For more than two decades, KU Hillel has celebrated its community with an annual Rock Chalk Shabbat. During the pandemic, it transformed its usual 500-person event into a virtual Rock Chalk Shabayit, where their community welcomed the event into their bayits (homes).
During Rock Chalk Shabayit, KU Hillel announced a building campaign for its new home steps from campus with a matching gift.
“We are thankful to The Leonard Wilk Family Philanthropic Fund for the matching grant by its advisors,” Suzy Sostrin, KU Hillel executive director, said. “They will match up to $100,000 in funding from our community for our new home, and we are so excited to make this dream a reality.”
During the next few months, KU Hillel plans to share more details and drawings of the new space and what it means for the future of the Jewish community at KU and future Rock Chalk Shabbats back in Lawrence.
This year brought new changes from last year’s Rock Chalk Shabayit, with students joining for in-person Shabbat services, dinner and Oneg. After settling in at the Kansas Union, an online broadcast of student-led services began, headed by a large group of songleaders.
“From my place on stage, I get to see Jews from all kinds of places come together through food, music and a love of KU Hillel,” said Noah Kahn, senior and songleader at Rock Chalk Shabayit.
The live broadcast, since recorded, is available on KU Hillel’s Facebook page for anyone who wants to view it.
For Ariel Cohn, senior and KU Hillel Development Coordinator, this year’s Rock Chalk Shabayit was important to her as her last year as a student. She is already looking forward to attending her first one as an alumna, hopefully in 2022.
“Rock Chalk Shabayit gave me the opportunity to continue to grow my friendships and make new ones,” said Cohn, who helped plan the event. “The KU Hillel community is so loving and warm, which made Rock Chalk Shabayit such an incredible Shabbat experience.”
KU Hillel’s Shabboxes (Shabbat boxes), another addition to the event during the pandemic, were shipped across the United States, including hand-delivered ones throughout the Kansas City metro area. Each Shabbox had items including sweet treats, custom challah covers, challah boards, cozy socks, Shabbat kits and more.
KU Hillel looks forward to welcoming the entire community back to Lawrence in 2022. KU Hillel is thankful for the guidance and support of Mike Berenbom and Chase Glaeser of Lane4 Property Group in securing its new home, and it is excited to invite their community to their new space.
