Understanding Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur Published Sept. 28, 2011 By Chaplain (Maj.) Kent Schmidt 60th Air Mobility Wing Chapel TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Hag Sameach ... Happy holidays to our Jewish brothers and sisters! Thursday marked the beginning of the highest holy days in Judaism: Rosh Hashanah. The word literally means "head of the year." Rosh Hashanah is the first of the high holidays or Yamim Noraim, which means days of awe in Hebrew, celebrated 10 days before Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah is observed on the first two days of Tishrei, which is the seventh month of the Hebrew lunar calendar. It is described in the Torah, otherwise known as "The Law" and the first five books of Hebrew scripture, as Yom Teru'ah, a day of sounding the shofar, which is a ram's horn blown to mark the beginning and end of certain Jewish holidays. Jews believe Rosh Hashanah represents either figuratively or literally the creation of the world. The Torah defines Rosh Hashanah as a one day celebration and, since days in the Hebrew calendar begin at sundown, the beginning of Rosh Hashanah is sundown on the 29th day of Elul, the last day of the Hebrew Year. Since the destruction of the second temple of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., Jewish law appears to be that Rosh Hashanah is celebrated for two days because it is difficult to determine the date of the new moon. The Talmud, a collection of Jewish law and tradition, provides three central ideas behind the day: "The Holy One said, 'On Rosh Hashanah recite before Me sovereignty, remembrance and shofar blasts. Sovereignty so that you should make Me your King; remembrance so that your remembrance should rise up before Me. And through what? Through the shofar.' " The shofar makes three different sounds: Tekiah - one long sound for assembly or agreement; shevarim - three broken sounds for marching or repentance; and teruah - nine short sounds for battle or ministry. Additionally, there are two variations to the sounds: the Tekiah gedolah, a very long sound that comes at the end of a prayer; and the shevarim teruah, three broken sounds followed by nine short sounds. The Rosh Hashanah meal usually includes apples and honey to symbolize a sweet new year. Various other foods with symbolic meaning may be served, depending on local custom. These foods may include items such as cooked tongue or other meat from the head of an animal or fish to symbolize the "head of the year." It is traditional to eat foods symbolic of a good year and to recite a short prayer beginning with the Hebrew words "Yehi Ratson," meaning, "May it be your will" over each one food item. Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year for most Jews. Its central theme is atonement and reconciliation, which are accomplished through prayer and fasting - including abstinence from all food and drink unless fasting is prohibited for medical reasons. A traditional Aramaic prayer called Kol Nidre , or all vows, is traditionally recited just before sunset. The person prays to be released from all personal vows made to God during the year so that any unfulfilled promises made to God will be annulled and forgiven. A Tallit, a four-cornered prayer shawl, is donned for evening prayers. This is the only evening service of the year in which this is done. The Ne'ilah service is a special service held only on the day of Yom Kippur and deals with the closing of the holiday. Yom Kippur ends with the blowing of the shofar, which also marks the conclusion of the fast. It is always observed as a one-day holiday, both inside and outside the boundaries of the land of Israel. These two high holy days are celebrated by Jews numbering nearly 5,000 in the Department of Defense and more than 1,000 in our Air Force.