It's almost time to blow the shofar once again: Rosh Hashanah starts at sundown tonight. It's the beginning of the Jewish high holy days, the ten most sacred days of the year for Jews. There's a lot of stuff going on tonight and tomorrow—from Occupy Wall Street get togethers to hipster Synagogues—but before you head to shul, perhaps you should considering ushering in the new year Gangnam-style:
Occupy Wall Street will be gathering at Zuccotti Park (or Battery Park, if that doesn't work out) around 7:30 p.m. tonight to celebrate both the Jewish new year as well as the one year anniversary of OWS with a potluck dinner and nondemoninational holiday service. Check out all the details here—they advise you should bring flashlights or headlamps to read, and a shofar, if you happen to have one. Don't forget to bring some delicious honey too!
If that sounds a bit too hippie-ish for you, you can take the pie-ish out of it and attend services at a new "hip" synagogue that is opening on the Bowery for current and former NYU students—according to a press release, it "straddles tradition and the grit of the hip Bowery." Also, John Legend might be there? It's kind of confusing: "The New Year will be celebrated at this synagogue with a new beginning shared by John Legend who lives upstairs."
The cops are certainly ready for tonight: “We’ll deploy additional resources to precincts with large Jewish communities to ensure that coverage is more than adequate in these areas. That includes increasing the number of foot patrols, supplementing patrols with designated house of worship cars, and expanding community outreach,” Police chief Ray Kelly told reporters on Wednesday. “Some synagogues may receive unannounced visits from our Hercules teams. These are specially trained, heavily armed officers whose job it is to deter terrorists and disrupt any reconnaissance that they may be engaged in."
Various politicians offered their Rosh Hashanah wishes to Jews around the five boroughs: "This is a joyous occasion, but also a time to reflect on the year that has passed and focus on new beginnings. It is with a spirit of renewed hope and promise that we all join New Yorkers celebrating the start of this year," Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement. Check out Obama's greeting below:
Mayor Bloomberg gave this statement:
Tonight, New Yorkers will come together at synagogues, community centers and homes across the five boroughs to celebrate Rosh Hashanah and the beginning of a new year. Rosh Hashanah is a time for reflection and hope, as we look back on the year just past and the promise of the year ahead. I am proud of the tremendous progress we have made to create a better city - a place where people of all faiths can come to fulfill their dreams. As New Yorkers celebrate with friends and family, I look forward to what lies ahead. Shanah tovah u’metukah.
We kind of prefer El Bloombito's version: "Feliz año huevo to todos los Jewbadoros ¡L'shana Tova Tequilatevu!" Of course, no Rosh Hashanah is complete without Muppets:
