Rosh Hashanah will soon be here. It’s the beginning of the year.
We go to temple and listen to the shofar’s sound. We eat a special challah –its shape is round.
We eat apples dipped in honey sweet. They taste so good! Oh, what a treat!
We send Leshanah Tovah cards to our friends. Before we know it the holiday ends. (From Fun With Jewish Holiday Rhymes by Sylvia Rouss)
Eli’s mother explains to him what happened during the seven days of creation and how Man has changed God’s world. “But it is not too late yet,” Eli’s mother says, “to set things right.” Published in 2005, I am pleased to share this story of Genesis and Tikkun Olam.
Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the Jewish year which celebrates the creation of the world. The ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are called the High Holidays. During these days we reflect on the past year. We think about the good choices we have made and the ones we regret. We look forward to the coming year and ask God for the wisdom to make better choices. It is customary to dip apples into honey for a sweet year. We also eat round challah and wish others a Shanah Tovah—a good year. Many families attend synagogue services and listen to the sound of the shofar, the ram’s horn which announces the New Year.
Ways to Celebrate Rosh Hashanah with Your Child
1. Attend synagogue services and let your child hear the shofar.
2. Bake “apple desserts” with your child.
3. Start a holiday photo album. Take a picture of your child celebrating each holiday.
4. Purchase a plastic shofar (available at Jewish gift shops) for your child to blow.
5. Make Rosh Hashanah cards with your child and let your child drop them in the mailbox.
Rosh Hashanah
Hear the Shofar (Frere Jacque)
Hear the shofar, hear the shofar,
Loud and clear, loud and clear,
TEKIAH!
TEKIAH!
Happy New Year, Happy New Year.
Rosh Hashanah (The Wheels on the bus)
Blow the shofar nice and loud, nice and loud, nice and loud.
Blow the shofar nice and loud, FOR ROSH HASHANAH!
Eat the apples, fresh and crisp, fresh and crisp, fresh and crisp.
Eat the apples, fresh and crisp, FOR ROSH HASHANAH!
Taste the honey, sticky and sweet, sticky and sweet, sticky and sweet.
Taste the honey, sticky and sweet, FOR ROSH HASHANAH!
Try the challah, soft and round, soft and round, soft and round.
Try the challah, soft and round, FOR ROSH HASHANAH!
Blow the Shofar (Row, Row, Row your Boat)
Blow, blow, blow the shofar. Blow it loud and clear.
Listen to its joyful sound. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Rosh Hashanah’s Here at Last (London Bridge)
Rosh Hashanah’s here at last, here at last, here at last.
Rosh Hashanah’s here at last. SHA-NAH TO-VAH!
Sound the Shofar, give a blast, give a blast, give a blast.
Sound the Shofar, give a blast. TE-KI-A-AH!
Smell the challah, nice and round, nice and round, nice and round.
Smell the challah, nice and round. SO DE-LI-CIOUS!
Slice an apple, take a bite, take a bite, take a bite.
Slice an apple, take a bite. CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH!
Taste the honey, oh so sweet, oh so sweet, oh so sweet.
Taste the honey, oh so sweet. YUM, YUM Y-UM!
Rosh Hashanah’s here at last, Here at last, here at last.
Rosh Hashanah’s here at last. HAP-PY NEW YEAR!
You are My Honey (You are my Sunshine)
You are my honey, my only honey,
You make my apples taste so sweet,
You may not know this but you are yummy.
You are my Rosh Ha-sha-nah treat.
Rosh Hashanah’s Here (The Farmer in the Dell)
Rosh Hashanah’s here. Rosh Hashanah’s here.
Shanah To-vah, Rosh Hashanah’s here.
The shofar’s sound is loud. The shofar’s sound is loud.
Shanah To-vah, the shofar’s sound is loud.
The challah’s shape is round. The challah’s shape is round.
Shanah To-vah, the challah’s shape is round.
The apple is a treat. The apple is a treat.
Shanah To-vah, the apple is a treat.
The honey tastes so sweet. The honey tastes so sweet.
Shanah To-vah, the honey tastes so sweet.
Let’s have a good year. Let’s have a good year.
Shanah To-vah, let’s have a good year.