Allyson Barrera ‘27

While the sun set Wednesday evening on Oct. 2, the Barbara Walters Campus Center buzzed with conversation as students gathered for SLC Hillel’s Rosh Hashanah dinner. More than just a meal, the event offered a space for students to come together while sharing in the time-honored traditions of the holiday. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a time filled with reflection, renewal, and community. This year, Rosh Hashanah took place from Oct. 2 to Oct. 4. The holiday commemorates the anniversary of the creation of the world and serves as a period of personal self-reflection. According to the Jewish Voice Ministries, Rosh Hashanah is a “time for accounting. In this way, Rosh Hashanah is an opportunity to improve ourselves. It is a holiday that helps us to become better people.” This is a period where individuals seek forgiveness for past mistakes and a commitment to self-improvement for the coming year.

Along with the dinner held by SLC Hillel, clubs all over school chose their own ways to celebrate this holiday. Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP) combined their celebration with political activism. Their gathering was held in the Slonim Living Room and focused on using this holiday as an opportunity to recommit to social justice causes. In a statement released on their social media pages, JVP framed their celebration as an opportunity to “recommit to uplifting the struggle for Palestinian liberation.”Additionally, earlier on Wednesday afternoon, the Hujews student group held a tabling event offering apples and honey, a traditional Rosh Hashanah symbol for a sweet new year. These events allowed students to connect with the holiday, spreading the message of the new year across campus.

For some students on campus, Rosh Hashanah holds a very strong personal significance. A student who spoke to The Phoenix who recently converted to Judaism reflected on participating in this celebration for the first time, saying, “During this phase in our life, it is easy to go from one thing to the next. This holiday is important because it allows us to take time to reflect and think about the next chapter of our life.” But Rosh Hashanah is not just a personal celebration for this student. “The sense of community that comes with this holiday” is one of their personal favorite things that is emphasized in Rosh Hashanah

These celebrations across campus highlight how Rosh Hashanah at Sarah Lawrence fosters reflection, community, and renewal, while also offering a space for students to express their values and activism.

Rosh Hashanah on Campus: Tradition, Reflection and Activism