Hundreds of Jewish college students representing campuses around the world are making their way to New York City for the Chabad on Campus International Student Shabbaton, an annual weekend known both for its inspirational and educational content, and its ability to foster student connections transcending national borders.
Taking place in the primarily Chabad-Lubavitch neighborhood of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, from Nov. 6 to 8, this year’s conference, say organizers, promises to cater to ever more students over years past with the addition of an “Advanced Track,” an accelerated in-depth textual study program for those interested in furthering their knowledge of classical works of Jewish thought.
“I’m hoping to learn new things and strengthen my connection to Judaism,” reveals Rebecca Soltoff, a senior from Temple University in Philadelphia who is returning for the Shabbaton this year. “It will be a bit of a reunion. I had an amazing experience last year.”
Slated to commence Friday afternoon with a networking session followed by a Shabbat candle-lighting ceremony, the program includes workshops addressing such topics as the interplay between Jewish and secular law, Israel and Middle East politics, and dealing with the presence of missionaries on campus.
But what sets the agenda apart from previous Shabbatons is the advanced text-based component, which is geared for college students interested in a taste of yeshiva-style study. Almost 10 percent of the conference’s attendees have elected to participate in the program.
“More students signed up for this option than we expected,” says Rabbi Yossy Gordon, executive vice president of Chabad on Campus. “Through it all, this Shabbaton promises to be not only the largest, but the most energizing student weekend yet.”
A Stocked Fridge
But while the program stresses that attendees will expand their Jewish horizons and leadership skills, many students are also looking forward to meet their co-religionists on different campuses. Another benefit, say past attendees, is the hospitality exhibited by local residents.
Surveys conducted after previous Shabbatons indicate that residents’ opening up their homes greatly enhanced students’ experiences.
Boris Lipovetsky, a sophomore at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass., echoed surveys when he expressed his surprise at a host family announcing to members of his group: “Please make yourselves at home. There is food in the fridge and here is a key to the house.”
Additional highlights to take place over the course of the weekend include a musical havdalah ceremony marking the conclusion of Shabbat; a group photo of the participants; a Saturday night concert; a Sunday tour of Crown Heights institutions, including the Jewish Children’s Museum and a Chasidic art gallery; and a trip to the resting place of the Rebbe, Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory.
“It’s going to be really exciting,” gushes senior Jon Tavakoli, a history major at the University of California, S. Barbara. “The best part is that Jews from around the world will all be at one Shabbat table, all getting to know each other.”
Running parallel to the Shabbaton is a National Student Leadership Conference of Chabad House student leaders. Beginning Thursday afternoon, the conference will allow participants to share ideas, attend lectures, and take part in workshops on campus-based Jewish advocacy. Philanthropist George Rohr, chairman of the Chabad on Campus International Foundation’s board of governors, will also lead a panel of philanthropists that will address the students.
“I’m looking forward to great kosher food,” says Mackenzie Howell, a senior psychology major at Dartmouth College, noting that the Shabbaton takes place during the busy fall semester exam season. “After midterms, the weekend will be kind of like the light at the end of the tunnel.”
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