Klein continues storytelling tradition in wake of religious discrimination lawsuit
Teal Gordon/The Daily Northwestern
Rabbi Dov Hillel Klein gives his traditional “ghostbusters fireside” at Tannenbaum Chabad House on Monday night. Klein formerly performed the fireside at residential halls and colleges on campus, but had to move it following the University’s controversial decision to disaffiliate Chabad House.
November 5, 2012
Rabbi Dov Hillel Klein’s classic fireside can no longer be performed at Northwestern's residential colleges, so students instead gathered Monday evening at Tannenbaum Chabad House for “Angels, Demons, and Ghosts: Confessions of a Jewish Ghostbuster.”
Klein said the student executive board of Chabad House decided to host the fireside in the wake of the University's controversial decision to disaffiliate from Chabad House and Klein, following alleged violations of NU's alcohol policy. Seven attended the intimate event, as compared to previous firesides hosted at residential colleges, where
Klein said 15 students typically attended. Klein said he has given the fireside talk about 20 or 25 times.
“I just enjoy spending time listening to Rabbi Klein,” said Weinberg sophomore Adam Stewart, who attended Monday’s event. “I really want to support him through all of this.”
Stewart is one of many who have supported Klein following the disaffiliation. Hundreds have voiced their opposition to the University's decision to disaffiliate from Chabad House, and the Lubavitch-Chabad of Illinois filed a lawsuit against the University following the decision on the grounds of discrimination against the Jewish faith. Rabbi Daniel Moscowitz, the director of Lubavitch-Chabad of Illinois, told The Daily in September that Klein had been asked to leave without due process and said Klein was always "involved in following University policy."
University President Morton Schapiro has previously praised Rabbi Klein and his work at Chabad House, according to the organization’s website. Schapiro told The Daily on Monday he knew Klein well and had been to Chabad House before. However, he said he was unable to comment in detail on the disaffiliation because it was under “pending legal action.”
“It was the right decision,” Schapiro said of the University’s disaffiliation from Chabad.
However, programming has continued at Chabad House, with events such as Friday Shabbat dinners and Monday's fireside.
“Who do you call?” asked Klein with a smile, referencing the 1984 supernatural comedy "Ghostbusters" before starting his speech. Students in attendance answered with a mixed cheering of “Rabbi Klein!” and “Ghostbusters!”
In his fireside speech, Klein told the story of when he used Kabbalah and Jewish teachings to rid a factory of reported ghosts. When the owner called Klein asking him for help, Klein said he would come over as soon as he finished playing his baseball game with the Communication Residential College intramural team, a match Klein said he easily won.
Following a series of instructions from Klein, including giving each worker an extra dollar each week to give to the charity, the owner reported that the factory was soon ghost-free. He then sent Klein a check for $10,000, which he donated to Chabad House.
But Klein’s story was not simply for the entertainment of the students. Even though he said he does not believe a ghost haunted the factory, he used the opportunity to teach the students about Jewish burial rituals. Klein said the man who owned the factory had a deceased brother who had been laid to rest in a mausoleum. Klein instructed the man to put dirt in his brother’s vault to bury him, as is the Jewish tradition, so his soul could be free to move from limbo to heaven.
“As soon as someone dies, the body needs to be buried so that that person can go into the spiritual world,” Klein said. “It’s very, very important in the Jewish faith.”
All replied “Rabbi Klein!” when he concluded the story and again asked students, “Who do you call?”
But the rabbi’s tales of ghosts and demons were not the most significant part of Monday’s event. Rather, the fireside offered the opportunity for students to gather at Chabad House. Prior to his story, Klein asked the students what they studied that day and what they learned. As students discussed the classes they were considering taking next quarter, Klein remarked about which professors he knew and which courses he thought would be interesting.
Communication junior Ethan Levine-Weinberg said he became involved with Chabad House this year. He had heard about the fireside and wanted to make sure he attended one before he graduated. He described Klein as an “asset” to the NU community.
“If you know him personally very well, you realize what he brings to the community that is lacking when he’s not around,” Levine-Weinberg said. “It can’t be seen by an outsider who’s never even stepped foot in the building.”
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PTI and President Schapiro,
This needs to end. Admit that you messed up and allow Northwestern to re-accept Rabbi Klein into the community that he has been a significant part of for over 25 years. This whole situation is offensive to anybody who knows Rabbi Klein well and this only looks worse for Northwestern in regards to some call a lack of "diversity." Please fix this immediately and let Rabbi Klein and Chabad re-affiliate with NU.
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Completely Agree.
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Even if Rabbi Klein served alcohol, it obviously was not in an excessive amount and it was being used for religious purposes. He's a Rabbi who has studied ethics for how many years? He knows what is appropriate and what's not -- NU should REALLY apologize for this disturbing situation.
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Morty,
You are clearly full of crap. You can easily comment on this. Say the following when asked by someone about this situation:
"I realize I might have made a mistake. I am going to call the University's lawyers right away and tell them we want to settle, that we want to talk with Rabbi Klein about how to resolve this."
Rabbi Klein is waiting to have that conversation, and the suit would be dropped immediately.
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NU Reply:
November 6th, 2012 at 11:30 am
Well put. There was no need for a lawyers to get involved until Morty decided that he wanted to kick klein off campus. Since he is clearly wrong about the decision to kick klein off campus, there remains no need for lawyers. Send the lawyers home and bring klein back.
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Folks need a reality check! No one has been saying that Klein is a "bad guy", but he BROKE THE LAW by providing alcohol to minors. And while this may happen off-campus every weekend between seniors and sophomores, NU cannot 'look the other way', and pretend it didn't happen.
There is no discrimination, and you certainly can't say that Morty is anti-semitic! I'm glad that folks continue to gather at Chabad, as it is part of the Evanston community, just not part of the NU community.
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Real Reality Check Reply:
November 6th, 2012 at 4:27 pm
Rabbi Klein did NOT break the law. Illinois law specifically makes an exception for serving alcohol to minors in the case of religious activity.
"No person, after purchasing or otherwise obtaining alcoholic liquor, shall sell, give, or deliver such alcoholic liquor to another person under the age of 21 years, except in the performance of a religious ceremony or service." - http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=023500050K6-16
There is no distinction of what kind of liquor or how much. So to say Rabbi Klein broke the law is blatantly ignorant. Furthermore, the university and police have known this has been going on for 27 years and were OK with it. Why, AFTER Chabad went dry anyway, is Rabbi Klein being persecuted for these past actions that are NOT illegal?
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Alcohol served in the "performance of a religious ceremony or service" is ok. That's not what happened here. It also violated university policy. I am sure the man is a great guy but he's not above the law or university policy.
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What was served at Chabad: bombtastic kosher icecream with chocolate and rainbow sprinkles topped with chocolate sauce 2 SERVINGS
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Let's face it. The fact that the University looked the other way for 27 years, or even endorsed what was going on at Chabad--which is likely given that everyone in the administration knows Rabbi Klein and he is very engaged with the university--is very important here. There is no danger that all of the sudden appeared after 27 years. If there was a concern about serving alcohol by a new university administration this year, they why didn't they have a conversation about it. Don't ignore what previous administrations have said and done, and make such a bold decision as to ban the guy without talking to him or others about this.
That makes it discrimination. Someone doesn't like Klein in this new administration, and didn't care what previous people in the administration knew about him or told him. That's a sad reflection on the university, but it seems to be the clear truth.
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One must decide what is right and what is wrong. Do not let "laws" poison your heart.
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