local
Lehigh University Jewish Community
Enjoying New Home
Jarrad Saff ren | Staff Writer
alking into Lehigh University’s
new Jewish Student Center on
a weekday, you might fi nd one student
lounging on a couch in the downstairs
meeting room, doing school work on his
laptop. You might fi nd another upstairs in an
offi ce, sitting at a table, also complet-
ing assignments on his computer. And
you may fi nd others hanging out in the
basement gaming area, making food in
the kitchen at the back of the building or
relaxing on the porch out front.

This private, mid-sized university
in Bethlehem has more than 7,000
students, almost 20% of whom are
Jewish, according to Rabbi Steve
Nathan, the director of Jewish student
life. And now, after moving to this new
center at 233 W. Packer Ave., those
Jewish students have a big enough
home to host Shabbat dinners, gather
with other religious groups and … just …
kill time in between classes.

“It’s sort of a home away from home,”
Nathan said. “Luckily, we haven’t had
any major issues here with antisemitism,
but if that were to happen, certainly it’s
nice to have a place.”
Nathan, Tyler Katz, the engage-
ment and programming associate for
Lehigh’s Hillel chapter, and Jane Hontz,
the coordinator for the Offi ce of Jewish
Student Life, moved to their new home
in November. Their previous space was
Lehigh University’s new Jewish
Student Center on West Packer
Avenue a twin house off campus with two fl oors
and no fi nished basement. The West
Packer Avenue building, according to
Nathan, is about three times the size.

A nonprofi t organization separate
from Lehigh called the Jewish Student
Advisory Council used to pay for the
Jewish community’s old home near
the university. But when the Offi ce of
Jewish Student Life became a Lehigh
organization in 2008, it “kept bugging,” in
Nathan’s words, the school’s leaders for a
place on campus. The university reached
out to Nathan last year with an option.

Now, it serves as “the offi cial address
of all things Jewish” at Lehigh, accord-
ing to hillel.lehigh.edu. And the address
is just steps away from a big “Lehigh
Todd, Howard, and Zachary Katz, want to BUY your:
diamonds, gold, watches, silver, coins, and estate jewelry.

We have been buying in the Delaware Valley for over 44 years
and we pay more because we know the value of
your diamonds & jewelry.

Meet us at our office (appointments preferred)
or we will come to you:
Katz Imports
723 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-238-0197 Howard’s cell: 215-850-6405
Diamondpaige2@hotmail.com 8
FEBRUARY 23, 2023 | JEWISH EXPONENT
Lehigh freshman Alec Eskin at
the Jewish Student Center
University” sign in the middle of campus.

It is also only a block up from the class-
room buildings that see traffi c through-
out the weekdays. Spend an hour or
two around the building and you will see
groups of students walking by. Plus, with
a big sign out front, the Jewish Student
Center’s role is unmistakable. Two
prospective Lehigh students walked in
recently and said as much to the rabbi.

“Both of them were saying how nice
it is to have a place where it’s not just
a place to come for Shabbat dinner,”
the rabbi said. “But a place that you can
actually feel like it’s home.”
As Nathan was talking, he looked
across the room at Alec Eskin, a fresh-
man sitting on a couch in the downstairs
meeting room. But he was not there for a
meeting. He was there to sit back and do
work on his laptop on a Friday afternoon.

“You could be studying somewhere
else,” Nathan said to Eskin. “But you are
often here just because, I think, it does
feel like home.”
Eskin is a fi nance major from Delaware
County. Growing up, he belonged to
the Kesher Israel Congregation in West
Chester with his family. Eskin did BBYO
in high school and came to view Judaism
as a way to bond with other people. Now
as a freshman away from home, he goes
to Shabbat dinner at the center almost
Lehigh junior Lucas Bennett is on
the senior programming staff at
the Jewish Student Center.

every Friday night.

“It’s a way for you to feel at home,”
he said.

Upstairs at the same time, Lucas
Bennett, a junior at Lehigh, was also
doing schoolwork on his computer.

Bennett, similar to Eskin, grew up in
Delaware County in a family that attended
Congregation Beth Israel of Media. He
found the off -campus Jewish Student
Center as a freshman with his roommate
when they were looking for a Rosh
Hashanah service. They met Nathan and
kept coming back for diff erent events.

Today, Bennett works for the center
trying to attract students to those same
events. He is on the senior program-
ming staff that hosts diversity Shabbats,
kosher halal soul food dinners and a
Moon Festival Shabbat, among other
multicultural gatherings. Bennett views
the Jewish Student Center as not just a
home for Jews, but a place where they
can connect with members of other
groups like the Muslim community and
the Chinese community.

“You learn so much more by being
able to share it with other people and
learn about other people’s religions
and cultures,” he said. “It’s been pretty
special to, kind of, experience that.” ■
jsaff ren@midatlanticmedia.com
Photos by Jarrad Saff ren
W



A Community for All
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia
advocates for a more accessible and inclusive
community by partnering and supporting
organizations that serve individuals living
with disabilities and their families.

178,300+ individuals in the
Greater Philadelphia area
have been diagnosed with a
mental or behavioral health condition*
67,900+ My previous school was a large ‘normal’ high
school, and I didn’t receive personal attention at
all. I felt left behind. Dror’s school helps me feel that
there is nothing wrong with me and that I can learn to
succeed despite the difficulties and problems I have.

individuals are caretakers
for someone with a physical
health problem
or disability*
– David, Dror’s Jerusalem Vocational High School
for At-Risk Youth student
Providing Help and Resources
in Israel
Dror Jerusalem Vocational High School for At-Risk Youth,
supported by the Jewish Federation, focuses on vocational
training for high schools in marginalized communities. It provides
students with innovative and adaptable technological skills, social
awareness tools, community building and innovative thinking.

David, a student who struggles with learning disabilities and was removed
from his high school due to behavioral issues, now attends Dror Jerusalem
Vocational High School and is thriving in his studies as part of the school’s sound
engineering training track.

Making an Impact in Greater Philadelphia
The Jewish Federation supports local organizations with programs that provide education,
skill-building, resources and additional aid for Jewish children and adults living with disabilities.

In Fiscal Year 2022:
• $323,665 allocated to 8 local programs that focus on disability inclusion
• 860+ individuals with disabilities in the Greater Philadelphia area received a variety of services, including
case management, socialization and independent living services
• 830+ individuals with disabilities participated in inclusive Jewish community events and activities
alongside their family members and friends
If you are interested in supporting this vital work,
please contact Alix Caplan at acaplan@jewishphilly.org
*Sourced from the Jewish Federation Population Study, 2019
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM 9