The Myer and Ann Cohen Chabad House at the University of Pittsburgh, co-directed by Rabbi Shmuel and Sara Weinstein, will celebrate its 27th anniversary at a dinner event on Tuesday, Sept. 1—on Chai Elul, the 18th day of the Hebrew month of Elul (and when the Chabad House became official in 1988). It is an auspicious date on the Chassidic calendar; the founder of Chassidism, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, was born on this date in 1698, and on the same day, 36 years later, he began to disseminate his teachings publicly. It is also the birthday, in 1745, of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder and first Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, who often referred to himself as the Baal Shem Tov’s “spiritual grandson.”
This year’s honoree is Dr. Kathy W. Humphrey, the university’s senior vice chancellor for engagement and chief of staff, who arrived on campus in 2005. Of her numerous honors and awards, she has been chosen Pitt’s “Administrator of the Year” for the past four years by the student body. More than 300 people are expected at the dinner.
Some 17,694 undergraduates are enrolled at the university for the 2015-16 academic year, with an estimated 10 percent of them Jewish, approximately 1,800 students. The Weinsteins are assisted in their work by two other couples: Rabbi Shmuel and Chasi Rothstein, who work with undergraduates; and Rabbi Shua and Shoshana Hoexter, who run graduate-student programs.
Humphrey, 53—married to husband Lyle and the mother of two grown twin sons, Daniel and David—grew up in Kansas City, Mo. She earned her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctorate in the state, and held various positions at Saint Louis University and at the University of Central Missouri before coming to Pennsylvania.
Sara Weinstein says of Humphrey: “She is a friend of Chabad who connects and cares and gets the job done. She holds one of the highest seats at the university, yet she is always looking to include more voices. When appropriate, she calls to ask us for our perspective on certain issues. That’s crucial today on college campuses.”
“This is a unique moment in the history of the Chabad House,” continues Weinstein. “There is so much goodwill, so much potential. Campus life needs an infusion of goodness. It’s not about a program or a building; it’s about affecting young people’s lives. And Kathy Humphrey embodies that.”
One example, explains Weinstein, is that this past year, Humphrey was instrumental in helping bring in a line of freshly cooked hot kosher food as part of the meal plan served in the university dining hall at the highest level of kashrut (under the supervision of the Vaad of Pittsburgh with a Chabad mashgiach.) “This was a big step,” she notes, “and a diversion from compromising policies at other universities.”
Q: Dr. Humphrey, when did you first meet the Weinsteins, and what were your initial impressions?
A: I remember asking to meet with them early on, and we talked for a long time. I wanted to be a real partner with them. I was impressed by the effect they have on students’ lives as a niche organization. They’re there to help better connect students with the university, with the community and with a sense of home life. It was natural that I fall in love with them because they fall in love with my students.
Q: How did that relationship evolve?
A: At the Chabad House, students have a place to go to remind them of who they are and to keep them culturally connected, as well to offer them a taste of home. This opportunity is there for our students, and that really connected me to the Weinsteins.
Each week for Shabbat, they cook a meal not knowing how many people will come, and the meals are open to every student, Jewish and non-Jewish. They do this every single week. That’s an amazing commitment.
Q: It seems you were so enthralled by Shabbat dinners that you now make this an annual event that you host personally?
A: I do. The Weinsteins come and transform my home. They move the furniture and set up places for about 40 people in the living room. They bring in all the food and run the service. I don’t prepare a thing, and my kitchen is not used at all; everything that comes in is strictly kosher. Sometimes, I help set the table. It’s the easiest reception I ever host because all I do is open up my home.
When students come to my home like this, I learn so much about their experiences at the university. They open up. Once they start eating, they tell you a lot of things. And that’s how you get to know and connect to people, one conversation at a time.
Q: What else do you like about these dinners?
A: The challah. I love the challah! All the food, really. The only problem is that after the salads and the soup, there’s not much room left for the main course.
Q: Speaking of food, you were integral in getting the highest-standard kosher dining options available to students in the 2014-15 school year. Can you explain the hows and whys of going about this?
A: Our goal at Pitt is to provide as inclusive and as diverse an experience as possible. We believe that every person here plays a vital role in the community, and we want to make sure that every person here is welcomed. So when a group of students came to me and expressed concerns about the lack of kosher-food options, we aspired to find a solution. I approached the Hillel Jewish University Center and Chabad Rabbi Shmuel Weinstein to ask for their help. We learned that neighboring Carnegie Mellon University offered some kosher options, so we took a tour of their facilities.
Next, we turned to Associate Vice Chancellor for Business Dr. Jim Earle, who oversees our housing department, and he—along with Abdou Cole in dining services, Associate Vice Chancellor Eli Shorak and some of our Jewish students—worked to create a kosher option that met the needs of all Jewish students. Dr. Earle and dining services were instrumental throughout this process and deserve to be recognized.
On that trip to Carnegie Mellon, we also reviewed their reflection space and decided to create a similar space for our students. The William Pitt Union now features the “Mind, Body, and Soul Center,” where students can relax, reflect, pray, workout or study as they see fit.
It’s a priority that students feel at home while they’re here—from the housing, to the study spaces, to the recreation facilities, to our dining options. So this was important for us to address, and I’m glad that we were able to find a solution.
Q: What have been your prior interactions with the Jewish community?
A: Honestly, none before here. There were no large populations of Jewish students at the other universities where I worked, not like in Pittsburgh (where the university is adjacent to the Jewish neighborhood in Squirrel Hill). I’ve learned so much about the Jewish faith since meeting the Weinsteins. In fact, I was just at their son Levi’s bar mitzvah; I’ve seen their kids (11 of them) grow up. I have a real friendship with this family. And I am constantly amazed at how well the children are able to participate in services, ceremonies and events.
Although I am Christian, I am familiar with the scriptures; they resonate with me. The Weinsteins, they are living out these scriptures every day. I’ve learned so much about the Jewish faith since meeting them. I remember one Shabbat dinner when we were talking about Noah, and the lessons of rain and water, and a huge rainbow appeared outside where we were having the meal. It connects. They are providing a nurturing mechanism for students to worship, to create a stronger belief for themselves and to evaluate that belief at the same time.
Students are trying to find their way. The first year, they just attempt to acclimate. Their next task is to figure out: “Who am I, and what am I to do with who I am?”
They find answers everywhere—sitting in classes, chatting on the floor of a residence hall, talking with a staff member. It’s part of the growth and development process. Faith-based organizations also offer an environment to ask such questions. Students need a place where they know they are not alone, even though sometimes that’s how it feels.
Q: What are some of the challenges Jewish students face on campus?
A: A university is a microcosm of the larger world. We try to help them understand and care for one another, to learn. It’s a place where all thoughts are examined.
We have had controversial speakers; we don’t censor them. I remember being worried about one in particular—I can’t even remember who—we thought might say anti-Semitic remarks, and we wanted to calm things down first. When I have a concern or a question in regards to the Jewish community, I’m going to call the Weinsteins. They are my experts, and I use them as resources. Sometimes, I call them first to see how something will sound. I want to make sure the message I send out is appropriate; there’s no sense in making mistakes when I have friends. I will call Hillel, too. I use all my resources.
As a note, at Pitt, we focus on civil discourse. In fact, we ask students to make a “promise of civility.” They need to have a respect for others.
Q: What was your reaction to being honored at the upcoming Chabad annual dinner?
A: I was absolutely floored! Really. It’s funny being awarded for something you truly love to do because it seems like you are already awarded in your work; it’s like double-dipping.
More importantly, we can’t do it alone. We need everybody to help us raise a generation of successful young men and women. I’m constantly looking for those who will partner with me to do so, and if you have a partner out there like the Weinsteins, you’re in great shape. We are not just educating the mind, but the whole person, the whole student.
Every year at this time, you get new life coming to campus—new opportunities, a rebuilding. Every year, it’s different. You never know what’s going to happen, but what we do know is that you have to serve these students where they are.
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