Spreading the light in ever-widening circles

My initial acquaintance with INEXTG (Israel’s Next Generation) occurred when I was a student at Ono Academic College in Kiryat Ono. There, I was exposed to the Chabad on Campus program in Israel – couples with families who dedicate their lives for the benefit of students, regardless of their beliefs and opinions. They are always there, sharing a kind word and opening their homes as a meeting place where students can feel at home – from sitting with friends to relieve the pressure of school or taking part in fascinating conversations and discussions about the essence of life and learning what the Jewish bookshelf and our extraordinary heritage has to offer. Of course, the ultimate experience is the amazing Shabbat meals, where one can easily soak up the atmosphere and the songs into the small hours of the night.

When I encountered Chabad on Campus six years ago, they were starting out in Israeli academia and had branches in ten universities and colleges. Today, Chabad on Campus is present on all campuses in Israel. Everyone is aware of them and their activities. I have the privilege of working with them in a fruitful and productive cooperation as Chairman of the National Union of Israeli Students.

Among the flagship programs we have created together is the leadership delegation to the United States, in which hundreds of influential Israeli students participate and meet with Jewish students from universities such as Columbia and Yale, visit Jewish communities, and have meaningful conversations with public figures.

The responses we have received from the participants are amazing and meaningful. The direct encounter with Diaspora Jewry strikes the young students with the powerful insight that the eternity of the Jewish people cannot be taken for granted. We must work to preserve and develop the connection between Israeli Jewry and Diaspora Jewry, and our connection to the heritage of the thousands of generations that have preceded us is also necessary in this context. This year, the third leadership journey is taking place in several phases –  delegations of hundreds of students who participated in Chabad programs on campus in Israel and a delegation of fifty students in leadership positions from all student associations in Israel. These participants will be the future leaders of the State of Israel.

All of this has been made possible thanks to INEXTG’s support for Chabad activities on campus. Thanks to them, more and more couples are marrying according to Jewish tradition. Just a few weeks ago, Rabbi Hilik Kaplan and I from the Kiryat Ono campus conducted a wedding ceremony for a couple who would not have married through the Rabbinate had it not been for their personal acquaintance with Chabad on Campus.

Thanks to Chabad on Campus, hundreds of students take part in distributing food to the needy and Holocaust survivors every week.

Thanks to Chabad on Campus, thousands of students encounter their roots by donning tefillin and engaging in Torah study.

Thanks to Chabad on Campus, the student atmosphere in Israel has become much warmer and more connected.

On a personal level, Chabad on Campus, for me, means giving, loving, and accepting others. Thanks to them, I learned to connect to our heritage as a people. INEXTG’s guiding principles are reflected in their unique approach to reality. Their ability to accommodate and accept different types of people, by virtue of their humanity, is beautiful and special. This is what brings people’s hearts closer and connects them to their roots.

We are in a generation where everyone wants to feel present, important, and meaningful. The amount of likes on social media is a psychological measure of how much people feel they contribute and are meaningful to the world. What INEXTG does, through its projects, is not to give up on anyone and not to change anyone’s behavior.

Each person is significant in their own unique way.  This perspective is what catches the attention of young people who are thirsty for the here and now.

Today’s young people want to connect, want to be part of something significant, and want to be a major part of this historic story. That’s exactly what INEXTG offers. Come take part!

In the difficult days in which the State of Israel and the people of Israel find itself, INEXTG continues to do good and give hope to young people.

No matter how difficult the situation, they will be present to calm things and spread their special light – a light that everyone who is exposed to feels privileged and obligated to continue and shine on to more and more circles. 

Elchanan Fellheimer is the Chairman of the National Union of Israeli Students.