More than 500 University of Maryland students will spin dreidels today in the hopes of recapturing their Guinness World Record title.
They will gather to put their four-sided tops to the test during a “spin-off” to celebrate the first full day of Hanukkah.
UMD students first captured the title in 2000 with 535 simultaneous spinners, but Temple Emmanuel, a New Jersey synagogue, stole the distinction in 2005 with 541 spinners.
“This is our record. We need to defend our title,” said Rachel Farber, a UMD senior who also spun in the 2000 contest.
Two other schools are vying for the title this year. Indiana University tried Sunday but poor weather drew fewer than 500 participants. University of Michigan will compete Thursday.
Rabbi Ari Israel, executive director of University of Maryland Hillel, The Ben and Esther Rosenbloom Center for Jewish Life on Campus, said he wants the event to foster a sense of pride among students about their Jewish identity.
With 6,500 Jews, or 19 percent of the student population, UMD boasts one of the largest concentrations of Jewish students at a public university in the nation.
IF YOU GO
WHAT » Dreidel spin-off
WHEN » 7 p.m. tonight
WHERE » Ritchie Coliseum, University of Maryland, Route 1
