W
elcome. We are
thrilled for you to be
starting your MSU
journey. Imagine the scenario:
It’s Friday afternoon, classes
are over, the streets are buzzing,
and the corner of
Albert and Abbot
is already starting
to heat up with
foot traffic. All the
Spartans know that
feeling. It’s electric;
excitement is in
the air.
As the clock
ticks closer to Shabbat, texts start
streaming in: “Hey, I’ll see you at
Chabad tonight!” “What time is
Shabbat dinner?” “Yo, I heard it’s
Chinese food tonight,
” “I’m going
to be 10 minutes late tonight,
save me a seat!”
Finally, it’s 7 p.m., and as
people file in to 115 Albert St.,
the sounds from Harper’s, East
Lansing’s biggest bar, right next
door, are temporarily drowned
out amongst collective laughter,
Shabbat Shaloms, a song or two
and the occasional “Hey, can you
pass the chicken?”
The atmosphere is cozy, like
the warm challah in the center
of the tables surrounded on all
sides with students. We raise
our glasses for Kiddush, taking
a glance around the room at the
unique collection of people that
have become a kind of family. We
eat; we shmooze, and only then
can we go on with the rest of
our nights, having already made
some of our most cherished
memories …
Michigan State has more than
50,000 students. It is imperative
that you find ways to make a big
school feel small. Among many
organizations and institutions, I
have found Chabad to be a real
“home” base for my friends and
me throughout the years, and I
am sure you will, too.
It is a place where we reunite
after a long week of obligations
and commitments to unwind,
catch up and just be together. At
this time in our generation, it
is more important than ever to
have your community around
you. You will come to realize, as
I did my freshman year during
COVID, that Chabad will contin-
ue to support our Jewish students
and always finds a way to keep
their doors open under any con-
ditions.
What sets our Jewish com-
munities on campus apart from
other organizations is that all you
have to do to be involved is to be
you. That is why Chabad and the
MSU Jewish community at large
is such a beautifully immersive
environment.
There are no prerequisites,
applications or interviews to
get in, no singular field of study
required. It is where everyone has
different interests, majors, back-
grounds, and yet are all together,
united by a shared purpose.
The diversity of students you
will find throughout the com-
munity and their involvement on
campus is incredible. From pre-
med and pre-law, to engineering,
arts, athletics, business, hospital-
ity, Greek life, student govern-
ment, in/out of state, internation-
als … the list goes on.
Once familiar with the setting
and the famed Shabbat dinners
with friends, consider taking
advantage of so many other
perks that being involved in the
community offers — trips all over
the world, notably Dubai, New
York, D.C. and Israel; stipend
classes on spirituality, ethics and
happiness; holiday celebrations
like Purim and Passover; Mega
Shabbat with more than 300
students and families, hosted at
Spartan Stadium; more food!
Join one of the clubs hosted
through Chabad, such as the
Nice Jewish Girls Club, P
.A.C.T,
or the (secret) Saturday Services
and Kiddush (I hear whoever
made the cholent did a fantastic
job). In our community,
here at MSU, there is endless
opportunity for friendship,
leadership and growth. All you
have to do is Reply ‘Shabbat’ to
+1 (517) 300-2330 to RSVP!
Go Green, good luck and
l’
chaim! @
Andrew Schulman is the Chabad
co-president and cholent chef, 2022-2024.
Dear Incoming
Jewish Spartan
for college students
by college students
Andrew
Schulman
jewish@edu
writer
Students get ready to
enjoy a Shabbat dinner
with MSU Chabad.
74 | MAY 23 • 2024