10th annual Mega Shabbat fosters Jewish unity

By the light of many candles and with the sound of prayer, Chabad at UCF celebrated the 10th annual Mega Shabbat in the Pegasus Ballroom early last month. 

An amplified spin on a Shabbat dinner, about 500 people gathered together to eat traditional Jewish food and attend a candle-lighting ceremony as Shabbat began at sundown on Friday, said Rivkie Lipskier, program director of Chabad at UCF.

"I think it really makes students feel so proud," Lipskier said. "They walk into their campus, and they're able to celebrate something that's so special in such a public way."

Shabbat, or the Sabbath, is the Jewish day of rest that begins at sundown on Friday and ends Saturday after nightfall, according to the Jewish Virtual Library. Originating in the Torah, Genesis 2:1-3 states that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day, which is now celebrated as Shabbat. 

Before the dinner took place, attendees gathered outside of the ballroom to eat matzo ball soup and were then ushered inside to participate in the candle-lighting ceremony.

Lipskier and her husband, Rabbi Chaim Lipskier, said they took inspiration from other universities with Chabad student programs to bring the event to UCF a decade ago. In addition to Chabad at UCF, the event was co-sponsored by Student Government and several Jewish organizations, Rivkie Lipskier said.

"We have over 50 students working on making this program a success," Chaim Lipskier said in an email. "Mega Shabbat is here to create a greater sense of Jewish community."

These students hosted tabling events to spread the word about Mega Shabbat and invite the community to attend, said Noam Stall, Chabad president and senior accounting major. 

"It really shows that we're going to be who we are no matter what, and no matter if you agree with us or not," Stall said. "All people are welcome at this event. It's not just Jews."

Jews and non-Jews alike were encouraged by the rabbi to participate in the hand washing ritual before eating the first portion of challah bread by pouring water over each hand three times. They were also encouraged to sing along to the blessings and prayers throughout the evening.

The menu of the first course included Moroccan gefilte fish, matbucha and Shabbos pasta. The main course included mushroom chicken, roasted potatoes and vegetables.

Chabad kept the same security measures they had implemented in previous years by having the UCF Police Department present during Mega Shabbat to ensure safety.

Three to four police officers were present, both inside the Pegasus Ballroom and patrolling the rest of the building throughout the event. This includes UCF Police Chief Carl Metzger who participated in the festivities with his wife. 

The security in place helped to ease the concerns of students in attendance and allowed for Jewish students to proudly celebrate their faith in the midst of global and local antisemitism, said Shabbat Chair Chana Stall, junior food and beverage management major. 

"I feel comfortable that [the police] are properly trained and they know what to look out for," Stall said. "When something's so public, it's a little scary even though it shouldn't be."

Jenna Rembaum, freshman emerging media and animation major, said she attended the event for the first time despite feeling afraid of antisemitism. 

"I try my best to be proud of who I am. I think specifically because of people like neo-Nazis," Rembaum said. "No one's going to stand up for me if I don't stand up for myself."

As such a large gathering to celebrate Judaism, Mega Shabbat serves as a way for Jewish students to be proud of their faith and feel as if they are at home, said Avremi Rapoport, nephew of Chaim and Rivkie Lipskier. 

"Unfortunately, I think there's a lot of hate in the world," Rapoport said. "The most important and probably the most successful way of combating that is the opposite: positivity."

Originally published by Nicholson Student Media at UCF.