JERUSALEM, Sept. 14 -- "Calm."

That was Gal's one-word wish for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

He was busy serving customers at his fruit stall in Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda Market, which bustled with shoppers preparing for the holiday. This year, Rosh Hashanah began at sundown on Friday and ended after nightfall on Sunday.

Pomegranates rose in crimson heaps. Apples and dates filled the stands, while jars of honey lined shop counters. Golden loaves of freshly baked challah -- the traditional Jewish bread served on the Sabbath and festivals -- glowed in bakery windows, their yeasty aroma drifting across the market.

"People may buy a little less, but the New Year still has to be celebrated," said Gal, a longtime vendor at the market...