Jewish people across the world will celebrate their New Year over the next few days.

On Sunday, Jews will celebrate a Rosh Hashanah – which is held ten days before Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

The latter sees a 25-hour fast where people repent their sins throughout the year.

Rabbi Rebecca Birk of the Finchley Progressive Synagogue in Hutton Grove said: “It’s a big moment in the Jewish New Year.

“Rosh Hashanah is about wishing each other a sweet new year, it’s about a period of reflection, looking into your soul and trying to be your better self.

“We eat apples with honey to denote a sweet new year, and blow the shofar, a horn, during services.”

The New Year festival lasts two days, and the traditional greeting between Jews is "L'shanah Tovah" which means "for a good New Year".

Rosh Hashanah is the time when Jews believe God balances a person's good deeds against their bad deeds.

According to Jewish tradition, God records these deeds in a book that is finally sealed ten days later, which is why Jews try to make up for bad deeds up until Yom Kippur where they atone and fast.

The Jewish New Year dates back more than three thousand years and predates written records meaning an exact date and year is hard to pin down, unlike the modern Gregorian calendar where the year is 2018.

Rabbi Birk says during this time of year there is a rush for Jews to attend synagogue and are often joined by so-called ‘twice a year Jews’ who don’t visit synagogue very often.

She says: “It’s the time when most Jews, even when they are a bit ambivalent want to be part of the synagogue.”

For Rabbi Birk, Rosh Hashanah is the best Jewish festival.

She said: “For me, it means renewal, renewal for myself taking stock in my life and my part in the world.

“It’s an intense time for Jews externally, but this lets me take stock and get my own house in order.”