"Shanah tovah!"
Rabbi Adam Miller's "Happy New Year" greeting marks the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
As the sun sets Wednesday, Jewish families across Southwest Florida gather to celebrate this two-day festival of renewal and reflection. Rosh Hashanah heralds the beginning of the "High Holy Days," a 10-day period leading up to Yom Kippur, the day of atonement.
Miller, from Temple Shalom of Naples, shares the significance of Rosh Hashanah.
"It's a different kind of experience than the American new year on December 3. We are not letting off fireworks and sipping champagne," he said. "Rather, we are being called to fulfill a message that comes to us from the Torah. It is a call to return back to the path that we may have left behind, to reflect on our actions from the past year, and to renew ourselves in the hope of finding blessings in the new year that is ahead."
While champagne and confetti may be out, Miller listed other festive traditions.
"There are many things that I love about Rosh Hashanah. One of the traditions is to eat things that are sweet, particularly to take apples and to dip them in honey," he said. "But I also love the sound of the shofar. The shofar represents those prayers deep in our heart that we might not be able to articulate in words, but they are there in emotions. So, hearing the shofar is something I always look forward to, and I think it really sets the holiday apart."
For many, Rosh Hashanah is more than just a religious observance – it's a time to reconnect with family, friends and faith.
"Shana tova umetukah," Miller concluded. "May you have a good and sweet new year."