Things have been busy for Rabbi David and Ariel Pardo, JLIC educators at Brandeis University. Since hosting all of Alpha Epislon Pi, AEPi (An international Jewish Fraternity with a chapter at Brandeis) for dinner, a few of the brothers have started coming to Shachris on a consistent basis, and others have been seeking the Pardos out. Also, since hosting the entire Orthodox freshmen and sophomore classes for Shabbat lunch (with plenty of students outside of the Orthodox community as well) — many have begun to spend shabbat afternoons at the Pardo’s house playing games and hanging out.
Last week, kicked off “study days” (the two days between final classes and final exams) with a big BBQ hosted at the home of the Pardos. Students came, grabbed some food, and hung out in the living room / deck for a couple hours. In all, 70 people were in and out during the afternoon.
JLIC at Brandeis also launched a series of seminars on dating. The first one was hosted this week and it will continue next fall when students return to campus. The Pardo Philosophy of Dating seminar, was created for Juniors and Seniors only. Knowing the kind of pressures that graduates moving to major Jewish centers will be facing and the false expectations they are carrying about dating and getting married, Rabbi David and Ariel saw it as their role to equip upperclassmen with knowledge and tools about the dating process and to dispel common assumptions. Everyone who came was very grateful. One student commented, “It says a lot about your role on campus that this is the first time in my four years that anyone is telling us something like this.”
Lastly, this past Sunday, the community celebrated the first semester of Brandeis Kollel pop over to this web-site.Nine young men and women committed to four night seders per week, every week, and pulled all the way through to finals! The result has been a lively and loud beit midrash every weeknight, something that has empowered these students to radically expand the Kollel’s efforts next academic year.