שנה טובה

Shana Tova! A Good Year. Rosh Hashanah is Jewish New Year. This year was different from the past; I was there alone. Though, I was joined by my Jewish brothers and sisters and welcomed by Temple Israel in this time of celebration and rejoice. This is the ''Day of Judgement'' where we pray to God to ask that we may be written in the Good Book. It is customary that services start at sundown of Rosh Hashanah and continue on the next morning. At the end of Rosh Hashanah services Temple Israel hosts a Family Picnic dinner at Oak Grove Park, and engage in Tashlikh services. Tashlikh is where the congregation joins near a body of water: lake, river, pond, etc and casts bread crumbs or pebbles/stones into the water, symbolizing the releasing of sins, grudges, and hurt. It is customary to eat apples and honey to start off with a "sweet" New Year.
Though I am Catholic, I am very close with my Jewish ties and find their holidays spiritually satisfying to my soul.