White symbolizes purity

White symbolizes purity During the High HolyDays, it is customary to wear white garments to symbolize purity. In the synagogue, only white kippot are worn and the Torah scrolls are dressed in white. Sweet food, as apples and honey, are customarily eaten to symbolize the sweetness of a new year. On Rosh Hashanah, a custom called tashlich is observed by many Jews. This Hebrew word translates, “you will cast,” and involves symbolically casting out one’s sins from the past year by casting bread crumbs upon the water. On Saturday, Sept. 23, Temple Beth Elohim will hold a tashlich ceremony at the foot of Screven Street on the Sampit River.In Reform Jewish congregations on Rosh Hashanah, the Torah portion read is the during which Abraham’s faithfulness to God is tested. Also read is I Samuel, the story of the birth of Samuel and his dedication to the priesthood. Samuel was purportedly born on Rosh Hashanah. On Erev Yom Kippur, also called Kol Nidre, or “all vows”, a prayer is sung which annuls the vows that people have thoughtlessly made or have failed to fulfill during the past year. After the Kol Nidre, a prayer called the Shehecheyanu is recited which thanks God for allowing Jews to reach this season again. On Yom Kippur morning, it is traditional to read from Deuteronomy, dealing with the covenant between God and the Israelites, and from Isaiah.The Yom Kippur services continues in the afternoon with a memorial service to remember the deceased members of one’s family. It has also become the custom to recall all Jews who have died in the Holocaust and elsewhere, who may not have any family members left alive to say the mourner’s prayer for them.The service concludes with the sounding of the Shofar, the ram’s horn, which marks the end of the Days of Awe. This is perhaps the most memorable moment of the holiday services and marks the climax of the High Holy Days.