IMPACT IN NUMBERS

Updated numbers since campuses closed down due to COVID-19 in mid-March:

  • 16,272 conversations between educators and students, including virtual chevrutah learning and check ins.
  • 17,311 students and their family members took part in the 1,023 chaburot and shiurim given by OU-JLIC educators.
  • 2,069 students were delivered food by OU-JLIC educators.
  • 1,750 divrei Torah were sent by educators to a total distribution of over 70,000 people. 
  • 5,181 halachic questions were answered by OU-JLIC educators, and 1,510 of these questions were related to COVID-19.

THIS WEEKS HIGHLIGHTS

THE NYU CHEESECAKE FACTORY- Corinne Shmuel (OU-JLIC NYU) made 29 cheesecakes for students, alumni, local rabbis, incoming freshmen, the local isolated elderly and essential workers such as the team of workers at the Met Council on Jewish Poverty warehouse as well as their doctor and nurse alumni. It allowed the Wolfson-Shmuels to see many of their students who came in to pick up the delicious cakes.

ZOOM L’CHAIM- OU-JLIC at Binghamton and Cornell joined forces to host a zoom l’chaim for their newly engaged students. Over 60 participants passed through who enjoyed hearing the couple’s engagement story, divrei torah, and l’chaims/good wishes from the couple’s friends and family. After the l’chaim, the chatan’s parents wrote Rabbi Daniel and Sarah Kasdan, the OU-JLIC educators at Cornell: “Thank you so much for putting together such a lovely evening honoring Jacob and Hannah. It is clear how much they feel a part of your community, and the love you and Sarah have shown them is obvious- and we are very appreciative for that. Jacob loves learning with and from you. Thank you for being a wonderful mentor and guide- and for putting together this very special evening! Have a great Shavuot!”

SHAVUOT COMPANION- Rabbi Mati and Shira Kahn (OU-JLIC Princeton) organized a ‘Shavuot Companion’ consisting of source sheets created by students on various topics. This booklet became the central Shavuot preparation in the Princeton Jewish Community and was sent out to everyone by the Hillel.

WISDOM OF THE AGES – The “Killing COVID with Kindness” program, developed and run by Rabbi Joe Wolfson, has entered into a new phase.  Thousands of seniors are not able to access day centers in which many of them took life enrichment classes.  OU-JLIC is partnering with the Met Council on Jewish Poverty to provide these daily classes online, utilizing the talents of students, OU-JLIC educators, alumni, and faculty in our international network.  As an example, the first week of offerings include “Classical Music we Should All Know” (by an NYU rising undergraduate senior), “Jewish Stories from Here and There” (by the head of the Cornell Jewish Studies Department), “Jewish Character Development: Anger” (by Dr Rod Najibi at OU-JLIC Educator at Western University), and “Fitness from your Armchair” (by a graduate student in Kinesiology at CSUN).