Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Snowstorms don't stop Northern Michigan U. Jewish students from
embracing their heritage
By Sam Holcomb
The North Wind (Northern Michigan U.)
01/03/2007

(U-WIRE) MARQUETTE, Mich. - Fresh snow covered the road as the Jeep drove out of Marquette along U.S. Highway 41. It was a Friday night and Mike Kann, a Northern Michigan University senior entertainment and sports promotion major, peered through the blowing snow on his way to the Temple Beth Shalom in Ishpeming, Mich. Tucked away on a side street, the small Jewish temple holds monthly services for roughly 35 Jewish families in the area. And in the past two years, a small circle of Jewish students from Northern have begun attending services.

Kann is the president and founding member of the Jewish Student Union (JSU), whose roster tallies 41 students, though Kann emphasized only about a dozen actively participate. "I started [JSU] trying to find other Jewish students to hang out with," he said, and in the winter of 2004 he and several other students began making the monthly drive to Ishpeming.

In the passenger seat beside Kann sat Matthew Marcus, a senior hospitality major, who joined JSU this year. Marcus grew up in Boston and arrived at Northern not seeking a connection to his Jewish heritage, but said he has found something worthwhile in JSU.

"I'm not religious, but I do it to be a part of something," he said. "I don't know anything about my faith and [I want to] learn a little bit."

Piling out of the Jeep and trudging through the snow, Kann and Marcus opened the door of the temple to find that three other JSU members had already arrived. Jen Weiner, Melissa Conner and Kevin Fishbein sat chatting in the back of the temple. Out of the conversation, one thing clearly emerged — like Marcus, none of the students came to Northern for Jewish programs.

"I didn't even think there were Jews up here," Conner, a senior English major, laughed.

But Kann said he hopes that will change. In October, JSU officially became affiliated with Hillel, a national organization of Jewish students, which provides grants and other resources to organizations like JSU, said Helen Kahn, a professor of speech, language and hearing and the group's adviser.

Northern does not keep records on the number of Jewish students currently enrolled, and prior to October, the group said finding Jewish students was their toughest task. Weiner said they would often turn to Facebook, searching the Web site for Northern students who had marked "Jewish" as their religious affiliation.

"People don't come here to be Jewish," Kann said. "But with Hillel, it attracts students who might want that."

Moving toward their seats as the evening service began, the students mingled with some of the congregation's older members.

"It's great to have students here," said Harvey Wallace, who is head of the health, physical education and recreation department at Northern and a temple member of 29 years. "We haven't had students interested in coming to services in many years."

The Temple Beth Shalom was built in 1952. During the heyday of the mining boom, there were more Jewish families in the Ishpeming area, and for years, the Jewish community worshiped in local churches. But under the direction of temple member and former NMU President Sam Cohodas, they erected their own place of worship.

On this night, there were 20 people in attendance. Student rabbi Michael Weinstein greeted the congregation with the Hebrew greeting "Shabbat shalom," or "Peace on the Sabbath."

The audience was dressed in casual attire, something Kahn said would never happen at a synagogue in a larger city. But at the Temple Beth Shalom, she added, it's not uncommon for people to arrive wearing ski gear so they can take advantage of the Al Quaal cross-country ski trails, located right outside the temple's back door.

"It's a different culture [in the U.P.]," Kahn said. "We're Yooper Jews."

According to the Torah, the Jewish holy book, the Jews are a "chosen people," but in Ishpeming, Kahn said, they have given themselves the moniker "The Frozen Chosen."

Following the service, the congregation snacked on challah, a braided, traditional Jewish bread.

"The best thing about being Jewish is the food," Weiner said.

"It's true," Conner agreed. "There's always food. That's why all the old Jewish women are fat."

But the majority of non-Jewish students don't know what challah is, Kann stressed. JSU falls under Northern's Multicultural Education and Resource Center, something that gives many of the organization's members a feeling of being different.

"In terms of diversity, you think, 'Hey, I'm different,'" Fishbein, a senior elementary education major, said. "You bring something else to the table."

Even within JSU, though, there are differences in how students perceive their Jewish heritage. Some students associate with their religious background, while others feel only a cultural connection.

"This isn't about being religious," Kahn said. "We identify ourselves with the Jewish people."

Not all JSU members attend temple, Kann said, so he balances the JSU activities between religious and secular. In October, the organization participated in Make a Difference Day, raking leaves for an elderly woman in Palmer.

Whether religious or secular, Northern Jewish students are preparing to celebrate Hanukkah, an eight-day celebration that begins on Dec. 15. JSU will hold a Hanukkah party on Dec. 8, but Weiner said the event will be a more secular affair. "We don't want to make everything about religion," she said.

If interested in Hillel or want to learn more about Judaism, contact Mike Kann at hillel@nmu.edu.

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