JSU Welcome Week offers new martial arts class

UF’s Jewish Student Union is continuing its Welcome Week with a new Israeli martial-arts class.

JSU’s annual Welcome Week started Tuesday and will continue through Friday, said 20-year-old UF accounting junior Brandon Harris, the organization’s president. To celebrate the start of the semester, the group planned four events, including handing out ice pops on Turlington Plaza, an involvement fair, a Krav Maga class and a Shabbat dinner.

“It’s just something that we do every year at the beginning of school to showcase what we have to offer and show freshman what kind of Jewish involvement opportunities there are,” he said.

The Krav Maga class will be held today at Graham Hall from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Students will learn self-defense moves from Master Valiño, who owns a martial arts school in Gainesville, Harris said.

“I’ve never participated in the class,” he said. “I’m not sure what it’s like, but people who took it in the past told me it’s a lot of fun.”

Michelle Tomlinson, a UF biology freshman, went to the Involvement Fair on Wednesday night to learn about UF’s Jewish community.

“Judaism was a big part of my high school career, so I just want to see where it takes me in college,” the 18-year-old said.