A new year. A new beginning. A day of judgment and resolution. This is Rosh Hashanah, the day that calls us to reflect and repent.

The highlight of the day’s service is the blowing of the shofar. The congregation stands at attention, intently awaiting the first clear blast of the horn that evokes the historic moment of the Binding of Isaac by the patriarch Abraham. For many of us, our most vivid memories of this day are the shofar's notes - sometimes firm and piercing, sometimes hesitant and hoarse. The slice of apple dipped into a saucer of honey is another precious recollection, along with the poignant prayers that accompany this custom.

"Give us a sweet year. Give us a healthy year. Give us a successful year. Our Father, our King, be gracious to us..."

The yearnings, hopes and prayers of Rosh Hashanah form the gateway from man to G-d. In this book, a host of these important prayers are explained and illuminated. This is an informative and inspiring volume. To read it is an enriching experience that immeasurably enhances one of the most solemn and meaningful days of the Jewish calendar.

Because this is a time when people are coming back to their roots and searching for the meaning that has eluded generations of English-speaking Jews, the essence of Rosh Hashanah is presented in the language and perspective of today's intellectually curious Jew.

Read it. Absorb it. Enjoy it. And then let its message of Rosh Hashanah seep into your being and deepen the significance of the day the world was conceived.