Dan DaranciangThe Zeta Beta Tau fraternity will soon say hello to a new next-door neighbor as Chabad on Campus moves into its recently purchased location on Forsyth Boulevard. Chabad, a Jewish organization in St. Louis, has been steadily growing since its establishment in 2001 and plans to renovate the apartment building into a new religious center for students.
Over its four years in the area, Chabad has amassed a mailing list of 700 undergraduate students. Rabbi Hershey Novack, the organization’s director and spiritual leader, said they have seen a growth of approximately 30 percent each year.
The new building will help accommodate this increase in numbers and provide an alternative to Chabad’s current meeting locations-Novack’s apartment and venues on the Washington University campus. Chabad plans to have the first floor of the apartment building renovated and running as early as this spring.
“This is a natural outgrowth of the success that we’ve been seeing in our programming over the past several years,” said Novack. “This past Friday night at Shabbat dinner we had 62 guests in our cramped apartment. We’re pleased to be able to keep serving current students and future generations of students in the new center.”
While an apartment building may seem like an odd site for a religious center, Novack said that Chabad selected the 4,400 square foot site for its proximity to campus.
“Just a few steps away from the South 40 and also near other residential housing such as the North Side, it’s an excellent location for a religious center,” he said.
The new location has already received some funding from private donors. The facility will be named for the Rohr Family Foundation. Chabad is halfway through its campaign to raise $750,000, which began in March 2005.
Junior Shanan Cohen, president of the University’s Chabad Student Association, attributes the organization’s growth to students’ desire for a home away from home.
“Mainly on campus, this organization has been more of a home away from home more so than a huge community,” said Cohen. “I think one of the reasons it’s been growing on campus is that when students find that there’s another option that is smaller and more individualized, it makes them feel very comfortable.”
Cohen believes that the organization’s growth will not alter its atmosphere, nor its ability to provide individualized attention.
“A lot students help cook Shabbat dinner on Thursday afternoons. With the growth factor, there might be more people in the kitchen, but you still get the homey atmosphere,” said Cohen.
Junior Rachael Kaplan, president of Jewish Student Union, agreed that Chabad fills certain needs for Jewish students.
“I definitely see a need for this building because Chabad caters to a unique group of students, and in order to meet their needs, they need more space,” said Kaplan. She added, “Hopefully, [the new space] will have a very positive impact the more students. They’ll have more room for the more students they cater to.”
As a national movement, Chabad aims to make Judaism and its practices available to Jews around the world. As Cohen described it, “Chabad itself is an international organization that basically is a support group for Jewish people in general who might not have access to Jewish goods or services.”
Chabad is run as a campus ministry at the University and operates independently of the national Chabad organization, while working within that organization’s framework.
ÿ”I’m excited to be able to bring together Jewish students, some who never had a Bar Mitzvah to some who grew up with keepas and Orthodox,” said Novack. “It’s very special to be able to create an inclusive, welcoming and vibrant community.”
Chabad on Campus will hold an open viewing of the plans for the group’s new space from 1-3 p.m. today at the apartment on Forsyth Blvd. to give students and parents visiting for Parents Weekend a chance to provide input.