and try their best in the year ahead.

How is Rosh Hashanah Celebrated?

Jewish communities in the UK celebrate Rosh Hashanah with several meaningful traditions that preschoolers can take part in and enjoy.

1. Blowing the Shofar

One of the most exciting parts of Rosh Hashanah for children is hearing the sound of the shofar, a trumpet made from a ram’s horn. The shofar is blown during synagogue services to remind people to reflect on their actions and think about the year ahead. You can show preschoolers a picture of a shofar or, if possible, let them hear its sound online. Explain that it’s like a special wake-up call to be the best version of themselves!

Lesson for Preschoolers:

• Reflect on the importance of being kind and thinking about how we treat others.

2. Eating Sweet Foods

Food plays a big part in celebrating Rosh Hashanah, and one of the key traditions is eating apples dipped in honey. This symbolizes the hope for a sweet and happy new year. Preschoolers can join in this fun and tasty tradition by dipping their own apple slices into honey at snack time and wishing each other a "Shanah Tovah" (Happy New Year).

Lesson for Preschoolers:

• Enjoy the sweetness of new beginnings and sharing with others.

3. Festive Family Meals

Rosh Hashanah is a time for families to gather and enjoy festive meals together. Traditional foods include round challah bread, symbolizing the circle of life, and dishes like pomegranates, which are filled with seeds representing the many good deeds and opportunities in the year ahead. You can talk to preschoolers about the importance of coming together with family and friends to share special times.

Lesson for Preschoolers:

• The value of family, togetherness, and sharing food.

4. Tashlich Ceremony

Some Jewish families take part in a Tashlich ceremony, where they go to a river or stream and throw small pieces of bread into the water. This represents letting go of mistakes and starting the new year fresh. You can adapt this for preschoolers by having a simple outdoor activity where children throw leaves or flower petals into a bowl of water while talking about what it means to try harder or do better in the future.

Lesson for Preschoolers:

• The importance of forgiving ourselves and others, and trying to be better in the new year.

5. Lighting Candles

On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, candles are lit to welcome the holiday. For young children, lighting candles can symbolize bringing light and warmth into their lives and homes. While they may not light the candles themselves, you can explain that this is a peaceful and happy way to start the holiday.

Lesson for Preschoolers:

• Understanding how light brings warmth, comfort, and a sense of new beginnings.

Teaching the Values of Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is more than just a holiday—it is an opportunity to reflect on important values that children can learn early on:

• Kindness and Compassion: Preschoolers can understand Rosh Hashanah as a time to think about how they can be kinder and more thoughtful to others.
• Fresh Starts: Just as the Jewish New Year marks a fresh beginning, children can learn that every day is an opportunity to try their best and make good choices.
• Togetherness: Rosh Hashanah is all about coming together with family and friends, reinforcing the importance of relationships and community.
• Gratitude: Preschoolers can practice saying thank you for the sweet things in life and learning to appreciate what they have.

Fun Activities for Preschoolers to Celebrate Rosh Hashanah

• Apple and Honey Tasting: Create a snack-time activity where children taste apples and honey while discussing the meaning of the sweetness of the new year.
• Shofar Craft: Help children make a simple shofar out of paper rolls or by coloring in a picture of one, explaining its significance.
• Rosh Hashanah Cards: Encourage children to make cards wishing their friends or family a "Shanah Tovah," practicing kindness and well-wishing.
• Round Challah Bread Art: Use play dough or paper to create round shapes, representing the circular challah bread, and talk about how life goes around and we always have new chances.

Conclusion

Rosh Hashanah is a joyful and meaningful holiday that even the youngest children can participate in and appreciate. Through simple activities like tasting sweet foods, hearing the shofar, and reflecting on kindness, preschoolers can learn valuable lessons about reflection, forgiveness, and celebrating new beginnings.

As we wish each other "Shanah Tovah," we can help children understand that Rosh Hashanah is about starting fresh, being kind, and hoping for a sweet and happy year ahead.