Chabad’s Towson Debut

TOWSON, MD — Last July, Rabbi Mendy and Sheiny Rivkin took posts as the new Chabad shluchim, or emissaries, at Towson University. Their goal, they say, is to give students “whatever Judaism we can.”

The couple say they always knew they would become shluchim. But Rabbi Rivkin, who was raised in New York, said it was important for him to do it in a place “where it counts,” where he had to start from scratch, building a framework for constituents. He said this is the case with Towson, which only in recent years has experienced an increase in Jewish non-commuter students.

New Berlin Yeshiva a Sign of the Times as Jewish Community Expands

BERLIN, Germany — As Jewish communities the world over took note of the 70th anniversary of the Nazi-coordinated pogroms known as Kristallnacht, a common thread throughout the commemorations was the special pride Holocaust survivors take in the signs of flourishing Jewish life throughout Germany.

The Shluchim Office’s Online School’s Reunion!

BROOKLYN, NY [CHI] — Hand in hand with the concurrent Kinus HaShluchim and Kinus Tzeirei Hashluchim, dozens of young Shluchim who attend The Shluchim Office’s Online School converged on Chovevei Torah’s social hall on Thursday for a grand luncheon and class reunion, with many meeting their virtual classmates and teachers in person for the first time in real life.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

Kosher Dinner to Spread Awareness on Campus

The pungent stench of putrid chicken flesh floated heavily in the stagnant air as Jewish CSU students Max Brodsky and Joaquin Matek stared downward at the yellowed, slimy chicken, with looks of frustration intermingled with twinges of nausea rippling across their faces.

Around the corner Rabbi Yerachmiel Gorelik paced wildly, his dark bushy beard moving in tandem with his rapidly moving lips, which addressed the disembodied voices that squeaked from his cell phone speaker.

“There’s always something that goes wrong,” Gorelik said, still sounding optimistic.

On Campus, A Females-Only Shabbat With Chabad

CHICAGO, IL — riday, November 21st is Michelle Bentsman’s 19th birthday. It will be her first birthday as a student at the University of Chicago. And she has chosen to spend it with Chabad.

“I really want to be part of this event,” says Bentsman, “and I don’t want anything—including my birthday—to get in the way.”