Rosh Hashanah Celebration Planner & Checklist - A Biblical Feast of Trumpets Preparation Guide for Jewish Believers
Here is a comprehensive, family-friendly Rosh Hashanah Celebration Planner & Checklist designed for Jewish believers, with an emphasis on preparation, worship, biblical reflection, meals, traditions, and welcoming the new year.
🍎🍯
“Happy New Year!” is only part of what Rosh Hashanah means.
Rosh Hashanah invites me to pause, remember, listen, examine my heart, and turn my attention toward the Holy One. It is traditionally associated with Yom Teruah—the Day of Shouting/Trumpeting described in the Torah.
“In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath-rest, a memorial proclaimed with the blast of horns, a holy convocation.”
— Leviticus 23:24
This planner can be used personally, as a couple, or by an entire family.
📅 PART 1: Rosh Hashanah Planning Overview
My Rosh Hashanah Details
Year: ____________
Rosh Hashanah begins: __________________
Rosh Hashanah ends: __________________
Number of people celebrating: __________
Location: ______________________________
Theme or Scripture for this year:
My Spiritual Focus
This year I want to focus on:
☐ Repentance
☐ Returning to God
☐ Gratitude
☐ Forgiveness
☐ Covenant faithfulness
☐ Hearing God's voice
☐ Hope
☐ Renewal
☐ Family
☐ Messiah
☐ Other: __________________
🗓️ PART 2: 4–6 Weeks Before Rosh Hashanah
Spiritual Preparation
☐ Read Leviticus 23:23–25
☐ Read Numbers 29:1–6
☐ Study the meaning of Yom Teruah
☐ Set aside intentional prayer time
☐ Begin examining my heart
☐ Identify relationships that need reconciliation
☐ Consider where I need to make changes
☐ Thank God for His faithfulness during the past year
☐ Pray about the year ahead
☐ Choose Scriptures for family study
☐ Decide whether to attend synagogue/congregational services
☐ Begin planning family activities
Reflection
What am I thankful for from the past year?
Where have I experienced God's faithfulness?
What do I need to surrender to God?
Where do I need to make things right with someone?
What am I praying for in the coming year?
🏠 PART 3: Home Preparation
Cleaning & Organizing
☐ Clean kitchen
☐ Clean dining area
☐ Wash table linens
☐ Clean serving dishes
☐ Polish candlesticks
☐ Clean or prepare shofar
☐ Organize prayer books
☐ Prepare children's activity supplies
☐ Set aside holiday clothing
☐ Prepare guest accommodations if needed
☐ Decorate dining table
☐ Prepare centerpiece
☐ Set out holiday dishes
☐ Prepare a place for Scripture reading
Rosh Hashanah Table
Consider incorporating:
🍎 Apples
🍯 Honey
🍷 Wine or grape juice
🍞 Challah
🐟 Fish, if part of your family's tradition
🌱 Seasonal fruits and vegetables
🌿 Fresh flowers or greenery
🕯️ Candles
📖 Tanakh/Bible
📯 Shofar
🛒 PART 4: Rosh Hashanah Shopping Checklist
Ritual & Worship Items
☐ Shofar
☐ Candles
☐ Candle holders
☐ Matches/lighter
☐ Kiddush cup
☐ Wine or grape juice
☐ Challah cover
☐ Challah board
☐ Prayer books/siddurim
☐ Bible/Tanakh
☐ Children's prayer materials
🍎 Food Shopping List
Traditional Foods
☐ Apples
☐ Honey
☐ Round challah
☐ Raisins
☐ Pomegranates
☐ Dates
☐ Figs
☐ Carrots
☐ Sweet potatoes
☐ Squash
☐ Leeks
☐ Beets
☐ Fish
☐ Chicken
☐ Beef
☐ Rice or grains
☐ Nuts, if appropriate
☐ Fresh herbs
Baking Supplies
☐ Flour
☐ Yeast
☐ Eggs
☐ Sugar/honey
☐ Oil
☐ Butter
☐ Cinnamon
☐ Vanilla
☐ Baking ingredients
Beverages
☐ Wine
☐ Grape juice
☐ Sparkling grape juice
☐ Tea
☐ Coffee
☐ Water
☐ Children's beverages
📋 PART 5: One Week Before Rosh Hashanah
Practical Preparation
☐ Finalize guest list
☐ Confirm synagogue/congregation service times
☐ Plan transportation
☐ Confirm babysitting arrangements if needed
☐ Finalize menu
☐ Purchase nonperishable groceries
☐ Purchase ritual supplies
☐ Purchase candles
☐ Check shofar
☐ Prepare table decorations
☐ Prepare children's activities
☐ Choose Scripture readings
☐ Prepare prayer list
☐ Plan family discussion questions
☐ Make desserts
☐ Prepare freezer-friendly foods
☐ Create shopping list for fresh foods
🍽️ PART 6: Rosh Hashanah Meal Planner
Meal 1
Appetizers
Main Course
Side Dishes
Bread
☐ Round challah
Fruit
☐ Apples
☐ Pomegranate
☐ Dates
☐ Other: __________________
Dessert
Beverage
🍎 The Apples & Honey Tradition
Prepare:
☐ Apples
☐ Honey
☐ Small serving dishes
As the family shares the apples and honey, pause and express gratitude for God's goodness.
Family Reflection
What is one good thing God brought into our lives this past year?
What blessing are we asking God for in the coming year?
🍞 Round Challah
A round challah is commonly associated with Rosh Hashanah and can beautifully symbolize the cycle of the year and the hope for wholeness.
☐ Purchase round challah
☐ Bake round challah
☐ Prepare challah cover
☐ Prepare honey
☐ Prepare salt, according to family tradition
Family Blessing
Before eating, take a moment to thank God for providing daily bread and sustaining your household.
📯 PART 7: Shofar Checklist
The shofar is one of the most recognizable symbols associated with Rosh Hashanah/Yom Teruah.
☐ Obtain shofar
☐ Clean and inspect shofar
☐ Practice blowing
☐ Learn the traditional calls used by your community
☐ Teach children about the shofar
☐ Explain its biblical significance
☐ Designate someone to blow the shofar
☐ Include shofar blowing during family worship
Scripture Study
Read:
Leviticus 23:24–25
Numbers 29:1–6
Then discuss:
What does the sound of the shofar make me think about?
What does it mean for me to spiritually "wake up"?
🕯️ PART 8: Rosh Hashanah Evening
Before Sunset
☐ Finish cooking
☐ Set table
☐ Light candles
☐ Prepare wine/grape juice
☐ Prepare challah
☐ Prepare apples and honey
☐ Put Bible/Tanakh at table
☐ Turn off unnecessary distractions
☐ Silence phones
☐ Gather family
☐ Take a moment of quiet
🕯️ Candle-Lighting
Traditionally, holiday candles are lit by women in many Jewish households.
☐ Light holiday candles
☐ Recite the blessing according to your family's tradition
☐ Give thanks for the light of God in your home
Personal Prayer
"Holy One, thank You for bringing us into another season. Help our home become a place of peace, gratitude, holiness, love, and faithfulness. Teach us to walk with You in the coming year."
🍷 PART 9: Kiddush & Holiday Meal
☐ Gather everyone
☐ Bless the wine/grape juice
☐ Bless the bread
☐ Share apples and honey
☐ Share a blessing for the new year
☐ Eat together
☐ Read Scripture
☐ Sing worship songs
☐ Share testimonies
☐ Pray together
🙏 PART 10: Special Rosh Hashanah Prayers
Prayer of Thanksgiving
"Avinu Malkeinu, our Father and King, I thank You for carrying me through another year. Thank You for every provision, every protection, every lesson, every answered prayer, and even the moments I did not understand. Help me remember Your faithfulness when I face uncertainty. May my life testify to Your goodness."
Prayer of Repentance
"Holy One, search my heart. Show me the places where I have wandered, resisted, spoken carelessly, acted selfishly, or failed to love as I should. Give me courage to acknowledge what is wrong and humility to turn from it. Lead me back into faithful obedience."
A helpful Scripture for meditation:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts.”
— Psalm 139:23
💛 Prayer for Forgiveness
"Father, help me forgive those who have hurt me. Give me wisdom concerning difficult relationships and courage to pursue reconciliation where reconciliation is possible and appropriate. Remove bitterness from my heart and teach me to walk in mercy and truth."
🌿 Prayer for the Coming Year
"Holy One of Israel, I place the coming year in Your hands. Guide my decisions, protect my household, deepen my faith, and make me more faithful to You. Help me seek Your wisdom rather than my own understanding. Let this coming year produce greater love, obedience, compassion, courage, and holiness in my life."
✡️ PART 11: Messiah-Centered Reflection
For Messianic Jewish believers, Rosh Hashanah can also become an opportunity to reflect on the Messiah and the biblical hope of redemption.
Read selected passages from the Gospels in which Yeshua speaks about:
☐ Repentance
☐ Readiness
☐ Watchfulness
☐ God's Kingdom
☐ Faithfulness
☐ Mercy
☐ Judgment
☐ Redemption
☐ His return
Words of Yeshua to Reflect Upon
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”
— Matthew 24:42
Reflection
Am I spiritually awake?
What would I change if I truly believed I needed to be ready for the King's arrival?
Where is Yeshua calling me toward greater faithfulness?
👨👩👧👦 PART 12: Family Rosh Hashanah Activities
☐ Make homemade shofars or shofar crafts
☐ Color Rosh Hashanah pages
☐ Make apple-and-honey crafts
☐ Bake round challah together
☐ Make Rosh Hashanah cards
☐ Create a gratitude jar
☐ Write prayers for the coming year
☐ Make a family blessing poster
☐ Practice Hebrew holiday vocabulary
☐ Listen to shofar sounds
☐ Read the Rosh Hashanah Scriptures together
☐ Tell children the story of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or other biblical figures
☐ Have children write something they want to improve this year
☐ Create a family memory book
☐ Sing worship songs together
📝 PART 13: My Spiritual Year in Review
This Year I Thank God For…
Something God Taught Me
A Difficult Experience That Changed Me
A Prayer God Answered
Something I Need to Leave Behind
Something I Want to Grow In
🌅 PART 14: My New Year Spiritual Goals
This year I want to…
☐ Pray more consistently
☐ Study Scripture more deeply
☐ Practice greater forgiveness
☐ Strengthen my marriage
☐ Invest more time in my children
☐ Serve others
☐ Give generously
☐ Practice greater hospitality
☐ Control my speech
☐ Become more patient
☐ Pursue reconciliation
☐ Grow in biblical wisdom
☐ Spend more time in worship
☐ Become more disciplined
☐ Draw closer to God
My Three Most Important Goals
1. __________________________________
2. __________________________________
3. __________________________________
📖 PART 15: Scripture Reading Checklist
Torah
☐ Leviticus 23:23–25
☐ Numbers 29:1–6
☐ Genesis 21
☐ Genesis 22
Psalms
☐ Psalm 27
☐ Psalm 47
☐ Psalm 81
☐ Psalm 98
☐ Psalm 100
☐ Psalm 121
☐ Psalm 139
Prophets & Writings
☐ Isaiah 55
☐ Jeremiah 31
☐ Ezekiel 36
☐ Zechariah 8
Words of Yeshua
☐ Matthew 24:36–44
☐ Matthew 25:1–13
☐ Mark 13:32–37
☐ Luke 12:35–40
☐ Luke 21:25–36
🕊️ PART 16: Rosh Hashanah Gratitude List
People I Am Thankful For
Blessings I Received
Lessons I Learned
Ways God Was Faithful
❤️ PART 17: Reconciliation Checklist
Before entering a new season, consider:
☐ Is there someone I need to forgive?
☐ Is there someone I need to apologize to?
☐ Have I allowed resentment to grow?
☐ Have my words wounded someone?
☐ Is there a broken relationship I should prayerfully address?
☐ Do I owe someone restitution?
☐ Have I been honest with myself about my actions?
☐ Do I need to establish healthier boundaries?
☐ Is there something I need to surrender to God?
My Next Step
🕯️ PART 18: Rosh Hashanah Service Planner
Before Service
☐ Review Scripture
☐ Prepare prayer book
☐ Prepare children
☐ Bring shofar if appropriate
☐ Bring donations/tzedakah
☐ Prepare holiday clothing
☐ Pray for the congregation
During Service
☐ Hear the shofar
☐ Participate in worship
☐ Listen to Torah reading
☐ Listen to the teaching
☐ Pray
☐ Reflect
☐ Give thanks
☐ Consider God's call to faithfulness
After Service
☐ Greet others
☐ Share a meal
☐ Encourage someone
☐ Visit someone who is alone
☐ Continue family discussion at home
🎁 PART 19: Acts of Kindness for the New Year
Rosh Hashanah can become more than something I celebrate. It can become something I live.
This year I will:
☐ Visit someone lonely
☐ Call an elderly relative
☐ Prepare a meal for someone
☐ Invite someone to my table
☐ Give tzedakah
☐ Help a neighbor
☐ Encourage someone who is struggling
☐ Forgive someone
☐ Write an encouraging note
☐ Volunteer
☐ Pray for someone
☐ Provide practical help to a family in need
My act of kindness:
🍯 PART 20: The Rosh Hashanah Blessing
One of the most beautiful moments of the holiday can be blessing family members.
For My Spouse
"May the Holy One bless you with wisdom, strength, peace, health, joy, and faithfulness in the coming year. May our home become increasingly filled with love, mercy, and the presence of God."
For My Children
"May you grow in wisdom, courage, kindness, and faith. May you know that you are deeply loved, and may you learn to walk faithfully with the God of Israel all your days."
For My Family
"May our household be a place of peace. May we remember God's faithfulness, practice forgiveness, welcome others, pursue righteousness, and walk humbly with our Creator."
📯 Rosh Hashanah Final Checklist
Spiritual
☐ I have spent time in prayer
☐ I have examined my heart
☐ I have sought forgiveness
☐ I have considered reconciliation
☐ I have thanked God for His faithfulness
☐ I have prayed about the coming year
☐ I have studied the biblical meaning of Yom Teruah
☐ I have reflected on the words of Yeshua
Home
☐ House cleaned
☐ Table prepared
☐ Candles ready
☐ Shofar ready
☐ Prayer materials ready
☐ Scripture selected
☐ Decorations prepared
Shopping
☐ Apples
☐ Honey
☐ Challah
☐ Wine/grape juice
☐ Candles
☐ Pomegranates
☐ Holiday foods
☐ Ingredients
☐ Ritual/worship supplies
Meals
☐ Menu finalized
☐ Groceries purchased
☐ Challah prepared
☐ Apples and honey prepared
☐ Main course prepared
☐ Side dishes prepared
☐ Dessert prepared
☐ Beverages prepared
Family
☐ Children prepared
☐ Activities prepared
☐ Family blessings prepared
☐ Scripture discussion prepared
☐ Gratitude activity prepared
☐ Family prayer planned
🌟 My Rosh Hashanah Intention
Complete this sentence:
"As I enter this new season, I believe God is inviting me to..."
My prayer for the year:
One word I want to carry into this year:
________________________________________
One Scripture I want to remember:
________________________________________
📯 A Final Rosh Hashanah Reflection
When I hear the shofar, I want to remember that its sound is more than a beautiful Jewish tradition.
It is a wake-up call.
It reminds me to stop running long enough to listen. To examine my heart. To remember the covenant. To return when I have wandered. To forgive when I have held onto bitterness. To make peace where I can. To remember that my life belongs to God.
And as I begin another year, I don't want merely to wish for a sweet year.
I want to become a person who lives faithfully in it.
May this Rosh Hashanah be a season of remembrance, repentance, renewal, gratitude, reconciliation, and hope—and may the sound of the shofar awaken our hearts to the purposes of the Holy One.
