NATCHEZ — The Jewish New Year begins at sundown on Sunday.

“Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the New Year and that is an important holiday because it is the beginning of the New Year,” said Elise Rushing, who is a member of the Temple B’nai Israel in Natchez. “It is a happy time. Ten days later is Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is a very somber holiday. It is also called the Day of Atonement.”

Temple B’nai Israel will hold services to mark the occasions.

“Anybody is welcome to attend,” Rushing said. “Those services are open to the public. Rosh Hashanah services are Sunday night Sept. 29. They start at sundown … at 7:30 p.m. and Monday morning they start at 10 o’clock and they last a couple of hours. The holiday ends at sundown on the Sept. 30, which is Monday.”

Rushing said most non-Jewish people enjoy the Rosh Hashanah services over others, such as Yom Kippur.

“Most outsiders come to the Jewish New Year, which is Rosh Hashanah,” Rushing said. “It’s a happy service. It is after services on Sunday night, and there is an Oneg Shabbot, which is a social event.”

Yom Kippur will begin at sundown on Oct. 8, Rushing said.

“Catholics go to confession whenever they have committed a sin and they ask for forgiveness,” Rushing said. “Jews do it once a year. The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). … Yom Kippur, which is a very serious holiday, also is one where there is fasting. Not everyone fasts. It depends upon your choice and probably your age, too. The Day of Atonement is when the shofar, which is a ram’s horn, is blown. It is just traditionally blown one time during the year and the Day of Atonement, when the sun goes down at the end of the Day of Atonement.”

Temple B’nai Israel, Rushing said, will celebrate Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8 and at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Oct. 9.

“The public is invited,” Rushing said.