Rohr JLI’s Jewish Essentials Bears Fruit

Madison, WI — The fruit of a teacher’s labor is often not revealed until years after his interaction with his students. Students take classes, hopefully learn the basics of life, venture into the world and then return to the classroom years later sporting a suit and tie and an apple for the mentor that guided their way.

But for Rabbi Mendel Matusof of the U. of Wisconsin at Madison Chabad House, things are happening a bit quicker these days.

As one of 21 educators who taught and are currently teaching the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute’s Jewish Essentials course to more than 200 students nationwide, Matusof has already witnessed his words being put to good use. Learning such basics as kashrut law and keeping the Shabbos, Matusof’s students gained a better understanding of Judaism.

And some got a whole lot more.

“The kosher class resonated with the students the most,” said Matusof. “They were all familiar with kosher principles, but no one really knew what it was. By the end of the course, one student was already halfway there to becoming kosher, not mixing meat and milk.”

While Matusof’s class of seven students may seem small, consider the university’s well-known raucous ways and the challenge of offering a class for no credit in the middle of the week. Still, Matusof composed a class of passionate students through word-of-mouth communication.

“It was mostly personal,” said Matusof. “I told them, ‘Here’s this incredible new opportunity; a great, professional class that’s an opportunity to learn here in Madison that we’ve never had.’”

“I targeted students whose knowledge of Judaism was on a basic level as I felt that they had the most to gain from the course.”

A Partnership For Jewish Learning

Keeping the presentations bare-boned was one of the goals of Rabbi Yitzchok Dubov, the Chabad on Campus official who, together with the Rohr JLI, spearheaded the program. He stressed that the Jewish Essentials program is solely designed to teach the fundamentals of Jewish practice. “If a student is looking for an opportunity to find out about their religious heritage in 8 weeks — then they are a perfect candidate for the Jewish Essentials course,” said Dubov.

“It really gave me a foundation in a really wide section of the knowledge, religion, practices of Judaism,” said Wisconsin freshman Chad Nashban, one of Rabbi Matusof’s seven students. “If people want formal education, it’s up to them. But when they can see the experiences that I got from it, see what I learned, it might influence them to seek it.”

In fact, studies have shown that students who take courses in Jewish studies report a stronger connection to the Jewish people and Jewish values than students who do not take Jewish studies courses.

Rabbi Yossy Gordon, executive director of the Chabad on Campus National Foundation utilized the Rohr JLI, sent out some feelers to rabbis across the country and assembled what would become the core group for the pilot program. The Jewish Essentials program addresses what Gordon called a “need for cutting-edge, adult education on college campuses.”

“There’s a necessity for it because people today often say they’re spiritual not religious,” said Nashban. “But what they mean is that they don’t really understand religion. Classes like this help people understand the ritual aspects of Judaism are the most spiritual things you can do. Especially the way Chabad presents it. It’s presented in a way that’s very spiritual, that connects to the soul.”

As the communication between the Rohr JLI and the on-campus rabbis continues through a comprehensive feedback program, Gordon hopes the process will become refined. He expects the program to spread and to improve, though he’s certainly not willing to sacrifice depth for breadth. And Rabbi Efraim Mintz, Rohr JLI director, could not agree more.

“We’re never satisfied,” said Mintz. “We’re always looking to grow quantitatively and qualitatively. When we introduce our next course, we expect a great number. Currently, we have a nice number of campuses that have expressed interest in the program and we are pleased to continue our partnership with Chabad on Campus.”