The English month of September typically contains one of the holiest months in Judaism, Tishrei. On the eve of September 22, 2025, Rosh Hashanah–also called the Day of Judgement–began, marking the start of the Jewish year 5786.

On Rosh Hashana, we learn that G-d looks back on our past year and uses what He sees to decide our future. There are many items that symbolize this holiday, such as the Shofar, which acts as a spiritual wake-up call and motivates people to take part in good deeds, apples and honey that signify a sweet new year, and a fish head at our dinner tables that encourages us to be leaders rather than followers. Rosh Hashanah marks the start of the 10 Days of Repentance, a period marked by an increase in Teshuvah (seeking forgiveness and self-reflection) that ends with the conclusion of Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year and places a strong focus on repentance and the sealing of our fate. The holiday includes a 25-hour fast, where we distance ourselves from all physical distractions and detach ourselves from the physical world in order to focus on our spiritual side. As a result, we cannot bathe, anoint ourselves, wear leather shoes, or have sexual relationships. The essence of Yom Kippur is to be lifted into a higher perspective than the world we live in and to connect and bring ourselves back to Hashem.