Wishing You a Sweet and Happy 5777
As Rosh Hashanah approaches to mark the beginning of the Jewish New Year, you might be lucky enough to find your mailbox filled with cards wishing you a sweet and happy 5777. The tradition of sending these cards began in Europe in the early 19th century and continues to this day.
While Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of a cycle of Jewish holidays that offer a time of reflection and renewal, these early New Year’s cards were a way of expressing affection, aspirations, and good wishes for the coming year. Their florid designs were as celebratory and beautiful as they were practical. These cards, many of which are in the Jewish Museum collection, were often repurposed from Valentine’s Day cards printed in Germany, where factories specialized in the chromolithographic process used to produce colored images on paper.
The European greeting cards frequently depicted various romantic scenes, often with pop-up paper cuts that included Jewish scenes or figures in the foreground. The addition of Jewish biblical figures, or a family celebrating the holidays converted these lovely cards to be used for well-wishes at the High Holidays.
Expressing themes of renewal and hope — as well as depicting realities like immigration, family celebrations, and inspirational biblical stories — the cards reflected the changing world of a Jewish culture adapting to modernity and opportunity, while still attempting to retain its essential values and beliefs.
The effect is not only a chronicle of Rosh Hashanah greetings, but also a reflection of a people in transition.
To learn more about works in the Jewish Museum collection related to Rosh Hashanah, visit our collection online or download our online resource for teachers on the Jewish Holidays. For a sweet new year, shop for your honey dippers, serving sets, more at the Jewish Museum Shop.
In observance of Rosh Hashanah, please note holiday closures at the Jewish Museum, the Jewish Museum Shops, and Russ & Daughters at the Jewish Museum: Sunday, October 2 (Closing at 3 pm); Monday, October 3 (Closed); Tuesday, October 4 (Closed). See complete list of holiday closures at thejewishmuseum.org/visit.
From all of us at the Jewish Museum, we wish you a sweet and happy New Year!
— Ruth Andrew Ellenson, Editorial Brand Manager
