Campus Update: Miami University of Ohio

By Alex Howie

Miami University may seem like a surprising choice to receive a KOACH Campus Enrichment Grant. "Jewish" isn’t exactly the first thing you think of when you hear Miami University. Actually, the first thing people usually think of is "oh, it would be cool to go to school near the beach…." But Miami University isn’t on the beach, or even in Florida. It’s in southwestern Ohio and we became a college before Florida was even a state! We also have the best hockey team in the country. That’s about as far as our bragging rights go, but we do also have a Jewish community that may be something to be reckoned with in the future.

Small but growing may be the best way to describe it. The enthusiasm for Judaism on campus has grown over the past year, as can be seen through the increased attendance at Hillel services and programming. This year proves to be another step in the right direction and the KOACH Grant is sure to help.

The grant is going to be used to start a bi-monthly dinner program aimed at providing insights into Jewish texts and traditions. The main focus of the class and discussion will be Shabbat and prayer. The class is open to all Jewish students on campus, and we have a core group that will be regularly attending the programs, learning the Shabbat prayers, and helping our campus rabbi, Rabbi Rachel Gartner, and students to lead the services.

We are fully expecting the program to leave our Jewish community in a better place than it currently is. In addition to educating the Jewish student body about the meaning of prayers both in a traditional and modern context, we hope that the programs will generate discussion and critical thinking about Judaism, thereby creating a stronger connection to our heritage. This will also lead to a more energized and vibrant Friday night experience for all students at Hillel. And maybe, just maybe, one wintery Friday night we will have more Jews at Hillel than at the hockey game down the street.

Thank you to KOACH and the USCJ for all of their support of our efforts on campus!

[Posted 9/8/10]