The new Schottenstein Chabad Center building at The Ohio State University in Columbus allowed space for a “record breaking” approximately 1,000 Jewish students to celebrate the High Holy Days under the same roof.
On campus for nearly three decades, the organization began to see growth in participation several years ago, leading to plans for expansion. As OSU Chabad prepares for the grand opening of its new space, Jewish students were welcomed there early to celebrate Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and caught a glimpse into the future of the organization, according to OSU Chabad staff members told the Columbus Jewish news.
“Finally, we moved into our new building,” Sarah Deitsch, director of operations, said. “It’s not yet finished, but we were able to get occupancy for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and we broke records. There were 530 OSU Jewish students here just on the first night of Rosh Hashanah. There’s never been 530 students in a building to celebrate a Jewish holiday in my 29 years here.”
Over the course of the High Holy Days, OSU Chabad saw around 1,000 “unique Jews,” out of about 2,800 total Jewish undergraduates, come for food, services and other festivities, Deitsch added.
“The good food, the warm and inviting atmosphere and students wanting to see the space were all factors that combined to bring in many people,” she said. “There was a beautiful sense of Jewish unity, camaraderie, pride and community.”
Executive director Rabbi Levi Andrusier said young Jews seeking ways to connect with their heritage was another factor that contributed to the uptick of attendance.
“Ever since Oct. 7, 2023, Jewish students feel a greater need to connect with their Jewish roots,” Andrusier said. “There’s more of a push for it.”
Rabbi Zalman Deitsch said the organization is “planning to get all kinds of things going on,” including a recent gathering for students to reflect on how the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack in Israel changed their Jewish journeys.
“As much as everyone’s saying they felt helpless that day, there was something about reconnecting to Judaism and feeling like they needed to be a part of something that some of them didn’t have before,” he said.
That continued need for connection has played a part in raising participation levels at OSU Chabad, Sarah Deitsch added.
“More and more Jews are coming to Chabad House to connect to their Judaism, and now there is space,” she said. “There’s a large synagogue, a large library, a large social hall, classrooms and there will be recreational areas for students to relax and spend time with each other. This building allows for hundreds of Jewish students to come together and feel they have a place to celebrate their Judaism, facilitating the organization’s growth. We’re going to get bigger and better from here.”
Many students go home or to other organizations for the High Holy Days, OSU Chabad “still (has) a lot of work to do to bring (celebrations) to the students who are not coming,” Sarah Deitsch said.
“Chabad is not about being fixed in one location, where students have to come to us,” she said. “We go to them.”
Aside from evening meals and services, organization leaders also went out on campus to blow shofar as a way of exposing more Jewish students to holiday traditions, Andruiser said.
“It was motivating,” he said. “It was beautiful to go out and bring the atmosphere of the holiday to students on their turf.”
As the new building nears full completion, there are still a few pending additions to the space, including an exercising area, pool and gaming tables, guest suites and apartments for students to rent, Andruiser added.
“The building is under the name ‘Geraldine and Jerome Schottenstein,” he said. “They had the vision, but I don’t think they even realized how amazing it was going to be.”