A Dream Realized
dr. shimmy tennenbaum
rabbi dave felsenthal
CHAIRMAN, OU-JLIC
DIRECTOR, OU NEXTGEN
Just starting the process of choosing prospective colleges is truly a momentous occasion. The transition to independent living entails many important decisions such as: Which college best fits my academic interests? How will I best broaden my horizons? How far do I want to be from home? There are numerous questions; but the most important one is this: Which college campus will afford me the best opportunity to maintain and further develop my observant Jewish life?
I am extremely proud of Rabbis Ilan Haber, Menachem Schrader and Josh Ross, as well as Adam Dickter, Hani Lowenstein, Rebecca Rubinstein, Eliana Steinreich, Michael Goldman and the OU Communications team for creating this important guide.
In your search for the answer to this question you will compare and contrast the various communities to find out about access to kosher food, Shabbat atmosphere, availability and environment of minyanim on campus, Torah learning, Jewish programming, and volunteer opportunities among other realities on each respective campus.
The Orthodox Union’s Seif Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus (OU-JLIC) addresses all of these issues and more. As of September 2015, we will have educator couples, rabbi and wife, on 22 campus settings across America. They fully share responsibilities in developing and executing each college program. Most campuses are located in the Northeast region with a few in the Midwest and some in California. These couples attend to all the needs of the observant and nonobservant Jewish students on these campuses. They serve as anchors to the students for both spiritual and practical matters and are (almost) always available. This guide will assist families in choosing an appropriate college to further their son or daughter’s education while at the same time broadening and further strengthening their Jewish identity and involvement.
It has been a dream of mine for over twenty years to publish such a guide and the Orthodox Union’s Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus (OU-JLIC) has gone above and beyond turning that dream into reality. Twenty years ago when I wrote a guide for use by our student leaders, the college scene looked nothing like it does today. In reaction to the tremendous growth of Orthodox Jewish students on campus, OU-JLIC now has educators servicing our children on 22 campus settings around the United States and Canada. They not only act as teachers, but are there for thousands of students as friends, pillars of support and mentors on a daily basis. While OU-JLIC educators are on many popular campuses, we have included in this guide additional universities with significant Orthodox or NCSY Alumni Jewish life on campus as well as services the OU provides those students even though an OU-JLIC couple is not available. As you will see throughout this guide, OU-JLIC is part of the greater OU NextGen team, which works to provide Jewish collegiates with as much support as possible. This includes but is not limited to:
Heart to Heart, which enables students to host their friends for Shabbat dinners through subsidies and guidance. THEHEART2HEARTPROJECT.ORG
Kahal Fellows, which provides training
and funding for Jewish student leaders on campuses with smaller Jewish communities to improve Jewish life. KAHALFELLOWSHIP.WIX.COM/HOME
Israel Free Spirit, the OU’s Birthright Israel trip provides campus-based trips as well as trips focused on our population and their unique needs and interests. ISRAELFREESPIRIT.COM
Alumni follow-up, which keeps contact with alumni of our various programs and connects them with opportunities for mentorships, Social Action trips, scholarships to learn during breaks or year abroad and more. PARTNERSINTORAH.ORG/SIGNUP/OU-FELLOWSHIPS
Young Professionals, to keep the post-college demographic involved in the Jewish community and to open up leadership opportunities for them, now being piloted in Washington Heights and San Diego. ISSUU.COM/ORTHODOXUNION/DOCS/REUNIONSUMMER2015/30
The kind of personal attention our students receive from the OU-JLIC couples is the quality we all want for our own children. The NextGen team works together to create a leadership network for campus community leaders, especially on small campuses where the need is so much greater. This guide and the Jewniversity app (ALUMNI.NCSY.ORG/MAP) featured within are just two more great examples of resources we provide to help you identify the Jewish services you need on the campus you or your child attend. Enjoy and please feel free to share your feedback with Eliana at steinreiche@ou.org.
OU-JLIC GUIDE 2016
Daunting, But Exciting
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