Rosh Hashanah , the Jewish new year, begins at sundown today and lasts until sundown on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
Those two days usher in the Ten Days of Repentance, which end with the fast day of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur begins at sundown on October 8 and lasts until the evening of October 9.
According to the website, My Jewish Learning, Rosh Hashanah is a fall holiday, taking place at the beginning of the month of Tishrei , which is actually the seventh month of the Jewish year (counting from Nisan in the spring). It is both a time of rejoicing and of serious introspection, a time to celebrate the completion of another year while also taking stock of one’s life.
The website states that Yom Kippur is the day at the conclusion of which, according to tradition, God seals the Books of Life and Death for the coming year. The day is devoted to communal repentance for sins committed over the course of the previous year. Because of the nature of Yom Kippur and its associated rituals, it is the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar."
Lafayette's synagogue, Temple Shalom, will hold Rosh Hashanah Evening Services today, September 29 at 7:30 p.m. and Rosh Hashanah Morning Services on September 30 at 10 a.m.
On Yom Kippur, the synagogue will hold Kol Nidrei Services on October 8 at 7:30 and a full day of events on October 9, including Morning Services at 10 a.m., an adult program at 1 p.m., an afternoon study at 2 p.m., a children's service at 4:15 p.m., and a concluding service at 6:15 p.m. The fast will be broken at 7 p.m.
