The Brown & White

Of the 4,856 undergraduate students at Lehigh this year about 600 are Jewish, according to Hillel's Web site. But facilities near Lehigh where students can practice Judaism are limited.

Aside from the Congregation B'rith Sholom, the one synagogue in Bethlehem, students' only options for the High Holy Days in previous years were to go home or attend services at Hillel, the student-run Jewish organization.

Last fall, however, Bethlehem resident Rabbi Zalman Greenberg and his wife Dit opened another door- their home- to the Lehigh Jewish community. For the past year, the couple has shared the responsibility of directing the first Chabad house, located at 727 Evans St., for the Lehigh campus.

The emergence of Chabad at Lehigh came from requests from parents, staff and students to Rabbi Yaacov Halperin of the Lehigh Valley Chabad center.

The Chabad houses offer Jewish students a place to pray, learn and socialize.

Greenberg said students and community members have expressed enthusiasm for the center.

"Everyone we have come into contact with has showed their support and excitement for what we do for the students at Lehigh," Greenberg said. "The student response has been overwhelming and way beyond our wildest expectations. It's absolutely remarkable."

Greenberg said his door is open to anyone in the community who wants to participate. He and his wife plan a range of weekly events, but the rabbi said most of their time and energy is spent on Friday night Shabbat services.

"We offer a beautiful and thought-provoking Shabbat service and discussion each week," Greenberg said. "It's a relaxing atmosphere where students can share stories and eat kosher food after a week of studying."

The Chabad house also provides a one-on-one study program on topics in Judaism from basic Jewishness, to intermediate sessions on Talmud, to the more advanced level of Hassidic philosophy.

Chabad offers other programs including group study meetings at local coffee shops, faculty and staff study sessions, barbecues and recreational trips. This year, Greenberg is planning a Shabbaton, or retreat focused on Shabbat, to New York City, where Lehigh students will meet with Chabad groups from other universities in the Northeast.

"We focus a lot on the feedback we get from students and base the schedule on what they want," Greenberg said. "The goal is to open the gates of everything Judaism has to offer in a mindful, joyful and meaningful way in an exciting and fun environment."

Last year, Greenberg and his family came to Lehigh to direct the Chabad house.

Greenberg said he has been to many Chabad houses across the U.S. and abroad.

"That's part of what we do as student rabbis," Greenberg said. "We travel to different Chabads to help the rabbis bring the Jewishness out in areas with small Jewish communities."

Today, 4,000 rabbis and their families are full-time directors of the more than 3,300 Chabad houses worldwide, 130 of which are on college campuses.

While the Lehigh Hillel Society and Chabad house both offer similar services to students, they remain independent of one another. Some students affiliate themselves with one or the other while others divide their time between the two.

Elana Nack, '10, vice president of Hillel, said she helps set up Hillel's Shabbat services and dinners every week, stays for about an hour and then goes to Chabad's services.

"Hillel is more reform/conservative and Chabad is geared in an orthodox manner, so it's more religious," Nack said. "Chabad is also run by a couple and out of their house, so it has a homier atmosphere."

However, students who are reform or conservative Jews also feel comfortable at the rabbi's home.

Chad Goldman, '11, who identifies himself as a reform Jew, said he has been to many events at Chabad in the past year.

"It's a very relaxed atmosphere where you can come whenever you want, and [Rabbi Greenberg] doesn't make you feel guilty if you miss a week of services," Goldman said. "All my friends go, the rabbi always asks about our week and we have group discussions. The food is spectacular too; Dit cooks like no other."

Still, other students have found their comfort zone at Hillel, which is located on Summit Street.

"As a freshman, I was a little wary to go so far off campus, and now I know more people at Hillel anyway," Rachel Fieman, '12, said.

Ben Weiner, '12, shared similar sentiments.

"I have a lot of friends at Hillel, so it helps with the comfort level," Weiner said. "I probably won't go to Chabad; I've found my place at Hillel."

Lauren Bloch, '10, said she has not been to Chabad yet, but might attend an event in the future.

"I'm very reform and, to be honest, [Chabad] intimidates me," Bloch said. "I hear the food is really good though, so I'll probably go eventually."

Greenberg thinks the combination of Hillel and Chabad will have a positive impact on Lehigh's Jewish community.

"When it comes to comparing two Jewish organizations, the best thing is to find the common ground between them, so it can enable them to do better and to find better initiatives for the students," Greenberg said.

Both Hillel and Chabad held Friday evening and Saturday morning services for Rosh Hashanah last weekend, and they plan to host services and a break the fast dinner for Yom Kippur next week.

"I want to take the opportunity to convey to students that this is a special time in the Jewish calendar when Jewish students around the world can seek a common ground and way to enhance their Jewish life," Greenberg said. "We can see what we can do in our own lives to rectify things done in the past and look for ways to better our lives and our friends' lives in the future."