By Rachel Nisson
Hi I’m Rachel Nisson, I am a sophomore at U of I and I am the current Illini Chabad president. Chabad is a very special place to many students on campus and my main goal of president for Illini Chabad is to get students involved all over campus and make sure they always know Chabad is a safe and welcoming place. These past two months that I have been president have already made me a better person. I have gained leadership skills, self-identity, and I learned what it means to be Jewish.
The leadership board at Chabad is the foundation of Chabad. Rabbi Dovid allows students to take part in planning events and reaching out students because he believes that Chabad is all about the students. Rabbi Dovid, Goldie, and their family truly make Chabad what it is. They put in countless hours to make sure students on campus feel welcomed into their family. Ever since the first time I met Rabbi Dovid he was so welcoming that it made me want to come back every week since for Friday night dinner.
Chabad has become such an important piece of my college career and my life. Attending Shabbat on Friday nights, which I never have done before coming to Chabad, makes Friday nights even better than just being done with school for a few days. Having Chabad as a place to meet other Jewish students has also had a big impact on my college experience, I would never had met some of my friends if it wasn’t for Chabad. I hope that future Illini will get to experience what I have and that Chabad will grow even stronger in the coming years.
Today we recognize the outgoing leadership awards to seniors and recent graduates. These student leaders have made such a big impact on Chabad and we hope they continue to lead even though they are no longer on campus. Here to accept the awards on behalf of outgoing leadership is previous president Rebecca Schraiber.
