New year offers time to celebrate

With Friday's sunset, observant Jews around the world took time to reflect on the past year and began to look ahead on what the new year will bring.\nRosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins a period of 10 days called the High Holy Days, ending with Yom Kippur, in which Jews examine their deeds from the past year and ask God's forgiveness for their transgressions.\nSundown Friday began the 1st day of Tishri, the seventh month of the Jewish calender, and thus year 5761.\nWhile Yom Kippur, also called the Day of Atonement, is a solemn day that includes fasting so Jews can focus on their prayer, Rosh Hashanah is a celebration, where Jews wish each other "L'shanah tovah" or happy new year, and that they be inscribed in the Book of Life.\nAlthough some students went home for the weekend to be with family and friends, many who stayed in Bloomington attended services by the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center which were held at St. Paul Catholic Center, 1413 E. 17th St. Separate services were held for Reform, Conservative and Orthodox Jews.\nHillary Fais, a sophomore and an undergraduate representative for Hillel, said Rosh Hashanah is a time for reflection.\n"You think about the year has just started and how the year's going to go," Fais said. "I kind of set goals for myself. This is the time where I'm looking at what's going on academically and socially."\nSophomore Debra Powers, religion committee chair for Hillel, echoed Fais' sentiments.\n"It's a way of taking time from your life and not being distracted with other things and you can sit and think about things that you've done and sit with friends you've been with for the past year and talk about things that happened," Powers said.\nFais said although she went home last year for the holidays she enjoys being able to spend the new year with her friends.\n"It's so amazing to me to be with these people from all over the country and we celebrate it the exact same way and feel the same," Fais said. "Just being able to pray with your friends and celebrate it with your friends is really special."\nPowers said the environment at Hillel reminds her of home. She was in charge of organizing the Conservative service, but she helped find people to take part in the Reform service.\nIn addition to services during the day, most Jews gather with friends in the evening on both the night beginning and of Rosh Hashanah. Sweet foods, such as apples dipped in honey, are eaten to symbolize a sweet new year. Often, a loaf of bread, called challah, is baked in a circular shape to represent the continuation of one year to the next. And in the tradition of sweetness, many add raisins to their challah.\nPowers said the food is important to the tradition.\n"I think even though people may think it's just food, it's just a symbol, it really does help to remind ourselves exactly what the holiday is about"