This spring marks another graduating cohort of students of KU Chabad’s flagship program, JewishU.
The goal of JewishU is to provide students with a variety of advanced Jewish courses, engaging them in active Jewish learning. This semester, dozens of students dedicated multiple hours each week to Jewish study study. From the Think Jewish course of the Sinai Scholars Society to other offerings this spring, participants wrapped up a semester of Jewish discovery.
“JewishU allows you to explore yourself and find out what truly matters to you,” said Charles Lachman, a KU sophomore who joined a JewishU course this semester. “It allows you to take the purpose that already exists in this world and create your own meaning out of it. I'd highly recommend all college students take this amazing opportunity to get involved and enroll in at least one JewishU class to see how transformative it can be.”
At the start of each semester, students can choose from a variety of courses, ranging from Jewish Living Day by Day, a class exploring practical Jewish law; to Soul Mates an in-depth look at relationships; to Letters for Life, a course delving into mental health and wellbeing from a Jewish perspective. Students also have the option to convert their class participation into scholarship funds to support future Jewish programming.
“We seek to foster a sense of Jewish identity and belonging by engaging Jewish students at their own pace and comfort level in a warm and non-judgmental environment,” said Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel, co-director of KU Chabad. “We find that the greatest way to foster their Jewish identity is by offering innovative educational programs in all areas of Jewish life.”
Keira Cohen, a junior from Scottsdale, Arizona, joined the Living Jewish course this semester. She said, “JewishU has helped me find easily accessible Jewish wisdom. It is honestly one of my favorite things that I experienced during my past year in college. I am so thankful for having had this experience.”
The JewishU program is funded by a grant from Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City and donors, with the key benefactors being Irv and Ellen Robinson. As the semester winds down at KU, registration is already open for next semester.