Chabad at ISU in Normal, Illinois has become an oasis of Jewish life and activity. In just two short years since moving to Normal, Rabbi Chaim and Rochel Telsner have created a home away from home for Jewish students of all backgrounds.
Students come to the Chabad House for a bowl of homemade chicken soup, fresh baked challah, and camaraderie at weekly Shabbat dinners. They come for Torah classes or to ask serious questions about Judaism. The students come to connect with other Jewish students and to connect with their heritage.
They have recently announced the purchase of a spacious property right across the street from Uptown – very close to campus!
The Telsner’s are inspired by the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. During the volatile years of the 1960’s, the Rebbe saw the promise of a new generation. While many bemoaned the rejection of traditional values — especially among the college youth — the Rebbe saw the ‘searching’ that was at the heart of this cultural revolution. The Rebbe inspired others to channel this positive youthful energy towards building more constructive lives and communities.
Because the job of a Chabad House is to love, not to judge; to teach, not to dictate; to welcome, not to exclude — today there are committed and caring young Jews all across America and around the world whose positive Jewish identity was shaped at a Chabad House during the critical college years.
