Impact in Numbers
- 97 advisory meetings took place with OU-JLIC educators and Hillel, Student Groups, or other groups/organizations
- 263 virtual coffee dates (including chevrutah learning and check ins)
- 844 texting and whatsapp check-ins with students
- 145 students were delivered food by OU-JLIC educators
- 70 Chaburot and Shiurim were given last week by OU-JLIC educators
- 2,326 students and their family members took part in OU-JLIC chaburot and chevrutot this week
- 34 non-learning events and programs took place over the last week
- 74 divrei Torah were sent by OU-JLIC educators to 5,053 people
- 239 Halachic questions were answered by OU-JLIC educators and 23 of these questions were related to COVID-19
- 26 chattanim/kallot were taught by OU-JLIC this past week
Fundraising
- The OU-JLIC West Coast, through the incredible effort of Rabbi Aryeh and Sharona Kaplan (UCLA), as well as the entire West Coast team of Rabbi Nick and Orit Faguet (SMC), Rabbi Bryan and Sondra Borenstein (CSUN), and Drs. Rod and Danielle Najibi (Western), have already raised over $66,000 of an $80,000 goal from 218 and counting individual donors! On the Upreaching page you can see OU-JLIC West Coast specific engagement statistics from the time since COVID 19. To see the campaign you can go to: https://upreaching.com/oujlic/west100
- Both OU-JLIC at Rutgers and Queens are currently running local campaigns as well. Rabbi Benny and Sara Berlin at Queens and Rabbi Tzvi and Tali Wohlgelerntner at Rutgers are showing remarkable dedication in that they are running these campaigns even though they will be leaving their positions at the end of this year. The Queens campaign can be found here: https://upreaching.com/oujlic/qc48?success and the Rutgers campaign here: https://upreaching.com/oujlic/RUGiving?success
Personal Connections
SHABBOS WITH FAMILY- A Columbia/Barnard student lives in an area with no eruv and her family is not as religious as she is. The difference in observance level, understandably, creates occasional tension. Rabbi Noam Friedman helped her figure out if she needed an eruv in her backyard because she wanted to fully participate in her family’s outdoor Shabbat activities. She later wrote that because of his help it was the best shabbos she had with them during this time.
CHEERING UP A KALLAH- Sarah Kasdan (Cornell University) organized a Tichel Party for a kallah whose wedding plans got upended. It was a chance for the kallah to celebrate with friends, alumni and her mother (who also attended). Twenty-six women participated in this online party.
ZOOM BABY NAMINGS- Rabbi Aaron Greenberg (Greater Toronto) encouraged and arranged for two couples who had baby girls to have a zoom baby naming.
KALLAH SUPPORT GROUP- Shira Boshnack (Brooklyn College) started a whatsapp support group for kallahs during COVID-19. Shira has taught over 280 kallot during her tenure with OU-JLIC!
Programming Highlights
CATCHING UP IN AMHERST- This week UMass Amherst students who still had belongings in the UMass dorms came to bring their things home. Rabbi Raffi and Ariella Leicht (UMASS Amherst) coordinated with them to stop by their house for a socially distanced time to chill out and catch up. It was GREAT to see students in-person!
BE KIND TO YOUR MIND- OU-JLIC at Greater Toronto and Rutgers partnered on a mental heath zoom panel entitled “Be Kind To Your Mind”. The panel discussion featured Rav Tzvi Wohlgelernter’s father, Dr. Joseph Wohlgelernter (a psychiatrist), Marc Fein and a nurse from the Covid 19 Frontline. The program had over 1800 views.
SINAI AT HOME- As part of “Sinai at Home”, the OU’s Torah Initiatives Shavuot project, Rabbi Isaac Attia (Binghamton University) prepared a shiur entitled “Why Was the Torah Given in the Desert” which included a learn-from-home source sheet with mekorot, guiding questions, and reflective exercises as well as an introductory video.
LEGEN-DAIRY SHAVUOT- Because IDC-Herzliya students are still alone and programming is not yet back to normal, Rav Josh and Margot Botwinick could not host a Shavuot Meal. Instead, in partnership with IDC, Rav Josh and Margot are making individually packaged Shavuot meals for 85 students that will be picked up before Chag.
1200 AND COUNTING – The NYU Bronfman Center and OU-JLIC are eight weeks into a new Parsha Podcast and many people have messaged Rabbi Joe Wolfson (NYU) to say how much they appreciate it. There are currently 1200 subscribers to the podcast.
EMBRACING SHABBOS – Mrs. Ashley Cohen (Queens College) started a new chabura called ‘Embrace Shabbos’ for young women who are struggling with their Shabbos observance. Creating this chabura gives Ashley the opportunity to interact with some new students who are less likely to attend other OU-JLIC shiurim.
YAVNEH @ MUHLENBERG- Yavneh on Campus hosted a wrap up session for their student team at Muhlenberg College.The students have been able to develop their religious community to a higher level this past year, including starting weekly beit midrash learning with over 30 students, weekly shabbat tisches with over 60 students and ongoing holiday and Shabbat programming. It was wonderful to hear the pride and accomplishment in their voices, and to have so many new people excited to get involved next year with Yavneh.
FROM BERGEN BELSEN TO HAR HABAYIT- Mr. Elitzur Peles, a Holocaust survivor and the father of Rabbi Yehuda Peles (OU-JLIC educators at Bar Ilan) spoke to students on Yom Yerushalayim about his experiences as a paratrooper during the Six Day War. He recounted singing Hatikvah on Har HaBayit with all of the paratroopers after the liberation of Jerusalem.
A Sampling of Halachic and Hashkafic Questions and Concerns
- Do you think it’s appropriate to assign meaning to this virus? And if so, what meaning is there in all of this?
- “I was wondering if someone sends me music they bought and I download it, is it considered stealing?”
- “Am I allowed to attend a gay family Jewish wedding if it is just over Zoom?”
- A student’s grandfather was just told that his brother passed away a few days earlier and is already buried. How many days of shiva does he have to keep? Also he is elderly himself (in his nineties) how much of the laws of mourning is he required to do?
- Is wearing a shirt with a logo that has a cross (example: real madrid logo) on it ok?
- “I am shopping for a suit for my upcoming wedding and know that fancy suits have higher instances of Shatnez. How do I responsibly check it with all the main locations closed during quarantine?”
- “I just found out I’m pregnant with my second child. Though we were trying, now that I have confirmation I can’t remember why I am inviting all of the challenges, pain and hardship back into our lives. We just stabilized from having our first! Can you remind me of the value of building a larger family?”
- Does an adopted child have a chiyuv to sit shiva for a parent? Furthermore, is there any halachic concept of adoption?
- “I’m engaged and really struggling with hair covering. Are there any other sources other than Parshat Sotah which is very degrading to women?”
- “Can I go away with my friends for Shavuos if I’m in shloshim?”
- “My sister’s babies will be here during the 3 weeks and we’re wondering if they can swim during the 9 days or if that’s generally avoided?”