Monday, April 08, 2024
Anti-Jewish Hate Couldn’t Stop 2,200 Students at Shabbat Dinner
A mega Shabbat dinner on Friday night served to unify the Jewish community of Binghamton University in New York with a record 2,200 students participating.
The Rohr Chabad Center for Jewish Student Life sponsored the April 5 event, saying that it was the largest gathering of students in one place for a Shabbat dinner.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of a community-wide Shabbat meal that began with 1,000 participants in 1994 and was led by Binghamton co-directors Rabbi Aaron and Rivkah Slonim.
Today, there are 4,000 Jewish students at Binghamton; 1,500 of them are active with Chabad during the school year in one capacity or another.
"There's a very special feeling in the room for those who put their whole heart and soul into making it and for those who experience what may be their once-a-year connection to Judaism," said Goldie Ohana, programming director of Rohr Chabad Center at Binghamton.
"It means everything to me to just spend the night together in unity," said Michal Levine, a junior, who volunteered to help coordinate the event.
It took a collective effort to pull this feat off. Some 235 student volunteers came together to organize, set up and coordinate the Shabbat dinner, which was free and open to all students, faculty and staff.
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