On the first day of Hanukkah Tuesday, a few hundred students squeezed into Steinhardt Hall to sing songs, munch on doughnuts and watch President Amy Gutmann light the first menorah candle.
While Hanukkah celebrations abound on campus, many Jewish students are adjusting to spending the holiday away from their friends, families and synagogues. For some, this is the first year they are away from home.
Such is the case for College freshman Elizabeth Jefferson. Eager to celebrate Hanukkah as she has every year at home, she attended the lighting ceremony on Tuesday.
"Having the lobby packed and watching everybody embrace their Jewish heritage, I felt lucky to be Jewish at Penn," Jefferson said.
For Hillel Program Director Bethany Friedlander, Jefferson's response is what she hopes all students will feel.
"Jewish life on campus works to create a home away from home," Friedlander said.
This year Hillel has organized events ranging from food- and cookie-decorating study breaks to a party today at Paradigm, a restaurant and bar in the Old City.
College freshman Molly Brown, who is also away from home for the first time, took the initiative to recreate the warmth of home by throwing a Hanukkah soiree in her room in Fisher-Hassenfeld College House yesterday evening.
Hanukkah party gifts with a "Take one" sign above them sat outside the entrance to the room. Inside, Brown served potato latkes and plenty of gelt -- or chocolate coins -- as friends gathered around to sing and light the menorah.
"Hanukkah on campus has really made me feel at home," said Wharton freshman Isaac Dayan, who was in attendance at Brown's celebration. "My friends here have become my family."
But real home is never too far away. Many students' rabbis have been sending out greetings via e-mail, and students' home synagogues have been delivering holiday care packages as well.
College junior Abigail Poses received a package that contained a menorah, candles, a dreidel and lots of gelt.
While many are recreating family traditions on campus, others are redefining how they celebrate the holiday.
"Growing up, my family celebrated Hanukkah by lighting our candles every night of the holiday," College sophomore Ezra Billinkoff said. "But as my siblings and I grew older, it became harder to celebrate the holiday with such consistency, and the tradition faded."
This holiday season, however, Billinkoff has embraced the Hanukkah spirit by becoming the spinning, human-sized dreidel that sings comedian Adam Sandler's Hanukkah Song on Locust Walk.
In addition, some students took it upon themselves to spread the message of Hanukkah by handing out free latkes on Locust Walk yesterday.
From college house Jewish Life Liaisons to lighting ceremonies to posters and flyers advertising events, the Jewish community at Penn has made its presence known this holiday season.
