In Conversation: Mrs. Sarah Rivkin a Chabad representative at Tulane University. Mother of six, Sarah and her husband have created a dynamic experience for the university's Jewish student body.
A Mother on Campus – Student Life Grows With Chabad
In Conversation: Mrs. Sarah Rivkin a Chabad representative at Tulane University. Mother of six, Sarah and her husband have created a dynamic experience for the university’s Jewish student body.
What’s it been like here post Katrina?
Tulane itself has done remarkably well since Katrina. Unlike the city itself, which has not rebounded because of poor leadership, Tulane’s president, Scott Cowen, rebranded in the aftermath of the hurricane. He had a real vision, and he used the opportunity to revamp the school, closing down departments that weren’t so successful, and recruiting a more serious element of students.
How so?
Today, students gaining admission to Tulane are expected to actively participate in the work of rebuilding New Orleans.
What does that mean for you, working with Jewish students?
About 30 percent of Tulane’s student body is Jewish. Though Tulane is definitely a party campus, I am seeing incoming students with more thoughtfulness and somewhat more seriousness. That’s good of course, especially because it means they are more inclined to learning about Judaism and Jewish life. So we’ve been lucky.
You’ve also been lucky with the new Chabad Student Center that was completed last year.
Yes, on the day that Katrina hit, we were scheduled to begin demolition on a property that we had bought. Oddly enough, the hurricane did no damage to the building which we were planning to tear down anyhow. After lots of delays and difficulties building post Katrina, we finally completed it last September, right before Rosh Hashana.
You’ve been here nine years—starting out shortly after your wedding. You’re family has grown along with the Jewish Student Center.
When we began, we had about five students at a Friday night dinner. Now we have about 100. We also have six children of our own.
What’s it like raising children with Chasidic values on a campus like Tulane?
I have to say that I’ve only had a positive experience raising my children here. I’ve heard others say that it might be a problem, having your children around college students, having them exposed to their conversations. But I didn’t find that to be true. The students are very respectful and proper, and interact with my children all the time. I’ve only seen good come out of it.
What are some of the real challenges for you as a mother on campus?
Well, I don’t have much of a private life. We live on the first floor, and the student center is upstairs. But students don’t have a family life so they come over at all times. Which is fine, except that not being parents themselves, and typically not being of large families, I worry that suppertime with six robust children at the table might scare them off.
Your mother raised a large family in the Chabad tradition, as you are. And yet I imagine that your life as a mother is very different from hers.
It is. For me, it’s not just what’s best for me and my family, which in itself is important, but also for whoever walks into the Chabad center, so I’m juggling a lot more and constantly realigning priorities. But I do wish I had more time to do things with them that my mother did with me. Taking them to the park, cooking great meals—the demands on my time mean that I can’t really get to these things.
What’s the most frustrating part of your campus life?
Fundraising. My husband and I would much prefer to spend our time teaching students and working with them.
Also, the pervasiveness of secular culture here. Students come to Chabad on a Friday night, and enjoy a meaningful Shabbat dinner. But then they hit the bars and there’s a real disconnect between the experiences.
What kind of change are you working to achieve at Tulane?
Tulane is 30% Jewish—it’s called Jewlane for that reason—and that makes it an attractive choice for Jewish students. And yet, there’s really no Jewish spirit here. The culture is very New Orleans, and Jewish students are not really comfortable about asserting their Jewish identity on campus.
I hope we’re making some change there.
We’re also working to change an unfortunate assumption among new Jewish students, which is that Chabad is for the orthodox students on campus. We’re here for all Jewish students. We’re not judgmental and our focus is really on our common heritage. It’s a matter of changing misconceptions, one persona at a time. Our hope is that they, in turn, will pass word of their own positive experiences on to others.
Esther
wow-awesome to have SARA interviewed!Tulane is very lucky as the rest of us are in N.O. to have her because she is brilliant, very dynamic in a modest, beautiful way and gorgeous(if this is ok to say)! It’s wonderful to see this article.
Shluchah
Dear Shlucha
you are a beacon of light, but please remember that despite the fact that you live amongst irreligious people You need to be especially careful about how you represent the rest of us Jews, the Rebbe and Hashem.
WEARING RED – despite you thinking that it’s mauve or maroon or whatever – is NOT ACCEPTABLE according to Halochoh.
Red
what? what halacha says you cannot wear red????someone help us out here. Since when?
remembering
First of all i was there and do not recall any red dress and i do not know why this photo looks like it.
i have gone to so many sites and this “halacha” has not been actually confirmed as there are so many opinions.And quotes from here and there/many opinions.
In any case, Sara happens to be a very modest, tznius person and that comment was totally unnecessary.She is so understated!
ann
Oh common – what’s inside is what counts.
Your comment is unacceptable – and shows that you are looking where you shouldn’t
TULY THE TULANER
TULANE YEAH!!!!! WERE ON THE MAP!!!
melamud zchus
In hilchas uvdey kochuvim umazolos it says that Jewish women do not wear red period. its a halacha but most women who wear red can be very frum they just don’t know (as we see people wrote that there are many options there are no opinions its forbidden but people don’t know). If some one does not know as most people don’t then you must teach them nicely not criticize them.
le7
Give me a break. She is dressed extremely tzniusdik. Her clothes aren’t clingy or anything.
Danielle
HI Sarah,
so good to hear what you are busy with, great shlichus, ka”h six kids! Keep it up!
mushka
it really is so special to be reminded that so many incredible shluchim around the world are doing such great work , and little articles like this give me a small glimpse and reminder of our selfless shluchim.
with all our efforts, combined in unity, may we finally reunite in yerushalayim with moshiach now!
Chavivi
How fortunate for Jewish students to have Chabad in the area. I wish we had a Chabad House in Plattsburgh, NY; not just for students but for all Jews in the North Country.
To Red
If you dont mind me saying, you are an un-educated bt who has no limits. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the way the Shlucha is dressed, rather if it were up to people like you there would be no such thing as shlichus because you are from those who believe the shluchim “fry” out because of their surrondings, it is people like you who rant Rebbe Rebbe, but when it comes to actually fulfilling Rebbe you do 0000 nothing nada zilch. so why dont you keep to yourself, as a famous philosopher once said “better remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt” syog lachochmo shtika whatever way you may wing it shut up because you know nothing!
P.S. i would like to apologize for the tone of my comment it is that i am extremely frustrated by these negative comments especially when there is nothing wrong at all.
correction
To red was not the negative comment- it was shlucha wrote. so back up here! But before this gets carried away, all those who were present say she never wore a red dress. This is the photo that is in fact coming out that way but she herself never wore a red dress. It was brown.
She is awesome and a true shlucha whose work is tireless and ongoing.I met people who know her when she did work for other shluchim and they still rave about her as a wonderful human being with a true mission.
i-ve been there
i’ve visited chabad of tulane before, and every experience tops the next. Yochanan and Sarah are truly incredible shluchim, so warm and inviting, so selfless and hardworking. i want my chabad house and personal home to be like theirs. hatzlacha
Mushky
Its coral you people,
what ahavas yisroel we got here,
it’s touching.
to red
you are a discusting person you should be ashamed
are you literate?
red asked about halacha and that equals disgusting?????are you nuts???? just because people don’t know, you call them disgusting? who exactly are you????? I think you are still confused by who brought up the red issue!can u read btw?
Miriam
If anyone outside of Chabad were to read this, it would be a huge chillul Hashem…I’m sure secular Jews would love to be a part of a frum community with conversations like this.
nonsense
Miriam you are right…this whole nonsense came about bec the photo erroneously showed a red dress.So some were alarmed over the “halacha” and some don’t know what actually is the halacha and from there it went on. The fact remains she herself is a wonderful person and this got lost and forgotten over the red nonsense. Yes it is nonsense!