Is Rosh Hashanah Really the Jewish New Year?

Rosh Hashanah is widely known as the Jewish New Year. It's the day Jews gather to hear the blast of the shofar, wish each other a "Shana Tova" (a good year), and reflect on the year ahead. But here’s the question that many people—Jews and non-Jews alike—might not realize: Is Rosh Hashanah really the Jewish New Year? The answer is not as simple as it seems.

Jewish Man Blowing a Shofar (by Africa images)

At first glance, it makes sense. Rosh Hashanah occurs in the fall, right when the rest of the world is starting fresh in one way or another—students are going back to school, businesses are gearing up for the end-of-year push, and nature itself seems to be preparing for a new cycle with the harvest. However, the Bible, our source for understanding Jewish practices and holidays, doesn’t call Rosh Hashanah the “New Year.” In fact, it doesn’t even refer to it as Rosh Hashanah! Instead, the Torah calls it the "Day of Blowing" or "Yom Teruah" (Leviticus 23:24). So how did we get from there to calling it the New Year?

The Biblical Calendar—Rosh Hashanah or Something Else?

If you open up the Torah, you’ll see that the biblical year actually begins in the spring, with the month of Nisan. This is when God commands Moses and the Israelites to observe Passover (Exodus 12:2). God tells them, "This month shall be for you the beginning of months; it is the first month of the year for you." So according to the Bible, the Jewish year starts with the redemption from Egypt, with the story of freedom and the covenant that God makes with the Jewish people.

That’s where the confusion starts. If Nisan is the first month, what exactly are we doing calling Rosh Hashanah—celebrated in the seventh month, Tishrei—the "New Year"? Shouldn’t it just be another holiday in the middle of the year?

Wailing Wall in Jerusalem by We-Ge from Getty Images

Here’s the deal: While the Bible establishes Nisan as the first month, something different is happening on Rosh Hashanah. Tishrei, the seventh month, marks a pivotal moment in creation. According to Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah is the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the moment when God completed His creation of the world. So, while Nisan is the “first” month in terms of Jewish history and our redemption from Egypt, Rosh Hashanah is the New Year for creation itself, according to tradition.

The Shift to Rosh Hashanah as New Year

Over time, Jewish sages, beginning in the Second Temple period and later codified by the rabbis of the Talmud, recognized Rosh Hashanah as the time when the fate of the world is determined. This is where the idea of the Jewish New Year came into play. Rosh Hashanah became more than just the start of the seventh month—it became the day of judgment, when all of humanity stands before God, awaiting His decrees for the coming year.

It's written in the Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 16a) that on this day, the books of life and death are opened, and God judges every person, writing their fate for the year ahead. So, while the Bible might not directly call it the New Year, Jewish tradition has long held that Rosh Hashanah is the spiritual new year, a time when we assess ourselves, repent for our misdeeds, and ask God for a sweet new year.

Jewish life - Jews praying on Jewish New Year between 1905 and 1915 (Wikimedia)

But let’s be clear: this shift wasn’t about ignoring the biblical commandment. It’s about recognizing different types of “new years.” There’s the agricultural new year in the spring (Nisan), the fiscal new year for the harvest (often marked by Tu Bishvat, the New Year for Trees), and the spiritual new year in the fall, which is Rosh Hashanah. Each serves its own purpose, and none of them cancels the others out.

New Year or Day of Judgment?

In Christian theology, there’s a strong emphasis on the idea of judgment and renewal, and this fits well with how we understand Rosh Hashanah. For Christians, the idea of facing a divine judgment is most strongly represented by the end times. For Jews, Rosh Hashanah offers an annual reckoning—a moment where we stand before God and account for our actions.

The key theme of Rosh Hashanah is not just celebration, but introspection and repentance. It’s a time to stop, take stock of where we’ve been, and figure out where we’re going. It's less about parties and fireworks, and more about personal growth and spiritual readiness. The shofar, a ram’s horn, is blown on Rosh Hashanah as a wake-up call. It’s meant to stir something deep inside us—a reminder that time is passing, and we need to get our lives in order before it’s too late. By the way, if you are interested in getting made in Israel Shofar, go to TheIsraelStore.com.

Jewish Religious Reading Jewish Person Reading Tanakh⁠, by Jayden Becker from diversifylens

Why Does It Matter?

So, is Rosh Hashanah really the Jewish New Year? Yes, but with some nuance. In biblical times, the year starts in the spring. But Rosh Hashanah is more than just a date on the calendar. It’s the spiritual reset button for Jews around the world in our modern times. It's the day we confront ourselves and God, asking for forgiveness and promising to do better. The term “New Year” doesn’t just mean a fresh start on a calendar—it means a fresh start for our souls.

At the end of the day, whether you're welcoming the new year in January, in Nisan, or on Rosh Hashanah, the message is clear: every new beginning is an opportunity for personal growth, repentance, and drawing closer to God. Rosh Hashanah is a powerful reminder that the year isn’t just about time passing—it’s about what we do with that time. So, yes, Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, but it's not about party hats and confetti. It's about standing before God, examining our lives, and asking, “What kind of person do I want to be in the year to come?”