I just got back from Israel. We visited Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheva and I received an honorary degree from Ben Gurion. Then we went down to Sede Baker in the desert where BGU has a desert research institute. We visited Ben Gurion’s grave, which is stunning because it overlooks the Zin valley and I mentioned him in my speech at BGU - because before BGU was built, he was quoted as saying that we will build Oxford on the Zin, so he actually referred to Oxford as the vision for BGU. He visited Oxford often and was apparently a very great devotee of Blackwell’s – he would buy up Blackwell’s every time he came to Oxford.
How does the work of Chabad at Oxford University align with the mission and goals of the University?
At the heart of the mission of the university is the furtherance and preservation of knowledge through research and teaching and of course intrinsic to that is an encouragement and enhancement of tolerance and understanding of peoples and societies. Chabad very much helps the university in that goal. It provides a warm and welcoming environment for students from the Jewish faith from all parts in the world. They know that at Chabad House there is a welcoming and supportive group.
How does the presence of Chabad on campus impact students and faculty?
It does so by providing a welcoming environment. Each of our students connects with the University through their college, through their faculty and, in many cases, through their faith and Chabad allows for students of the Jewish faith to come together to experience that warm family feeling that Chabad activities bring, an experience that I have had delightfully myself on several occasions, as an invitee to the Chabad dinners, which I have enjoyed enormously. My own family is 3,000 miles away, my children live in America and so to go to the Chabad dinner and get that sense of slightly but wonderfully chaotic, sense of family dinners, and family conversations, with children running around, laughter, serious conversation, and song was something that I enjoyed enormously.
What does Chabad bring to the students at Oxford University?
It brings that sense of fellowship and support in what can be a large and sometimes an impersonal world. In Oxford we try very hard to support our students in many ways, in their college, in their department, and, for students of faith, to provide a place where they can connect to other students, other people of the same faith - Chabad does that in a very, very effective way.
What would you say stands out about Chabad?
I think many things: but particularly that sense of community, that sense of belonging that I can very much see among the students, the faculty and the staff who participate in the Chabad dinners that I was present at. Community friendship and fellowship is a very special and precious thing. Within Oxford we are a very international university, we have students coming from over the world, and it was rather wonderful at the Chabad dinner to see Jewish students from all over the world, from America, from South America, yes from Israel but from other parts of Europe and the Middle East all in one place, under one roof, eating food together, breaking bread together, having conversation, some of it animated and forceful, that’s ok, that’s very much what community is meant to be about.
How do students respond to Chabad?
I think they respond very well and I’m delighted to see this in our students who are coming to Oxford and often facing those challenges that arrival in a new University and sometimes in a new country bring. Oxford is not an easy place academically, so there is often intense academic work and examinations and other thesis writing to be done, and I think students respond very positively to what Chabad does, which is to provide an oasis, a place of calm, to see family, community, and receive faith support within Oxford.
What would you say to a university administrative board about starting Chabad on their campus?
I would encourage all universities to be open and be receptive to Chabad. Here in Oxford I have certainly seen Chabad playing a very important role in providing that faith based support to students of the Jewish faith who often come from many different parts of the world and they see similarity; they see people of a common faith, who can provide support in a sometimes impersonal and demanding world.