Students Rave About New Center Coming to University of Georgia

Most capital campaigns take some time, but when Rabbi Michoel and Chana Refson, co-directors of Chabad-Lubavitch serving the University of Georgia, approached supporters about purchasing a vacated bank as the new home for their three-year-old Chabad House, they raised the money in just six weeks.

With the deal on the building done, thanks in large part to a generous grant from the Rohr Family Foundation arranged by Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, chairman of the Chabad on Campus International Foundation and vice chairman of Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, the education arm of Chabad-Lubavitch, the Refsons have now turned their sights to the necessary renovations. After another round of fundraising for that project, they hope students will be able to use the facility – just a hop, skip and a jump from the Athens, Ga., school's freshman dormitories, football stadium, and track field, and just across the street from the local chapter of Sigma Delta Tau, a Jewish sorority – by September.

Serving an estimated Jewish student population of 2,000, the Refsons' current home bursts every Friday night with visitors for Shabbat dinner. More than 200 people attended Purim festivities this spring.

Daryl Bloomberg, 22, said that the Chabad House's activities have grown exponentially since she first walked through the door in 2005.

"I heard that there's a Chabad couple that's young and cool," she said. "It was so unique that they were so young."

When they arrived to the school three years ago, the rabbi was 23. His wife was 20.

Bloomberg, a finance major, kept coming back. She just helped throw a baby shower for the March birth of the Refsons' first daughter, Bluma.

"We got kosher food, fruit and vegetables," she said of the shower, which drew about 50 of Bloomberg's classmates, all veterans of Chana Refson's girls' night out events. "It was really cute. I think it was successful."

Darren Tobin, 25, said that he was very happy to hear of the Chabad House's new purchase.

"He's probably my closest friend here," Tobin, a soon-to-be lawyer, said of the rabbi. "And I've only known them for three years!

"It's a testament to his sincerity, a reflection of the person that he is," continued the student, who is finishing law school at the university. "He and his wife are always open to talk. They always have smiles on their faces."

Tobin added that Jewish life on campus has experienced a sea change since the Refsons' arrival. One program they started is a Tuesday night cafeteria to help Jewish students keep kosher.

"They made being Jewish much easier than when I was here in college," said Tobin, who completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Georgia. "Their home's always available to me for meals, Shabbat, Passover Seders, whatever."

"It feels like a Jewish home away from home," echoed Bloomberg.

The Refsons – who were brought to the area by Rabbi Yossi New, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Georgia – hope to maintain that spirit in their new purchase, a split-level building that will house both the Chabad House's activities as well as their private residence. Michoel Refson said that the local Jewish community, as well as university professors, students' and parents were very generous when it came to the fundraising.

"They are very warm and excited," said Refson. "They realize that this will be a permanent home for Jewish life on campus."

Even though Tobin will have graduated and be working in a law firm in Atlanta by the time the building is ready, he said that he looks forward to visiting the Refsons often.

"As far as location is concerned, it's fanatastic," he said of the building. "It's a hotbed of activities. I'm delighted for them."

He added: "The Jews of Athens are very lucky."