Nataley Davis | staff writer |

Through Hillel, Shira Bauman, the club’s vice president, met her best friend, Mia Olenick.

The group gives students a chance to connect to people with similar backgrounds and beliefs, while creating life-long bonds.

“It really gave me a sense of the community,” Bauman said. “I implore even people who aren’t religious, who may just be exploring their Jewish identity, to come learn more about it.”

Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, is a two-day celebration that places emphasis on praying for forgiveness, according to The Jerusalem Post. The holiday is observed by attending long prayer services, spending time with family and eating traditional foods.

This year, Rosh Hashana was celebrated from the evening of Oct. 2 until the evening of Oct. 3.

On Tuesday, Hillel Jewish Students Organization at Duquesne hosted a Rosh Hashana celebration in Rockwell Hall.

Hillel is a community for Jewish students or those interested in Jewish culture. The group has become the largest Jewish campus organization in the world and is present at over 850 colleges and universities, according to Hillel International.

“Being at a Catholic school, we’re a really small group, but I think it’s really nice to have support for all types of students,” said Olenick, the president of Hillel at Duquesne. “My organization, specifically, is really just about community and being involved with our religion, especially during this really difficult time.”

This week, the first anniversary was commemorated of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

Hillel groups on college campuses and other Jewish federations planned vigils, protests and rallies across the United States to remember those who lost their lives, according to The Washington Post.

“Our community at Duquesne is very small. Nevertheless, we will join together and celebrate the biggest holiday of the year, and ignore all the other mishegoss [craziness] that’s happening in the background,” Olenick said.

Duquesne’s Rosh Hashana celebration provided visitors with informational flyers, interactive activities and traditional dishes.

Guests were welcome to choose from a variety of foods commonly eaten on Rosh Hashana. This included Challah Bread, apples and honey to represent a sweet new year.

Students were given the opportunity to paint their name with Hebrew alphabet stencils and write letters to Israeli soldiers fighting the war in Gaza.

Bauman was enthusiastic to have Rosh Hashana represented at a Catholic university.

“When it’s so divisive and there’s so many things going on and people don’t know what to believe, I think it’s nice to show a presence of celebrating different holidays and different things other than what you normally see in media,” Bauman said.

In the midst of the celebration, Jewish students and mentors talked about their favorite memories and traditions associated with the holiday.

Karen Levitt, a former board member of Pittsburgh Hillel, spoke about the cultural significance of the Shofar, a ram’s-horn trumpet played during Rosh Hashana.

“There’s different notes that they blow during this holiday season. There’s meaning behind the different notes that they blow. Originally, they were used to call people together to worship because they didn’t know when the holiday was,” Levitt said.

Sophia Stone, a Rosh Hashana celebrant, said Jewish customs are vital to keeping the culture alive.

“When you consider the history of the Jewish people, part of the reason we’ve been able to maintain such a strong community identity is because of our commitment to making sure we carry on traditions,” Stone said.

Olenick prioritizes community and exploration of Jewish identity for members.

The celebration of holidays, such as Rosh Hashana, helps to fulfill this goal.

“We kind of just try to keep everyone involved, and for the people who don’t want to be as involved, just let them know you have somewhere to go if you need somewhere to go,” Olenick said.