This past Tuesday night, the Chabad House had an overwhelming turnout as Rutgers students warmly celebrated the birthday of Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses). The large, overflow crowd feasted on delicious steak sandwiches, socialized, and heard from Chabad’s guest speaker for the event, the inspirational Rabbi Eliyahu Kaufman, Spiritual Leader of Congregation Ohav Emeth in Highland Park, NJ.
“The event was truly a hit,” noted many students, especially despite the snow, sleet and freezing rain that they had to endure in attending. Rabbi Baruch Goodman, Campus Director of Chabad House, spoke of the need to study the leadership and teachings of our greatest Torah teacher, Moses, and “to attach ourselves to the righteous leaders of today, those who carry on the ideals and values of Moshe Rabbeinu in our generation.”
Rabbi Goodman added that, “the faithful Shepherd of Israel never leaves his flock unattended – and so it is with Moses. He stands firm today as he did 3,320 years ago, guiding us and encouraging his people to be the best Jews they can be, with love and respect for our Creator and each other.
Rabbi Kaufman spoke of the exemplary dedication of Moses to the Jewish people, “defending them to the point of self-sacrifice, where Moshe demands to be erased from the Torah, if G-d does not forgive the Jewish people on account of the sin of the Golden Calf. It’s this kind of unconditional love and appreciation we need to have for one another, especially on the part of our leaders, who inevitably set the pace for all of us.”
Rabbi Baruch Goodman spoke of the inspirational model of Jewish leadership in our generation – the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. Rabbi Kaufman related in his unique and talented way, examples of his world-renowned uncle and mentor, the Halachic authority of this era, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, who forged a renaissance in Jewish life and adherence to Jewish law in the years following the Holocaust.
“The typical Jew on the street today is happy and proud to be Jewish because of the heroic and selfless leadership of the leaders of our generation. We hope that we live up to their expectations, and through our strong and joyous involvement in G-d’s Torah and Mitzvahs, bring them, our families, Moses, and most of all, G-d, much Yiddishe nachas – true Jewish joy,” added Rabbi Goodman. “We look forward to the day – hopefully today – when the Moses of our generation is sent by G-d, thereby fulfilling His Torah promise to redeem us from this dark and difficult exile and bring us to a time of peace, harmony and good health, with the immediate arrival of Moshiach now.”
The Chabad House has events every day and night of the week, and with amazing events such as this one, it is no wonder there are great friendly turnouts.
Joshua E. Schneider, an active member of Chabad’s Daily Minyan and Jewish Community Service Groups, is a Rutgers University Sophomore from the Jersey Shore and is majoring in marketing.
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