18 / BACK TO SCHOOL / MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
RELIGION
Ibrahim Alanqar, Gaza Strip senior, prepares to break his fast on a Thursday evening at the Lawrence Islamic Center last year as part of the Islamic traditions associated with Ramadan. Alanqar was the treasurer of the Muslim Students Association of KU.
Practicing faith in a new place
BY RICHELLE BUSER
rbuser@kansan.com
A new environment can present challenges for students who want to express their faith, but the University and areas around Lawrence offer multiple options for religious worship and community events.
JUDAISM:
- The Lawrence Jewish Community Center, 917 Highland Dr., serves as a synagogue for residents and provides weekly Friday night Shabbat and celebrations for holidays. Friday night Shabbats begin at 7:45 p.m. and are followed by socializing and refreshments. Once a month, services are offered early and are always in both English
and Hebrew. Services alternate between Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist prayer books.
- KU Chabad offers Friday night Shabbat dinners, Torah discussions over pizza, Mezuzols for dorm rooms, Kosher cooking and take-out options. A Rabbi will visit students when and wherever they want. KU Chabad also offers Birthright trips to Israel, 10 of which are free for qualified Jewish students. More information is available at www.jewishku.com
- KU Hillel, 722 New Hampshire St., offers break-the-fast parties for Yom Kippur, a place for Passover seders, community service and Israeli cultural programs. KU Hillel sends a weekly newsletter to members to update them on upcoming events
and activities. More information is available at www.kuhillel.org
HINDUISM:
- The Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Kansas City is a short drive away at 6330 Lackman Rd. in Shawnee. The temple participates in a monthly soup kitchen for charity, lunches on Sundays, yoga and an annual Anand Mela, which provides members with music, games, Indian culture and food.
- On campus, Hindu students can join the Cultural India Club or the Southeast Asian Student Association, both of which partake in many cultural aspects of Hinduism. Niyanta Gopal, a graduate student from St. Louis, said both clubs could be beneficial, depending on a student's
background.
"Cultural India Club is great for students coming straight from India," Gopal said, "and the Southeast Asian Student Association caters to students from all over Southeast Asia."
BUDDHISM:
- Kansas Zen Center, 1423 New York St., offers Buddhist retreats and workshops, Zen classes and information about chanting and Kongans. More information is available at www.kansaszencenter.org.
ISLAM:
- The Islam Center of Lawrence, 1917 Naismith Dr., has a convenient location near Naismith and Oliver halls. The center provides a place for the Islamic community to worship,
including a location for the daily five prayers required of Muslims. Vugar Azizov, a recent graduate from Azerbaijan, said Muslim students should take the time to get involved, especially because it's not a large time commitment." Check it out. It's on Fridays for about 15 minutes and is a traditional Muslim experience."
- The Muslim Student Association provides information and activities for Muslim students. On its website, the MSA has guidelines for Muslim students new to KU, particularly international students. The MSA also hosts informative lectures for non-Muslims about Islam, a weekly Halaqah, and fast-a-thons and group charity work. Information about upcoming events is available on the MSA website at www.msaku.com