October 2017
OU-JLIC Campus Happenings 
  OU-JLIC is a program of the Orthodox Union in partnership with Hillel
OU-JLIC 
A POSITIVE, SOPHISTICATED, AND WELCOMING FACE FOR JUDAISM ON CAMPUS
MEET THE COUPLE-
YALE UNIVERSITY
 Rabbi Maciej Mati Pawlak and Karolina Hadassah Buchwald-Pawlak  began their position as the OU-JLIC couple at Yale University this Fall after spending 11 years of service in the Jewish community in Warsaw, Poland. 
Rabbi Mati Pawlak , the first native Pole to serve as a rabbi in Poland since the fall of communism, received his Semicha from RIETS. Rabbi Mati along with his wife Hadassah returned to Poland in 2006 where they were deeply involved in Jewish education and community work. Rav Mati worked as the Director of The Ronald S. Lauder Foundation in Poland and as a Principal of The Lauder-Morasha Schools and Kindergarten in Warsaw. Rav Mati and his wife Hadassah were co-founders of the Lauder e-learning schools that provide Jewish and Hebrew education for Jewish children from all over Poland. Rabbi Pawlak was a long-time assistant of Poland’s Chief Rabbi, Michael Schudrich and was also a rabbi in the Nożyk Synagogue. Rabbi Pawlak is one of the founding members of the Polish Rabbinate.
Karolina Hadassah Buchwald-Pawlak – is a psychologist and Jewish studies educator. A graduate of two majors at Lander College for Women – Touro College in New York – Jewish studies and psychology. Hadassah completed the Honors track of Jewish Studies at Lander College and graduated with honors. She also received the Moses & Hannah Hoenig Judaic Studies Award for outstanding educational achievements within Jewish studies at Touro College. She is also a graduate of the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Warsaw, which she also completed with honors. Hadassah grew up in Israel, proudly served in the Israeli Defense Forces and for many years volunteered in Magen David Adom in Israel as an EMT. Before her studies in the US, she worked for the Israeli Ministry of Defence as the assistant of the Military and Defence Attaché. During Hadassah’s time in Poland, she was actively engaged in the revival of Jewish life in Poland. She worked for The Ronald S. Lauder Foundation and was one of the leaders of The Lauder-Morasha Schools, Kindergarten and Lauder Summer Jewish Educational Camps. She is a member of Eishet Chayil a project of the Rabbinerseminar zu Berlin in Germany for Rebbetzins.
Rabbi Mati and Hadassah Pawlak reside in New Haven with their two daughters, Doreen and Yarden .
LAUNCHING OF YAVNEH:
A NEW STUDENT LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE
      
  Integrated with OU-JLIC, Yavneh is the umbrella for NextGen's student leadership programs.  Yavneh seeks to build Jewish student leadership and strengthen Jewish experiences on campus. The main focus since launching in May has been recruiting for the Yavneh on Campus Fellowship Yavneh's fellowship has selected 62 passionate students from 35 different campuses across North America and provides them with a rigorous leadership development program, Shabbatonim, Israel experience, and guidance in creating projects that directly impact their campus communities.   "Religious college students are filled with creativity, commitment and inspiration; Yavneh is all about giving them the support and framework to flourish and impact the world around them," said Rabbi Jonathan Shulman, Director of Yavneh on Campus. Driven by this belief, Yavneh ultimately seeks to build a grassroots movement of Jewish college students that will blossom into a national network with programming and institutionalized leadership.
Additionally, Yavneh encompasses several other leadership programs. Yavneh's Heart2Heart program mentors students to engage unaffiliated Jews through hosting Shabbat dinners, and engaged 913 students across 26 campuses last year. The Ta Shma and Chabura project learning programs allow students to participate in shiurim and learning programs ranging from 5 minutes to an hour. Since launching this subprogram at the end of August, over 300 students have already been a consistent part of the learning initiative.   "It's really exciting to see all these projects under one umbrella which can harness the collective energy of a generation of Jewish college students", said Hart Levine, a Yavneh staff member who has been working on these projects for a number of years. As Yavneh continues to grow, we are very excited to see these programs expand, to mentor students, and to take on new projects to allow more students to pursue their passions.
PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS 
2-MINUTE TORAH AT BINGHAMTON

Learn a passage from Rav Kook on Tefillah with Rabbi Akiva Dovid Weiss, OU-JLIC Torah Educator at Binghamton University .

 
SUKKOT ON THE ARTS QUAD
 The Cornell Hillel proposed a challenge to students in the school of architecture to build an innovative sukkah in accordance with Halacha. Rabbi Daniel Kasdan , OU-JLIC Torah educator at Cornell, served as the Halachic advisor for the project which began in August. Click here to watch videos about the project.
A TORAH STUDY BREAK
Students at Brandeis made time for Torah learning during midterms at the Tikkun Leil Hoshana Rabbah . The program featured 5 chaburot by students, shiurim by OU-JLIC educators Rabbi Isaac and Tal Attia, and chevruta learning. The learning was in memory of Rabbi Reuven Cohn, a"h, a beloved teacher at Maimonides who passed away last month.
ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT WOMEN'S TORAH LEARNING AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH?


Consider sponsoring a class, a day of learning, or the entire week of learning at the third annual
OU-JLIC WOMEN'S WINTER BEIT MIDRASH IN JERUSALEM.
Click here to find out more about the program.

Sponsorship Opportunities*
Sponsor a Shiur: $100
Sponsor Half a Day of Learning: $ 250
Sponsor a Full Day of Learning: $500
Sponsor the Entire Week of Learning: $2500
*Sponsorships can be given in memory of a loved one and their names will be included on the program schedule
Email us at jlic@ou.org regarding these sponsorship opportunities.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Devorah Balakhaneh is a founding member and alumnus of OU-JLIC SMC and OU-JLIC at CSUN. She grew up in Beverly Hills and attended YULA Girls High School. After highschool she spent a year at Sha’alvim for Women. Devorah works at a residential real estate firm in Los Angeles.
 
You were a founding member both of OU-JLIC at SMC and of OU-JLIC at CSUN. Can you explain what each of these programs add to the campus experience for Orthodox students?
Attending secular college after over 12 years of Yeshiva day school plus a year of yeshiva/midrasha could be very daunting. As Orthodox Jews in secular college, we are told to stay away from certain crowds, are faced with uncomfortable situations, and sometimes need to filter certain lectures. To some, college can be a lonely place, where the goal of each day is solely to attend class and “survive”. OU-JLIC makes college a place where students can thrive and grow as Bnei and Bnot Torah. I speak for myself and many other students when I say that I am a more sophisticated, learned, and strong Jew four months post-graduation than I was as a fresh seminary alum, mostly due to the fact that I was involved with OU-JLIC... Students get to hear and learn from JLIC educators, who are not only Talmidei/Talmidot Chachaimim/ot, but are also college-educated and well-rounded role models...It was and is comforting to know that there is a couple who focuses on providing positive programming for students, and is a listening ear should students need any help or guidance throughout our college career and beyond.

What was your involvement with OU-JLIC at SMC and at CSUN?
I met with both couples early on in the foundational process to discuss potential programming, kickoff events, creating a board, recruiting, and marketing. I was the first president of OU-JLIC at SMC. In fact, the first ever kickoff event was in my backyard. I took full advantage of the learning opportunities, and had a weekly chavruta with Orit Faguet. I attended weekly classes, helped plan chaburahs, and assisted in organizing social events. I still continue to actively recruit new students and attend weekly classes.

Do you still maintain a connection with the Faguets or Bornsteins?
I maintain a very close connection with the Faguets. I’m in touch with either Rabbi Nick or Orit for halachic queries, life advice, book recommendations, and many things in between. The Faguets are very responsive when it comes to addressing a need within the campus community...
  Rabbi Bryan and Sondra are always available to give halachic advice and are very warm people. Rabbi Bryan leads a widely-attended weekly mishmar for students who are in college in the Valley... I love how I can call him from anything relating to a hashkafic issues to anti-missionary topics. A couple of months ago, there was a Jews vs. Jews for Jesus debate in the community. I made a quick phone call to Rabbi Bryan about participating in the event, and he agreed to get involved in a heartbeat.

What made you decide to choose a profession in the field of business and specifically real estate?
My father is an entrepreneur, and inspired me to get involved in business from a young age. I’ve always loved buying and selling merchandise, whether it was for my school magazine drive or selling lemonade on the corner during the summer. I was also always the little girl who wandered in and out of open houses on Sundays, and got excited when there was a new house being built on my block. The combination of these two passions led me to residential real estate. I will be starting a job with Jonathan Nash and Stephen Resnick of Hilton & Hyland this week.

Anything else you would like to add?
I want to extend my Hakarat Hatov to Rabbi and Sharona Kaplan for expanding the program in California. Thank you for helping make a potentially difficult time into a fulfilling one. Thank you for providing us with not only inspiration, but also education. I don’t think I’d be the Jew I am today without the guidance and warmth of the Faguets and the Borensteins.




OU-JLIC
11 Broadway
New York, NY 10004
Email: jlic@ou.org
 Website: www.oujlic.org

OU-JLIC is a program of the Orthodox Union in partnership with Hillel