Rosh Hashanah at USD

Jewish students share their personal traditions and what the holiday means to them

Catherine Silvey / Feature Editor / The USD Vista

Some Toreros are months away from their new year’s festivities. However, other University of San Diego students have been preparing for a new year celebration that occurred this week — the Jewish celebration of Rosh Hashanah.

Rosh Hashanah is celebrated at the beginning of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Jewish year. This year, it was held from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1.
First year Abby Foygelman emphasized the significance of Rosh Hashanah in her life, especially within her family.

“Rosh Hashanah is a holiday that holds a special place in my heart,” Foygelman said. “It is a time that we celebrate the sweetness of the new year.”

The holiday is often celebrated with family and friends, connecting the Jewish community in a celebration of life. Foygelman shared that she celebrates Rosh Hashanah every year with her grandparents.

“My family and I are very traditional when it comes to gathering together on Rosh Hashanah,” Foygelman said. “Every year we go to my grandparents’ house in Orange County. There we are able to have a traditional dinner and go through the prayers together.”

Alongside widely-practiced Rosh Hashanah traditions, Foygelman’s family participates in special traditions of their own.

“One tradition I love most is apple picking,” Foygelman said. “At my grandparents’ house, they have an apple tree. On Rosh Hashanah, it is custom to eat apples dipped in honey. My family is able to go and pick the apples that we are going to eat, celebrating our new year, new life, and ability to come into it together.”

The custom of dipping apples in honey is one of the most popular Rosh Hashanah traditions worldwide, symbolizing hope for a sweet new year. This tradition was celebrated on campus last Thursday by the San Diego chapter of Jewish collegiate organization, Hillel.
Senior Simon Mizrahi explained the history behind Rosh Hashanah and why the holiday is so important to the worldwide Jewish community. Simon is both a member of Hillel and of the on-campus organization, Toreros for Israel.

“Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish holiday that celebrates the Jewish New Year,” Mizrahi said. “During the Diaspora, Jews throughout the world often had to hide the celebration of high holidays due to persecution. Today, millions of Jews in the Diaspora still celebrate Rosh Hashanah, but many more celebrate it in Israel, the one and only Jewish state.”

Mizrahi expressed that the holiday is not only a community celebration, but also a time of personal meditation and quality time with family.

“Rosh Hashanah means to me a tradition that unites Jewish people together to begin a new year filled with love, life, and potential for self-growth,” Mizrahi said.  

For many, Rosh Hashanah is a reflection on the past year and an expression of gratitude for the blessings in one’s life. Foygelman views the holiday as a time of light in the midst of life’s darkest moments.“Rosh Hashanah is a time that even when all the darkness in our lives s

eems to overcome us, we focus on the good,” Foygelman said. “The goodness in our lives can be represented in many different ways. For me, it is this time that I get to spend with the ones I love the most.”
Adam Haberman, Ph.D., a biology professor at USD, expressed the importance of the holiday for his family.

“For me, Rosh Hashanah is a time to focus on family and think about the year ahead,” Haberman said. “We’ll make resolutions for the new year and talk about seeking forgiveness.”

Rosh Hashanah is a celebration deeply rooted in Jewish tradition, and is cherished by Jewish individuals both in the USD community and worldwide.