1993-1994 Rothberg Yearbook

5 0 I I lliite 8 1 Leisure .. .
Food,Family,
Friends, and Fun
A Weekly Update On The
Coming Of The Moshiach
Sharon Zolondek
Curiosity, the lure of free food,
I'chiams, and sincere interest in
learning about the traditions of
Shabbat found many OYP students
sitting around dinner tables with
Jerusalem families.
These dinners provided students
with experiences unique to Israel,
for secular students were exposed
to different forms of Judaism in a
special Shabbat setting. Many saw
it as a chance to broaden their
horizons and be introduced to
others’ ways of observing Shabbat.
These dinners meant something
different to each of them. Some felt
that these dinners helped rekindled
their Judaism. Others believed
that going to Friday night Shabbat
dinners in Jerusalem gave them a
new-found Jewish identity - and the
food was just like mom’sl Others
felt that it was nice to share a
home cooked meal with a family
rather than spend Friday night
sitting home alone in their room
eating pita and humus.
Whatever the reasons might be for
attending Shabbat dinners, students
acquired a rich knowledge of
the traditions of the orthodox community.
I'chiam !
Religious Activities
Anonymous Contributor
During the course of the !rear, the
Office of Student Activities coordinated
a wide variety of religious
programs designed to meet the
needs of all overseas students. The
activities were run in coqjunctlon
with the Hecht Synagogue, Beit
Hillel, and other bodies associated
with the university.
Throughout the !rear, on- and offcampus
Shabbat programs were
sponsored by the Reform, Conservative,
and Orthodox movements.
Each of these movements held
weekly informal advising sessions,
lending a sympathetic ear to students
who wished to discuss any
topic related to Judaism. The Student
Christian Forum conducted
lectures and offered informal counselling
sessions, trips and holiday
meals for Christian students. The
Hecht Synagogue, the focal point for
religious activities on campus, organlzed
the voluntary and informal
Beit M idrash Study Program.
Students studied with a tutor or in
a small group, as they acquired,
questioned, and developed their
personal Jewish beliefs. The S.A.A.
(Student A liy ah Absorption) Program
matched overseas students
with Israeli student counterparts
for studying in tutorials; they also
joined together in social activities
such as trips and holiday
celebrations.
Many students spent Inspiring
Shabbatot and holidays with famllies
in and around Jerusalem.
Dally prayer services, special lectures,
panel discussions, visits to a
m ikveh and a Torah scribe,
tiyulim , a model seder, were some
of the many programs which rounded
out the full schedule of religious
activities organized for the
students in the One Year Program.