Members of the Oklahoma Hillel Foundation are hosting newly ordained Rabbi Jean Eglinton to celebrate the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, today at OU Hillel, located at 494 Elm Ave. Dinner starts at 6 p.m. and special services start at 7 p.m.

Keren Ayalon, Hillel executive director, said they are excited to have the new rabbi.

“We are very much looking forward to Rabbi Eglinton [leading] our services,” said Ayalon. “We are expecting a large crowd.”

Rosh Hashanah is also the start of the high holy days, the period of ten days between the new year and the upcoming Jewish holiday Yom Kippur.

Holly McMannes, Jewish student life coordinator, said special services take place during this time for Jews to reflect on the past year.

Megan Godwin, health and exercise sciences junior and president of OU Hillel, said it’s traditional for an ordained rabbi to run the special services, which is why Rabbi Eglinton is flying in.

Ian Fullington, economics senior, said there are small, symbolic differences in the Rosh Hashanah service compared to the traditional service.

One of them is a white cover for the Jewish holy book, the Torah.

“It’s a special symbolic slip for the high holy days, which is Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur,” said Fullington. “It’s to signify the new year, a clean slate.”

Godwin added they blow a hollowed-out ram’s horn called a shofar.

“When it was hard to get word around, the shofar was used to tell villages Rosh Hashanah was starting,” said Godwin. “We blow it at the end of the service.”

It is also customary for celebrants to eat apples and honey.

“The apple’s white inside represents renewal and getting a new start,” said Godwin. “The honey is sweet and represents having a sweet new year.”

Godwin said this tradition made Rosh Hashanah a favorite part of her childhood.

“The temple I went to in Tulsa had these huge red delicious apples,” Godwin said. “It was my favorite service.”

The Rosh Hashanah 7 p.m. services are free to everyone, and the dinner is $10 for community members and $5 for children under 12. Students get in free.