Local Rabbi brings Judaism to students

It was only two years ago when Rabbi Micha Wiesenberg and his wife Tehila moved from Jerusalem to Bloomington.

Wiesenberg had finished leading a 10-day Birthright trip in Israel and wanted to continue “inspiring” students once the trip ended.

“Birthright is a dream,” Wiesenberg said. “I wanted to be able to translate that dream into reality. I wanted to bring that enthusiasm into a real living community on this campus.”

With a full, dark beard and kippah headcovering, Wiesenberg looks Orthodox. And yet he has a Facebook account, texts on a regular basis, dresses in bird costumes, celebrates with fraternity members during Jewish holidays and drives around Bloomington on his motorcycle. He’s an Orthodox rabbi on a student’s schedule, often meeting students at the library for late-night get-togethers.

With about 40 students at his house every Friday night for Shabbat, or Shabbos in Hebrew, dinner, a dinner in which people can celebrate the Jewish day of rest, Wiesenberg is finally getting his wish.

At his first dinner, Wiesenberg had four students, a small number compared to the dinners now, which are sometimes standing room only. His two-bedroom house is often so full that some students gather in the kitchen.

Carly Drawas, a member of Sigma Delta Tau sorority, was a freshman when she went to the first dinner. Now a junior, she continues to go on Fridays as well as Saturdays, when Wiesenberg invites students for lunch.

“It’s evolved into something huge,” she said.

Although Wiesenberg is Orthodox, students who attend do not have to be Orthodox or even religious. Drawas, who wasn’t religious growing up, agrees.

“I think Orthodox Judaism is given a bad rap, you don’t have to be super religious to go,” she said.

Drawas said it’s hard for someone to keep Shabbat in Bloomington. Wiesenberg said he understands this and tries to meet students halfway.

“My goal is to meet every student where they are and try to create that bridge,” Wiesenberg said. “It’s up to each person how they want to take it. Ultimately, it’s up to them how they’re going to incorporate it into their lives.”

Throughout high school, freshman Jeremy Burke never connected with religion and never found it fun.

After meeting Wiesenberg at an event in Briscoe Quad, he decided to attend one of Wiesenberg’s dinners with a group of friends. Since first attending the dinners at the beginning of spring semester, Burke has changed how he looks at religion and credits Wiesenberg with giving him a new perspective.

“He’s taught me a lot, really he’s inspired me,” Burke said.

This is Wiesenberg’s goal: to make students realize that Judaism can be fun.

“It needs to be fun and exciting,” Wiesenberg said. “If people really experience Shabbos it’s irresistible. We get high on Shabbos here.”

Senior Emily Levy described her first dinner in January as fun, welcoming and inviting.
“Some of the girls in my house (Delta Delta Delta) went, so I checked it out, and it really felt like a home away from home,” she said.

Wiesenberg credits Rabbi Sue Shifron, executive director of the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center, with inspiring him to have college students connect with their Judaism.

Wiesenberg, who has three young children, one a newborn, strives to have multiple opportunities to connect with his students. In addition to hosting Friday night dinners, he has people attend lunch on Saturdays and allows students who want to fully observe the Sabbath to spend the night.

In addition to having students at his home, he does paintball, retreats and Matisyahu, the study of Jewish lyrics. Along with Birthright trips to Israel, Wiesenberg also teaches an IU leadership course.

He is also the on-campus coordinator for Aish, an Orthodox-affiliated organization that offers programming for college students to connect with Judaism. Recently, Wiesenberg had more than 70 people come to his house for Purim, which commemorates the survival of the Jewish people from the persecution of Haman, and he’s having students come to his home for Passover.

While he said he hopes students learn from him, he said he’s learned just as much from them. He even bought a motorcycle after meeting a student who was a fan. The bike sits on display in his garage.

Because of spring break and a family wedding, Wiesenberg wasn’t able to have the dinners for two weeks recently. Having regularly gone to the dinners on Friday for the past two years, Drawas’s whole schedule was different when she missed those two weeks.

“It changed the dynamic of my week. Without it I was tired, couldn’t concentrate, I even slept through some of my classes,” she said.

Excited that the dinners are back on, Drawas can enjoy her Shabbat once again.
“It makes my week fresher,” she said. “I need my Shabbat.”