New Brunswick, NJ – The Chabad House at Rutgers University hosted its annual Open House Fall Opener Israeli JCafé this past Tuesday Night, drawing a record-breaking crowd of more than 500 students for an unforgettable evening of community, culture, and Jewish pride. Students from across the United States—and as far away as India, Israel, Panama, and Ukraine—joined in the celebration, reflecting the diversity and vibrancy of Jewish life at Rutgers.
The night provided a warm welcome to incoming freshmen, who were introduced to the Chabad community by members of the Chabad Student Leadership Team.
The JCafé (or more formally Chabad’s Weekly Jerusalem Café) offered a dynamic blend of culture and celebration, featuring an authentic Israeli shawarma station, falafel, Middle Eastern desserts, festive mocktails, a lively photo booth, student giveaways, and an atmosphere charged with energy and warmth. Students also explored a Jewish Involvement Fair, which showcased the many opportunities available to get involved through Chabad House. Tables were set up with student representatives and sign-up sheets, highlighting the wide array of committees and initiatives that make Chabad House the largest and most well-attended student organization at Rutgers University. Some of the featured committees and programs included the Danny Kahane Memorial Sinai Scholars Torah Discovery Program, Hospital Patient Visitations, Nursing Home Resident Visitations, Kosher Meals on Wheels for shut-ins and the elderly, the Shabbat for 1000 Committee, Chabad’s Israel Advocacy Group, the daily services minyan committee, and many others.
Students also reflected on their summer travels, discovering that many of them had visited Chabad Houses around the globe. They were amazed to realize that, from Panama to Israel to Ukraine, they all found a welcoming home away from home—with kosher food, Jewish family warmth, and Shabbat tables that reminded them of the Chabad House at Rutgers.
Rabbi Baruch Goodman, Chabad’s Campus Activities Director, emphasized how these shared experiences reflect the lifelong vision of Chabad’s mission: “It’s a real testament to the countless years of dedication of our executive director and founder of Chabad House, Rabbi Yosef Carlebach, who took the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s dream and brought it into reality here in New Brunswick—creating a space where any Jewish student, regardless of background or observance, can find a welcoming, fun, and non-judgmental home with warm, accepting and inspirational rabbis and rebbetzins.”
