1 to 2 Tishrei 5789
Rosh Hashanah 2028
Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Wednesday 20 September, and ends at nightfall on Friday 22 September.
Rosh Hashanah falls 11 days earlier than in 2027, as the Hebrew calendar does in most years: twelve lunar months come to about 354 days.
Candle-lighting on Wednesday 20 September, for Rosh Hashanah
Of the three days below, work stops on two, in Israel and outside it.
Times for Jerusalem and New York.
- Work stops
- Begins at sundown
| Day | In Israel | Outside Israel |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 20 Sep29 Elul | Israel:Erev Rosh Hashanah. Candles 17:58 | Outside Israel:Erev Rosh Hashanah. Candles 18:37 |
| Thu 21 Sep1 Tishrei | Israel:First day. Second day's candles after 19:13 | Outside Israel:First day. Second day's candles after 19:34 |
| Fri 22 Sep2 Tishrei | Israel:Second day. Shabbat candles 17:55 | Outside Israel:Second day. Shabbat candles 18:34 |
Candles 40 minutes before sunset in Jerusalem and 18 in New York. Shabbat and yom tov end when the sun is 8.5° below the horizon. The same times as our Shabbat pages.
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year and the start of the ten Days of Awe that end on Yom Kippur. It is a judgment day as much as a celebration: the shofar is blown, the liturgy is long, and the meals are deliberately sweet.
What happens in Israel
The country closes. Shops, buses and most restaurants shut from the afternoon before, and the roads empty out. Beaches and national parks are the exception and get very busy.
How it is kept
- Hearing the shofar (ram's horn) blown in synagogue, on both mornings unless the first day falls on Shabbat, when it is sounded only on the second
- Apples dipped in honey and round challah for a sweet new year
- Tashlich: symbolically casting away sins at a body of water
- Festive meals with simanim, foods eaten as good omens
What people say
"Shanah tovah" (a good year) or "Shanah tovah u'metukah" (a good and sweet year)
On the table
Apples and honey, round challah with raisins, pomegranates, honey cake, and a new fruit on the second night.
These Hanukkah gifts are drawn from the same calendars as this site.
A city's Shabbat times for 2027, the moon on the night someone was born, a bar or bat mitzvah portion, the Kinneret on a day that matters. Each one is drawn for the person you choose, then printed and shipped free.
Order by November 18 for delivery in the US before the first candle, or by November 11 for Israel.
Shabbat in your city, 2027
From $36
The moon they were born under
From $36
Their Torah portion
From $36
The Kinneret mug
From $29
Rosh Hashanah moves by up to a month from one year to the next, but never leaves its season.
The Hebrew calendar follows the moon and adds a month seven years in nineteen. Here is Rosh Hashanah in every year this site has computed.
| Year | Begins at sundown | Ends at nightfall |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Wed 2 OctWednesday 2 October | Fri 4 OctFriday 4 October |
| 2025 | Mon 22 SepMonday 22 September | Wed 24 SepWednesday 24 September |
| 2026 | Fri 11 SepFriday 11 September | Sun 13 SepSunday 13 September |
| 2027 | Fri 1 OctFriday 1 October | Sun 3 OctSunday 3 October |
| 2028 | Wed 20 SepWednesday 20 September | Fri 22 SepFriday 22 September |
| 2029 | Sun 9 SepSunday 9 September | Tue 11 SepTuesday 11 September |
| 2030 | Fri 27 SepFriday 27 September | Sun 29 SepSunday 29 September |
14 other Jewish holidays fall in 2028.
The next 8 in the order they fall. Each has its own page for 2028.
Saturday 12 February
Tu BiShvat
The new year of the trees. Tree planting in Israel and eating the fruits of the land.
Sunday 12 March
Purim
Celebrates the rescue of the Jews of Persia as told in the Book of Esther. Megillah readings, costumes, mishloach manot and festive meals.
Tuesday 11 April
Passover (Pesach)
The festival of freedom, marking the Exodus from Egypt. Seder nights, matzah, and no chametz for eight days (seven in Israel).
Monday 24 April
Yom HaShoah
Holocaust Remembrance Day. In Israel a two-minute siren brings the country to a standstill.
Monday 1 May
Yom HaZikaron
Israel's Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror, the day before Independence Day.
Sunday 14 May
Lag BaOmer
The 33rd day of the Omer count. Bonfires, weddings and celebrations at Mount Meron.
Wednesday 31 May
Shavuot
The festival of receiving the Torah at Sinai. All-night learning and dairy foods. Two days in the diaspora, one in Israel.
Frequently asked questions
When is Rosh Hashanah 2028?+
Rosh Hashanah 2028 begins at sundown on Wednesday 20 September and ends at nightfall on Friday 22 September. Jewish days start in the evening, so the first full day is Thursday 21 September.
How long is Rosh Hashanah?+
2 days. Rosh Hashanah is two days everywhere, including Israel. It is the one major festival with no one-day-versus-two-day split.
Is Rosh Hashanah different in Israel?+
Rosh Hashanah is two days everywhere, including Israel. It is the one major festival with no one-day-versus-two-day split.
What happens in Israel on Rosh Hashanah?+
The country closes. Shops, buses and most restaurants shut from the afternoon before, and the roads empty out. Beaches and national parks are the exception and get very busy.
What do you say on Rosh Hashanah?+
The standard greeting is "Shanah tovah" (a good year) or "Shanah tovah u'metukah" (a good and sweet year).
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