Services set for Jewish new year

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins today at sundown.

Programming includes a festival dinner at 5:30 p.m. today at Hillel, 202 N. Lincoln St. An evening service will be held at 7 p.m. tomorrow in Student Center room 310.

Thursday services include a 10 a.m. service in Student Center room 310 and a lunch at 12:30 p.m. at Hillel.

Services are free to students with their student IDs and $54 for non-students. Meals are $10 to students and $25 for non-students.

Jennifer Chestnut, director of Hillel at Kent, said the holiday is different from the one celebrated on Jan. 1.

“There is no Jewish Dick Clark,” Chestnut said, joking about one of the differences.

She referred to the traditional idea of New Year’s celebrations as a party. But Rosh Hashanah celebrates God’s creation of the world and also the Day of Judgment, when God, according to Jewish teachings, will judge all human deeds and declare the fate of Heaven or Hell.

Rosh Hashanah is a time to be forgiven. Chestnut said this includes direct repentance to people who you have wronged.

The Ten Days of Repentance are between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Jews perform extra charitable acts and donate to righteous causes during this period to prepare for the Day of Judgment.

Yom Kippur is Sept. 21. Contact Kent Hillel at (330) 678-0397 for information about services in Cleveland and Akron.

– Courtney Cook