LOOK FOR THE NEW 2002/2003 JN SOURCEBOOK in your mailbox next week! Appletree An Apple A Day Everything you always wanted to know about Rosh Hashanah. ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM AppleTree Editor CE lour Complete Guide Jewish News Celebrates 60 Years 14aa4e lp.T12 .0,4414Tr At-A-Glance • 'When: This year, Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown Friday, Sept. 6, and lasts until Sunday night, Sept. 8. la Jewish Living In Metropolitan Detroit 'fa‘ - • CC • What It Means: Rosh Hashanah is Hebrew for "head of the year," or "beginning of the year." (Rosh means "head," ha is "the," shana means year.") • Purpose Of The Holiday: The celebration of the new year on the Jewish calendar, and the commemoration of the creation of the world. Filled with everything you need to know about the Detroit Jewish • Why We Celebrate: The Torah commandment to observe Rosh Hashanah is found in Parshat Emor (Leviticus 23:24) and in Parshat Pinchat (Numbers 29:1). The name of the holiday — Rosh Hashanah — is not stated in the Torah; this developed later. Rosh Hashanah also inaugu- rates the three-week holiday season in Judaism, continuing with Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and culminat- ing in Simchat Torah. • Themes: Rosh Hashanah car- ries three main themes. Beyond its importance as the beginning of the calendar year, Rosh Hashanah is known as the Day of Judgment, or Yom HaDin. That's when God weighs the acts of each person over the Call To Action Why do we blow the shofar before the High Holidays? wards or Jewish Detroit. 9/6 2002 168 To order a Detroit Jewish News subscription for yourself or as a gift, call (248) 865-6320 You've always wondered ... now you know. Here is your chance to learn all kinds of compelling and unusual facts about Jewish life throughout the years. Now You Know introduces you to famous scholars and infamous gangsters, con- siders decisions and incidents that con- tinue to shape the way we live today, and tells you the story behind every- thing from classic Jewish texts to Hollywood feuds — all on a single page. It's history, and it's fun; sit down and learn a little (best of all, there are no homework assignments). I . t isn't simply a matter of getting all the air out of your lungs: blowing the shofar is an art. You need energy, certainly, but you'll also need to learn precisely where and how to place your lips. That can be a great deal more challenging than you might imagine. Or maybe you already know all about it. If you live in a Jewish neighborhood, no _ doubt you've heard some of your neighbors trying, desper- ately, to learn how to play the shofar in the days before Rosh Hashanah. Ouch. The custom of blowing a shofar began in the Holy Temple, and in its earliest days the shofar's use was twofold. The shofar was regarded as a musical instrument, pleasant to listen to, but it also was used to notify the community of important events, such as a declaration of war. Additionally, the sound of the shofar was used to wel- come a new month. Whoever was blowing the shofar would make quick blasts each time, the exception being at start of Tishrei, when it was tradition- al to sound long blasts because this month contains the major Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. During the Middle Ages, Jews began blowing the shofar throughout the entire month of Elul, preceding Rosh