Seventy medical students from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School partied on the third night of Hanukka courtesy of the Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County.

The celebration on the Piscataway campus of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey was organized by David Schick, a medical student from Englewood. It was Schick who had the idea to call federation to help fund the gathering.

As students and a handful of faculty and local doctors ate latkes, spun dreidels, and chatted, federation executive director Gerrie Bamira explained to them why the umbrella philanthropy chose to get involved.

"While many of you may not be from this community, our feeling is that this medical school is part of our community," she said.

Further explaining federation's wide range of activities, she said, "We provide hot meals for seniors here and support battered women and terrorism victims in Israel."

Schick and fellow student Aaron Klinger of Westfield lit the menora at the front of the room and laid out the rules of the dreidel game. "This is how you gamble in the Jewish tradition," joked Klinger.

Another student, Abigail Cooper of Highland Park, told the story behind the holiday.

Meir Olcha of Highland Park said he came "to be part of a community" and as a brief escape from the rigors of medical school, and David Kleiman of Edison said he was glad to see "the Jewish community has more support than ever at this school."

When asked why he was at the party, Dr. David Seiden, the medical school's associate dean for student affairs, responded, "It's Hanukka."

However, as he surveyed a room filled with not only Jews, but Asians, African-Americans, and others, he said the party fulfilled a more serious purpose. "I think one of the strengths of this school is its incredibly diverse student body," said Seiden. "What is particularly wonderful about this Hanukka celebration is that it is a situation where they are ethnically sharing. That others are learning the meaning of Hanukka has educational value."

That value was demonstrated at a table where Adam Nabatian of Paramus was teaching several Asian students to play dreidel.

"A lot of my friends are Jewish," said David Cheng of Piscataway. "I'm a member of the Christian Medical Students Association, and I thought it would be really helpful to learn about Hanukka."