Jews Shouldn’t Give Up on Universities, and Neither Should America

In a recent conversation about Jewish life at elite universities, someone asked me, “At what point do we just give up?” The question wasn’t an expression of cynicism, but of exhaustion. At institutions where Jewish enrollment is statistically declining, where Israel is increasingly demonized, and where religious expression often feels out of step with prevailing campus culture, it’s tempting to look at the landscape and wonder whether it’s time to invest elsewhere.

But to give up is to misunderstand the stakes, and to miscalculate the important successes already unfolding on campuses. And standing stubbornly, and joyfully, against this tide is Chabad.

The reason is simple, even if it sounds radical: Chabad doesn’t take its cues from numbers. It takes its cues from faith: faith in the Jewish soul, in the vitality of Torah, and in the enduring power of presence. That’s why, even as others lament shrinking rosters or shifting identifications, Chabad sees something else: packed Shabbat dinners, vibrant Jewish learning at midnight, big crowds at menorah lightings in the middle of finals, and students who never thought they had a place in Jewish life discovering not just a seat at the table, but a home.