Below is an overview of OU-JLIC activities and highlights from this past week. The OU-JLIC educators continue to impress me with their level of dedication and collaboration. May their efforts give you some Nachas as we get through this difficult period.
All the best,
Ilan
Impact in Numbers this past week-
- 557 in-person and virtual coffee dates
- 1005 texting and whatsapp check-ins with students
- 184 students were delivered food by OU-JLIC educators
- 264 students and their family members took part in OU-JLIC chaburot and chevrutot this week
- 36 shiurim were taught by OU-JLIC with 549 people taking part in these shiurim
- 78 divrei Torah were sent by OU-JLIC educators to 4,656 people
- 237 Halachic questions were answered by OU-JLIC educators and 132 of these questions were related to COVID-19
- 15 chattanim/kallot were taught by OU-JLIC this past week
Programming Highlights-
Virtual Challah Bake– Avital Hischhorn (OU-JLIC Educator at the University of Maryland) and Sarah Kasdan (OU-JLIC Educator at Cornell University) organized a Virtual Challah Bake. Our OU-JLIC educators shared words of inspiration, 4 students from different campuses said chapters of Tehillim and the bracha of hafrashat Challah was recited. There were 40 participants who joined via Zoom and an additional 334 views on Facebook live. The Hirschhorns handed out homemade challah and grape juice for Shabbat to any of the students who are still living in their dorms in College Park as a way of providing these students a taste of home.
Davening together over zoom– Numerous OU-JLIC campuses have initiated davening over Zoom as a way for the community to come together even when they are unable to daven in a minyan.
Preparing Educators for Pesach– Rabbi Schrader is teaching an 11 part series to educators on the topic of hilchot Pesach. Last week, Rabbi Schrader discussed the topics of kashering and shmura matzah. In addition, Rabbi Schrader has been answering the educator’s sensitive shaylot that have arisen in light of COVID-19.
Preparing Students for Pesach with Tzurba m’Rabanan– OU-JLIC, RZA and World Mizrachi are partnering on a series of Tzurba m’Rabanan Hilchot Pesach shiurim for college students and alumni. Rabbi Yonatan Hirschhorn (Universityof Maryland), Rabbi Isaac Attia (Binghamton University) and Rabbi Nick Faguet (UC Santa Monica) will be teaching in this series.
Killing COVID with Kindness– Rabbi Joe Wolfson, from NYU along with help from other OU-JLIC educators such as Margot Botwinick (IDC-Herzliya) and Shiffy Friedman (Columbia) have spearheaded an international project for OU-JLIC college students: Killing Covid with Kindness. The mission of the project is to facilitate chesed opportunities for college students during this fragile time when so many people are needy.
Grocery Shopping for the Elderly in Toronto– Rabbi Aaron and Miriam Greenberg, veteran OU-JLIC educators of Greater Toronto, organized an ‘army’ of OU-JLIC students to deliver groceries to members of the community who are not allowed to leave the house. This was advertised and done in conjunction with the BAYT and was sent out as a service to all of their congregants (the email from Rabbi Korobkin that went out is attached). One congregant was so moved by the gesture and Chesed that they sent in an unsolicited $5,000 donation to OU-JLIC!
Mashiach and More– Rabbi Nick and Orit Faguet hosted a Q&A on Instagram Live. Fifty two students participated in this open-ended program. This interactive and lively discussion gave students the opportunity to discuss topics on their mind during the current crisis. Most of the students’ questions focused on mashiach: Is mashiach coming? What can we do to merit mashiach? Is life going to be different once mashiach is here? Are the dead going to come back to life? Will mashiach have a wife and kids? What language is everyone going to speak? Are people going to die after mashiach? Rabbi Nick and Orit look forward to running similar discussions in the coming weeks.
Inspiration with Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks– OU-JLIC students enjoyed 15 minutes of divrei Chizuk from Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks with a special introduction by Rabbi Joe Wolfson.
Some wonderful stories that show the deep connections our educators make with students…
Shabbat Food Delivery– Rabbi Jon and Orly Singer (University of Chicago) prepared and delivered delicious Shabbat meals for students who are still on campus and do not have any community Shabbat meals to take part in.
Navigating Complex Circumstances– Rabbi Alex Ozar and Lauren Steinberg, from Yale, are continuing to focus on students ‘pre-virus’ pastoral needs. Rav Alex spent numerous hours this week on the phone helping a student, her elderly father, his doctors, and his other children navigate potential end-of-life questions under complex and contested circumstances. This has taken on greater pathos, though, as the student may no longer be able to see her father in person on account of virus-related hospital restrictions.
Thank you and may Klal Yisrael and the world merit Refuah,
Ilan