"The Rosh Hashanah is a holiday of renewal, repentance and moral purity.

"May this dear day bring good news, joy and happiness to you and your families."

The Jewish politician hoping to be the next leader of the Labour party has wished Britain’s Jewish community “a happy, healthy and sweet new year of peace and prosperity.”

David Miliband said Rosh Hashanah was “an opportunity to look forward to the coming year, and also a period of reflection and soul searching.”

The MP and shadow foreign secretary added: "The New Year is a good time for us all to focus on the peace talks in the Middle East.

"There are those who want to knock the talks off course, often violently.

It was an invitation I could not refuse. Next month I will be joining the Dalai Lama at Emory University for a seminar on happiness. It appealed to me first because the Dalai Lama is, like Nelson Mandela, one of those rare figures who has led his people through suffering by forgiveness.

But why? Why is a blast on a horn the best expression of the national mood at the start of a New Year? And a ram's horn at that?

The prime minister has wished British Jewry a Shana Tova and expressed his gratitude for the community’s role in making Britain “a healthy society”.

David Cameron said: “At the heart of the Jewish way of life is an approach to building community and a moral compulsion to play your part in changing the world for the better, from which we can all learn.”

Shimon Peres has expressed his hope that the New Year will lead to the signing of a historic peace treaty and bring “tranquility, prosperity and security” to the Middle East.

In a Rosh Hashanah message the Israeli president referred to the Washington-sponsored peace talks and said that this year hopes for peace in the region appear “tangible”

Addressing global Jewry, Mr Peres said that more young Jewish people should visit Israel.

Harriet Harman has wished Britain’s Jewish community a very happy and peaceful new year.

The acting leader of the Labour Party and MP for Camberwell and Peckham, said: As we draw close to Rosh Hashanah I would like to wish the Jewish community in the UK and around the world a very happy and peaceful New Year.

“I know many Jews will use this opportunity to pray for peace and to reflect on what we can all do to help our communities thrive and flourish in the days and year ahead.

Danny: The first similarity that strikes me is that many Jews and Muslims who are not usually so observant are more concerned with these holy days than many others in the calendar - it seems that something about them has a broader appeal than many other festivals or rituals.

Rosh Hashanah is around the corner and it is time for apples and honey again. The baked apples I suggest this year are a simple, healthy and delicious dessert. They can be easily prepared in advance and baked while you are eating dinner, so a comforting scent of the cooking fruit will slowly spread among the diners.