CSU Chabad Jewish Student Organization President Sarah Convissar, Vice President Eric Umans, Rabbi Yerachmiel Gorelik, Barry and Donna Goldfarb, and CSU alumnus Michael Lichtbach before Goldfarb’s talk at Shabbat 200, Nov. 9, 2018. Photo by William A. Cotton, CSU Photography.
The annual Shabbat 200 dinner, set for Friday, Nov. 9, will be dedicated to the memories of those lives lost and those injured at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh last weekend, and Colorado State University students and faculty are encouraged to attend to show solidarity with the Jewish community in this challenging time.
“Judaism has always responded to hatred with love, darkness with light, and divisiveness with unity,” said Sarah Convissar, president of Chabad Jewish Student Organization at CSU, which sponsors the dinner.
The Shabbat 200 dinner, featuring a four-course kosher meal, will be served at 7 p.m. in the Lory Student Center main ballroom. Admission is free, and all are welcome, but registration is required at www.JewishCSU.com/Shabbat200 .
“The purpose of the dinner, as always, is to showcase the beautiful cultural and educational aspects of Judaism,” said Rabbi Yerachmiel Gorelik, faculty adjunct in the CSU Department of Philosophy and faculty advisor to Chabad. “It involves traditions, food, atmosphere, community and unity. This year, those values are even more important to share with everyone on the CSU campus, regardless of their background, faith or identity.”
Vigil for Pittsburgh
Tuesday, Oct. 30, 6 p.m.
Lory Student Center, Main Ballroom A
Join the Jewish community at CSU for a vigil in honor of the lives lost and injured in Pittsburgh. We will share prayers, poems, thoughts and unite to bring light, comfort and peace to our world. President Tony Frank and others will be attending.
Hosted by Chabad Jewish Student Organization, Hillel at CSU, AEPi and SAEPi.
Special guests
This year’s guest of honor is CSU President Tony Frank, and guest speaker is CSU alumnus Barry Goldfarb.
Goldfarb was an All-American swimmer who attended CSU in the 1960s as a political science major on a swimming/water polo scholarship. Family circumstances kept him from completing his degree, but after a remarkably successful career in business, he received an honorary doctorate from CSU in 2015.
“I didn’t know any other Jews on campus when I attended,” Goldfarb recalled. “There was no Chabad, no Hillel, no place to connect with my Judaism or others. There wasn’t even a synagogue in Fort Collins. I didn’t feel any anti-Semitism, but my name is Barry Goldfarb, so they probably had an idea.”
Chief among Goldfarb’s philanthropic interests is higher education, and he has given generous support to scholarships and academic support programs for student athletes at CSU. He is a strong supporter of the Anderson Academic Center for student athletes, now housed in Canvas Stadium.
“I believe that only through education can you change yourself, your community, and the world,” he said. “Education challenges your beliefs, makes you question, and promotes dialogue. We must always continue to talk rationally without a rhetoric fueled by prejudice and ignorance. We can never stop hoping, never stop trying, and continue having faith that we can make the world a better place.”
Traditions
This is the 11th Shabbat 200 dinner on the CSU campus; the 200 refers to the number of people they hope to serve each year. The delicious meal is prepared in a specially koshered LSC kitchen, showcasing some traditional Jewish foods.
Hundreds of colleges across the nation host annual Shabbats, not only to introduce those new to Judaism to the culture and traditions, but also to provide Jewish students a chance to share a taste of home with their friends on campus.
The Shabbat 200 dinner is brought to you by Chabad Jewish Student Organization and co-sponsored by ASCSU, Residence Hall Association, Lory Student Center and Coca-Cola Beverage Grant.
Questions? Contact Chabad at info@JewishCSU.com or (720) 980-1038.
