College Student Weekly Email for April 17, 2007
Shalom:
I send a weekly email to our college (and graduate school) students. It usually goes out at week's end. Today I felt compelled to write earlier, due to the tragedy at Virginia Tech. I thought you might be interested in what I wrote. I have heard back already from a number of students, and it's clear that this has really hit them. So, here is what I sent out. Bill Rudolph
I assume that many of you have heard about the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech this morning. More than 30 have died, almost all students. No names of victims have been
released. While I doubt this will affect the Beth El family directly, it does affect all of us, because if something this tragic can happen on an isolated college campus, then it can
happen anywhere.
I spent the first half of my rabbinic career working at campus Hillels (Michigan and Michigan State) and then overseeing the Hillels from the headquarters here in D.C.. There is something quite unreal about a college campus. A town or small city the size of that campus would experience illness and death in far far greater numbers than the campus does. Students (and faculty) don't have to face those realities as much as they would in the "real" world. I used to joke that the biggest tragedy most students face during their college days is the C- in chemistry. And I think there is nothing wrong with college life being "unreal." There is plenty of time for reality afterwards. That is why today's events produce such a deep ache inside me. As a parent, or just plain human being, we like to think there are places where we and our children can be safe and carefree at least some of the time. High school was once such a place - Columbine changed that at least a little. College was always another of those places. As of today, it is less so. And that is depressing.
Now, the truth of course is that you are in much greater danger of injury or death driving anytime on our Beltway. And college is still far safer than the real world. And the
exception, like Virginia Tech, just proves that rule. So, I want you to keep that perspective.
Tragedies like this one also produce an unexpected dividend - they make us think about how lucky it is to be alive and well, and to appreciate that. And they make us think about
how we are spending our "alive and well" time, and whether at least a bit of that time could be utilized for pursuits that can make the world a little better. Think about that, while we
mourn what we must.
College Student Weekly Email for December 14, 2006
Shalom to our college/ university students:
I hope you are enjoying your Chanukah packages and are able to use the candles beginning tomorrow (Friday) night. I appreciate the many thank you notes. The rest of you will get empty boxes come Passover time. Only kidding.
Chanukah reminds us of one of those times when people wanted to destroy our people, in this case by destroying our faith. Here is a little story about how we once outsmarted the haters.
A US Navy cruiser anchored in Mississippi for a week's shore leave.
The first evening, the ship's Captain received the following note from the wife of a wealthy plantation owner:
"Dear Captain, Thursday will be my daughter Melinda's Debutante Ball. I would like you to send four well-mannered, handsome, unmarried officers in their formal dress uniforms to attend the dance. They should arrive promptly at 8:00 PM prepared for an evening of polite Southern conversation. They should be excellent dancers, as they will be the escorts of lovely refined young ladies. One last point: No Jews Please."
At precisely 8:00 PM on Thursday, Melinda's mother heard a polite rap at the door which she opened to find, in full dress uniform, four handsome, smiling black officers.
Her mouth fell open, but pulling herself together, she stammered, "There must be some mistake."
"No, Madam," said the first officer. "Captain Goldberg never makes mistakes."
Wishing you good luck in exams. I am signing off for a few weeks. I hope you have a nice break. Rabbi Bill Rudolph
Rabbi William D. Rudolph
Congregation Beth El
voice: 301-652-2606, ext. 318
fax: 301-907-8559
email: wrudolph@bethelmc.org