Lecturers Lead Recruitment Tour

By Malca Hyman

Over the last few weeks, some of most talented lecturers of the Mayanot Institute in Jerusalem journeyed abroad, like wellsprings going forth, to deliver a message to college students across the United States and Canada.

Rabbi Shneur Wineberg, Rabbi Meir Levinger, Rabbi Boruch Kaplan and Rabbi Moderchai Guth visited over 50 universities in Mayanot’s largest and most expansive North American tour to encourage students to come to Israel and learn about their heritage.

Faith and Rationality was the lecture title for Rabbi Guth’s talk at Binghamton University. “The students enjoyed it, and even students we wouldn’t have thought would come – signed up to stay in touch for more information,” said Rabbi Levi Slonim of Chabad at Binghamton.

Through formal lectures, informal BBQs and personal one on one meetings, the Mayanot rabbis fostered meaningful relationships with hundreds of young Jewish students who were eager to advance their Jewish education and Jewish experiences to the next level.

Rabbi Shlomo Gestetner, Dean of the Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies, believes that now, more than ever, young Jews are thirsty for a connection to their Judaism. “Students today, in a world that is so focused on subjective reality, yearn for a connection to their objective identity,” he said.

“At Mayanot, with Jerusalem as their classroom, we give students an understanding of their heritage and their real place within the world. We will leave no stone unturned until we are successful in giving every Jewish student a life changing experience,” he added.

“We generated a new excitement amongst the shluchim and students alike on the prospect of taking out time to devote to the yeshiva experience,” said Rabbi Wineberg, the new Director of Admissions.

“I am very pleased to announce that this year we will be hosting our biggest winter and spring semesters since the establishment of Mayanot,” he said.

With the success of their latest trips to North American college campuses, Mayanot believes that the seeds of interest in Torah study have been planted on many college campuses.

The trips, arranged with the guidance of Rabbi Chaim Moss and Mayanot’s Executive Director Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov, were launched in concurrence with the new Chabad on Campus Yeshiva Initiative, which aims to provide more Jewish college students with the opportunity for long term Yeshiva study.

Building on the successes and excitement of these trips, Mayanot plans to expand even further and make these trips annual and even bi-annual events.

For more info visit Mayanot online, and for other learning programs visit Chabad on Campus’s yeshiva web page.