Creating Community

UM-Dearborn students grow their Jewish Student Organization.

By Ami Schwarcz

Dearborn

I

have spent my whole life in a Jewish
environment. I grew up in a very Jewish
area of Oak Park and attended Akiva
Hebrew Day School in Southfield, a
private Modern Orthodox Jewish school,
from kindergarten through high school. So
when it came time to go to college, I chose to
attend the University of Michigan-Dearborn
because it is a smaller university and, like my
high school, would provide a lot of individual
attention.
My first experience outside the Jewish
community was coming to UM-Dearborn. I
quickly made a lot of new friends who were
not Jewish. I must admit that while I had
these newfound friendships, I felt something
was missing and I did not feel a strong sense
of connection to the university.
My new friends seemed to be affiliated
with different organizations on campus hav-
ing to do with their country of origin, their
religion, an ethnicity, athletics — you name
it! There was not an organization on campus

that had to do with MY background.
The only Jewish friend I had at school
approached me in spring 2008 with an idea to
start a Jewish student organization. I thought
this was a fantastic plan and, less than a year
later, the Jewish Student Organization (JSO)
became an officially Registered Student
Organization. The only problem — we had
just four members.
I am thrilled to note our membership has
grown to 30. We have identified many other
new Jewish students on campus as well as
Jewish faculty. I'm proud that the JSO has
helped Jewish students on campus get in touch
with their Jewish heritage. Some of our mem-
bers grew up not identifying much with their
Jewish roots or were unaffiliated, but now they
are very involved with our organization and
continue to learn more about their Judaism.
Our members cherish the biweekly get-
togethers and new friendships forged that
would have never happened without the JSO.
Over the past two years, the JSO had many
successful and enjoyable programs. For the
first time, we participated in the university's

Annual Global Fest
program in which
organizations show-
case their heritage
through food, music
and other cultural
activities. We've
had several very
meaningful Lunch
'n' Learns with rab-
bis from all walks of
Nicole Itkin of West Bloomfield, Aaron Usher of
Judaism that appealed
Royal Oak and Jacinta Jenkins of Detroit at the
Jewish Student Organization table at UM-Dearborn
to Jewish and non-
Jewish students alike.
We have built and
nurtured incredibly strong relationships not
I now feel that sense of connection to the
only with the university administration, but
university I was looking for when I first start-
with Muslim and Arab student groups as
ed here. I am proud we have established a
successful organization for incoming students
well.
— to give them a sense of community. @
Recently, non-Jewish members of the uni-
versity's Student Government attended the
JSO's Shabbat dinner and a Lunch 'n' Learn.
Ami Schwarcz of Oak Park is a fourth-year
student at UM-Dearborn. He is president
The next step on campus is for the JSO to get
involved in the student government by run-
of the school's Jewish Student Organization.
ning for an office.

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November 11 • MO