A worn expression claims that, “You get more with honey than with vinegar.” There are more exceptions to that rule than, to use an old-fashioned saying, “Carter has little liver Pills.”

College antisemitism is, unquestionably, a major problem and one largely left unaddressed. Attending various college events, one cannot help but be impressed with the outright fear expressed by many Jewish college students. Sometimes that fear turns into anger and other times the Jewish student merely runs for cover.

As a result of the toxic environment on many college campuses, students have sought to consider alternative professions and other educational opportunities. Some donors to colleges and universities where Jewish students and professors have suffered have simply walked away.

However, there is always a small minority willing to stand up, be counted, and fight back. Many fine organizations have been willing to stand up for students on college campuses, and to support Jewish students who understandably feel neglected. Some college attendees act as though they are living in a vacuous space where they need to deny who and what they are.

The Rieders Foundation, and others, have sought to strengthen the role of Chabad on Campus. To many, Chabad is mysterious. They see young men in white shirts, long black coats, beards, and black hats. Right away people think of Eastern Europe or perhaps that their young people are being lured into yet another college cult. The attire of Chabad Rabbis, and their families, is a put-off to some college students, who sometimes appear to be hardly dressed at all!

Most Americans have no idea who Menachem Mendel Schneerson was. He was the seventh rabbi in a dynasty of the Lubavitch Hasidic movement. The great rabbi and leader barely escaped the decimation of the Jewish community in Europe. He made his way to the United States where he reestablished an institution that thrives today at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, New York.

Rabbi Schneerson’s claim to fame was that he stepped out of the shadows after the destruction of European Jewry. Instead of hiding in the synagogue or in a darkly lit study hall, the Rabbi created a system of emissaries, which were called Shlichus. These rabbis were selected to go out into the community, live among their fellow community members, and bring the light of Judaism to those who are interested in participating in the American Jewish experience. Eventually, these emissaries spread throughout the world and today there are well over 4,000 of them.

My mother, may her soul rest in peace, had a regular correspondence with the man known as The Rebbe. He answered every one of her letters urging positivity engagement in the community and prayer. My parents took his advice, and it was a great assist to their life and to the community in which they lived.

There is an opportunity for Jewish students, their parents, and teachers on the college campus which, in the current world environment, can only be provided by Chabad. The welcoming, non-judgmental environment of Chabad on Campus is the very opposite of what the uniformed may think of as a scary “cult.” Most of the students who have meals at Chabad, spend time at the Chabad House, or even go to an occasional service are not necessarily from religious backgrounds. One Chabad rabbi at a Central Pennsylvania college told me: “The students I am dealing with have not had religion in their family sometimes for 2 or 3 generations.” It is not the job of the emissary to convert or to change people, but rather to provide a safe place, Jewish environment, and a home away from home for the students.

It is time that we considered redirecting donor funds from the Jewish community to supporting Chabad on Campus. We need to endow study groups such as Sinai Scholars. This is something the Rieders Foundation has committed to. The students receive a stipend to learn, and to spend some time imbibing in the educational component of Judaism which has made it the mother religion of both Christianity and Islam.

The Chabad House on campus is not only a safe space and a place to have a marvelous meal, but it is also a location for entertainment and, as indicated above, to engage in both education and Jewish learning.

Perhaps the greatest spiritual message that Chabad on Campus has to convey is the importance of self-empowerment, the ability to control one’s destiny, the appreciation of the power of Teshuvah, forgiveness, and that having a spiritual path is an important path to a peaceful countenance. Most young people today, along with their elders, are in search of internal “peace.” We frequently hear the question, “What is the secret of life?” Chabad’s answer is that there is no “secret” but rather there is an attainable value to devotion to positive relations, self-respect, and abandonment of fear.

The future for Jews on college campuses is frequently assimilation, intermarriage, and further marginalization of those who cling to the ancient faith. It recently occurred to me that DEI, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, should include Jews as well. For years, I found myself at dinners where I ate my apples and drank my water; because the food was not kosher, I sat as the odd person out. However, in the last year, several of the legal organizations to which I belong have provided wonderful kosher meals. I noticed that those who were in charge of making sure the meals were properly kosher were themselves so-called DEI hires. I realized for the first time that Jews can and should be part of the movement to assure equality and fairness for all Americans.

The mission of Chabad on Campus is consistent with a world in which self-appreciation will merge with respect for others. It is not unusual to hear the expression “if not now, when.” That particular saying from ethics of the elders, Pirkei Avot, is so commonly used that most people do not know the full expression. “If I am not for myself who will be for me, but if I am only for myself, what am I, and if not now, when?” In other words, Chabad helps the student to understand that they are a cog in the cosmic wheel that is not focused on the student alone but rather is an integrated tapestry of self, others, and a call to action to enhance the betterment of our planet.

Those who are in a position to donate to the future of America and the Jewish community need seriously to consider programs on campus for Chabad who will create an empowered, safe, utilitarian place for Jewish students, teachers, and their parents. That place is Chabad on Campus.

Clifford A. Rieders is a board-certified trial advocate in Williamsport.