Can Kosher business be handled during the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah)?

During the Jewish New Year, rabbis take a holiday of about 10 days, during which Kosher factory inspections, certificate issuance, and the like cannot be handled, but the China office can still accept Kosher certification consulting and the submission and preliminary review of application forms. Jewish holidays need to be taken into account when scheduling certification timelines.

What kind of festival is the Jewish New Year?

The Jewish New Year is the festival on which Jews celebrate the beginning of the new year, falling on the first day of the month of Tishrei in the Hebrew calendar (overlapping with the "Feast of Trumpets" mentioned in the Bible). It is the first of the ten Days of Awe, including Yom Kippur, and is first of all a day of repentance and atonement; Judaism holds that all people are judged by God on this day, so it is also called the "Day of Judgment." It is also a joyous day of family reunion, when people eat apples and bread dipped in honey to symbolize a sweet coming year.

2016 Jewish New Year Holiday Notice

We are very pleased to welcome the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) of the year 5778 in the Hebrew calendar. October 2 to 12, 2016 in the Gregorian calendar is the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah), during which the rabbis will take a 10-day holiday and will be unable to handle Kosher factory inspections, certificate issuance, and the like. The China office can accept Kosher certification consulting and the submission and preliminary review of application forms. Please be aware, dear new and existing customers.

We are very pleased to welcome the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) of the year 5778 in the Hebrew calendar. October 2 to 12, 2016 in the Gregorian calendar is the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah), during which the rabbis will take a 10-day holiday and will be unable to handle matters such as Kosher factory inspections and certificate issuance. The China office can accept Kosher certification consulting and the submission and preliminary review of application forms. Please be aware, dear new and existing customers.

What is the Jewish New Year?

The Jewish New Year is the festival on which Jews celebrate the beginning of the new year. The festival falls on the first day of the month of Tishrei in the Hebrew calendar - the seventh month of the civil calendar, the month of Rosh Hashanah at the start of the Hebrew year. It means "the most precious of all months." The Bible does not treat this day as a New Year festival, only stipulating that this day is a day people "shall keep as a day of blowing the horn" (overlapping with the "Feast of Trumpets" mentioned in the Bible). Because this day happens to be the seventh new moon of the year (according to the Hebrew civil calendar), like the seventh day of the week being the holy Sabbath, it has special significance. So people celebrate it as a particularly holy day. In the Second Temple period, the general adoption of the civil calendar made this day the first day of the new year, gradually becoming a special festival celebrating the cyclical return of the new year.

Because the Jewish New Year is the first of the ten Days of Awe, including Yom Kippur, it is first of all a day of repentance and atonement. On this day, people review their words and deeds over the past year and reflect on the sins they may have committed. Judaism holds that all people are judged by God on this day, so Jews also call this day the "Day of Judgment." One way to celebrate the new year is to attend the New Year religious service at the synagogue, where people pray three times and blow the ram's horn three times - the horn blasts express both reverence for God and faith in God. Devout Jews also perform an atonement ceremony in the afternoon by the sea, by a river, or at a place with flowing water, reciting a verse from the Book of Micah in the Bible, "cast all our sins into the depths of the sea," shaking the hem of their garments three times to signify casting off sin and becoming pure. Some people also write the sins of the past year they have reflected on onto slips of paper and throw them into the fire, signifying that they have washed away their sins.

Although the Jewish New Year is a day of awe and repentance, it should not be regarded as a day of pain and sorrow, but rather a joyous day, because God's forgiveness of sin can ensure the coming of happiness. The whole family usually gathers on this day, and at the New Year dinner they eat candied apples and bread dipped in honey, to symbolize that the days of the coming year will be sweet and happy. People also exchange New Year cards and gifts, and many go on trips to express their joy.

FAQ

Can Kosher business be handled during the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah)?: During the Jewish New Year, rabbis take a holiday of about 10 days, during which Kosher factory inspections, certificate issuance, and the like cannot be handled, but the China office can still accept Kosher certification consulting and the submission and preliminary review of application forms. Jewish holidays need to be taken into account when scheduling certification timelines.
What kind of festival is the Jewish New Year?: The Jewish New Year is the festival on which Jews celebrate the beginning of the new year, falling on the first day of the month of Tishrei in the Hebrew calendar (overlapping with the "Feast of Trumpets" mentioned in the Bible). It is the first of the ten Days of Awe, including Yom Kippur, and is first of all a day of repentance and atonement; Judaism holds that all people are judged by God on this day, so it is also called the "Day of Judgment." It is also a joyous day of family reunion, when people eat apples and bread dipped in honey to symbolize a sweet coming year.