Rosh Hashana: Remembering the past, hoping for a better future

As Jews around the world prepare to welcome Rosh Hashanah, we enter a new year after another extraordinary period for Israel and the Jewish people.

Rosh Hashanah is a time for reflection and renewal. We look back on the year that has passed, take stock of the challenges and blessings it brought, and look ahead with hope that the coming year will be sweeter, safer and more peaceful.

This year, Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on September 11, a date that carries profound significance for Israel’s closest ally.

Twenty-five years ago, nearly 3,000 people were murdered in the September 11 terrorist attacks. Americans experienced the horror of terrorism on a scale that changed their country forever. Israelis and Jews know that pain all too well, particularly after the horrors of October 7.

In the years since those defining attacks, the United States and Israel have repeatedly found themselves confronting common enemies driven by hatred and extremism. This past year, that partnership was demonstrated dramatically as the two countries fought side by side against Iran, a regime that has threatened Israel, targeted Americans and fueled terrorism across the Middle East.

But Rosh Hashanah is not only about looking back. It is about looking forward.

The Jewish New Year reminds us that even after the most difficult years, there is always the possibility of renewal. It is a time for families to gather, communities to come together and Jews everywhere to pray for a year of life, health, prosperity and peace.

As we blow the shofar and usher in a new year, we carry with us the memories of those we have lost, gratitude for those who defend us and hope for better days ahead.

We pray that the coming year brings greater security to Israel, comfort to families still carrying the wounds of war and terror, and safety to Jewish communities confronting antisemitism around the world.

We hope it will be a year in which the bonds between Israel and the United States grow stronger, common enemies are defeated, and the forces of hatred and terrorism give way to a more peaceful future.

After years of war and uncertainty, may the new year bring the Jewish people what Rosh Hashanah has represented for generations: renewal, blessing, sweetness and hope.

From all of us at World Israel News, we wish our readers in Israel, the United States and around the world a happy, healthy, peaceful and sweet New Year.

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