The popular Shabbat 200 dinner will be held on Friday, Nov. 10, as an educational, cultural and social experience that Colorado State University students are sure to remember. This year, students can expect to enjoy a kosher meal together and hear from special guest and world champion boxer Yuri Foreman.
Foreman was born in Russia and immigrated to Israel at age 9. He took up boxing after being targeted by anti-semitic bullies and fought competitively, winning three national championships. Soon after, Foreman received his rabbinical degree. After moving to New York, Foreman launched his professional boxing career, leading him to become the first ordained orthodox Rabbi who is a world champion boxer and a two-time winner of the World Boxing Association super-welterweight title.
“Boxing is sometimes spiritual in its own way,” Foreman says. “You have physical and mental challenges in boxing, just like you have challenges in exploring the different levels of Judaism.”
Four courses
Students will have a four-course dinner that will be prepared in a specially koshered LSC kitchen, showcasing some of the delicious traditional Jewish foods. The Chabad Jewish Student Organization is encouraging students who don’t identify with Judaism to attend and educate themselves about the faith, especially in light of recent anti-semitic incidents at CSU.
“The purpose of the dinner is an opportunity to showcase the beautiful cultural and educational aspects of Judaism,” said Rabbi Yerachmiel Gorelik, Chabad’s faculty advisor and a faculty adjunct in the CSU Department of Philosophy. “It involves traditions, food, atmosphere, community and unity.”
Pioneered by the Chabad Jewish Organization at SUNY Binghamton two decades ago, the dinner aims to unite a diverse group of students in a meaningful experience by providing the Chabad Shabbat dinner experience to a broader audience. Today, hundreds of colleges across the nation host annual Shabbats. Students who attend will leave with a better understanding of what Shabbat means to the Jewish community and the importance of the event in Jewish history.
Traditions
“The best part of the night itself must be seeing everyone’s responses to the traditions we display throughout the night,” said Mathew Mehrian, president of the Chabad Jewish Student Organization at CSU. “For some it is a very new learning experience; for others, it is a reminder of the customs they used to follow back home with their family.”
The dinner will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 10, in the Lory Student Center North Ballroom. All are welcome, but an RSVP is required at www.JewishCSU.com/Shabbat200. For more information, questions can be directed to 720-207-3222 or info@JewishCSU.com.
