Speaker discusses Jewish fall festivals

YOUNGSTOWN -- The season of autumn is a time of transition from the warm, sunny days of summer to the cold and snow in the winter.

This in-between time was the topic of Mark Kholos' talk on the Jewish fall festivals Sept. 1 at St. Columba Parish Hall.

Kholos is a Messianic Jew -- a Jewish believer in Christ -- who was raised Jewish, and reads, writes and speaks Hebrew.

“I tell people I did the most Jewish thing I could have ever done when I accepted the King of the Jews, Jesus Christ, in my life," he told the audience of about two dozen.

Kholos clarified that it doesn't mean he is not Jewish, but that he understands where Christ fits into his life.

He and his wife, Cheryl, started Shofar Shalom Ministries in 1995 to help Christians understand the Jewish roots of their faith.

"We are going to start our talk with a little Hebrew," Kholos said. He taught the audience the Hebrew blessing, “Baruch Hashem,” which means "Blessed Be God," before his discussion of fall feasts.

"These are the beginning of September into October," he said of the festivals.

The first festival is Rosh Hashanah.

"It is the Jewish New Year, which will be Sept. 11 to the 13th," he said.

Kholos then led the group into the traditional Hebrew greeting given to each other during this time of year, "Shanah Tovah," which means "have a good year." Attendees ate apple slices dipped in honey, which are eaten at this feast, to encourage a sweet, prosperous and happy new year.

He added to the prayer in Hebrew and it became "Have a good year in Jesus the Messiah."

"It is also a nice time to send a New Year's card to someone you know who is Jewish," Kholos said. "It would be greatly appreciated."

"The times of the fall feasts are really God's appointed times," he said. "I like to say they are not necessarily Jewish holidays. Many of them are in the Bible. They are there for us to observe in our own way."

He believes that Gentiles can celebrate these holidays and absorb the meaning of them.

"I also believe that these biblical holidays teach us in a large way about the nature of God and his plan for the whole world," Kholos said.

The second fall festival comes 10 days after the beginning of Rosh Hashanah. It is Yom Kippur, which takes place from sunrise on Sept. 20 to sunset on Sept. 21.

"It is also called the Day of Atonement," Kholos said. "It is one of the holiest times in Judaism, when people ask for forgiveness from God and partake in a fast, prayers and restrictions on clothing and bathing, hoping that once a year they are good enough to please God."

"Even after doing this, many Jews wonder if their sins are really forgiven. There are some doubts expressed even then. Except for this Jew. I have an understanding of God's love and mercy and forgiveness. That's so powerful for me. The truth is that God loves us and wants to forgive us," Kholos said.

The final fall feast is Sukkot, which is from Sept. 25 to Oct. 2.

“It is a time to remember how the Lord actually provided for the Israelites as they wandered through the desert for 40 years," he said.

Discussing the third fall festival, Kholos noted, "It's believed that the theme of Sukkot served as the very foundation of the American celebration of Thanksgiving.

"The English who came here were English separatists and they were devout Christians and they knew their Bible. I think it is safe to say if they knew their Bible, they knew about the festival of Sukkot. So it is certainly reasonable to assume that they may have incorporated this holiday known as the 'Feast of Tabernacles' as they celebrated the time of Thanksgiving. In 1621, Thanksgiving was a harvest celebration. Harvest festivals were very common in Europe and in the Bible. Giving thanks at harvest time was not that unique. It was an English tradition and a biblical one," Kholos said.

He brought an instrument called a Shofar, which is created from the horns of an elk or ram. Kholos said the animal is not killed, but when they naturally die, the horns are then used for the instrument.

"Each day during the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a total of 100 notes are blown on this Shofar in the synagogue," Kholos said prior to demonstrating the instrument.

Kholos said God used the instrument to get people's attention when he had something important to say such as the announcement of the Ten Commandments.

“In the New Testament, the Shofar has an even more important announcement to make," he said.

The staccato alarm notes were played to announce Jesus' return in 1: Thessalonians 4:13-18.

The fall festivals represent a new beginning of the new year, repentance, seeking forgiveness and the importance of God in your life. In his talk, Kholos helped the attendees understand through scripture the Jewish context in their faith.