Jewish students from Drake University, Grinnell College, Iowa State and the University of Iowa will gather for the All-Iowan Jewish collegiate Shabbat Dinner tonight in Iowa City.

“This event will be a great chance for social interaction, a great learning opportunity and it will help students connect with their culture,” said Rabbi Ben Wolf of Des Moines.

The event is meant to unite the different Jewish organizations on the campuses to recognize Shabbat, a Jewish religious observance, Wolf said.

The Shabbat Dinner Spectacular will start at 4:15 p.m. in the University of Iowa Hillel building. Students are encouraged to come even if they will be a little late, he said.

Five ISU students plan to go to Iowa City on Friday night to attend the services, said ISU Hillel President Samantha Kitover.

“Shabbat is something that happens every Friday at sundown and ends every Saturday at sundown,” said Kitover, junior in management.

The evening will begin with Sabbath services followed by dinner and an optional brief discussion led by Rabbi Daniel Sentell, Wolf said. The discussion is named, “From Hassidim to Hillbillies: What’s a nice Jewish boy like you doing in a cornbelt like this?”

Each of the campuses participating has something similar to this every week. For example, a Dinner and Discussion session is held at 7 p.m. Tuesdays in the Memorial Union Food Court.

But this event will bring students from across the state together, Kitover said.

“The experience of sharing Shabbat together will put them closer both mentally and physically,” she said.

Last year there was an All-Iowan Shabbat at Grinnell College where students sang songs and shared what they were thankful for that week, Kitover said.

Wolf said they might have another All-Iowan Shabbat at the beginning of next semester.

Jen Diaz, sophomore in economics, said she is going tonight because it was a lot of fun last year, when the celebration was at Grinnell College.