An Observance (Ash Wednesday)

This past Wednesday saw the Catholic and Christian observance of Ash Wednesday. This religious holiday is recognized as a day of repentance and fasting and signifies the beginning of Lent.

As someone who does not have a strong religious background, I have never paid much attention to this holiday or its proceedings. I can vividly remember the first time I recognized the ash mark on someone. I was still in high school and it occurred while I was working. Initially, I thought it was a scar on the person's forehead. As more and more customers came into the restaurant with the similar markings, I figured out that it was not a coincidence.

Walking around this past Wednesday and seeing so many people with this now familiar mark made me think about Caleb and how he would perceive such an occurrence. How would he act to see so many people walking around with ash on their foreheads? Would it be an uncomfortable experience? Would it be of any alarm for him? It is still something I observe curiously, even though I have a slightly better understanding of the holiday. For someone who has never observed the holiday or seen it in action, I am sure that Caleb will have many questions and possibly experience some alienation.

I would like to get some firsthand accounts of similar experiences and how they were dealt with by Jewish students. I will be continuing my attempts to get in contact with Jewish students to give my voice informing a proper perspective.

Change Up

As much as I like writing in the narrative form (something I am actually surprised I even like doing) I feel that if I continue to write that way I will not be providing what I need to establish that I am getting what I should be out of this project. So from now on I will be discussing what I have read to inform my voice and my experiences in informing my voice.

So far my attempts to inform my voice by way of students who live the voice have been unsuccessful. Emails sent to the presidents of the Hillels at BGSU and Rutgers University have not yet been returned. An email sent to the Chabad House at Rutgers has not been returned either. I will continue to look into these resources. I feel that once I make those connections I can give my voice more authenticity. Until then, I will continue to inform my voice by way of articles related to Jewish students and the college experience.

This week I wanted to talk about the overall experience of a college student. I feel that there are many opportunities for students to develop and degenerate while in college. It is these experiences that produce the person that walks across the stage at commencement. Having experienced many successes and taken many backsteps as an undergraduate, I can definitely relate that experience. However, as someone who is not very religious, I wonder how influential the presence of a sense of religion is on the positive and negative decisions a college student makes. I sometimes believe that if I had taken religion more seriously I would not have made some of the mistakes I did. But I also believe that some things are inevitable and help you make better decisions later on in life.

I guess i am saying all of that to say I am curious to see how Caleb's devotion to his family and religious practices will impact his decision making while in college. All of the child-rearing in the world does not always prepare a child for what college can bring to a person's life. Will he succumb to the pressures of his peers and being away from home? Or will what he has learned in life thus far keep him on the straight and narrow path? Will being away from home make him think more or less about his faith? Will Caleb continue his practices from home or will he find new ones? Will his experiences in college lead to a disconnect from his parents?

Abraham D. Lavender (1971), in his study of Jewish college students, stated "That Jewish identity is affected by the college experience is generally accepted, but there is considerable disagreement over the extent and direction of this effect. He then goes on to present opposing viewpoints on the subject. In the first, Irving Greenberg describes college as "disaster area for Judaism, Jewish loyalty, and Jewish identity". He also states that an availability of positive models of Jewishness on college campuses could offset the negative effects of college on Jewish students. Conversely, Mansoor stated that many Jewish students enter college lacking committment to the Jewish faith and leave with a better understanding of their faith as a result of taking courses in Hebrew and Jewish culture.

There are a multitude of paths available to Caleb within the college environment. It is important foe me to be aware of all of the avenues available to Caleb and make sure that I find articles taht speak to a variety of experiences a Jewish male may encounter on a college campus. I am curious to see if I can find more articles related to religious attrition during the college years.

Cracking the Shell

It's my second night here and my parents are long gone. My roommate arrived a few hours after I did. He is from Connecticut and came here by himself. I was a little surpirsed that he came all the way here on his own. He seems far more assertve about things than I am. I helped him move his stuff in and we talked about what we wanted to do this year. I told him that I really didn't know what to expect and that I wasn't all that good at making new friends. I have known the same people my entire life and now I would have to find a new group of friends. Luckily we had that in common. He suggested to me (which was his plan also) that I should find things here that remind me of home. Things that would make me more comfortable being here.

The more he talks the more I feel myself closing up. As much as I am actually interested in what he is saying, I'd really just rather be home. There would be no thinking about it if I was there. But I can't show him that, so I continue to look interested and engaged.

I'm not sure when what he said actually started to sick in (or if I just gave in so he would stop talking about it) but I told him that I would look into some of the stuff available on campus after classes got started. Although he was happy to hear me say that, he was more interested in what I would be doing to fill my void NOW. I told him nothing, to which he responded "you're not sitting in here, that's for sure!". After much prodding I eventually agreed to go with him to the main campus to see what was there. Apparently he wasn't happy being on the quiet, secluded engineering campus. I think having someone to do things with will make for a easier transition to being away from home. Next stop: College Ave.

Throughout Caleb's college career, I can anticipate him facing issues that will challenge both his moral and religious integrity. There will be moments of triumph and disaster, but all will be steps toward Caleb developing into an indepedent and self-sufficient member of the Rutgers community. His roommate is slowly becoming his big "A" authority regarding navigating the Rutgers campus. Whether or not this will be a compliment or detriment to his development is to be decided.

The Landing

As I moved my stuff out of my parents' car and into my dorm room, I realized just how big a moment this was. This would be the first time I have lived on my own away from home. I mean, it's not like I moved across the country or anything. I'm about 45 minutes from where I grew up. But to me it might as well be as if I moved to California. I think it's times like this when having such a close family can be difficult.

I could see the tears welling up in my mother's eyes everytime she took something of mine up the stairs to my new room. My father handled it much better than she. That is understandable considering he always taught me to be strong and not give off the impression of weakness. Oddly enough, I am handling this alot better than I expected. Or at least i think I am. I'm sure they cannot see if but I am going all kinds of crazy inside. I just got here but I am already thinking about the next time I'm going home. I just want to see my friends from high school and temple.

What if I need something? What if something happens at home? How will I get there? Will I make friends here? Will I have anything in common with anybody? All things running through my head. Maybe the anxiety IS getting the best of me. Regardless of how I feel, this day was inevitable. I had to fly away from the nest someday. I am sure my parents are proud that I have made it this far and expect me to go even further. I just have to take the wheel and make this situation the best it can be. But in the meantime, I still have unpacking to do.

Caleb Rosenthal

Caleb is from a well-to-do neighborhood in West Orange, New Jersey. He comes from a two-parent household with a strong religious background. He attended West Orange High School and graduate 8th in his Senior class. His high school had a large population of Jewish students and he was very involved in the Jewish student group and other extracuricular activities. As an incoming freshman at Rutgers University, Caleb is looking to continue the same level of invovlement he had as a high school student. He is hoping that Rutgers will provide him with opportunities to be challenged in and out of the classroom. While he is familiar with Rutgers by way of campus visits and admissions materials, he has yet to experience what such a large flagship institution will have to offer to his mental, spritual, and intellectual growth (both good and bad).

The Kickoff

My initial intention was to put my voice (a Jewish male) within an institution similar to Bowling Green State University. I thought it would be interesting to see what the experience would be like for a Jewish male at an institution with a fairly small population Jewish population. Coming from an undergraduate institution with a substantial population of Jewish students and many resources on-campus available to them, I wanted to see how a Jewish student would navigate a place where they are clearly in the minority.

However, now that I have been informed that we should place our voices in our undergraduate institutions, I feel that my voice will face less challenges during his adjustment due to the many resouces that are available to him at Rutgers University.

In an effort to help inform my voice I have been pulling articles on Jewish student life at undergraduate institutions, both academic and social. I have also contacted the president of Hillel here at Bowling Green State University and will be meeting with her shortly. The Hillel currently has no events schedule outside of a few dinners but as events are planned I will be attending them. My next step is to contact the Hillel and Chabad House at Rutgers University to help place my voice in such an institution more accurately.