"Apples, honey, no classes for Rosh Hashanah"

When most of the world wakes up on Tuesday, it will still be the year 2005. But for Jews across the globe, it's time to get a new calendar for the year 5766.

Monday marks the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and for Jewish students and faculty at UB it means a celebration with religious services and traditional meals with friends and family.

For non-Jewish students the holiday, which starts at sundown Monday, also carries significance because it means classes are cancelled on Tuesday. UB offices will continue to operate normally, and although the holiday doesn't end until Wednesday night, classes will resume during the day Wednesday.

"It's really important that the university gives us off for this holiday because it's a realty important time of the year for the Jewish people," said Andrea Jacobs, director of Jewish student services and Hillel at UB.

Rosh Hashanah itself marks not only the beginning of the year but also the start of a ten-day period of repentance that allows all Jews to pray and ask for forgiveness of their sins. At the start of this period, it is said God opens the Book of Life for people to repent and pray for a good and prosperous year.

The last day, Yom Kippur, is the Day of Atonement when the Book of Life is closed and Jews fast for the entire day.

For Rosh Hashanah, apples and honey are traditionally eaten to symbolize the hopes for a sweet year to come. Many students try to make it home for the holiday.

"Last year I stayed here (on campus)," said Dan Cohen, a sophomore undecided major, "But this year I'm going home. For me, it's a big family holiday."

For those staying at UB, Hillel will be sponsoring dinner at Pistachio's at 5:15 p.m. Monday night, followed by services in 145 Student Union at 6:30 p.m. and at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday morning.

Jacobs said anyone is invited to the dinner and services, even if just to meet new people, have a good time, and experience another culture's beliefs and customs.

Not all Jews, of course, participate in the religious traditions.

"Basically I don't celebrate the holidays," said Jared Balsky, a senior chemical engineering major. "I'm not practicing so I'm just going to visit friends at another school."

Rosh Hashanah, which means "the head of the year," is celebrated differently at the other schools in the area. SUNY Binghamton has a fall recess because of their heavily Jewish population. Other schools do not have off at all for the holiday.

David Bostaph, a senior mechanical engineering major, said he doesn't think it's a matter of special treatment. Other members of the UB community have objected to the cancellation of classes for Jewish holidays.

"We essentially get off for Christmas, so I think it's ok to get off for other religions' holidays," he said.

Hillel is an international, non-profit organization that provides services to Jewish students on college campuses worldwide. The Chabad House, another organization for Jews in the area, will have services on both campuses Monday and Tuesday nights, followed by dinner. Students can RSVP by e-mail for those events on the Web at www.chabadbuffalo.com.