Alumna reflects on Rosh Hashanah

This weekend, beginning on Sunday at sundown, many in our TMU family will gather for Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the Jewish New Year. 

The first of the High Holidays in the Jewish faith (a ten-day period that ends with Yom Kippur), Rosh Hashanah is a holy occasion where those in the Jewish community gather with friends and family to celebrate and reflect on the past year before heading into the new one.

Ahead of Rosh Hashanah this Sunday, we caught up with alumna Hannah Alberga, Journalism ’20 (MA) and asked her to share what the holiday means for her.

Dipping apple slices into honey is our version of watching the Times Square ball drop at midnight – both are New Years celebrations. 

But instead of thousands of people crowding downtown New York on Dec. 31, we gather around a table as the sun sets on Sept. 25 for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. 

For me, the holiday’s alignment with September – the time of year you start fresh with a new class, teacher and set of sharpened pencils at school – has always felt right. 

My school-days are over, but even as an adult, Rosh Hashanah still invites a precious moment to pause and refresh, the way school once did in September. 

In the fast paced environment many of our days sprint through, opportunities like this can feel fleeting.

But during the just over 48-hour duration of Rosh Hashanah that’s reserved for family and food, there is a magnificent aura that transcends the moment you remove meaningless distractions (phone, email, social media etc.) and are left with the sweetest elements. 

While Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish Holiday, the value of reserving a moment like this one is not solely tied to a time of year or religion. Its value is universal. 

Both for those who celebrate the holiday and for those who don’t, I hope you can find a moment that’s meaningful for you. 

- Hannah Alberga