And you thought Kaballah was the only game in town

Tufts students now have a new place to go to explore their Jewish identitiy. The Chabad House arrived on campus last fall and aims to help students learn about Judaism through education programs.

The organization Chabad is named after the philosophy that the movement it is based on. The word is a Hebrew acronym for three words: wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. It is also an internationally known organization, with branches on many college campuses.

Chabad puts an emphasis on the unique spiritual potential of every Jew through a nonsectarian manner. "The purpose of Chabad in the Tufts community is to make a contribution to the Jewish community at Tufts in any way," Rabbi Tzvi Backman, who heads the Chabad House said. "It works to help students become closer to their roots, help them lead the path, and offer knowledge and experience regarding Judaism."

Tufts students are not required to fully commit to the organization. Students are free to attend many events including weekly Shabbat dinners. Each week, Rabbi Tzvi and his wife cook these dinners for an average of 10 to 20 people.

Many different students attend events at the Chabad House. Both students and professors -- with many different levels of Jewish understanding -- are invited.

"We have a very diverse group of people," Rabbi Tzvi said. "People with a strong understanding of the Jewish religion and people who know very little. They ask basic questions to very complex ones."

Junior Alexis Gerber has attended several events at the Chabad House. "Their experience of Judaism and the way they lived their lives is very different from the way I've lived my life," she said. "They've been very welcoming, they're very nice people"

Many of Chabad's programs aim to educate students about Jewish topics. The Chabad house holds weekly Torah readings on Monday nights. Participants gather to discuss the parshah -- the section read that week. In addition to this group setting, members of the Tufts community can meet one-on-one to discuss certain texts. There is also a Jewish women's group that meets to discuss the role of women in Judaism.

Chabad also tries to increase visibility of Jewish holidays on the Tufts campus. Earlier this year, at the campus center, a hut, known as a Sukkah, was placed on the back of a pickup truck in honor of the Festival of Sukkot. Many Jews build these huts to commemorate the forty years that the children of Israel wandered in the desert and lived in temporary dwellings. Today, Jews often eat meals in the Sukkah to commemorate the holiday.

Students were also invited to shake the lulav -- something done traditionally during Sukkot. Four plants make up the lulav -- an etrog, which is a citrus fruit native to Israel, willow branches, a palm branch, and myrtle branches. These four species are bound together and waved in different directions.

In an effort to continue to reach out to many students on the Tufts campus, the Chabad House is planning several more events. A "Candle design and fondue party" will be held where students can design candles, bake Challah bread, light the Shabbat candles, and learn about these Jewish traditions.

They are also planning a Kosher Movie Club where they will be showing a film called "Left Luggage." The movie follows the story of a young girl whose parents are Holocaust survivors. She finds herself struggling between her liberated self views and the views of a Hassidic Jewish family for which she works as a nanny, while learning more about her parents' struggle during the Holocaust.

The Chabad House hopes to provide an opportunity for students to explore Judaism and have their questions answered.

"We are dedicated to serving the community in any way," Rabbi Tzvi said. "Our doors are open to anyone; background or affiliation is not a concern."

The organization Chabad was developed in 1940 by Rabbi Joseph Schneerson as a means of proving to the world that traditional Judaism can thrive in America. He sent emissaries to cities in the East Coast to set up Jewish centers and schools. His son-in-law, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, took over after Rabbi Schneerson's death and continued to establish Chabad houses and Jewish outreach centers throughout the globe.

The Chabad House is located at 117 Hillsdale Road. Their website is www.jewishstudentcenter.com