Crown Heights Opens Doors to International Students

CROWN HEIGHTS — Hundreds of Jewish college students representing campuses around the world are making their way to New York City for the Chabad on Campus International Student Shabbaton, an annual weekend known both for its inspirational and educational content, and its ability to foster student connections transcending national borders.

Taking place in the primarily Chabad-Lubavitch neighborhood of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, from Nov. 6 to 8, this year’s conference, say organizers, promises to cater to ever more students over years past with the addition of an “Advanced Track,” an accelerated in-depth textual study program for those interested in furthering their knowledge of classical works of Jewish thought.

“I’m hoping to learn new things and strengthen my connection to Judaism,” reveals Rebecca Soltoff, a senior from Temple University in Philadelphia who is returning for the Shabbaton this year. “It will be a bit of a reunion. I had an amazing experience last year.”

Slated to commence Friday afternoon with a networking session followed by a Shabbat candle-lighting ceremony, the program includes workshops addressing such topics as the interplay between Jewish and secular law, Israel and Middle East politics, and dealing with the presence of missionaries on campus.

But what sets the agenda apart from previous Shabbatons is the advanced text-based component, which is geared for college students interested in a taste of yeshiva-style study. Almost 10 percent of the conference’s attendees have elected to participate in the program.

“More students signed up for this option than we expected,” says Rabbi Yossy Gordon, executive vice president of Chabad on Campus. “Through it all, this Shabbaton promises to be not only the largest, but the most energizing student weekend yet.”

Article continued at Chabad.org – A Stocked Fridge