NEW ORLEANS — With the backdrop of war in the Middle East, the Jewish community across the world is celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
Thursday, congregation members left services at Touro Synagogue in New Orleans focused on personal and spiritual growth for the coming year.
“To look forward to the next coming year, to a better year, to a year when we can promote to each other and our presumed enemies, so to speak that we can live in peace and the way we lived in the prior year doesn’t have to be the way we have to move forward,” Touro Synagogue member Sam Berman said.
As the Jewish community marks its new year the war between Israel and Gaza has intensified.
It now threatens to turn into a regional conflict following Iran’s missile strike earlier this week.
This year’s celebration also comes nearly one year after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel that killed more than one thousand people.
Thursday, there was stepped-up security at Touro and outside a New York City synagogue where an East Side rabbi talked about potential threats.
“Antisemitism has dramatically surged this year, not only around the world, not only in this country, but also in this city,” the rabbi said.
Despite the turmoil, Berman says it’s important to celebrate the new year, especially when times are unsettled.
“A new chance as we say, some will live, some will die, some will live to be young, some will live to be old and so every year, it’s a new chance for a new beginning and a new opportunity to take a different path.”
Touro congregants left the synagogue with apples representing the sweetness of the new year and a new beginning.
The ten-day Jewish high holy days end with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.