The first prayer upon waking up begins with “Modeh Ani,” which means “I am grateful.” The day starts by showing gratitude. The importance of constant gratitude is a pillar of Judaism that cannot be understated. On a personal note, I am grateful for my active role in the community and glad to make time for it, from my former positions as chairman at IJAR to a representative at WUJS, EUJS, my local community, and my current position at Chabad On Campus.
After studying Business and Consumer Sciences, I decided to switch and study a political-administrative bachelor, of which I am currently in the final year. Attending university as a part of a minority based on identity or nationality directly pushes you to become more active in consciously shaping your Jewishness.
There is an increasing trend of “us versus them” at universities, and it is unthinkable to wait for another incident before taking action. Therefore, it is crucial that instead of being led by fear, we stand up for ourselves by showing our presence.
A fundamental aspect of Judaism is the communal way of life that promotes peace, creativity, kindness and generosity. For this, the community is the key to creating cohesion and an atmosphere that encourages solidarity, education and tolerance.
There have been many instances where I have met students who have never interacted with fellow Jewish students and thus never participated in the community. That is precisely why a national community is so vital to get in touch with each other throughout the Netherlands.
Chabad on Campus reinforces this sense of community at the national level by creating a Virtual Forum. This way, you have all the advantages of a community: advice, exchange opinions, network and support each other. All done online, and completely anonymously, making sure you can express anything you want. Have a look yourself!
That said, my work at Chabad On Campus is indeed focused on centralizing the sense of community online. Although this means that I am mainly active behind my laptop, I can’t wait to see you at one of the many events and have a chat!
