Rosh Hashanah 2019: How to wish someone a Happy Jewish New Year in Hebrew
It’s Rosh Hashanah 2019, meaning it’s time to start wishing your friends and loved ones a Happy Jewish New Year.
The first of the Jewish High Holy Days begins with the ten days of penitence culminating in Yom Kippur.
So how do you wish someone a Happy Jewish New Year in Hebrew?
What to say on Rosh Hashanah
There are a few Rosh Hashanah greetings that would be a nice way to wish a Jewish person a happy new year.
You could keep it simple and say Shana Tova.
This translates to ‘may you have a good year.’
It’s the shortened version of the greeting L’Shanah Tovah Tikateivu, or if greeting a woman, Leshana tovah tikatevee v’tichatemee.
Whoever you’re addressing, this greeting means ‘may you be written and sealed for a good year.’
The written and sealed refers to the Book of Life, in which it’s believed God records the names of those who have done good deeds and will be blessed for the year ahead.
Some might alternate it slightly and say shana tova u’metukah, which means ‘may you have a good and sweet year.’
In the time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, you can use the Hebrew greeting G’mar Chatimah tovah, which translates to wish ‘a good final sealing’ in the Book of Life.
Sephardic Jewish communities would also greet each other with Tizku Leshanim Rabot – Ne’imot veTovot.
This basically means ‘may you merit many pleasant and good years.’
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