Celebration of the Jewish New Year will begin tonight and end Wednesday morning. It will kick off the 10-day period known as the High Holiday, which starts with Rosh Hashanah and ends with Yom Kippur. The High Holiday is meant to elicit personal reflection and growth for those celebrating it.

Jewish students at Kent State will meet for dinner and special services today and tomorrow.

There are specific adjustments to the typical service during Rash Hashanah, said Kevin Minster, senior architecture and environmental design major. One important symbol is the passing of the Shofar – a hollowed-out ram’s horn which resonates throughout the synagogue.

Mike Levinstein, assistant director of Hillel, said the purpose of this is to call the Jewish to the new year.

Another popular Rosh Hashanah tradition is the combination of apples and honey, which provides the taste of a sweet new year. The traditional snack is not only pleasing to the senses but also symbolic. The honey represents the promised land of Israel – “the land of milk and honey,” Minster said. The apples symbolize the beginning, he said, referencing the story of Adam and Eve.

Contact religion reporter Samantha Laros at [email protected].