Mumbai: The city's Jewish community began Rosh Hashana, also spelled as Rosh Hashanah, a two-day observance beginning on Wednesday evening to usher in their New Year. The war in the middle-east loomed over the celebrations and security at religious gatherings at synagogues and other sites for rituals was tight in view of the scaling up of the hostilities between Israel and militant organisations in Gaza and Lebanon.
Rosh Hashana literally means the 'head of the New Year' in Hebrew. The festival is also the beginning of the ten-day period of repentance leading to Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement. For this reason, Rosh Hashana is also called the annual Day of Judgment. Synagogues in the city observed the ritual of blowing the shofar or the Ram's horn after the recital of the additional service.
While the Orthodox section of the Jews observe the festival for two days, the Reformed branch celebrated it for a day.
Sinora Kolatkar, secretary of the 181-year-old Shaare Roshon synagogue near Masjid station, said that 25 members, largely from the Marathi-speaking Bene Israel community, gathered at the synagogue on Thursday morning. There were also prayers on Wednesday evening. The New Year celebration will end on Friday evening. Kolatkar, a resident of Borivali who travelled to Shaare Roshon with her sons and other members of her family.
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Rosh Hashana Celebration in Jewish community | FPJ/ Manoj Ramakrishnan
Rosh Hashana Celebration in Jewish community | FPJ/ Manoj Ramakrishnan
Special dish Chikacha halwa, a fudge made of wheat made | FPJ/ Manoj Ramakrishnan
Synagogues in the city observed the ritual of blowing the shofar or the Ram's horn after the recital of the additional service. | FPJ/ Manoj Ramakrishnan
Special dish Chikacha halwa, a fudge made of wheat made | FPJ/ Manoj Ramakrishnan
Elijah Samson Jacob, a Vikhroli resident and a member of the Jewish Religious Union, a Progressive movement, said that their celebrations ended on Thursday. A Jewish day starts and ends with nightfall. Since the sect does not have their own synagogue, the group met at a school for prayers. They were guided by a woman rabbi who travelled from Jerusalem to Mumbai to take part in the celebrations. "We had special prayers for Israel," said Jacob.
Prayers and special food were the highlights of the celebrations. The festival table features a 'seder' or ceremonial meal that features dishes like a goat's head, fried fish, boiled beetroot, pomegranate, apple, honey, challah bread, black-eyed peas, dates, and stems of garlic. "It is difficult to get all these items together, but there are caterers who provide the service," added Jacob.
The Bene Israel also make their special dish, chikacha halwa, a fudge made of wheat, and a symbol of their adoption of Indian cultural elements during the centuries of stay in India.
