University of Maryland students responded to the call for setting a new record for the most drediels to be spun at once, with university president Dan Mote participating in the event. The dreidel is a top and a traditional toy for Chanukah. Its four sides contain the initials for the Hebrew words "A Great Miracle Happened Here." Outside of Israel, the last word is replaced with "there," referring to the Jewish rebellion against Greek rulers in Israel and the discovery of holy olive oil to light the menorah in the Holy Temple.

Mote said, "I've never spun a dreidel before. I should be able to figure it out since I am a mechanics major. Whether I have the skill or not is another question."

The world record may be short-lived. The University of Michigan plans a spin-off Friday nights hoping to have a dizzying 1,000 dreidels spinning around all at once.