There are a number of branches of Judaism. The Orthodox are very strict in exactly how they practice what they believe to be the requirements of their faith. If you have heard about Jews who will not even turn on a light or use a car or an elevator on the weekly Sabbath, they were likely members of this branch of Judaism.
Those who are part of the Conservative branch of Judaism are slightly less rigid in their practice, but still are very careful about such things as observing the Kosher laws regarding food, and not working on the Sabbath.
Those who are part of Reformed Judaism recognize very few strict requirements for daily living, and if they follow such practices as avoiding non-Kosher foods such as pork and shellfish, they may view their actions as merely part of a cultural way of life rather than as binding commandments from God.
Material in this series of articles on Jewish customs refers in particular to either Orthodox or Conservative Jewish practices. For simplicity, the customs are described as they are scheduled in Israel--outside that country, every annual holy day as described in the Bible (except for the "fast day" of Yom Kippur) is traditionally observed for two days in a row. For an explanation on the reasoning behind this practice, see:
http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday0.htm
The LORD said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the LORD by fire.' " (Leviticus 23:23-25)
See the Scriptures for the Feast of Trumpets collection for more verses related to this Holy Day.
Yom Teruah in the 1st Century
The Day of Trumpets (Hebrew Yom=day, Teruah=noisy tumult, or trumpet blasts) is not listed in the Torah as one of the "pilgrim" festivals. In other words, not all Israelite males were commanded to go to Jerusalem for the observance. In the first century, those living throughout the land of Israel would have likely been finishing up their fall harvest at the time this observance fell, and getting ready to travel, bringing their tithes and offerings, to Jerusalem for the pilgrimage Feast of Tabernacles that started on the 15th day of the month. So although they would not have worked on the day, since it was a "day of rest," unless they happened to be in Jerusalem at the time, there were no commanded customs that they would have been required to observe.
At the Temple in Jerusalem, the local residents would likely have come to observe the series of special Holy Day sacrifices and offerings presented by the priesthood, and the ceremonial blowing of shofars--rams' horns. (See the article Reveille elsewhere on this Times of Refreshing website for more information on shofars and other types of blowing instruments.) But there is no historical record of any other specific traditions connected with the day back at that time. So it is not clear what people living in other parts of the land would have done in celebration. Perhaps there would have been special synagogue services in each village or town, in which shofars were blown and special readings and prayers would have been done. But that is only speculation.
Yom Teruah in the 21st Century
After the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, the Jewish rabbis began developing alternative ways of observance of the Feasts and Holy Days, including Yom Teruah. All observances were eventually transferred to the local synagogue, with Torah readings and other elements of ceremonial liturgy replacing the animal sacrifices. But the sounding of shofars would still be included. Click here to go to a webpage where you can hear the shofar.
The modern Yom Teruah celebration is a blend of these synagogue observances, and traditional customs that have grown up over the past 2000 years. Instead of the biblical term Yom Teruah, over time the Day of Trumpets has come to be commonly referred to among Jews by the Hebrew term Rosh Hashanah, which means "head of the year" or, as it might be called in English, "New Year's Day."
http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday2.htm
You may notice that the Bible speaks of Rosh Hashanah as occurring on the first day of the seventh month. The first month of the Jewish calendar is Nissan, occurring in March and April. Why, then, does the Jewish "new year" occur in Tishri, the seventh month?
Judaism has several different "new years," a concept which may seem strange at first, but think of it this way: the American "new year" starts in January, but the new "school year" starts in September, and many businesses have "fiscal years" that start at various times of the year. In Judaism, Nissan 1 is the new year for the purpose of counting the reign of kings and months on the calendar, Elul 1 (in August) is the new year for the tithing of animals, Shevat 15 (in February) is the new year for trees (determining when first fruits can be eaten, etc.), and Tishri 1 (Rosh Hashanah) is the new year for years (when we increase the year number. Sabbatical and Jubilee years begin at this time).
Rosh Hashanah, even more than just a separate observance all its own, is viewed specifically in most Jewish settings as the beginning of the "Ten Days of Awe" leading up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. (See the link to the separate article on Yom Kippur at the end of this page for information on that observance.)
http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday3.htm
The ten days starting with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur are commonly known as the Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim) or the Days of Repentance. This is a time for serious introspection, a time to consider the sins of the previous year and repent before Yom Kippur.
One of the ongoing themes of the Days of Awe is the concept that G-d has "books" that he writes our names in, writing down who will live and who will die, who will have a good life and who will have a bad life, for the next year. These books are written in on Rosh Hashanah, but our actions during the Days of Awe can alter G-d's decree. The actions that change the decree are "teshuvah, tefilah and tzedakah," repentance, prayer, good deeds (usually, charity). These "books" are sealed on Yom Kippur. This concept of writing in books is the source of the common greeting during this time is "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year."
Among the customs of this time, it is common to seek reconciliation with people you may have wronged during the course of the year. The Talmud maintains that Yom Kippur atones only for sins between man and G-d. To atone for sins against another person, you must first seek reconciliation with that person, righting the wrongs you committed against them if possible.
Synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah/Yom Teruah feature the blowing of shofars, special prayers, and scripture readings. One odd feature of the service is ... it may require the worshipper to purchase tickets for his family in order to attend!
Some congregations rely on the revenues generated by ticket sales for High Holiday [Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur] and services to fund their institutions and their various activities for the entire year. Unfortunately, in some communities, ticket sales have created an air of exclusivity surrounding these holy times.
This is contrary to the spirit of the holidays, in which unity and selflessness should be the dominant tendencies. Other congregations -- including most Chabad synagogues -- find alternative means to finance themselves and have an “open-door” policy for the holidays (sometimes it gets a bit crowded!).
In addition, one may find that a genuine request to a local rabbi or community leader may result in the waiving of existing ticket fees.
In addition to the specific group worship customs of the day, there are also some other traditions connected with observance of the day. Tashlikh (which means "casting off") is an informal custom on the afternoon of Rosh Hashanah.
Jewish
families--or sometimes whole Jewish communities--walk to
a river or other flowing body of water and toss in bread
crumbs, which symbolically represents the willing
casting off--rejection--of their sins. Alternatively,
some "empty their pockets" of lint or crumbs or other
tiny bits of matter. In times centuries ago when people
wore "robes," some would "shake out their robes" of any
bits of lint and crumbs that might be clinging to them.
This ceremony begins with the reading of Micah 7:18-20:
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
You will be true to Jacob, and show mercy to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our fathers in days long ago.
Special foods connected to the day include pomegranates, and apples dipped in honey.
http://www.askmoses.com/article.html?h=619&o=19383
"The Talmud tells us that 'even the wicked amongst Israel are filled with good deeds like pomegranates [are filled with seeds].' On Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Judgment, we eat a pomegranate to remind G-d of all the good deeds we've done in the past year."
http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday2.htm
"Another popular observance during this holiday is eating apples dipped in honey, a symbol of our wish for a sweet new year. This was the second Jewish religious practice I was ever exposed to (the first one: lighting Chanukkah candles), and I highly recommend it. It's yummy. We also dip bread in honey (instead of the usual practice of sprinkling salt on it) at this time of year for the same reason."
For useful overviews from a Jewish perspective of the Jewish observance of the Feast of Trumpets and the Days of Awe, see the two articles at the links below. The material above was in part adapted from these overviews.
