This Shabbat is unlike an ordinary week in the Torah-reading cycle. From Friday evening, September 11, through Sunday night, September 13, Jewish communities in the Diaspora welcome Rosh Hashanah 5787. Because the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat, the festival reading takes precedence over a regular weekly parasha. Our Torah focus is therefore Rosh Hashanah Day One — ראש השנה יום א׳.
Shabbat and Rosh Hashanah times in Beverly Hills
- Friday, September 11, 2026: Light Shabbat and holiday candles at 6:47 PM.
- Saturday, September 12, 2026: Shabbat ends and second-night holiday candles may be lit after 7:41 PM, using a pre-existing flame.
- Sunday, September 13, 2026: Rosh Hashanah ends at 7:40 PM.
These Beverly Hills candle-lighting and transition times are for ZIP code 90211. As always, prepare candles before the first night and consult your synagogue or rabbi for the customs followed in your home.
The festival Torah reading: hope after uncertainty
On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, we read Genesis 21:1–34, the story of Sarah giving birth to Isaac and of Hagar and Ishmael finding hope in the wilderness. The additional reading is Numbers 29:1–6, describing the day’s offerings, and the Haftarah is I Samuel 1:1–2:10, Hannah’s heartfelt prayer and thanksgiving.
These readings are filled with longing, prayer, memory and renewal. Sarah’s joy arrives after years of waiting. Hagar believes every path has closed, yet a well is revealed nearby. Hannah turns private pain into honest prayer and eventually song. Together, their stories teach that Rosh Hashanah is not simply a change of calendar. It is an invitation to see possibilities that fear or habit may have hidden from us.
What changes when Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat?
The holiness of Shabbat and the holiness of Rosh Hashanah meet. In traditional practice, the shofar is not sounded on the first day when it falls on Shabbat; in 2026, it is sounded on Sunday, the second day. Tashlich is likewise generally observed on Sunday this year. The quieter first day gives us space to listen inwardly before hearing the shofar’s call.
At home, the evening combines familiar Shabbat beauty with the symbols of a sweet year: candlelight, Kiddush, round challah dipped in honey, apples, pomegranates and the simanim treasured by each family. Sephardic homes often celebrate an especially rich Rosh Hashanah seder, offering blessings over symbolic foods and turning the meal into a gentle lesson for every generation.
A practical Torah lesson for the Jewish family
The reading invites us to practice three simple acts. First, remember someone who may feel unseen. Second, pray with honest words rather than perfect words. Third, look again for the “well” already within reach: a relationship to repair, a mitzvah to begin, or an opportunity to offer kindness.
Invite each person at your Shabbat table to name one quality they hope to strengthen in 5787 and one act that can begin this week. Children can choose a small, concrete promise—helping without being asked, giving tzedakah, or speaking more gently. Adults can do the same. Renewal becomes real when inspiration is translated into one faithful step.
Preparing a warm Rosh Hashanah Shabbat table
A beautiful table should support the meaning of the evening, not distract from it. Begin with Ella Judaica’s Rosh Hashanah collection, add a festive apple honey dish, and bring the challah ceremony into focus with an elegant wood-and-glass challah board. Families preparing for Sunday’s mitzvah can explore a traditional polished shofar, while the Shabbat candle collection offers meaningful ways to welcome sacred time.
A sweet and peaceful beginning
May this Shabbat bring rest, may Rosh Hashanah bring clarity, and may the stories of Sarah, Hagar and Hannah remind us that sincere prayer can open a new path. From all of us at Ella Judaica, Shanah tovah u’metukah—wishing your family a good, sweet and peaceful year.
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Calendar reference: Beverly Hills candle-lighting times, verified September 10, 2026.