The Jewish New Year, and the first of the Jewish high holidays, is a time of favor and forgiveness, of growth and improvement, and of new beginnings – not only for us, but for family, friends and community. On this day, we can celebrate and appreciate another year of life together with those we care about. We serve apples and honey to represent our hope for a sweet new year. We also blow the shofar (a ram’s horn) on Rosh Hashanah to symbolize prayer and repentance.
Rick Jacobs leads Hillel High Holiday services
When Brown RISD Hillel was looking for someone to lead Reform High Holiday services, they had an unexpected volunteer: President of the Union for Reform Judaism, Rabbi Rick Jacobs.
As Rabbi Jacobs describes in his blog post, leading services at Hillel was “one of the most eye-opening experiences I have had so far as president of the Reform Movement.” He continues, “For the final shofar blast and havdallah, the Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform services joined together. There was a palpable feeling of K’lal Yisroel, Jewish peoplehood, as we prayed and studied together as one people.”