This year, the High Holy Days are overlapping with the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. Ramadan lasts a month and requires abstaining from food, drink and sex as well as evil thoughts and deeds, quareling, fighting and abusing others during the day. Extra prayers are required to be recited.
Ramadan comes during the Ninth Islamic month because that is when the Qur'an was sent down as guidance for mankind. Ramadan is a period for giving charity -- for sharing with others who have less than you do. One of the purposes of fasting is to show solidarity and oneness with the poor.
Joining together to fast and pray for an entire month has a powerful socializing effect and helps build a strong sense of community that is enhanced at the end of the day when food is shared. As in Judaism, the meal that ends the fast is called the break fast, and it is celebrated by a large circle of relatives, friends and even strangers. A festive and communal atmosphere is the goal.
The Islamic calendar, like Judiasm's, is a lunar calendar, so Ramadan, like Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur fall on different days of the solar calendar each year.
The relationship between Judaism and Islam has been considered stronger than between any two other religions.
Jews and Muslims are monotheistic and Christianity is the odd man out to them, because of Christians' belief in the Holy Trinity.
Source: Children of Abraham, An Introduction to Islam for Jews, Khalid Duran with Abdelwahab Hechiche. A Publication of the Hasrriet and Robert Heilbrunn Institute for International Interreligious Understanding of the American Jewish Committee, in Assn. with Ktav Publishing House, Inc., 2001
Whether you are celebrating Rosh Hashanah or Ramadan, or neither, Happy Holidays to all.
