Rosh Hashanah
Genesis 21:1-34 and I Samuel 1:1-2:10 and Genesis 22:1-24 and Jeremiah 31:2-20
Shabbat Haazinu (Shabbat Shuva)
Deuteronomy 32:1-52 and Haftarah: Hosea 14:2-10, Micah 7:18-20, Joel 2:15-27
Rosh Hashanah, Shabbat Shuva, and the following week form a time of deep reflection on past actions. These days are marked by a call to repentance, prayer, and charity as means to lighten divine decrees and obtain mercy.
Unetaneh Tokef 3
וְכָל בָּאֵי עוֹלָם יַעֲבֹרוּן לְפָנֶיךָ כִּבְנֵי מָרוֹן
And all the inhabitants of the world pass before You like the sons of Maron.
This expression from the Babylonian Talmud (Mishna Rosh Hashanah 16 א) teaches that God judges each individual individually, like sheep passing one by one through a narrow passage. It was taken up in verse 3 of poem וּנְתַנֶּה תּוֹקֶף (Unetaneh Tokef), which translates to ‘We proclaim the power’. This poem is believed to have been composed in Israel during the Byzantine period(1), but some attribute it to Amnon of Mainz(2). It evokes both the insignificance of man and the idea that, despite this, repentance, prayer, and charity can mitigate divine decrees.
The synagogue in the St. John’s Wood neighborhood of London is known for the 160 magnificent stained glass windows designed by the artist and scholar David Hillman (3). The stained glass dedicated to Rosh Hashanah bears the inscription mentioned above (Unetaneh Tokef 3).
The current building, located on Grove End Road, was designed by the architect Sir Basil Spence (4). The architectural style of this synagogue is modern, characterized by clean lines and an innovative use of space and light.
(1) The study of texts from the Cairo Geniza has led to the conclusion that it was composed in the land of Israel during the Byzantine period, between the 4th and 7th centuries.
(2) Amnon of Mainz is a respected scholar of the 11th century in Jewish tradition. According to legend, the Archbishop of Mainz repeatedly tried to convert him to Christianity. Failing to do so, he ordered his mutilation. It is said that Amnon, transported to the synagogue during Rosh Hashanah, recited the prayer known as “Unetaneh Tokef” before dying. This prayer then became an integral part of the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur liturgies for Ashkenazi, Italian, and some Sephardic communities.
(3) David Hillman (1894-1974), a British artist with a profound knowledge of biblical and Talmudic texts, created numerous stained glass windows, including those in the St John’s Wood Synagogue, as well as in places like the Heichal Shlomo Synagogue in Jerusalem.
(4) Sir Basil Spence (1907-1976), a Scottish architect, designed significant buildings characterized by clean lines and innovative use of space and light.