Old and new blended when the inaugural Jewish Life Festival kicked off at 3 p.m. Thursday on the HUB-Robeson Center lawn with traditional crafts and modern Jewish music.
The festival was to raise awareness for Chabad, a Jewish organization on campus.
Danny Schwartzman, treasurer of Chabad, said the organization provides resources for Jewish students on campus.
"It is a home away from home," he said.
Rabbi Nosson Meretsky, the director of Chabad at Penn State, said the event was held in order to merge other events that had been held by the organization in the past.
"Every year over the past six or seven years we have done a shofar manufacturing at the Allen Street gates right before Rosh Hashanah, as well as a barbecue at the beginning of the year," he said. "This year we wanted to combine all of the different things together to create one big festival."
Since July, members of Chabad have been planning the festival, which included kosher hotdogs, Jewish music and the opportunity to create several different crafts, Schwartzman (sophomore-supply chain) said.
Julie Frisch (freshman-nursing), decorated yarmulkes at the festival and said she hoped awareness for the Jewish community, by both Jewish and non-Jewish students was raised as a result of the event.
"I would hope that the Jewish students would see that there are active Jewish communities and groups on campus," she said. "And for non-Jewish students, I hope that they learn more about the community."
Meretsky said he hopes the festival will remind students that Rosh Hashanah is fast approaching.
"Many students don't realize that it is about to happen so this reminds them that it is next Monday night," he said. "It reminds the Jewish community of the services offered to them for the holiday including meals and High Holiday services."
Meretsky encourages community members as well as students to take advantage of the services provided by Chabad.
He said even though Chabad is primarily there to serve Penn State students, it tries to provide services to the surrounding Jewish community as well.
He also said he thinks the festival will be even better in years to come.
"Hopefully next year we will have a live band and a Jewish Life Festival banner," he said. "It will be bigger and better next year."
