Shliach Receives Education Award

Intermountain Jewish News

Rabbi Yerachmiel Gorelik, director of the Rohr Chabad Jewish Center of Northern Colorado in Ft. Collins, received the Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award at CSU.

As part of Gorelik’s outreach work in the communities and colleges of northern Colorado, he serves as faculty adjunct at CSU, teaching a Judaism course in the philosophy department.

He also serves as the faculty advisor of the Chabad Jewish Student Association.

Siobhan Waitzman, senior and president of the student group, explained why the group nominated the rabbi:

“Rabbi Yerachmiel is dedicated to the students. The amount of time he puts into events and helping his students despite having children and running a temple for the Jewish community has always amazed me…

“Chabad is more like a family than anything else.”

At the awards ceremony in the main ballroom on campus, Gorelik received the award from CSU’s vice president, who said that Gorelik “dramatically changed the face of CSU for the Jewish student population. Rabbi’s presence and dynamic energy has given much confidence to the students.

“Rabbi Gorelik has spearheaded many initiatives with his students . . . the Jewish student body without question has become more vocal and involved as a result of his encouragement and leadership.”

“It was a great honor for me personally and for the Jewish community,” said Gorelik, “and does wonders for Jewish pride in a place where being Jewish is a challenge.”

Michael Lichtbah, a senior and social chair of the Chabad student group, said:

“He helps us remember you can gain social acceptance but also value your pride, value your Judaism and your Jewish identity.

“What he does really well is just foster Jewish pride here, in a place where it’s kind of hostile and desolate, especially in terms of acceptance and tolerance of other people and cultures.”