"A unique program that cannot be found at any other Jewish high school."

"It was great to hear from the perspective of a college student."

"We heard in one hour what it would have taken us one hundred hours to explore on our own."

These were just a few of the appreciatively positive comments heard the next day about our annual Jewish Life on Campus Program, held on the evening of December 26th, for the junior parents and students.

This past Tuesday night, the TABC Beit Knesset was indeed the place to be!

The Jewish Life on Campus Program featured over twenty students from such varied universities as Cornell, SUNY at Binghamton, Cooper Union, New York University, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, University of Chicago, Brandeis, Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland, Rutgers, Queens, UMass at  Amherst, and, of course, Yeshiva University. We were privileged to hear not only from them in round-robin sessions from which parents and students could choose, but from the Queens College OU-JLIC (Orthodox Union-Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus) educator Mrs. Channah Cohen, who clearly and persuasively explained the "what, why and how" of JLIC's mission.  Mrs. Cohen explained, both carefully and compassionately,  why during these years of emerging adulthood it is so important for the students to know that there is always someone, in addition to Hillel and Chabad personnel,  who is there to guide them "Jewishly" through any difficult terrain. Most of the carefully selected universities who were  invited  have JLIC rabbi/educators on their campuses, who are sent from the OU and work in partnership with Hillel, to help college students navigate the college environment and balance their Jewish commitments with their desire to engage in the secular world.

The evening was also enriched by the presence of many TABC and Ma'ayanot alumni, representing a full range of prestigious colleges and talking animatedly about the shiurim, minyanim and other Jewish-related activities that they make it their business to seek out and participate in, no matter which college they attend. Anyone watching so many intelligent and exemplary Jewish youth speak so eloquently about the Jewish life they have chosen to either participate in or fundamentally create within the colleges of their choice would have been proud. It was a gratifying and humbling sight.

The program was jointly organized by the College Guidance Departments of TABC and Ma'ayanot, through the diligent work of Dr. Carol Master and Ms. Leebie Mallin, Director of College Guidance at Ma'ayanot. Our Head of School, Rabbi Yablok, and Ma'ayanot Principal, Mrs. Kahan, introduced the evening, that was attended by Dr. Garry Katz, Director of College Guidance of TABC, and College Guidance Counselor, Dr. Elliot Prager.

The Boss took the stage in Mrs. Shavelson's English 11A class this week as students asked themselves what it means to be American. "Born in the U.S.A!" chants Bruce Springsteen, not without irony, in his 1984 single on working-class boys serving in the Vietnam War and coming home to only indifference and low-paying jobs.