PASCACK VALLEY AREA—Happy New Year (or Shana Tova)! On Thursday, Sept. 2, the Valley Chabad CTeen program gathered outdoors for a honey cake bake and packing of Jewish holiday boxes for the elderly.
Rosh Hashanah, of “head of the year” in Hebrew, is a two-day celebration, this year starting at sundown on Sept. 6, marking the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days each autumn.
The New Year inaugurates 10 days of repentance, also known as Days of Awe. They lead into Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which this year is on Wednesday, Sept. 15. That’s followed by Sukkot, of the Feast of Tabernacles, commemorating how God protected the Israelites as they wandered the desert in search of the Promised Land.
CTeen is the Valley Chabad Teen Leadership Initiative’s popular teen group that meets regularly for social and community service-oriented activities for Jewish teens in the Pascack Valley and in the towns of the Saddle River area.
Participants enjoyed baking honey cakes to share with their families, bringing home that Rosh Hashanah spirit.
They then partnered to create kits of holiday essentials, including personalized notes. These boxes enable the seniors to have the full immersive high holy days experience from the comfort of their home.
The programs are open to all Jewish teens regardless of affiliation. To learn more, or to have your teens volunteer, visit valleychabadteens.org or write rabbiyosef@valleychabad.org.