Bama hosts successful Jewish student recruitment, Auburn up next

The University of Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball team unintentionally helped in the recruitment efforts of Jewish students at last weekend’s Bama Hillel Spring Recruitment Weekend.

Part of the weekend of activities included the Alabama-Georgia basketball game. The Tide was rolling early but the Bulldogs tied the game at 58 with just a few seconds left. Junior Guard Trevor Relaford launched a 57-foot shot as time expired that glided through the net to win the game in dramatic fashion, 61-58.

The Hillel students and 12 visiting high school students from as far away as New York were chanting “Roll Tide” on their way back to the Hillel house.

Bloom Hillel Student Center Director Lisa Besnoy said they kick-started the weekend last Friday afternoon with an official tour led by the University of Alabama’s admissions team. Parents and students returned to Hillel for a Southern-style Shabbat dinner, attended by approximately 90 people, followed by an evening social activity.

Saturday began with a Faculty and Staff luncheon, and an opportunity for the visiting students to learn more about Jewish life at Alabama. That was followed by the exciting Bama “buzzer-beater” basketball game.

After the game they gathered at Hillel for Havdallah followed by an evening cookout hosted by the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity, which last month had an alumni reunion to show off significant, recently completed enhancements to its current house.

On Sunday, Sigma Delta Tau sorority hosted a bagel-and-lox brunch. “The visiting students and parents said they just had a wonderful time,” said Besnoy. “We have a very energetic group of students who understand the value of Jewish life on campus and a home away from home. They were wonderful about sharing that with the visiting high school students.”

Meanwhile on the Plain

Auburn University Hillel
will hold its first-ever parents and prospects weekend, April 5 to 7. There will be a community Shabbat dinner, Havdalah service and Sunday bagel brunch.

There will be a chance to tour the campus and experience Jewish life at Auburn. Parents of current students are also invited. Contact Hillel advisor Rob Kulick for more information.