Sunday, September 20, 2009 and the second day of Rosh Hashana, was the day, when the members of our kehila, their relatives and friends gathered to celebrate the beginning of the new year 5770. We welcomed the New Year 5770 already on Friday eve September 19 and celebrated it’s arival till Sunday September 20, since the Rosh hashana is one of the Jewish holidays that last two days.
The second gathering for the High holidays in a row, we celebrated the High holidays with rabbi Stiefel last year, set up a tradition and became popular among the members of our kehila.
Sweet scent of Lekach – typical Jewish Rosh hashana honey cake from Bina, the wife of rabbi Stiefel, welcomed the guests coming to the synagogue.
We were pleased to have a precious guest this year again, Mr. Harvey Bordowitz, famous conductor and cantor from Israel. He was leading the whole ceremony and celebration, sang Jewish songs, read from Torah and blasted the shofar. Mr. Frankl opened the ceremony and greeted all those who came. The reading of the Hasidic stories and the singing of the Jewish songs, both in Yiddish and Hebrew, emphasized not only festive but also very warm and pleasant atmosphere of this celebration. The ceremony of the shofar began by long blast on shofar, following three short and nine quick blasts and ending by a very long blast.
The reading the portion for Rosh Hashana from Torah scrolls and Haphtarah both in Slovak and Hebrew followed right after shofar ceremony. Caddish for all those who are not among us anymore was recited together by the whole congregation. The ceremony ended by the tekiah g’dolah – very long blast on the shofar, best wishes for the good and sweet new year 5770 and by the song Next year in Jerusalem…
And even if not in Jerusalem, we are all looking forward to meet again and celebrate next new year as joyfully as this year.
