The Christian calendar is winding to a close, but followers of Judaism are already preparing for the start of a new year. This weekend marks the beginning of a personal, reflective time for people of Jewish faith.

Tonight is the start of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

The new year begins in Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar.

"Tishrei commemorates the month in which God created the world," Rabbi Joseph Telushkin said in his book, Jewish Literacy.

"Tishrei is the Jewish month most filled with holidays," he said.

Yom Kippur, for example, is a day of fasting and atonement is celebrated a week after Rosh Hashanah.

This time of year is commonly known as the High Holy Days, and Jews use it to review, reflect and review, said Michelle Blumenberg, director of the Hillel Foundation.

"On these two holidays, and during the weeks preceding them, Jews are instructed to scrupulously examine their deeds and, more significantly, their misdeeds, during the preceding year," Telushkin said.

The Hillel Foundation, 1245 E. Second St., will host services for both holidays, Blumenberg said.

She said tickets to the services are free to full-time students, but University of Arizona staff and community members wishing to attend need to purchase tickets, which cost $100.

The required $100 donation enables people to attend services for both holidays, Blumenberg said.

She said the money helps pay for the chairs and microphones needed to put on the services.

The Hillel Foundation is holding conservative and reform services this weekend.

Blumenberg said conservative and reform are two different branches of Judaism, conservative services being more traditional than reform services.

For instance, Blumenberg said, conservative liturgies are mainly spoken in Hebrew, while English is used in reform services.

Music and theology of the religious facets also differ, she said.

Blumenberg said the reform branch "looks at Jewish laws and adapts them to today."

"Conservativism also looks at laws today, but keeps more of the traditional aspects," she said.

Blumenberg said the reform branch was the first to ordain women as rabbis and is involved in social justice.

"Social activism is seen as really primary," she said.

Traditionally, Judaism is passed down from the mother; that is, if a child's mother is Jewish, the child will also be Jewish, Blumenberg said.

However, according to reformists, Judaism can also be handed down from father to child, she said.

Blumenberg said a third-year rabbinical student will speak at the reform services, while UA professor Richard Green will speak at the conservative services.

A holiday dinner will be held at Hillel tonight, she said, although anyone wishing to attend needed to sign up and pay $10 by Tuesday.

She said a traditional Rosh Hashanah meal consists of gefilte fish, chicken, matzah ball soup, and apples and honey.

Tonight's dinner will not be entirely traditional, Blumenberg said, but apples and honey will be served.

"Have a happy and sweet new year," is a holiday greeting that originated from the serving of the latter two items, she said.

Blumenberg said she expects a total of between 300 and 400 people to attend services at Hillel over both holidays. She said she expects about 200 people to attend services this weekend.

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