The Jewish New Year and Day of Introspection will be coming to a close this weekend.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is one of the two most “important and significant” holidays on the Jewish calendar, said Ian Guffy, treasurer of ISU Hillel, vice president of the Government of the Student Body and senior in computer science. The other is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which occurs 10 days after Rosh Hashanah.

“It is a time for reflecting on the past year,” Guffy said. “Thinking about how the past year was for you and how you can improve, how you can grow and also for being thankful for what you have.”

Denise Rothschild, vice president of Ames Jewish Congregation, said Rosh Hashanah started on sundown of Sept. 13 and is the Jewish New Year. Yom Kippur, which starts on Friday night, will be the day to end the time of introspection, which started with Rosh Hashanah.

She said there are traditional readings that are read during the services. The ram’s horn, or shofar, is blown throughout the service on Rosh Hashana and once at the end of the service on Yom Kippur.

According to Leviticus 23:24 in the Torah, “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe complete rest, a sacred occasion commemorated with loud blasts.”

“It is an instrument used to awaken the soul and to remind individuals about the importance of these holidays,” said Jeff Rubin, associate vice president for communications of Hillel.

While the synagogue in Ames is actually aligned with a specific type of Judaism, known as the reform movement, Rothschild said they still hold services out of respect for traditional and formal Jewish movements.

She said Yom Kippur is a fasting day, so Jews aren’t supposed to consume food from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night.

She also said it isn’t necessarily a celebratory day; rather, it is a day of introspection and to attend synagogues.

Rubin said what is unique about these holidays it that they are known as the days of awe and while it’s considered improper to rank holidays, these are the most significant of the year.

“This is the one that we use to celebrate the creation of the world,” Rubin said. “These are the 10 days to examine and repair relationships.”

Guffy said he spends his time with his family during the holiday.

“A lot of time is spent in synagogue praying,” he said. “They’re a lot longer; Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are basically a whole day’s worth of services.”