High Turnout at UK High Holidays

Many traditional Jewish students head home for Rosh Hashanah to spend this special holiday tucked away with family leaving the forgotten few wondering where to go and what to do for the High Holidays on campus.

“I had no idea where I could go for Rosh Hashanah,” said Adam Applebaum from Edge Hill University, a short 30 min train ride from Chabad on Campus serving Liverpool’s universities, directed by Rabbi Shmuli and Tzivia Brown. Then Adam contacted the Rabbi. “Everything went far better than I could possibly have imagined. I went into the new year knowing that a wonderful Chabad campus rabbi and community is within reach who will be there to solve any issues, however short notice or difficult they may be.”

Other Chabad Houses across the country saw record attendance with 100 at Cambridge Chabad’s Rosh Hashanah morning service, a total of 120 attending Nottingham’s meals, 70 at Bristol’s Chabad, 75 at Shoreditch and 150 who celebrated with Oxford Chabad over the course of the festival.

Chabad at Edinburgh University had to rent external space at a local hotel in order to host the services and dinner for 60 on the first night.

History was made at Imperial College with the first ever High Holiday services held on campus at the Union Dining Hall with over 65 in attendance on the 1st night.

“The soaring number of Jewish students attending Rosh Hashana at Chabad is a great success for the beginning of the school year, as well as the huge number of sign ups at Chabad Society stalls at Fresher’s Fairs across the country,” says Rabbi Eli Brackman, chairman of Chabad on Campus UK, with fourteen branches on campuses across the UK.

“Jewish students appreciate the open and welcoming atmosphere of Chabad Houses on campus providing a vibrant and warm Jewish home away from home for all Jewish students while at university. We look forward to a successful year ahead.”

On another front; students from Oxford, Leeds, Imperial College and more volunteered to join the Rabbis in visiting hospital patients and others who did not have the opportunity to celebrate.

“Thank you,” wrote Marika Henriques, a holocaust survivor living close to Imperial College “I actually cried at the sound of the Shofar in my living room.” An 87 year old at Leeds General Infirmary commented, “your visit and the blowing of the Shofar made it feel like it’s Yom Tov even here.”

All in all a total of over 1200 celebrated with Chabad on Campus UK across the country.

For more information on Chabad on Campus UK please visit www.ChabadonCampus.org.uk