DETROIT
JEWISH NEWS
JN
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for freshman to
by Stephanie Steinberg
W bile attending Friday night services, light-
ing the menorah during Chanukah and
keeping Passover may be standard Jewish
traditions, participating in these rituals now becomes
an option for graduating seniors starting college next
fall. Along with newly found college freedoms, incom-
ing freshmen must decide how they will maintain their
Jewish identity.
Nikki Horn, 19, of West Bloomfield and Shayna
Goodman, 19, of Farmington Hills were freshmen at
the University of Michigan this year. Horn and Good-
man met while they were members of B'nai B'rith
Youth Organization. Before heading off to college, they
decided to room together because they both wanted to
have a Jewish roommate.
"I wanted to be able to put a mezuzah on my door
and live with someone who allowed me to participate in
Jewish rituals," Horn said.
Rabbi Michael Moskowitz of Temple Shir Shalom
in West Bloomfield believes having a Jewish roommate
can make the transition to college life easier.
"Being away from home for the first time and trying
to figure out how to celebrate holidays and how you're
CCJ
udaism has played such a
huge role in my life thus far,
and I would never want to
leave that behind."
going to mark time as a Jew is important," Moskowitz
said. "But if you room with someone who isn't Jewish
and doesn't see this as a priority or value, it can be even
more difficult or awkward."
Sarah Hepner, 18, of Farmington Hills will attend
Western Michigan University this fall. Hepner became
active in the Jewish community her senior year in high
school as B'nai B'rith Girls Regional N'siah. She wants
to have a Jewish roommate.
"With college being such a huge transition in my life,
I want to make sure I go through it with someone who
has grown up with the same morals and beliefs I have,"
Hepner said. Uudaism has played such a huge role in
my life thus far, and I would never want to leave that
behind."
However, rooming with a non-Jew is not a terrible
idea. According to Moskowitz, having a non-Jewish
roommate helps students articulate their values as a Jew.
It is also an opportunity to teach someone else about
Judaism and introduce him/her to new foods, holidays,
and customs.
Besides living with a Jewish roommate, there are
other ways to keep a Jewish identity at college. One way
is to become active in the university's Hillel program.
Horn and Goodman participated in Hillel activities this
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