KU Hillel celebrated the beginning of the year 5783 during its Rosh Hashanah services and dinner, Kol Nidre pre-fast dinner and services, and other High Holiday programming and events.
“At KU Hillel, it is critical that we provide space for all of our students to explore what their Jewish identity will become during college,” said Suzy Sostrin, executive director of KU Hillel. “Our students represent a wide swath of Jewish practice, and we meet them where they are at through innovative, creative Jewish experiences that speak to different types of Jayhawks.”
Services were led by student songleaders Jake Niefeld and Kate Jacobs, both seniors at KU.
“High Holidays always have a special place in my heart,” Jake Niefeld said. “The tunes and chords, that’s what made me fall in love with music when I was younger.”
“Some students prefer to pray on their own, and that is completely okay,” Niefeld continued, “while others loudly join in from their seats.”
“The holidays allow me to have the opportunity to come together with my closest friends and celebrate the holiest days of the year,” Kate Jacobs said. “With our holiday programs and events, we are able to bring everyone together for an inspiring experience with services and dinner.”
Following services, Rosh Hashanah dinner brought students together for conversation and a holiday meal. KU Hillel created an apple-and-honey bar, where everyone could customize an apple with sweet treats and eat their own creation. This was to give students the opportunity to mingle and make new friends while being creative.
During the Days of Awe, programming continued leading up to Yom Kippur. For tashlich, KU Hillel held Splash Into the New Year, where students used biodegradable and dissolvable papers to reflect on last year’s choices. After tashlich, students jumped into the pool at HERE apartments, symbolically entering the new year.
“After taking some time to reflect by the pool, I’m feeling refreshed and ready to start the new year,” sophomore Hannah Smuckler said. “I’m taking the time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to think about the past year and work on setting intentions for the upcoming year of 5783.”
Yom Kippur with KU Hillel began Tuesday evening with Kol Nidre dinner and services. Instead of services first, the pre-fast dinner was held at the beginning. The dinner included a kosher, chicken-based meal to prepare students for the upcoming fast.
After the meal, services were led again by student songleaders Jake Niefeld and Kate Jacobs. KU alumnus Noah Kahn joined to lead the Kol Nidre prayer.
“Kol Nidre is arguably the most important service to me,” Niefeld said. “Growing up, I put a lot of meaning into Yom Kippur, and Kol Nidre helped solidify that for me.”
After Yom Kippur, KU Hillel held a break-the-fast dinner with breakfast food. Whether students chose to fast for Yom Kippur or not, all were welcomed to break-the-fast. The dinner was open house style, so students who fasted for different lengths of time could join when they were ready to break.
“I always look forward to breaking my fast among my Hillel friends,” Demi Fine, junior, said. “I’m grateful KU Hillel creates ways for me to celebrate my Judaism while at school.”
KU Hillel staff look forward to building its Sukkah outside Hillel, having a week full of programming and celebrating its campus holiday traditions.