Just two weeks into the fall semester, Jewish students at the University are about to embark upon a new year. Rosh Hashana—literally, “head of the year”—begins on Wednesday night and continues through Friday. Ten days later follows Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.
Many students have already made plans for these High Holidays, either to attend services locally or to celebrate with their families at home. Julie Edelman ’07 and Debbie Schwartz ’07, two of Wesleyan’s Jewish Renaissance Fellows, are coordinating University services and High Holiday-associated activities.
“We have had a lot more of the [Jewish] community head it in the past, but because it’s so early [in the school year], we took it on as a project,” Edelman said. “I am asking every Jewish person I know if they’re around for the High Holidays and if they can participate in any way…anything more than being a smiling face in the congregation. Debbie and I sat in MoCon for two and a half hours harassing freshmen. I just have to make sure [everything] runs smoothly.”
Edelman said she expects a large turnout at services.
“A lot of people are staying here [instead of going home] because it’s so early into school,” she said.
Rosh Hashana services will be held at the University on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The second day of Rosh Hashana is observed by a smaller number of Jews, so interested students can attend services on Friday at Adat Israel, the Conservative synagogue on Church Street. Edelman said that the synagogue has seats welcome for Wesleyan students at all services.
According to Edelman, Jewish services at Wesleyan vary in their degree of traditionalism.
“Different people lead [sabbath services] every Friday night, so we don’t need to have separate services,” Endelman said. “They’ll be more Orthodox one week, more Reform the next. That way we have a diverse range of options.”
Some students are not entirely comfortable with Wesleyan’s services. Jessica Strom ’07, a Jewish Renaissance Fellow and an active member of the Jewish community, attended High Holiday services at Wesleyan last year. She said prefers her synagogue at home.
“It was good that I stayed here as a freshman because it helped me with adjusting, but [services were just] okay,” Strom said. “I go to a Conservative synagogue so I’m used to a more [traditional] service, and it was pretty Reform. However, I think that a lot of the Jews here are more Reform, so they kind of cater to that. I don’t really like that, but it’s probably good because it gets people to come.”
This year, Strom, who is from upstate New York, is going home for Rosh Hashana.
“It’s Thursday and Friday anyway, so it’s just easier to go home,” Strom said.
Tzippora Rhodes ’07 also plans to celebrate the holidays at home in Newton, outside of Boston.
“I was going to stick around, but I might go home,” Rhodes said. “I went home last year; it’s only a two hour drive. I come from a very earthy but knowledgeable Jewish community. You don’t get a lot of once-a-year Jews. So it’s more communal—everyone reads [Hebrew], everyone sings along. It’s a great way to spend High Holidays. I was nervous about sticking around—it seemed like [the community at Wesleyan] might feel less organic.”
Lillian Siegel ’08 is spending her frosh year Rosh Hashana on campus. She expressed her hopes for High Holiday services at Wesleyan.
“[I’m looking for] good community, focus and praying with people who are taking time to think about what these holidays mean,” Siegel said. “Feeling like it’s not just another day of class.”
Classes are being held on Rosh Hashana unless a professor has specifically cancelled it.
“I wish they [weren’t holding class] but it’s okay as long as professors [understand],” Siegel said. “I wish they weren’t because even though I’ll be missing class, I’ll have work that I won’t be present for.”
Julie Edelman is also optimistic about this year’s services.
“We’ve been working really hard and we hope it goes really well,” she said. “The chazzan [cantor] is a female rabbinical school student with a beautiful voice.”
Although planning for the Rosh Hashana services is mostly completed, Edelman urged students interested in helping witht he services to contact jedelman@wesleyan.edu or dlschwartz@wesleyan.edu. “We’re always looking for new smiling faces.”
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