Shabbat UK: Campus contribution builds local bridges

Students across the country got involved with Shabbat UK by hosting special Friday night dinners and Shabbat morning events.

The biggest was the Friday night dinner run by UJS at the JW3 cultural centre in north London, which drew a crowd of 150. "It was amazing," said UJS's Helena Baker. "It was cross-communal, in keeping with UJS's core values, and there was an egalitarian minyan, as well as an Orthodox service before the meal." Many Jewish societies used Shabbat UK to bring students and local communities together. Saul Gaunt, co-president of Brighton and Sussex J-Soc, which welcomed 35 people to its event, "enjoyed having all involved with Jewish life in Brighton and Sussex in one room. And chaplaincy, Chabad and J-Soc working together."

A "special dessert buffet" was an attraction of the Birmingham J-Soc dinner. J-Soc president Simon Goldich also attributed the 100 attendance to the "Shabbat UK buzz".