The following is a personal message from Dan E. Berkowitz, M.D., Alfred Habeeb Professor and Chair for the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine.

As we respect and acknowledge diverse cultures and traditions, I thought it would be enriching for all to know the significance of this special occasion. 

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins on the night of Friday, September 15, 2023. The name of the holiday literally translated to "head of the year" and marks the beginning of the Jewish lunar calender.

It is a time of reflection, introspection, and renewal- where many Jewish individuals celebrate with special prayers, symbolic foods, and the sounding of the shofar (a ram's-horn trumpet). Rosh Hashanah is not only a celebration of the New Year, but also a time to seek forgiveness and set intentions for the year ahead.