Thursday, May 11, 2006
Those wanting to learn about and practice Judaism have another option at the University of Kansas.
Two weeks ago, Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel, his wife Nechama, and his infant daughter Mina, opened a Chabad Jewish Center in their new home at 1201 W. 19th St.
Chabad offers an opportunity for Jewish students to experience what it’s like in an Orthodox Jewish home — a home that practices all 613 laws of Judaism.
“We like to call ourselves the Google for anything Jewish,” he said.
Chabad is one of the largest Jewish outreach organizations in the world. One of its original goals was to rebuild Judaism after the Holocaust.
The KU Chabad Center is one of many, including 151 on university campuses and one in each state except Montana.
“Wherever there’s Coca-Cola, there’s Chabad,” Tiechtel joked.
Chabad offers classes about Jewish law, customs and holidays. It also offers trips, weekend retreats, kosher barbecues, Shabbat dinners and other social events.
Though Tiechtel practices Orthodox Judaism, he said the goal of the center is to reach each of the 1,800 Jewish students on campus, no matter their level of practice. He said he didn’t believe that anyone was more or less of a Jew depending on how many rules they followed or what type of services they attended. He said he wanted to help students proudly identify themselves as Jewish and to “learn it, live it and love it.”
The center will work in conjunction with KU Hillel on many of its programs next fall, Tiechtel said.
Chabad and Hillel provide different atmospheres that suit different students. Tiechtel said Chabad is different in that it is more like a home and family because he, his wife and his daughter are there 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Jay Lewis, executive director of KU Hillel, said Hillel’s job, as the most broad-based Jewish organization on campus, is to support anything Jewish at the University, ranging from the Jewish studies minor through the University and KU Chabad. He said he was happy that there were more options for Jewish students and thought few students would choose only one organization to attend. Lewis himself plans to attend Chabad events.
“It’s going to be kind of an overall partnership,” Lewis said, adding that there was “no sense of competition for students” between the organizations.
Tiechtel said Chabad had been well-received at the University and he has felt a “warm, welcoming, open-minded” feeling from everyone.
He said the center came to the University after Chabad headquarters received many requests from students, faculty and parents. When he heard it was looking to open a chapter, he wanted to get involved.
Tiechtel moved to Lawrence from Brooklyn, New York, where he taught at a Talmudic seminary with his wife, to start the center. He said he had brothers all over the world who operate Chabad centers, including centers in Berlin and Tennessee,
“It’s been in my blood,” Tiechtel said. “I’ve always been aspiring to it.”
— Edited by Cynthia Hernandez
Chabad Jewish Center celebrates Hanukkah
Hanukkah begins just as finals end, so the Chabad Jewish Center is ...
Community members mourn the deaths of Mumbai ...
The Lawrence Chabad Jewish Center hosts a memorial prayer service at the ...
Groups dispel myths about Middle East conflict
With KU students returning to Lawrence, campus groups prepare for an onslaught ...
Chabad Jewish Center to host Jewish new ...
Jewish students began gathering last night in the Burge Union to celebrate ...
Students stay in town for Jewish holiday
Chabad Jewish Center will hold Rosh Hashana services this weekend for those ...
Home for Purim
The Chabad Jewish Center hosted festivities Sunday, celebrating the story of the ...
Jewish students celebrate Rosh Hashanah
Chabad helped students create their own shofars, or horns, Tuesday for the ...
Students celebrate holiday season with “Chanukah Bowl”
The eight-day Jewish celebration, Hannukah, officially begins at sunset today.
Chabad hosts Jewish holiday festivities
Purim events will include traditional readings and a circus-themed dinner celebration.
Jewish holiday of Passover to start at ...
Starting at sundown tonight, some students will dramatically be changing what they ...
Chabad student center expands celebration
Sukkot, a Jewish holiday, celebrates Jewish history and the outdoors.
Chabad House vandalized over weekend
The menorah standing outside the KU Chabad Center was vandalized some time ...
Jewish students celebrate New Year at start ...
Rosh Hashana marks the start of Jewish New Year. Jewish students will ...
Religions relate pre-marital sex with emotional emptiness
Islam, Catholicism and Judaism may have different doctrine, but all agree on ...
Chabad Center celebrates Hanukkah
Members of the local Jewish community gathered to light a giant balloon ...
KU Hillel celebrates new home
The Jewish organization on campus recently moved into its new facility on ...
Religious communities provide support system for students
The St. Lawrence Center, Chabad Center, Grace Collegiate Ministries and the Islamic ...
Religious groups try for more members
Clubs plan events to boost numbers and help students.
Religious celebration attendance continues to expand
Jews celebrate rare holiday
Birchat Hachama, or “Blessing of the Sun,” occurs once every 28 years ...
Hillel needs new home
Keeping the Faith
Practicing religion while in college.
Jewish Center starts good-deed pledge
The page was created after the Virginia Tech school shooting. The page ...
Tefillin, an important ritual for Jewish men
A boy practicing tefillin alarmed airplane passengers and resulted in an early ...
Details of the Passover celebration
Learn the significance of the holiday and its traditions.
‘Jewish Jordan’ talks faith, basketball
Jewish Division 1 player who never played on holy days speaks tonight ...
Seder celebrated by students
Week’s events give insight to Israel
Hatikvah, a Jewish student organization, is celebrating two holidays Israeli this week ...
Jewish groups to honor heroic professor
Professor Liviu Librescu became a hero during the massacre at Virginia Tech. ...
Climate change will be focus on campus
Wednesday and Thursday about 50 professors from all departments will incorporate the ...
Jewish Studies takes new direction
The group welcomed an entirely new set of Hebrew instructors this year
Speaker gives presentation on business in Israel
Dan Senor discussed the state of the economy in Israel provides a ...
Colored band craze continues
Sandal: Religion can bridge differences rather than ...
The idea of love is common in most religions. So why do ...
Student Senate votes on several bills for ...
The session lasted two hours with the debates of fund distribution.
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID