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