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Israeli Orthodox rabbi comes to Rutgers

Home News Tribune Online 11/14/07
STAFF REPORT

RUTGERS — Direct from Israel, a young Orthodox rabbi and his wife have arrived at Rutgers University in New Brunswick to offer Jewish education and spiritual guidance.

Rabbi Yisrael and Shoshana Porath are the new Torah educators of the Orthodox Union’s Heshe and Harriet Seif Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus program, which is in its third year at Rutgers.

“My wife and I love teaching,” the rabbi said. “It’s such a blessing that we can share Torah with the students at Rutgers. It’s more than a job; it’s a mission. And when you see it as a mission, there are no work-hours, it’s all day, every day, and we love it.”

The Poraths have a strong educational background in religious and secular studies. Rabbi Porath, who moved to Israel with his family from Ohio, studied in a yeshiva while in the Israeli army. He holds a B.Ed. in educational counseling and a teaching certificate, and received his rabbinical ordination from a yeshiva in Israel under Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg.

Rabbi Porath has worked for various educational organizations and religious-Zionist institutions and has taught at a women’s yeshiva in Israel for the past two years.

Shoshana Porath is from Queens, N.Y., and moved to Israel after spending a year studying at a women’s yeshiva in Jerusalem. She has a bachelor of arts degree in Jewish biblical studies from Bar-Ilan University, a teaching certificate from Michlelet Herzog, and is a Lindenbaum Educators Fellow. She also has worked for educational organizations and Religious-Zionist institutions.

“Because we are coming from Israel, we’ve had different experiences than those who attended college in the states,” Rabbi Porath said. “But students have commented to us that they appreciate the special Torat Eretz Yisrael — or Torah from the Land of Israel — and Israeli perspective that we’ve brought with us.”

The Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus, where they teach, operates in coordination with Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Student Life and the Torah Mitzion organization to tend to the spiritual needs of the students. Although targeted to young orthodox Jews, it is open to all Jewish students, regardless of level of observance.

Rutgers University is among 15 campuses with Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus. The program is based at Hillel. The couple is part of the Hillel and Orthodox Union staffs.

The program features intensive study of Jewish texts, Sabbath and holiday observance, daily synagogue services, as well as mentoring and good companionship, said Stephen Steiner, spokesman for the New York-based Orthodox Union.

“It is dedicated to the enhancement of Orthodox communities or kehilot on campus,” Steiner said, “by promoting positive growth and identity among Jewish students, therefore serving as one of the incubators of the future of orthodoxy.”

The Poraths said that they already have seen great success with their holiday and learning programs at Rutgers. More than 60 students attended a recent Friday night gathering, where they sang and discussed Torah. About 75 students attended the Simchat Torah program, a holiday which marks the end and beginning of the annual cycle of public Torah reading.

Students also regularly attend the Shabbat Parsha (weekly Torah portion) class, the women’s class, learning partner programs and the daily morning Talmud class before praying.

Shoshana Porath’s women and Bible class has been particularly successful, Steiner said. Students in that class study textual sources and facilitate discussion about Biblical stories and their relevance to students’ everyday lives. Participants’ background in Judaic study ranges from life-long Judaic education to beginners.

On Shabbat, the Poraths attend meals at Hillel or invite students for dinner at their home, where they can meet the Poraths’ 8-month-old daughter, Eliana. The Poraths also host students during the week for various programs and activities.

“Building relationships with the students is our main focus now,” Shoshana Porath said. “We want students to feel comfortable coming to our home for a hot bowl of soup and conversation.”

Because of students’ often overwhelming academic and extracurricular responsibilities, expecting large numbers of participants at weekday activities is unrealistic, the Poraths said. It’s also difficult to determine what subjects appeal to the students.

The Poraths said they understand these challenges and are testing the waters.

“We realize that it’s a tremendous sacrifice for students to give up their personal time to attend another class,” Rabbi Porath said.

The Poraths hope to revive the campus Judaic study hall by increasing the number of students who learn there and increase the number of those who participate in the daily prayer service.

The couple also hopes to invite Jewish educator guest-speakers and create programs to help students interested in immigrating to Israel.

Additional information about Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus is available by visiting http://www.rutgershillel.org