Jewish life on FGCU campus as strong as ever

Lots of students are excited to celebrate and enjoy being Jewish.

By Rabbi Mendel Gordon

We had our largest Purim celebrations this year, with a special comedy performance from the FGCU Improv Club. In addition, we had our annual big Shabbat on campus, drawing over 50 students.

For Sara, it was her very first Shabbat experience — and she absolutely loved the warmth, the connections and the uplifting atmosphere.

For Alex, it marked his first Jewish involvement since his bar mitzvah.

And for Grant, a student who just arrived on campus this semester, it was a heartfelt welcome into the FGCU Jewish family.

One of our student-athletes, Shachar, inspired everyone as he shared his journey of Jewish growth on campus — how he puts on tefillin daily and even brought tefillin with him on his spring break trip to Puerto Rico, encouraging a friend to put it on as well.

Our club president, Nichole, who experienced her very first Shabbat just two years ago when she came to college, shared a powerful message: While we may be a small Jewish community on campus, we are part of something much greater — a strong and extraordinary nation that spans the world.

Another highlight of March was a special field trip to the local mikvah in Cape Coral. Students were fascinated to learn about the importance of mikvah in Jewish tradition and its integrity to a Jewish marriage — so much so that you can mortgage a synagogue to ensure a community has a mikvah.

We discussed how mikvah is for any woman in a Jewish marriage and even for those post childbearing age can have this special opportunity to do this mitzvah once.

Rivky of the Cape Coral Chabad, who runs the mikvah, shared with us that the local mikvah has become very busy. Many of the regulars find the mitzvah of mikvah easier to take on than other mitzvahs because it brings Judaism to your private life in a beautiful way that doesn't affect your social life at all.

A big thank you for giving a tour to our students.

Chabad services Jewish students of all levels of observance at FGCU, FSW and other college age students in the area. If you know any Jewish students at FGCU or other nearby colleges, please reach out to connect them with the local Jewish student community.

For more information or to help make that connection, reach out to me at Rabbi@chabadfgcu.com or call 239355-8481.