Date: Evening of Wed, Oct 2, 2024 – Fri, Oct 4, 2024

Significance:  Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. It is the birthday of the universe and is celebrated as the Head of the Jewish year.  Rosh Hashanah is the anniversary of the creation of Adam  and Eve. On R’H “all inhabitants of the world pass before G‑d like a  flock of sheep,” and it is decreed in the heavenly court “who shall live,  and who shall die . . . who shall be impoverished, and who shall be  enriched; who shall fall and who shall rise.”

Holiday tips:

1. Rosh Hashanah meals traditionally include round challah and apples dipped in honey, as well as other foods that symbolize our wishes for a sweet year. Check out our Holiday Guide for festive vegan apples & honey themed recipes!
2. Have a Rosh Hashanah La’Behema (New Year for Animal) seder. Have an event at your home to raise awareness about the mistreatment of animals in the factory farming industry.
3. Next time you buy a shofar make sure it is from an animal that  was treated ethically and died naturally.

Connection to Animal Advocacy:

Unetanneh Tokef is recited during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It contemplates the idea of divine judgment and highlights the notion that during this time, G-d determines each person’s fate for the coming year, including who will live and who will die, who will be prosperous and who will suffer. For many, this prayer inspires accountability for one’s actions. According to the Factory Farming Awareness Coalition, “10 billion animals are slaughtered each year in the US. 99% of them are raised on factory farms.”* This is the most relevant time of year to reconsider how our actions affect animals around the world.

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Start your pledge for compassion for the High Holidays by donating to Shamayim.

As we embrace the journey towards Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, let us use the opportunity to be kinder to our fellow non-human animals. For Elul this year, we have the power to transform the world through the power of love and compassion. Help us help the animals.

*Source: “Livestock & Meat Domestic Data.” USDA ERS – Livestock & Meat Domestic Data, 28 Apr. 2020, www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/livestock-meat-domestic-data/livestock-meat-domestic-data/#Livestock%20and%20poultry%20slaughte
Source: Anthis, J. (2019, April 11). US factory Farming Estimates. Retrieved February 19, 2021, from https://www.sentienceinstitute.org/us-factory-farming-estimate