SoCal Jewish communities celebrate Rosh Hashanah

NORTHRIDGE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Around the world, Jewish communities are celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, including in Northridge.

"Rosh Hashanah means head of the year, which is the start of the new year," said Rabbi Becky Hoffman with Temple Ahavat Shalom.

"It's a festive time, where we begin the 10 days of awe which started last night and enter into a journey of exploring repentance and forgiveness," said Janet Rice, president of Temple Ahavat Shalom.

The observance of this Jewish holiday dates back centuries.

"The Hebrew calendar is on a different schedule. It's the year 5,786, according to the Jewish calendar," Hoffman explained.

The traditions over the High Holy Days are audible.

"The shofar is a ram's horn. It's supposed to be something natural. And the idea behind hearing the sound of the shofar is that it's a wake-up call. It's not something that you hear every day. We hear it once a year during the high holy days," Hoffman said.

The festivities also include delicious food.

"Apples and honey represent the sweetness for the new year," Rice said.

"Usually our challahs are braided into a loaf, but during the High Holy Days, we eat a round challahs to symbolize the cycle and the start of a new year," Hoffman said.

Rice explained how people of all ages partake in the celebration.

"Last night we had a wonderful family and children's service where the kids were the ones who got up and spoke and did readings," Rice said.

It leads 10 days later into Yom Kippur, which is the Day of Atonement, where we reflect on the past year and how we can do better in the year to come.

And if you'd like to wish people observing the holiday a happy new year:

"The Hebrew words for wishing a Happy New Year are shana tovah - shana means year, tovah means good," Hoffman said.