As many people wait to ring in the new year with party favors in three months, people of the Jewish faith are awaiting the sound of the shofar for Rosh Hashanah.
Rosh Hashanah, which translates from Hebrew into “head of the year,” is the Jewish New Year, and the date varies based on the Jewish lunar calendar.
This year’s celebration began at sundown on Sunday and will end at sundown on Tuesday.
Hillel at Ohio University began the celebration with an Erev Rosh Hashanah — “night before Rosh Hashanah” — dinner and evening service on Sunday night. A three-hour morning service will be held Monday morning, concluding with tashlikh at Emeriti Park.
“Tashlikh is casting away sins from the past year into a body of water,” said Rabbi Danielle Leshaw, executive director of Hillel. “It could be lint from pockets or bread crumbs or anything, and it allows us to move into the new year with a fresh start.”
Some other traditions of Rosh Hashanah include wishing someone a sweet new year, serving apples and honey, and blowing the shofar, or ram’s horn, said Lauren Goldberg, Hillel’s office administrator.
“Wishing someone a sweet new year refers to the fact that you are reflecting back and are wishing to repair wrongs,” Goldberg said. “You are welcoming the new year with positivity and the hope that you will essentially be blessed with another good year.”
Maia Wachter, an Ohio University freshman who has yet to declare a major, will play the shofar.
Leshaw was asking for volunteers to play the shofar, and Wachter stepped up to the task.
“I did it last year at home so I kind of already knew the basics,” Wachter said. “I’m just happy to help.”
Not just anyone could pick up the shofar and produce a nice sound, said Kevin Teplitzky, song leader for Hillel and a senior studying music therapy.
“It’s similar to playing a brass instrument, but it’s a small hole and I’m used to a bigger mouthpiece because I play the tuba,” Teplitzky said. “Someone will call out certain commands, and you have to respond with the correct rhythm and sound.”
Wachter said playing the trumpet helped her play the shofar for the first time.
Playing in the Rosh Hashanah services is special, Teplitzky said.
“It’s meaningful to me to be able to lead those people and be involved in their process of being spiritual,” he said.
ao007510@ohiou.edu
