New Chabad Center at Sarah Lawrence College

Wisdom with understanding,” the motto of Sarah Lawrence College, fits perfectly with the ideals of Chabad, which is opening a center at the Bronxville campus in time for the 2012 fall semester.

Rabbi Sruli and Mushka Deitsch will begin their activities as full Chabad representatives, where they will introduce a variety of Jewish educational and social programs for the Jewish student body of this liberal arts college.

Rated the “College with the Best Discussions” by The Princeton Review, SLC’s academic structure combines small seminar classes with individual, biweekly student-faculty conferences, giving SLC’s 1,670 students the opportunity to develop very close relationships with their professors.

“We want to recreate the successful round table experience the students enjoy in college, in our programming. Our goal is to foster a close relationship with the students, and engage them in interactive discussions on Jewish themes.” But in its 2011 assessment of the Best 373 Colleges, The Princeton Review also rated SLC the nation’s least religious campus, creating an interesting challenge that Rabbi and Mrs. Deitsch see as an opportunity.

“From our interactions with students thus far we saw that these students like to understand the details of Judaism through personal discovery. After experiencing Judaism in its practical form they begin to seek a deeper meaning and understanding of their faith.”

The Deitschs, who were recruited by Rabbi Velvl Butman, Executive Director of Chabad Lubavitch of Westchester County, have visited the campus several times. “Some students responded enthusiastically, and others laughed at us. They told us ‘You are never going to get a minyan, everyone here is way too liberal!’”

Nearly one third of the college population is Jewish. A good majority of students at this once women’s only college hail from major Jewish cities, like New York, New Jersey, or Los Angeles. Among the college’s notable alumni are Jewish names like Barbara Walters, Rahm Emanuel, J. J. Abrams, and Kyra Sedgewick.

Despite the large number of Jews who have passed through its doors, the college has never had a permanent Jewish center.

Westchester County’s campuses have been served by Hillel and other Jewish organizations, “yet students are happy to know that we are offering them the option of the unique Chabad spirit of Jewish celebration.” Rabbi Deitsch said.

“We hope to inspire a culture shift so that along with creative writing, the arts and the philosophical discussions of Sarah Lawrence, students will recognize the relevance of Judaism in their lives.”