Rosh Hashana in Freeport

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Rosh Hashana is the Birthday of The World. It is a time when we celebrate creation, a time when we give gratitude to God, asking for forgiveness. 

It is said on Rosh Hashana that with repentance, prayer, and charity,the Jewish people will be given another year of life. Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippor and the days which link each holiday together are known as the Days of Repentance. 

On Yom Kippor, everyone’s fate and the fate of the Jewish people are decided. 

On Rosh Hashana, we connect to our past with readings from The Hebrew Bible; which recount the stories of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Yishmael, Isaac, Hanah and Rachel. It is through these biblical, prophetic texts, as well as prayers (penitential, supplicatory, ancient piyuttim,kinnot poetry from the time of the Temple,) and the loud and powerful blasts of the shofar(the ram’s horn,) that we reconnect to our history, tradition, and belief in God. It is through our services, meditation and supplication, that we find new faith and hope each year.

We in Freeport have suffered greatly. We are all uncertain about whatlies ahead of us this year in terms of Covid-19, in terms of our economy, the future for our country and the lives of so many around us and afar. 

We begin this year consumed with fear, yearning for the past; before social distancing when perhaps we lived carefreely. We pray this New Year that life will only get better and that God will raise us up from the pit of despair. 

This New Year, we celebrate 5,781 years since creation. The New Year 5,781; is very unique because the Hebrew Gematria (an alphanumeric code of assigning a numerical value to word[s] or phrase[s] based on it’s letters) for the Jewish New Year, 5,781; foreshadows a positive future for the upcoming New Year for all people.

The numbers 5781, spell out the Hebrew word eshpot, which means rubbish. This is referenced in Psalm 113, “God lifts the poor out of the dust, and raises the needy from the rubbish heap, from illness, disease and sorrow.”

This passage using Hebrew Gematria,gives us hope that God will lift us up to a better place in the year to come. 

This year we will be holding Rosh Hashana Service live at the Synagogue and streamed LIVE on Zoom. If you would like to join us, please call the office for information, (516) 623 4200.

On behalf of Congregation B’nai Israel, 91 N. Bayview Ave in Freeport, I would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and 5781. May our outlook on life be elevated as we battle through this pandemic together. May God bring health, happiness, healing, peace and salvation to everyone and to the world. 

L’Shana Tova Tikateivu.

May we all have a Happy New Year and be inscribed in the Book of Life.