High Holidays

A short guide to greeting Jewish neighbors and colleagues well during the High Holidays.

Shanah Tovah

shah-NAH toh-VAH

Say this anytime during the High Holidays — it's especially fitting at the very start. It means “Good Year,” a wish for a sweet new year ahead.

Important Dates

  • Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year): Sunset, September 11 – Nightfall, September 13
  • Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement): Sunset, September 20 – Nightfall, September 21
  • Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles): Sunset, September 25 – Nightfall, October 2

What It Means

The shofar's raw, ancient blast cracks open the High Holidays: ten days built for reflection, repentance, and renewal. From Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, this is the most solemn and widely observed stretch of the Jewish calendar — a communal pause to take stock, make amends, and start fresh.

Read the letter from Congregation Emanu El →
A man blows a shofar, the ram's horn sounded throughout the High Holidays

Sweet New Year Traditions

Many families attend synagogue services, eat apples dipped in honey for a sweet new year, and avoid work on the holidays themselves. Yom Kippur includes a full day of fasting and prayer.

View Congregation Beth Yeshurun's Guide to learn more →
Illustration of neighbors from different faith backgrounds gathering together

In Houston

Watch services for the High Holidays on live stream from one of our partners, the Houston Congregation For Reform Judaism (HCRJ)! Guidance on services, the holidays, and more.

See how HCRJ in Houston marks the season →