Kansas University students away from their families will still have a place to celebrate the holiest day on the Jewish calendar this year.

The Chabad Center for Jewish Life at KU will host a day of fasting, prayer and reflection at its Yom Kippur celebration that begins Friday night in Lawrence. The day of atonement lasts until nightfall on Saturday.

“Everyone is welcome,” said Chabad Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel. “All people, regardless of their faith, can look at it as a fresh start, a new beginning.”

The free event begins at 7 p.m. Friday, with evening services and a holiday opening. Saturday’s schedule includes morning services at 10 a.m., a remembrance of the departed at noon, and a closing service and buffet breakfast at 6 p.m. All services will be held on the second floor of the Burge Union on the KU campus and will include song, commentary and English-Hebrew prayer books so anyone can follow along. To reserve a space, visit www.JewishKU.com, call (785) 832-TORA (8672), or email office@jewishku.com.

In addition, the Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation, 917 Highland Drive, will be hosting Kol Nidre services at 7:30 p.m. Friday and, on Saturday, Yom Kippur services at 9:30 a.m., a memorial service at 11:30 a.m., and afternoon services and Neilah at 5:30 p.m. The services will be led by Rabbi Moti Rieber and cantorial soloist Rachel Black. All are welcome.

Also, KU Hillel, 727 New Hampshire St., will be having Kol Nidre services at 7 p.m. Friday.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, began Wednesday of last week. “In the Jewish tradition the way we celebrate the new year, instead of partying first and then deciding what’s going to be, we have 10 days of reflection, of community, of prayer,” Tiechtel said. “Then we have a party.”