Chabad House Provides Support System for Students

For some students, finding a niche in a religious community can be quite the challenge. To make the search easier for Kansas students, off campus religious organizations make themselves known by instigating a strong presence at the University.

Stressing the importance of college students finding a home away from home, the Chabad Center for Jewish Life hopes to be exactly that for the University’s Jewish community.

“From emotional support to physical and spiritual needs, we are a religious organization in the sense that we provide resources for anything Jewish. We want to ensure that every student knows that there’s a place they can go anytime, for anything,” Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel said.

Even though Chabad is physically located on 19th Street, its presence on campus is strong. With weekly events and a table outside Wescoe, along with major holiday celebrations and keeping students informed with Facebook and Twitter, the Chabad Center for Jewish Life gets the attention of the University’s students.

“We do table on campus to make sure people know we are there, but once you come to the table we aren’t just handing you a flier; we are talking to you and learning who you are,” Shelley Widom, Vice President of Communications for Chabad said.

Starting six years ago with an average of only five students meeting every Friday night, now Chabad averages 40 to 60. It’s larger events usually attract hundreds of students and Tiechtel estimates that the Center reaches over a thousand students per semester.

The Chabad Center for Jewish Life understands that college students face unwanted trials? on a daily bases. With this in mind, its goal is to provide a safe haven for students to go, knowing that there is no judgement or expectations.

“I think that students are taking classes they don’t like and feel it’s a drag,” Widom said. “They know they have to go, but don’t want to. In an organization, you choose which one you want to be part of and make the choice to be there. People can really put their heart into what they’re doing when they choose to be part of a religious organization.”