Hamilton Farbrengs

Luke Hayes, member of Hamilton College's class of 2025 talks with Rabbi Didy Waks about being Jewish at Hamilton. Questions discussed: Why has Luke attended more Shabbat dinners in one month at Hamilton than he did all of high school? Why does a one-day-a-year Jew become a member of the ChaBoard? Why is Luke is avid cyclist? Why are the pros and cons of people taking the growth of the Jewish community at Hamilton College for granted? And more! Chabad at Hamilton is a student-led group, student organization and community at Hamilton College. With the help of the Chabad House in Clinton, NY, the group hosts events, Shabbat dinners, holiday programming, educational and social opportunities, and now, this podcast! Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook

Listen to Andrew talk about his inability to rest, and about his goals to do better at it. And, about the time he got stopped in New York by a Chabad couple.

In this week's episode, Daniel Gliedman '20, talks about joining Chabad during the first weeks of his freshman semester, and then going on to lead and build the group into the big community it is today. He calls Chabad a taste of home, and that the warmth of Jewish community is what attracts him most. He also spoke about the challenges in running the Chabad and how some of the push back he received only made his resolve stronger.

Jacob Rhee '23, a native of the Twin Cities, talks about ice fishing, lacrosse and wanting to make money. And Jewish life, of course :-)

Miryam talks about growing up in a Reform and Chabad house at the same time, and what she sees as the pros and cons of such an upbringing are. Listen for a fascinating story!

In this episode Erin Schwartz '20 talks about growing up in a very Jewish place (right outside of Cleveland) and why her commitment to her Jewish identity is so strong. She shares some interesting stories and perspectives. Pull over a chair and listen to the conversation.

In this week's episode, you'll hear what it was like growing up in a suburb of Boston and facing blatant antisemitism in the classroom. Olivia Wenzel '21 shares her story and feelings about Jewish life and why she got more active in Jewish life at Hamilton than any previous time in her life.

Jon Jobling, Hamilton College class of 2020, talks about growing up as a Reform Jew in Pittsford, NY; and why he got so involved in Chabad in his second semester at Hamilton. His mom is Jewish, dad is not, but he still says he wants to marry Jewish and raise a Jewish family. Why? Listen and learn!

Rabbi Didy and Ruthie Schmidt, Hamilton College class of 2020, discuss all things Jewish. Thanks to Ruthie's Jewish day school background in Philadelphia, PA, they discuss some of the questions she's had since childhood, like, how could G-d "harden Pharaoh's heart" and then punish him for sinning? Also discussed is how important community is to Ruthie and why she got involved as a student leader while in college.

Jarrod Gerstein '20 shares thoughts on why he came to Chabad for the first time and why he stayed active his whole time at Hamilton even though he grew up with little religious practice. He also tells how Chabad has brought more spirituality into his life, how Sinai Scholars helped shape his Jewish identity and why he thinks his best friends are Jewish. Lastly, he tells the awesome story of how he found a cousin who attends Hamilton through Chabad's community.

Jason Lever '23 talks about why other students should try out Chabad and how his preconceived notions were proven false when he "felt at home" at Chabad's community. He also shares his experience as a youth leader in BBYO (Bnai Brith Youth Organization). To conclude, Jason tells the riveting story of his grandfather's survival during the Holocaust.

Ahead of Yom Kippur, Mendel Waks, oldest of the young Chabad representatives to Clinton, NY, reflects on moving from Palm Beach, FL, to a small college town, and opening up his home to Hamilton College students on a regular basis. He also shares his most ambitious goal he hopes to fulfill before his Bar Mitzvah.

Eva Rosenberg '22 and Rabbi Didy have a lively discussion about Judaism and whether or not old traditions should simply be replaced by new ideas. We didn't get to cover all the ideas due to time constraints, but it's a great start to the conversation! Eva's appreciation for Jewish identity and community is really interesting and compelling to listen to her articulate.

Ethan shares his unique story of being raised in an Orthodox home, even though his biological dad isn't Jewish. He shares the things he likes most about Judaism and how he thinks people can be too sensitive about Jewish humor (and all humor). Another great conversation!

Hear a fascinating discussion with Nicole Eisenberg '21, as she shares her reflections on keeping kosher growing up, antisemitism, being publicly Jewish and other things.

Duncan Freeman '22 and Rabbi Didy talked about a special exhibition that Duncan and a friend put on at Hamilton College, highlighting contemporary antisemitism. Duncan explained why he so wanted to bring this exhibition from Chabad at Vassar to his college, and how seeing these images might help students to see things a little differently. The conversation then turned to how being involved in Jewish life in college can have adverse effects on one's social standing, and how Duncan deals with...

Ellie Silk '22 joins this week's show to discuss her evolution of Jewish identity as she traveled away from her home in Westchester, to Hamilton College. She and Rabbi Didy discuss about the importance of the Jewish community and how it differs from other religious identities.