In my youth, our family attended High Holiday services in Conservative, Orthodox, Reform, and Sefardic venues. My first exposure to a Chassidic Rosh Hashanah was at age 19. It wasn’t what I expected.

To tell you the truth, I had expected that an “hyper”-Orthodox service would be ultra-solemn and ultra-painful. In reality, it was packed with joy, energy, passion, and meaning. Everyone was there because they 100 percent wanted to be there. Everyone was doing something—singing, swaying back and forth, chanting prayers out loud in unison or at their own pace.

The shofar-blowing was a high point. Everyone understood that this was the most crucial moment of their year. You heard not just the cry of the shofar, but the profound silence between the blasts—and some sobs from beneath the prayer shawls.

And when it was all over, no one was in a rush to go home.

Now, let me tell you about a few of the customs that are perhaps more ubiquitous among chassidic Jews than elsewhere:

Visiting the Cemetery

As do many Jews, we visit the gravesites of tzaddikim in the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah—if possible, the day before. There, we ask that the tzaddik advocate on our behalf during the upcoming Day of Judgment.

Chabad chassidim make a particular effort to visit the Ohel (resting place of the Rebbe), where they seek spiritual support before Rosh Hashanah—or at least send a letter to be read there.

Read: What to Expect at the Ohel

Additional Charity

Giving charity daily is de rigueur, woven into the fabric of chassidic life. After all, the word chassid is linked with chessed, “kindness.” As we prepare for the Day of Judgment, when we hope and pray that G‑d will judge us kindly, we give additional charity, in part to “prepay” for the charity we will not be able to give during the holiday, when handling money is forbidden.

Psalms and Silence

As explained in mystical texts, chassidim view this time as the moment G‑d is crowned King of the Universe. It is a time when, so to speak, G‑d renews His desire to rule over the earth. This culminates with the blowing of the shofar, which many compare to the trumpets at a coronation ceremony.

Until the shofar is blown, the whole world hangs in the balance, and we act accordingly by avoiding meaningless chatter. Many avoid speaking unnecessarily, even more than on Yom Kippur, which is arguably the holiest day of the year.

Chassidim will avoid chit-chat and spend every spare minute reciting Psalms, often completing the book multiple times throughout the holiday. This practice is rooted in a tradition of the first Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, who learned the custom from his father, R’ Baruch.

Studying the Mystical Approach

A number of the major tracts of Chabad teachings were delivered in weekly installments, sometimes over the course of several years. Many of these series began on Rosh Hashanah, exploring the mystical elements of the day, resulting in a plethora of chassidic literature focused specifically on Rosh Hashanah—perhaps more than any other holiday. This provides ample study material for chassidim wishing to delve into the inner workings of Rosh Hashanah.

Immersion in a Mikvah

Many chassidic men have the custom to immerse daily in a mikvah, a pool of ritually purifying water. Even those who do not do so regularly will make a point to do so before the holiday and again on Rosh Hashanah morning so that they approach the awesome moment of shofar-blowing in the most pure state possible.

Shofar, Shofar Everywhere

One distinctly Chabad element of a Chassidic Rosh Hashanah is the effort to ensure that every Jew can fulfill the mitzvah of shofar. Chabad chassidim will walk, often many miles, to hospitals, nursing facilities, and private homes to blow the shofar for any Jew who may not have heard its blasts.

There is much more to be shared on Rosh Hashanah from a Chassidic perspective, but we hope that this article gave you a small glimpse into a Chassidic Rosh Hashanah!

Wishing you a Shana Tova!