The Lubavitch-Chabad Jewish Student and Community Center will open its doors to all students celebrating the Jewish New Year.
Rosh Hashanah started Wednesday evening and will continue until Friday night.
The center, located at 2021 NW Fifth Ave., will have services in Hebrew and meals for the holiday.
Rabbi Berl Goldman, the center’s director, invites everyone to join him for these events.
Goldman said he expects more than 500 students to attend the services.
The events are free and students of all backgrounds can attend.
“We’re wishing the entire world a new year,” Goldman said. “The entire world needs a blessing.”
Some UF professors are canceling class or making other arrangements because of the religious holiday.
Associate professor Steven Brandt in UF’s Department of Anthropology said he has made accommodations for a student celebrating.
“I have an exam coming up, but I excused one student because of the holiday,” Brandt said.
Florencia Bonarto, 20, and her roommates said they had some of their classes canceled.
Bonarto said even though she is not affiliated with any religion, she plans on attending the Jewish Center one night.
“I think it’s nice that they’re willing to open their arms to people,” the digital arts and sciences junior said.
This New Year event is followed by 10 days of repentence and Yom Kippur, which begins at sundown Oct. 3.
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 9/25/2014]
UF Hillel’s new rabbi, Adam Grossman, talks with Laura Salas, a 22-year-old UF mechanical engineering senior, before Rosh Hashanah services.
