Navigating Jewish Life at DePaul University: A Landscape of Community, Dialogue, and Support
DePaul University, rooted in Vincentian values, strives to cultivate a welcoming and inclusive environment for all its students. This commitment extends to its Jewish student population, fostering a multifaceted Jewish life on campus through various organizations, programs, and dedicated staff. This article explores the diverse facets of Jewish student life at DePaul, highlighting the opportunities for religious expression, community building, and interfaith dialogue, while also acknowledging the challenges and ongoing efforts to combat antisemitism.
A Network of Jewish Organizations and Resources
DePaul University offers a rich tapestry of Jewish organizations catering to a wide range of interests and affiliations. These groups provide students with spaces to connect with their Jewish identity, celebrate holidays, engage in social justice initiatives, and find support within the community.
DePaul Hillel: As the center for Jewish life for college students at many Chicago-based schools, Metro Chicago Hillel extends its welcoming environment to DePaul. It strengthens the Jewish community and creates a welcoming environment for every student to embrace Jewish traditions while exploring their own Jewish identity. Metro Chicago Hillel hosts kosher Shabbat dinners on at least one of its campuses every Friday night.
Chabad Jewish Student Club at DePaul: Chabad offers a warm and inclusive space for Jewish students of all backgrounds to connect with their heritage through social, educational, and spiritual programs.
DePaul Jewish Life Office: This office, part of the Office of Religious Diversity and Pastoral Care, is dedicated to supporting the diverse needs of the Jewish community at DePaul. It offers pastoral care, study opportunities, and student groups. Kayla Schneider-Smith, the Jewish Life Chaplain and assistant director of Religious Diversity and Pastoral Care, focuses on Jewish life and interfaith dialogue. She provides emotional and spiritual support to Jewish students, faculty, and staff, supervises Jewish Faith-in-Action Scholars, and plans events to enhance the Jewish community on campus.
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Kehilla קהילה: This pluralistic, progressive, on-campus Jewish community offers a variety of opportunities for holiday observance and creative engagement with Judaism.
In addition to these specific Jewish organizations, DePaul also hosts other faith-based and service-oriented groups that may attract Jewish students, such as the Catholic Student Union, Cru DePaul, DePaul Orthodox Christian Fellowship, Meet Me at the Mission, Tepeyac, United Muslims Moving Ahead, and Vincentians in Action.
Programming and Events: Celebrating Jewish Culture and Identity
DePaul's Jewish organizations and the Jewish Life Office offer a diverse array of programming throughout the year, designed to engage students with Jewish culture, traditions, and values.
- Holiday Celebrations: The community plans an array of celebrations for Jewish holidays.
- Social Events: The community provides various social events.
- Learning Opportunities: The community provides various learning opportunities on campus, including Hebrew Letters Lunch and Learn, Donut Mondays in the Jewish Life Center, Movie Nights and Finals Feasts, and special Shabbats such as the annual Pride Shabbat and Unity Shabbat.
The Jewish Life Office also works to foster interfaith dialogue and understanding on campus. By creating opportunities for students from different backgrounds to connect and learn from one another, DePaul aims to build a more empathetic and inclusive community. Examples of this include the interfaith evening of dance performance, art and storytelling, "In To Light," to explore different interpretations of the interplay between light and darkness in faith communities.
Addressing Antisemitism and Ensuring a Safe Campus Climate
DePaul University unequivocally condemns all forms of hatred, including antisemitism, and is committed to ensuring a safe and welcoming space for every member of its community. Recent events, however, have highlighted the need for ongoing vigilance and proactive measures to address antisemitism on campus.
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The SGA vice president and president led a discussion regarding antisemitism at DePaul during an SGA meeting. An anonymous student's letter illustrated the climate of intolerance, one that not only lessened their individual ability to thrive but one that threatens the broader Jewish community. The letter rightly states that antisemitism is not a partisan issue and focused on this anonymous student’s personal experience on campus, as well as their desire to fight against antisemitism that was dampened by the campus climate.
Following these concerns, the DePaul Student Government Association (SGA) issued a statement strongly condemning the continued, systemic, and dramatic escalation of anti-Jewish acts and rhetoric, including incidents of antisemitism on campus. The university administration has also taken steps to address the issue. The President gave a statement expressing hope to the Jewish community that moving forward, DePaul will recognize and speak up against antisemitism in all of its forms. The President noted that conversations are happening across the university from the Jewish life coordinator to the Joint Council, which includes all the deans and administrative leadership. Anyone who has been the subject of-or has witnessed or is aware of-discrimination, harassment, or retaliation is urged to make the university aware as soon as possible.
These statements and actions represent important steps towards creating a more supportive and inclusive environment for Jewish students at DePaul and transforming DePaul into a radically welcoming space, in the spirit of St. Vincent. The university is working closely with external partners in the Jewish community to address any concerns and implement their recommendations.
Challenges and Perspectives: Navigating Complex Issues
Despite the efforts to foster a welcoming environment, Jewish students at DePaul, like their counterparts at other universities, face challenges related to antisemitism and the complexities surrounding discussions of Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Some Jewish students have expressed concerns about the campus climate, particularly in the wake of the October 7th attacks and the subsequent conflict in Gaza. Concerns include professors handing out readings which described “Jews and Muslim as being demonic” and another professor teaching about cultural Marxism, which is “an antisemitic conspiracy theory that says that Jews are subverted to Western culture". The encampment was a time of isolation, fear and loneliness for some Jewish students for whom Zionism is a large part of their Jewish identity.
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These experiences highlight the importance of fostering open and respectful dialogue on campus. DePaul provides students with accurate information, expert insights, diverse perspectives, and resources that students need to engage in meaningful conversations on campus.
The Role of Interfaith Dialogue and Understanding
Interfaith dialogue plays a crucial role in fostering a more inclusive and understanding campus environment. By bringing together students from different religious and cultural backgrounds, DePaul aims to break down stereotypes, promote empathy, and build bridges between communities.
Schneider-Smith hopes that students, faculty, and staff will feel welcome to express themselves and get the guidance and support they need, no matter where they may be in their religious/spiritual journeys or political convictions. She also hopes that her work with the Interfaith Scholars will create more opportunities to connect across faith and nonfaith lines and build a greater sense of empathy between communities.
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