Chabad of Southern Minnesota seeks to lower barriers for Rosh Hashanah ceremony
Sep. 7—ROCHESTER — The central observance of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year which starts at sundown on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, is the blowing of the shofar. The blast of the ram's horn is commanded in the Torah and is overlaid with many meanings. It is sounded on both days of the New Year, and it urges people to is to wake up spiritually.
"Awake, you slumberers, from your sleep, and rouse yourself from your lethargy. Search your deeds, and return in repentance. Look to your souls, mend your ways and actions, leave your evil path and unworthy purpose, seek the way of the Lord."
Chabad of Southern Minnesota hopes to aid in that awakening by lowering the barriers of entry. To accommodate those who might not be able to make it to a formal Rosh Hashanah synagogue service, it is holding a brief, open-to-all, 30-minute ceremony that includes the primary observance of the holiday.
The Community Tashlich and Shofar Service will take place at Kutzky Park at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023.
"According to Jewish tradition, the gates of heaven are open on the New Year, and God accepts prayers for everyone," said Rabbi Shloime Greene, executive vice president of Chabad of Southern Minnesota. "That serves as our inspiration to create Rosh Hashanah opportunities for everyone in the community."
The Jewish New Year is observed this year beginning at sundown on Friday, Sept. 15, through nightfall on Sunday, Sept. 17. The two-day holiday commemorates the creation of the world. It also marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection and repentance that culminates in the Yom Kippur holiday.
Tashlich, a practice rich in symbolic and mystical meaning, is typically performed on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. There is a brief prayer recited near a body of water, and a prayerful hope is expressed that God cast "our discretions into the depths of the sea, and that we be granted a good and sweet New Year filled with God's abundant and manifest blessings."
For more information, contact Chabad of Southern Minnesota at 507-288-7500 or shloime@chabadrochestermn.com or visit
