The Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., president of DePaul, reflected on the symbolic importance of the blowing of the shofar while addressing a congregation assembled for Rosh Hashanah services held at DePaul’s Student Center on Sept. 9.

The ceremony, conducted by Rabbi Paul Saiger and sponsored by DePaul’s Hillel Center, was attended by nearly 400 congregants – both from the DePaul community and surrounding neighborhood, which does not have a synagogue.  Nick Liebman, director of DePaul’s Hillel program, served as the cantor for the services, which marked the start of the 5771st year on the Jewish calendar. 

DePaul’s Hillel Center found a permanent home on the third floor of DePaul’s Student Center in 2006. Rabbi Saiger noted that the two most vibrant Hillel Centers in the Chicago area were ironically at DePaul and another Catholic university, Loyola.  “We appreciate this on many, many levels,” he said.