Rice University’s Jewish community kicked off the new academic year with an evening of sushi, conversation and connection at Chabad at Rice’s annual Sushi Social, bringing together returning students and newcomers for one of the organization’s first major gatherings of the semester. Hosted by co-directors Rabbi Shmuli and Nechama Slonim, the group welcomed more than 100 students for the popular annual gathering.
The event offered students an opportunity to meet one another, connect with Chabad leaders and learn about the programs and activities planned for the year ahead. For many students, the gathering also represented something more personal: a chance to find community and a place where their Jewish identity could be shared and explored.
“This is the first Chabad event of the year,” said sophomore Alex Ben-Yishai, president of the Chabad board. “It’s really exciting to see everyone, and I feel like everyone’s in a really good mood.”
Ben-Yishai said Chabad provides an important sense of community on a campus where Jewish students can sometimes feel like a smaller group.
“I think the fact that we’re able to have such a strong and close-knit community at a school that might not be the most Jewish school is actually really important,” she said. “I know that I’ve met some of my best friends at Chabad.”
Ari Prezerowitz, a first-year doctoral student who recently arrived at Rice from Belgium, said Chabad offers an inviting place to share culture and traditions.
“It’s a place where you meet people and you have a common thing all together,” Prezerowitz said. “The rabbi is very welcoming. You directly feel that you are at a good place.”
For sophomore Sebastian Tirschwell, the organization provides a welcoming environment that helps students feel more at home.
Tirschwell said having access to Chabad is especially meaningful because of the relatively small number of Jewish students and resources available to them.
“It definitely makes me feel more at home as a Jew,” he said. “Having access to a place like this, with people you can come to if you need things, is really important.”
For sophomore Ria Chauhan, Chabad provides a unique space for Jewish students to explore their identities, beliefs and relationship with Judaism.
“I think it provides a really lovely and unique avenue for Jewish students at Rice to explore community and to have a place where they can go and express themselves in a way that is true and unique to them,” Chauhan said.
Chauhan said the community is there for students not only during moments of celebration but also during periods of uncertainty or hardship.
“It gives them leadership and community and people who will allow them to express those opinions freely and work through them in a way that is very exceptionally inviting,” she said.
The Sushi Social also set the stage for a busy year of Chabad programming. Students heard about upcoming Shabbat dinners, Rosh Hashanah celebrations, Jewish University courses and social events organized by the student board.
Ben-Yishai said student involvement will be a major focus for the organization this year, including opportunities for students to help plan events and spread the word about Chabad’s activities.
“There’s always a place for Jewish students to go where they’re always welcome and should always feel included,” she said.
The evening also served as a preview of an important milestone for Rice’s Jewish community: the groundbreaking of a new Chabad Jewish Student Center. Shmuli Slonim announced that the three-story, 16,000-square-foot center will provide a future home for Chabad near campus.