Celebrating Rosh Hashanah 2012 in Marin

As the day draws to a close this Sunday, the Jewish community will ring in year 5773 as part of their celebration of Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year. The festivities will continue until nightfall on Tuesday, Sept. 18.

In Marin, there are a few synagogues hosting services:

• Chabad of Novato has a service scheduled at Novato City Hall.
• Kol Shofar in Tiburon, which .
• in San Rafael, which has a full schedule of High Holiday-related services
• Chabad Mill Valley is also hosting Rosh Hashanah services.

It's a major milestone in Novato this time because Rabbi Menachem Landa arrived this spring to operate Chabad of Novato with his wife, Adina. The rabbi said he envisions a brick-and-mortar Chabad Jewish Center of Novato someday, but for now he's handling all his duties out of a home on the east side of town. Read about how excited he is to hold a Rosh Hashanah service at .

Rosh Hashanah, which means “head of the year,” signals the beginning of the High Holy Days. Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, marks the end, and together they are two of the holiest days for Jews.

Like most New Year celebrations, Rosh Hashanah is a time of introspection and a time to bring about changes in the coming year. The traditional blowing of the shofar, or ram’s horn, during services on Rosh Hashanah marks a time to contemplate past mistakes and find ways to make things right.

On this day, as on Sabbath, Jews avoid work and spend the day with family. And where there’s a family gathering, can food be far behind? It’s no surprise that after services Jewish families tuck into an elaborate spread of traditional dishes.

The day begins with eating apples dipped in honey, in hopes that the new year will also be sweet. Another tradition is to bake challah, a round-shaped bread that is a symbol of the circle of life.

So, it's time to get into that festive mood! Patch has come up with some great recipes that will make your Rosh Hoshanah meal extra special this year.

Patch contributor Wendy Schapiro shared her family recipe for a mouth-watering, traditional meal complete with , and .

Want to try something new this year? Take a look at this , which Susan Silverberg shared with Patch.

In the mood for some baking and indulging that sweet tooth at the same time? Try this recipe for from another Patch.

Here’s wishing you L’shanah Tovah — the traditional Happy New Year greeting — and B'tayavon (that’s Hebrew for bon appetit)!

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How are you celebrating Rosh Hashanah this year? Share your Rosh Hashanah recipes and traditions with us in the comments section below!