LAKELAND, Fla. (Feb. 11, 2008) — Florida Southern College students have established a Jewish group on campus. “Shalom Friends: Jewish Student Organization” was recently accepted by the Student Government Association and is now in its trial period. The group plans to engage in service projects designed to provide FSC’s Jewish community with basic needs of Jewish life, inform other FSC students about the Jewish religion, and foster a relationship with the Lakeland Jewish community.

Officers chosen for Shalom Friends include Maoz Itshakov, president; Liron Kirsh, vice president; Refael Ishakov, treasurer; Seth Wasserman, secretary; and Noa Sharf, public relations/historian. Drs. Robert H. Baum and Catherine R. Eskin serve as faculty co-advisors to the group.

“I am very impressed with the dedication of these students,” said Eskin. “They are committed to their religion and to creating a place for Jewish students to feel welcome. Further, they have taken the initiative to institutionalize what they have been doing informally for several semesters. In particular, Liron and Maoz have a Shabbat meal at their home every Friday evening and invite any interested Jewish students to join them. They do the same for major and minor holidays.”

Florida Southern has not had a Jewish organization on campus in over thirty years, according to Baum. He has seen an increase in the numbers in the last few years, noting, “Our local chapter of B'nai B'rith, the Jewish service society, has wanted to sponsor a Jewish student organization for a number of years, but there were not really enough Jewish students. Now with the numbers increasing, B'nai B'rith is happy to sponsor it.”

For more information, contact Shalom Friends public relations officer Noa Sharf at Nsharf@flsouthern.edu.