Jewish people around the world and in Ames celebrated Rosh Hashana this weekend.

Rosh Hashana, which began Friday at sundown and continued until sundown on Saturday, marked the beginning of the Jewish New Year 5764.

Catherine Harbur, president of ISU Hillel and senior in animal ecology, said Rosh Hashana is a time for rebirth.

“[Jews] talk a lot about starting over and repenting [our] sins from last year,” Harbur said.

Observance of Rosh Hashana, which lasts two days, involves attending services at the synagogue and reflecting on the past year.

During Saturday morning services, a ram’s horn, the shofar, is blown to wake people up into the new year, Harbur said.

At the Sunday morning services, worshippers bring pieces of bread to the Ames Jewish Congregation, 3721 Calhoun Ave.

“We all walk to the Skunk River, and everyone throws bread crumbs into the water,” Harbur said, describing the tradition known as tashlick.

“This represents washing away your sins.”

Barbara Pleasants, a member of the Ames Jewish Congregation, said services during Rosh Hashana tend to last longer than regular Sabbath services because of the special liturgy prayers and other unique features of the service.

“Rosh Hashana begins a period between now and Yom Kippur of introspection and thinking of the past year,” said Pleasants, adjunct associate professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology.

Pleasants said the beginning of the new year is a time to make amends with people you have wronged and to ask for forgiveness.

Another tradition during Rosh Hashana is eating sweet foods, like honey cake and apples dipped in honey, Harbur said.

“[Eating sweet things] represents our wishes for a sweet new year,” Harbur said.

Harbur said Jews make a braided bread known as challah every Sabbath, but for Rosh Hashana, bread is made into a circle to represent continuity instead of a straight braid.

After Rosh Hashana are ten days known as the Days of Awe, or Ten Days of Repentance. Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, concludes those tens days. This year, Yom Kippur begins at sundown on October 5 and continues through sundown on October 6.

Yom Kippur is more solemn than Rosh Hashana and is a time when the community does serious reflection and resolves to do better in the coming year, Pleasants said.

“[Day of Atonement] essentially means the day we repent and contemplate ways we want to change,” Harbur said.

“It’s a very serious holiday where we focus on prayer, meditation and fasting.”

Harbur said students find it difficult to be away from their families during the holidays.

“Obviously, we can’t make it home for the High Holy Days, and I’ve heard a few students say they miss their families during the holidays,” Harbur said.

“It can be hard, especially during Yom Kippur, because we can’t work or go to classes. Sometimes it can be difficult explaining to a professor why we need to miss class that day.”