Ryerson University, located in downtown Toronto near the Eaton Centre, enrolls 35,000 undergraduate and 2,600 graduate students from many countries who pursue hundreds of degrees.
Rabbi Aaron and Miriam Greenberg, OU-JLIC of Greater Toronto educators
Ryerson University is a commuter institution that has 750-1,500 Jewish students, and 25-75 students from Modern or Centrist Orthodox day schools, who commute 40 minutes from the large, vibrant Orthodox community in Toronto. The university is very accommodating to students who miss classes because of their religious observance.
Seeking to maximize students’ engagement with Jewish life, OU-JLIC organizes Torah learning and social events both on and off campus. The OU-JLIC Torah Educators teach several weekly shiurim; organize a monthly guest speaker in a community member’s home; and offer a 7 minute halachah chaburah after 9:45 weeknight maariv at the BAYT, the largest Modern Orthodox synagogue in the area. OU-JLIC in conjunction with the Yeshiva University-Torah MiTzion Beit Midrash Zichron Dov coordinate separate beit midrash programs for women and men; students, who learn either at Ulpanat Orot or at Yeshivat Or Chaim, receive a stipend for their involvement in the program. Additionally, many male students take part in the many shiurim and batei midrash available in the large Toronto Orthodox Jewish community. Innovative social programs, which take place on campus, include the annual basketball tournament, cake wars, and skating. OU-JLIC Rabbi Aaron Greenberg is on campus one day a week and off-campus in students’ communities the rest of the week, giving classes, meeting students and providing for the diverse needs of the Jewish community.
OU-JLIC commuter students join together to celebrate Shabbat and chagim in their local community. At BAYT, in the Perlis Hall, 70-120 young adults gather every Shabbat and chag for Shacharit. After the minyan, students socialize during the kiddush sponsored by the BAYT Brotherhood. The OU-JLIC couple regularly welcomes students into their home; they host a monthly Friday night oneg for students and invite students for meals on Shabbat and chagim.
Meet The Educators