Similar to Ashley Tedesco’s entry, I struggle between what to do at college for the Holidays. Though there is a Hillel on my campus that offers services and several meals, it is difficult to actually honor a holiday in a different manner than what you grew up with. Besides missing the home cooked meals of your parents, you are no longer surrounded by the familiar faces of your local synagogue.
Though Hillel at Franklin & Marshall has great food, I felt like this year I needed an extra push to actually get myself there for Rosh Hashanah. As it was celebrated over a weekend, like every other college student, I had my regular life still running. My sorority was hosting Bid Day for its fall pledge class, my assigned readings were accumulating fast, and it was an enjoyable sunny fall forecast.
Last year I felt like all of my Jewish friends on campus were at Hillel for the holidays. Though some of them did travel home, I still feel like the representation of students at Hillel this past weekend was weaker than usual. While my friend and I had plans to go to the dinner and then services the next day, we hesitated at the last minute on going at all. We were unsure of who was going to be there, and what it was going to be like. Though we had been to Hillel before, it was a Friday night, and like I said we had other events going on.
Obviously other events were tempting to do instead of Hillel, but then we stepped back for a second and were just like “Wait, it is Rosh Hashanah and we’re not doing anything for it?â€Â We couldn’t let that happen, as we were naturally used to celebrating it every other year before.
Once we got there we ended up sitting with friends of ours that were in the same boat. Though it was not as crowded as I was hoping, this ended up being beneficial in a way. The mixed feelings I had about going to Hillel had been swept away by the welcoming aura I felt from the moment we sat down. The director made it a point to stop by and chit-chat with everyone, which I thought was very thoughtful. Making that small friendly connection gave the Hillel dinner a more home-like feel.
Later that evening, at Bid Day celebrations for my sorority, several of my friends and I brought apples and honey for everyone. Even though only a fraction of the girls were Jewish, I still felt it was a nice way to share the excitement of Rosh Hashanah.
The next day, due to regular life happenings we did not make it to services as planned.  I felt guilty for not making it. However, I had to reassure myself that I cannot try to replicate the exact traditions that I follow at home.  Being in a different location with different people simply makes it a different experience.
Once you are used to the same routine for the Holidays, it is sometimes difficult to accept something different. However, try to be open for change, because as I am realizing, the future is uncertain. Who knows where they are going to be living and with whom five years from now? Making adjustments to your Holiday schedule is just another thing that is bound to happen in life. Unless you are among the lucky few who made it home, I hope you all found some way to celebrate Rosh Hashanah.
