Congregation Beth Israel to Host Scholar-in-Residence Weekend With Rabbi Esther Reed From Rutgers Hillel

Congregation Beth Israel in Scotch Plains will hold a Scholar-In-Residence weekend on Friday evening, December 9 and Saturday morning, December 10 with Rabbi Esther Reed, Senior Associate Director for Jewish Campus Life at Rutgers University Hillel. The program is free and open to the community, with an oneg dessert reception Friday evening and a kiddush luncheon on Saturday.

Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world. Rutgers Hillel serves a diverse Jewish population of approximately 6,000 Jewish undergraduates and more than 1,000 Jewish graduate students. Rabbi Reed has worked at Rutgers Hillel since 2001. A graduate of Bryn Mawr College, Rabbi Reed received both her master’s degree in Jewish Women’s Studies and Rabbinic Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. She is also actively involved with bias prevention education, Interfaith Alliance and Israel-related programming.

Sponsored by Congregation Beth Israel’s Adult Education Committee, the Scholar-in-Residence Weekend begins with Shabbat services Friday evening, December 9, at 7:30 p.m. During Friday night services, Rabbi Reed will discuss the opportunities and challenges that Jewish students face at universities today, including relationships with other groups on campus and anti-Zionist sentiments. She also will talk about Rutgers’ new state-of-the-art Jewish Student Center and will advise high school students and their parents on what to consider about a school’s Jewish life on campus during their college search process.

The Scholar-in-Residence Weekend will continue during Shabbat morning services on Saturday, December 10, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Amidst concern that Jewish students today are under attack for their support of Israel, Rabbi Reed will discuss the anti-Israel tactics such as the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement, Israeli Apartheid Week and protests supporting anti-Zionism that are showcased in the media. Rabbi Reed will offer insights into the stories behind these tactics, with advice on how to combat them.

“While the college experience typically lasts only four years, its influence can often endure for a lifetime,” said Gary Goldner, Chair of Adult Education at Congregation Beth Israel. “A campus that is overtly anti-Zionist, with an active BDS movement, could affect a student’s long-term support for Israel. Conversely, a campus with organizations such as Hillel and Chabad, energetically pursuing outreach to Jewish students, could kindle a life-long commitment to Judaism. Clearly, these are big consequences that the college experience has for the Jewish community. Attend our Scholar-in-Residence sessions to gain greater insight and understanding of what is at stake."

For more information, call the synagogue office at 908-889-1830. Congregation Beth Israel is located at 18 Shalom Way, Scotch Plains, New Jersey (at the corner of Martine Avenue).