The Nevada Sagebrush

For the first time, students, faculty members and their families gathered together in the Joe Crowley Student Union last week to pray and celebrate the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah.

“Rosh Hashana is the Jewish New Year,” Joel Bolling, graduate assistant at the Center for Student Cultural Diversity, said. “On the Jewish calendar, it is now the year 5770. The Judaic calendar is based on a lunar year so the Roman calendar date of Rosh Hashanah and other Jewish holidays change from year, to year.”

Nevada Hillel, the only Jewish organization on campus, held the Rosh Hashanah services on Sept. 18 and 19 in Ballroom A of The Joe.

Nevada Hillel is part of a national organization with groups on many university campuses throughout the United States, Jackie Laichter, co-president of Nevada Hillel, said.

Hillel worked with Temple Beth Or, a new synagogue in Reno, this year to get the services on campus.

“Being a student group, we wanted to bring services on campus so it is more convenient for students,” Laichter said. “For new students, this is a way to be able to attend services and get to know other Jewish students.   Hillel helped with the basic logistics of the event, booking the rooms, getting people to read Torah, etc.”

Yom Kippur services were also held on Sept. 27 and 28 in the ballroom of The Joe and on the second floor in the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center. Yom Kippur is known as the Day of Atonement, Laichter said.

“It is when your fate for the year is sealed in God’s book,” Laitcher said. “It is a fasting holiday, which many Jews observe. There is no food or water for about 24 hours.”

Nevada Hillel, Temple Beth Or and the Center for Student Cultural Diversity felt it was important to provide Jewish services on campus to make them more accessible to the university community, Bolling said.

“Many members of the Jewish community attended, including members of Temple Beth Or, Nevada Hillel, university professors and staff, as well as President and Mrs. Glick,” Bolling said. “Additionally, a number of people who were not Jewish attended just to experience a Jewish service.”

Traditionally Jewish people spend High Holy days with their families, Bolling said.

The Jewish High Holy days consist of Rosh Hashanah, Taschlich (a ceremony in which you toss bread into moving water to represent the ridding of sins), then a break between the main holidays and then Yom Kippur, Laichter said.

“I am Jewish and holy days are important to us,” University of Nevada, Reno President Milton Glick said. “It is a wonderful thing for various organizations to hold services on campus. We strongly support student campus unity (and) student organizations, but the university is not advocating a religious-based organization.”

“Since not all people, especially students, are able to go home, we wanted to make sure that they were at least able to attend services here in Reno,” Bolling said.

Gabbrielle Irvin can be reached at news@nevadasagebrush.com.

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