By COLlive reporter
For 18 years, the Shluchim Rabbi Zalman and Nechama Tiechtel have been serving the University of Kansas Jewish student community — fondly known as the Jewhawks.
In March of 2006, they made Lawrence, Kansas, their home, welcoming four Jewish students to join their very first Shabbos dinner in the city. In the years since then, the number of Jewish students at those weekly dinners has grown exponentially.
Chabad at KU has reached thousands of students, developing relationships over four-year periods that last for a lifetime. The Shluchim keep in touch with a network of thousands of alumni and tens of couples began their lives together with a chance meeting at Chabad.
“Each new semester sees hundreds of students come through our doors—because for Jewhawks, Chabad isn’t just a place,” said Rabbi Tiechtel. “It’s a home. A home where they feel embraced, where they feel inspired to live as a proud Jew on campus.”
Now, that embrace is needed more than ever, he said. “Since October 7th, students have found it more challenging than ever to be proudly Jewish on campus. But they’ve also felt the urge to connect with their Jewish sisters and brothers more than ever.”
That heightened sense of connection and community has resulted in overflow crowds on Sunday, September 8, in the small converted duplex on 19th Street that has been the home of KU Chabad for nearly two decades—a home that is small in square feet but big in warmth.
Students can be seen at Chabad at all hours of the day and night, schmoozing, studying, joining Shabbos dinner or a holiday event, or enjoying a warm bowl of chicken soup on a dreary winter afternoon.
But the space simply wasn’t big enough—not to mention the challenges of cooking Shabbat dinner for dozens of students each week in a small, simple residential kitchen.
Eighteen years after they arrived in Lawrence with a dollar and a dream, the Shluchim are now dreaming big — six million dollars big. 10,000 square feet big. Reaching-every-single-Jewhawk big.
They have begun the process of building a much larger Chabad House at the same site, by acquiring the property next door with space to build a large facility to accommodate the growing crowds that converge at Chabad for every event. They are going to great pains to preserve the home-away-from-home feeling that Jewhawks have come to rely upon in the past two decades.
The new Chabad House will be full of features designed to help students truly feel at home. A large lounge area will take center stage, as students will have plenty of space to simply hang out — a place where they can exist as proud Jews, without worrying about being judged for their kippah or Chai necklace. A large dining hall will welcome dozens to Shabbat dinners and will be able to seat overflow crowds of well over 100 for Pesach Seders, High Holiday meals and other large events.
The building will also include a full-blown kitchen, the first commercial kosher kitchen in Lawrence, which will enable the Tiechtels to pump out Shabbos and holiday meals and will also open the door to create additional local kosher food offerings on and off campus.
The new construction began in August of 2024 and is expected to be completed by September of 2025. And to kick it off a special groundbreaking event was held this week on Sunday, Hey Elul.
The weather, seemingly custom-made by Hashem, was perfectly sunny and breezy as crowds began pouring in. The cornerstone was set on a mound of earth for all to see, and the shovels gleamed in the sun. Hard hats adorned with the Chabad logo were placed on tables alongside plaques honoring those who made significant contributions to this project.
Under the tent, the event began with an exhilarating blast—a grand shofar blowing—followed by speeches from KU students. Tyler Burmundo shared, “While I’ve had amazing opportunities at KU, nothing compares to the Jewish community I’ve been blessed with at Chabad.”
Aly Weinberg spoke movingly about how Chabad provided her comfort, especially in the wake of campus antisemitism following the events of October 7. Shayna Weinstein reflected upon the gift of Leadership that Chabad has given her, while Elie Segal spoke of Chabad’s commitment to the mental health and well-being of every student. Ben Holiday shared his journey with KU Chabad from learning the Alef Bet as child, through his Bar Mitzvah, his years in college and beyond.
Special messages were delivered by the KU Chancellor Dr. Doug Girod, KU Dean Rick Ginsberg, and benefactor Bob Cutler. They each expressed what a momentous occasion this was for all. Head Shluchim of Kansas and Missouri Rabbi Sholom and Blumah Wineberg were present and were honored as well for their over 54 years of Shlichus.
Rabbi Tiechtel thanked the mayor, commissioners, fire chief, and chancellor for their unwavering support. Mrs. Tiechtel joined on stage, and together they shared memories from the old building and spoke about the inspiration behind their dedication to the Jewish community: The Rebbe.
Excitingly, the inspiring atmosphere at the event led to many additional pledges in the following 24 hours. Students who regularly attend Chabad, along with the local Jewish community and campus faculty, are all eagerly anticipating the completion of this new project. Once finished, the beautiful new building will be a place where everyone feels welcome to express their Jewish pride and deepen their connection to their heritage.
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So amazing! Keep it up Rabbi and Rebbizten Tiechtel!
So beautiful to see chabad expanding!
Go Rabbi and Rebbetzin Tiechtel!!!
Incredible to see Chabad growing at this magnitude. I’ve been a student here at KU for 3 years and I can testify to the great work Chabad is doing here for us students.