Rosh HaShanah for little ones
Posted on 05 December 2012 by Elze Erwteman
Rosh HaShanah
by Lies Knol
Rosh HaShanah, the first biblical festival in the Fall. The beginning of a new year! At the festival of Rosh HaShanah our congregation has the custom to be dressed in white. How festively the children look in their white clothing! The age of this group of children is from 2-6 years. At this age they are very receptive and they have great faith and trust in their parents, teacher and Adonai! For this reason it is important to handle consciously and carefully with them in order to take your responsibility to tell them the Word of G-d in wisdom and truth. (to teach diligently: Deut. 6:7).
At Rosh HaShanah we look forward to the wedding of the Lamb, the coming (back) of the Messiah. With the children we listen to the blowing of the shofar: a new month, a new year starts! Maybe Yeshua will come back this year!
To indicate expressions to the expectation we speak with each other about a wedding: Why do people marry each other? What promises do they make? What happens at a wedding? What are the guests doing at a wedding? What does it mean to be married? Yeshua himself joins with His Bride: Israel. We, Jew and non-Jew, are allowed to be His Bride if we believe that Yeshua is our Messiah and are willing to obey His commandments, the Torah. It is nice to look forward to Him, together with the children!While we are together with the children, we also speak about the commandments and traditions of Rosh HaShanah, for example: the blowing of the shofar, the custom of eating apples with honey, the custom of making a round challah. In the end of our being together the children are happy to make a memory game and to play this together. They also like to play the memory game at home with their parents, brothers and sisters once more! And of course, we wish each other Shanah Tovah – Happy New Year!
To indicate expressions to the expectation we speak with each other about a wedding: Why do people marry each other? What promises do they make? What happens at a wedding? What are the guests doing at a wedding? What does it mean to be married? Yeshua himself joins with His Bride: Israel. We, Jew and non-Jew, are allowed to be His Bride if we believe that Yeshua is our Messiah and are willing to obey His commandments, the Torah. It is nice to look forward to Him, together with the children!While we are together with the children, we also speak about the commandments and traditions of Rosh HaShanah, for example: the blowing of the shofar, the custom of eating apples with honey, the custom of making a round challah. In the end of our being together the children are happy to make a memory game and to play this together. They also like to play the memory game at home with their parents, brothers and sisters once more! And of course, we wish each other Shanah Tovah – Happy New Year!