Rosh Hashanah (September 6-8), the Jewish New Year is a time for rejoicing for the completion of another year and also the time for introspection. The traditional bread, challah, is eaten for the Rosh Hashanah season, which is round and dipped in honey symbolizing the eternal cycle of life and also the hopes for a sweet New Year. It starts the ten day period of Atonement that ends with Yom Kippur (September 15-16). Yom Kippur is for individual and collective purification, practicing forgiveness of sins of others and sincere repentance of one’s own sins through fasting, prayer and meditation.

The most common Jewish greeting on Yom Kippur is g’mar chatima tovah (pronounced gih-MAR chah-tee-MAH toe-VAH), which literally means “a good final sealing.” This greeting, often just shortened to g’mar tov, references the traditional belief that a person’s fate for the coming year is written on Rosh Hashanah and sealed — i.e. finalized — on Yom Kippur.

Washington State Patrol is proud of the diversity within our agency and the communities that we serve. We are grateful of the contributions of each one of you. G’mar chatima tovah!