Rosh Hashanah 2024: Top 3 Most Inspiring Videos

Unlock Deeper Meaning in Your Rosh Hashanah Prayers

By Susannah Schild | 10 September 2024 | 5 Minute Read

Rosh Hashanah 2024: There’s Much to Prepare

Elul is here! The weather is cooling down, and autumn is in the air.  This month, we sound the shofar in shul daily and add Psalm 27 (LeDovid Hashem) to our morning prayers. All of these facts lead to one important conclusion: Rosh Hashanah is close at hand.

The holiday falls out right before Shabbat this year, which translates into  a three-day yom tov.  Rosh Hashanah 2024 is going to require a lot of preparation.

There’s the shopping, the cooking, and the honey cake baking to tackle.  You may have clothing to purchase and guest lists to assemble. But before you run out to buy fish heads and an extra-large squeeze bottle of honey, you may want to think about another way to prepare for the Rosh Hashanah holiday.

After all, on the Day of Judgement itself, we spend hours upon hours in synagogue, in quiet conversation with God. Are we ready for that? How often do we sit down and really think about those prayers before we arrive at shul on Rosh Hashanah? Do we ever consider how to make the most of our days in synagogue, or what the main themes of the holiday really mean?  

All that time in prayer is too precious to go in unprepared.

You probably don’t have space in your schedule to embark on an in-depth study of the Rosh Hashanah machzor right now.  And that’s okay.   Instead, use Aleph Beta’s videos to dramatically enhance your Rosh Hashanah prayers in a fraction of the time.  

These top 3 most insightful videos will elucidate the prayer liturgy and main themes of the holiday. Get ready for real Rosh Hashanah inspiration.

Video #1: Rosh Hashanah: Day of Judgment or Day of Joy?

You’ve probably heard Rosh Hashanah described as the “Day of Judgment.”  That sounds ominous, as if we’re supposed to be drowning in guilt for our sins on Rosh Hashanah in order to achieve atonement on Yom Kippur.  

But the strange thing is that there’s very little focus on the idea of judgment in the Rosh Hashanah prayers.  Instead, we emphasize things like God’s dominion and glory.  We also read about the shofar and remember past experiences of the Jewish people.  Even our practices for the holiday are far from what one would expect on a judgment day: we enjoy festive meals, sweet foods, and fine clothing.

In this fascinating video course, Rabbi Fohrman explains where the concept for the Day of Judgment comes from, and what it really means.  He also dives deep into what the Torah tells us about Rosh Hashanah, from the Garden of Eden to Mount Sinai and beyond.

This video will help you better understand how a day of judgment could, in fact, be a cause for celebration:

Video #2: Prepare for Rosh Hashanah in Just 5 Minutes a Day

Short on time? Welcome to the club. If lengthy videos aren’t on your agenda, there’s still hope. In just five minutes a day, you can make your Rosh Hashanah more meaningful.

This ten-part video series about spiritual preparation for Rosh Hashanah divides key concepts about the day into short, manageable mini-classes.  In the series, you’ll discover insights about prayer, why we blow the shofar and what it means, how to leave behind the guilt of Rosh Hashanah, and why Rosh Hashanah is a holiday worth celebrating.

The series also includes written exercises, designed to help you on the path towards greater understanding on the day of Rosh Hashanah itself.

Get prepared for the holiday in a meaningful way with minimal time investment:

Video #3: Get Closer to God by Understanding Hannah’s Prayer

On Rosh Hashanah, we spend much of the day declaring God’s greatness.  But that leaves us with a question: How are we supposed to get close to a God who is so majestic and all-powerful? Does the Master of the Universe really listen to our prayers? How can our words have any impact on a Being so lofty? 

God may be the King of Kings, but he is also our Source, the One whose voice echoes inside each and every one of us. Could it be that God’s very greatness is what ultimately allows us to come close to Him through prayer?

Hannah, the mother of all supplicants, demonstrates that this is so. She is our biblical model for what it means to pray properly and effectively.  That may be why we read her story as part of the Rosh Hashanah service every year.

 In this eye-opening, four-part video series, Rabbi Fohrman uses the story of Hannah to demonstrate how we can achieve closeness to God through our Rosh Hashanah prayers:

Take Charge of Rosh Hashanah 2024

This year, before assembling your Rosh Hashanah guest list, start your holiday prep right with easy-access Torah inspiration. Rosh Hashanah is a day of prayer, of contemplation, and deep connection to God. These three illuminating videos will enhance your holiday and allow you to experience it in an entirely new way.

More to Explore

Got Rosh Hashanah covered? Yom Kippur’s coming up next! Get a head start on the holiday with these three videos about the Day of Atonement:

1. In this 4 part series, Rabbi Fohrman demystifies the teshuva (repentance) process, and helps us understand why confessing our sins is an essential part of making amends for our wrongdoings.
2. Ever wonder how the Day of Awe practically translates into the day of forgiveness for our sins? This fascinating video will clue you in to what Yom Kippur is really all about. 
3. When we read about Yom Kippur in the Torah, it’s all about the sacrificial rituals.  None of us really like to think about that today, but exploring these rituals can actually shed yet on the real meaning of Yom Kippur, and give relevance to our modern experience of the day. Check out this video about The Day of Atonement Rituals.

(You’ve just gotten started on your journey to a more meaningful Rosh Hashanah. Don’t give up now! Tzom Gedaliah is coming soon. Watch this video on the connection between Tzom Gedaliah and the High Holidays:)

More Rosh Hashanah Content

• Rosh Hashanah
• Rosh Hashanah: Day of Judgment or Day of Celebration?