KU Chabad alumni from nearly two decades of campus life gathered recently in downtown Chicago for an evening of reunion, memories and renewed connection.
Rabbi Zalman and Nechama Tiechtel, directors of KU Chabad, hosted the event for alumni living in the Chicago area as part of a series of summer gatherings bringing together former University of Kansas students in different cities across the country. KU Chabad has served Jewish students in Lawrence for 20 years and now has hundreds of alumni living throughout the United States. The Chicago reunion brought together graduates from as far back as 2007, along with members of the Class of 2026.
Throughout the evening, alumni reconnected with friends from their college years and met students whose time at KU came many years before or after their own. A video featuring photographs and footage from the past two decades brought back memories of Shabbat dinners, holiday celebrations, classes, trips and everyday moments at KU Chabad.
The program also included a Jewish-themed “Jeopardy!” game built around shared memories, favorite foods, memorable experiences and lessons alumni carried with them after graduation.
For many participants, the reunion offered an opportunity to reflect on friendships and experiences that began during college and continued to influence their lives years later.
Jordan Pollack, a member of the KU Class of 2012, grew up in Kansas City and now lives in Northbrook, Illinois. He met his wife, Leah, at a KU Chabad event while they were students.
“I loved reuniting with KU Chabad,” Pollack said. “It’s great to see a Jewish nonprofit succeeding and inspiring. Jewish education for young adults is critical.”
The Tiechtels said the gathering allowed them to see alumni at many different stages of life while hearing how their college experiences remained meaningful.
“When students graduate, they may leave Lawrence, but the relationships and memories do not disappear,” Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel said. “It was deeply meaningful to sit together again and hear how the friendships, Jewish experiences and lessons from those years are still part of their lives.”
Nechama Tiechtel added, “Seeing alumni from so many different years together reminded us that each group becomes part of one extended family. They came from different classes and different eras, but they immediately connected through the experiences they shared at KU.”
The Chicago gathering was one of several alumni events held during the summer, reflecting the growing number of former KU students who continue to remain connected to one another and to Jewish life after college.
