Welcome!! My name is Serena and I'm a '28 from New York City. I couldn't be more excited to be here at Dartmouth and share my experiences with all of you! I know I want to explore English Literature alongside a STEM discipline. I love to run, play volleyball, hike, knit, and read books! If you want to hear about a city kid's adventures in rural New Hampshire, follow along as I experience life in the woods!
Shana Tova and Welcome Home for the Holidays; Here's How I Celebrated My First Rosh Hashana at Dartmouth!
Last week I celebrated Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, with Dartmouth's Jewish community and the Upper Valley Jewish Community! This holiday takes place at the start of the month of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Jewish year. It is both a joyous and solemn, introspective holiday. We celebrate the completion of the year while looking to the past and remembering our deeds in the year past. We eat round challah, a traditional Jewish bread, during Rosh Hashana to represent the eternal cycle of life. We also dip apples in honey to symbolize our hopes for a sweet new year!
Rosh Hashana started Wednesday night, and I started off the holiday by going to a lovely Rosh Hashana dinner at Dartmouth's Hillel. I met old and new friends!
I saw a bunch of my friends from the Women's Ultimate Frisbee Team and we all took a photo together!!
Thursday morning, I went to services at Rollins Chapel (which is basically a 30-second walk from my dorm!). Services started at 9 am and lasted to around 12 pm; it was jointly run by Hillel at Dartmouth and the Upper Valley Jewish Community (UVJC), whom we often celebrate holidays and shabbat with.
The left photo shows Rollins Chapel. The right photo shows how close Rollins is to my dorm (Wheeler)!
Then, I went toChabadfor a home-cooked lunch where I ate tasty food, talked to Chabad Rabbi Moshe Gray, and again met my fellow 28s.
I then went to Occom Pond for Taschlich with Hillel and UVJC. The service was mostly run In English and was very inclusive. There were Dartmouth students and families from the upper valley. The natural beauty was my favorite part of this service! I experienced the simultaneous stillness and movement of the wind and the cyclical ebb and flow of the pond. It fostered a sense of introspection and turning inwards.
What beautiful views!
Then I ended off my Thursday by hearing the shofar on the main green at 5 pm through a joint activity with Chabad and Hillel. I talked to President Beilock, heard Rabbi Moshe Gray blow the shofar, and helped read a prayer for the hostages. I met even more 28s, both Jewish and non-Jewish, at this event!
On Friday, I made a dish of apples and honey at our dining hall, FoCo!
While I can't say that there aren't any political tensions both within the Jewish community and the larger Dartmouth community, I am so glad I could peacefully celebrate Rosh Hashana. I loved meeting new people and starting the new year off in such a joyous way!
Walking through Dartmouth's vibrant fall foliage and reflecting on my Sophomore Fall experiences underscored the importance of community and embracing opportunities.
On busy autumn weekdays, when mornings are filled with classes and half-finished coffee cups, my friend's car and some empty stomachs lead us to quick off-campus brunch trips to The Skinny Pancake in Quechee, Vermont!
It's hard to believe that it has been a year since I wrote my first end-of-fall-term reflection. It felt like only yesterday that I stepped into my dorm room this September, eager to reunite with my friends.
