FORT SILL, Okla. -- Rosh Hashanah the Jewish New Year was celebrated last week at Quarry Hill Chapel, and the celebration of the High Holidays continues with Yom Kippur services Sept. 13-14.
Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Rabbi Ira Ehrenpreis, South-Central Chaplain Recruiting Team in Dallas, who was at Fort Sill on a recruiting visit, performed the Rosh Hashanah services.
"This is the 5,774th year since the creation of Adam," said Ehrenpreis, referring to the new year.
The High Holidays are the 10 days from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, in which Jews celebrate the new year with prayers, holiday meals, ceremonies and fasting.
This year Rosh Hashanah began Sept. 4 at sundown and ended Sept. 6 at nightfall. The dates change each year because Rosh Hashanah is based on a lunar calendar not a solar one, Ehrenpreis said.
During the service, Ehrenpreis blew a shofar, a ram's horn, to symbolize the coronation of the king (God) of the universe. And at a social at the chapel, round challah bread was served.
Another symbolic food consumed during Rosh Hashanah include pomegranates with its many seeds makes it fruitful, explained Chava Ehrenpreis, age 15.
On Yom Kippur, Jews fast for a little over 24 hours and do not even drink water, the rabbi said. The fast begins at sundown and lasts until nightfall the next day. Much of the evening and the next day is spent in prayer either at a synagogue or at home.
The Day of Atonement is between man and God, Ehrenpreis said, and with man's repentance cleans the slate with God.
Editor's note: Regular Jewish services are conducted Fridays at 6 p.m. in Quarry Hill Chapel, Bldg. 6008 Gordon St. (the basic-training side of post.) The service is open to all faiths in the Lawton-Fort Sill community. For more information about Fort Sill religious services, go to the Fort Sill Intranet. Under the "Fort Sill Internet" links under "Services" click "Chapels." Further links are then provided for service schedules, chapels and religious education.
Social Sharing