Not sure what to gift your Jewish friends, colleagues, or neighbors for the Jewish New Year? This complete guide covers everything you need to know — the traditions, what's appropriate, and the best authentic Israeli gifts to send. Order by September 14th.

Your Jewish colleague mentioned Rosh Hashanah is coming up. Or you have Jewish neighbors, Jewish friends, a Jewish business partner you want to acknowledge. Or you grew up hearing about the Jewish New Year but never quite knew what, if anything, you were supposed to do.

You're not Jewish. You want to do the right thing. And you're not sure what the right thing is.

This guide is for you.

First: You Don't Have to Do Anything — But It's a Beautiful Gesture if You Do

Let's start with the most important thing: sending a Rosh Hashanah greeting or gift to a Jewish friend or colleague is not expected. Jewish people do not typically expect non-Jewish friends to observe their holidays or send gifts.

But it is noticed. And it is appreciated — often deeply.

The Jewish High Holiday season — Rosh Hashanah (the New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) that follows ten days later — is the most sacred period in the Jewish calendar. It is a time of reflection, family, prayer, and sincere wishes for a good year. When someone outside the tradition acknowledges it — genuinely, thoughtfully, not perfunctorily — it means something.

A well-chosen gift says: I know this matters to you. I wanted to acknowledge it.

That acknowledgment is the gift, really. The food and the basket are just how it arrives.

What You Need to Know About Rosh Hashanah

When is it? Rosh Hashanah 5787 begins at sundown on Sunday, September 21st, 2026, and continues through September 23rd. It is the Jewish New Year — marking the beginning of the year 5787 in the Hebrew calendar.

How is it celebrated? With synagogue services, family dinners, special foods, and the sounding of the shofar (ram's horn). The holiday centers on themes of renewal, reflection, and the hope for a sweet new year.

The traditional greeting: "Shana Tova" — pronounced shah-NAH TOH-vah — means "A Good Year." The fuller version, "Shana Tova u'Metukah," means "A Good and Sweet Year." Either is appropriate and genuinely appreciated from anyone, Jewish or not.

The food traditions: The holiday is associated with sweet foods — particularly honey (for a sweet new year), apples dipped in honey, round challahs, pomegranates, and dates. Sweet gifts are symbolically appropriate.

What to Give — The Simple Answer

Anything sweet and kosher from Israel.

This covers the symbolic meaning of the holiday (sweetness for the new year) and the cultural connection (Israel is at the spiritual center of Jewish life). It also avoids the most common pitfall for non-Jewish gift givers, which we'll address now.

The Most Important Thing to Understand: Kosher

Many Jewish people keep kosher — a set of dietary laws that govern what they eat and how food is prepared. The details of kashrut are complex, but for gift-giving purposes, there are two things you need to know:

First: Food gifts should be kosher certified. Look for a kosher symbol (called a hechsher) on the packaging — most commonly the OU (a U inside a circle), the OK, or an Israeli certification symbol. Products from an Israeli kosher store like KosherTop are by definition kosher certified.

Second: Don't give wine unless you're sure they drink wine — some kosher-keeping Jews only drink kosher wine, which requires specific supervision. Stick to food, honey, or beauty products and you're safe.

The easiest solution: Order a gift basket from KosherTop. Every product is kosher certified. You don't need to know anything about kashrut — we've already handled it.

Gift Ideas by Relationship

For a Jewish Colleague or Business Partner

A professional, warm gesture — not too personal, not too small. The goal is to acknowledge the holiday with something that shows you thought about it.

The Gourmet Green Basket ($82.14) — Pistachio halva, Israeli olive oil, green olive spread, whole grain crackers, sweet chili Doritos from Israel. Sophisticated, interesting, and entirely edible without any dietary knowledge on your part. If your colleague keeps kosher, everything in this basket is certified. If they don't, they'll still love the quality.

The Essential Israeli Basket ($62.94) — Bisli Grill, Hashahar chocolate spread (Israel's original chocolate spread, made since 1948), Turkish coffee, butter cookies, grape juice. Everything essential, from Israel, beautifully packaged.

A note with "Shana Tova — wishing you a wonderful New Year" is all you need to write.

🛒 Order the Gourmet Green Basket → 🛒 Order the Essential Basket →

For a Jewish Friend

You know each other well. The gift can be warmer, more personal, more fun.

The Israeli Snack & Treats Basket ($96.00) — Elite chocolate mix (Pesek Zman, Mekupelet, Kif Kef — the Israeli bars your friend grew up with or has been telling you about), Bamba, Bisli, Turkish coffee, grape juice. For Jewish friends with Israeli heritage or connections, this basket is a direct hit of nostalgia. For Jewish friends who have never tried these brands, it's an introduction they'll thank you for.

Israeli Honey from Yad Mordechai ($16.47) — The most symbolically resonant Rosh Hashanah gift: honey, from Israel, from one of the country's most respected kibbutzim. With a handwritten "Shana Tova" card, this is a small gift that carries enormous meaning.

🛒 Order the Snack & Treats Basket → 🛒 Order Yad Mordechai Honey →

For Jewish Neighbors

A warm, neighborly gesture — the kind of thing that strengthens a community.

Yad Mordechai Honey + Medjool Dates — Two of the most symbolic Rosh Hashanah foods, from Israel, beautifully packaged. Leave them at the door with a "Shana Tova" note. Simple, thoughtful, and guaranteed to land well.

The Honey & Tea Basket ($67.74) — Yad Mordechai honey, Wissotzky tea (Israel's beloved tea brand since 1849), Elite chocolate, grape juice, Israeli chips. Warm, generous, and perfect for a family.

🛒 Order the Honey & Tea Basket →

For Your Jewish Boss

This requires some thought. Too casual and it doesn't register. Too elaborate and it feels awkward. The sweet spot is generous but professional.

The Premium Honey, Silan & Olive Oil Basket ($107.94) — The most elegant basket in our collection. Yad Mordechai honey, pure date syrup (silan), forest fruit jam, premium Israeli olive oil, and Israeli grape juice. This is a gift that reads as considered and quality-conscious — it says you thought about what the holiday means, not just that you wanted to check a box.

Alternatively, a Dead Sea beauty gift set from an Israeli brand like Sea of Spa or Spa Pharma — if your boss is a woman who appreciates skincare — is a luxurious and genuinely surprising choice.

🛒 Order the Premium Honey Basket → 🛒 Browse Dead Sea Beauty Sets →

What NOT to Give

A few things to avoid:

Non-kosher food. Anything from a regular bakery, a non-kosher restaurant, or a standard supermarket basket may contain ingredients that aren't kosher-certified. Stick to products that carry a kosher symbol, or order from KosherTop where everything is certified.

Pork or shellfish. Obviously — but worth stating explicitly, because gift food baskets sometimes contain cured meats or seafood products that would be entirely inappropriate.

Bread or leavened baked goods. This is more of a Passover restriction than a Rosh Hashanah one, but challah and holiday breads are traditionally made and given within the Jewish community rather than purchased from outside.

Anything with a cross or Christmas association. This sounds obvious, but generic "holiday" packaging sometimes includes Christian imagery. Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish holiday, not a generic winter holiday.

Generic chocolate boxes from non-kosher chocolatiers. A beautiful box of chocolates from a high-end American chocolatier may not be kosher. Check for certification, or choose Israeli chocolate from KosherTop instead.

How to Write the Card

Keep it simple and sincere. You don't need to know Hebrew (though "Shana Tova" is always appreciated). Something like:

"Wishing you and your family a wonderful and sweet New Year. Shana Tova!"

Or more personally:

"I've always admired how you observe this time of year. Wishing you a meaningful and joyful Rosh Hashanah."

Or simply:

"Happy New Year — Shana Tova! 🍎🍯"

The gesture matters more than the phrasing. A genuine, warm note is the right note.

Why Order from Israel?

You could put together a kosher gift basket from a local store. But a gift that ships from Israel — from the country at the spiritual center of Jewish life, from Israeli manufacturers whose products carry decades of cultural meaning — arrives with a story attached.

For your Jewish friend or colleague who has Israeli connections, the brands in a KosherTop basket will be instantly recognizable — the chocolate they grew up with, the honey their grandmother used. For someone without direct Israeli connections, a gift from Israel carries a kind of authenticity that a locally-assembled basket simply can't replicate.

It says: I didn't just buy something kosher. I sent something from Israel.

That is the gift within the gift.

Order by September 14th — Guaranteed Pre-Holiday Delivery

Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Sunday, September 21st. KosherTop ships from Israel, and delivery to the USA takes 7-14 business days.

Order by September 14th for guaranteed delivery before the holiday.

All Rosh Hashanah gift baskets are currently 40% off — no code needed, discount applied automatically at checkout.

Browse all Rosh Hashanah gifts →

All products certified kosher. Shipped directly from Israel to the USA.

KosherTop is Israel's premier online kosher store, shipping authentic Israeli food, gift baskets, and beauty products directly from Israel to customers across the USA and worldwide.