How should I start a Jewish student union on my campus?

You must mean EIU or SIU. Bradly has one and so does U of I. ISU has one as well.

I would start by saying that you are taking a quick poll to see who would be interested and what kind of a group they would like to see. That way you are talking to the actual people on campus. If you are in Champaign or Peoria, you can also talk to the Rabbis. The Bloomington Rabbi is not someone I would talk to about anything.

I don't know about Rabbi's when you go further south.

I guess in an email I would say something like

Hello all,

I have been talking to several people about starting a Jewish student union and I wondered if anyone would be interested in participating or if anyone had any ideas about how we can make a group like this work. We do not have much in the way of Jewish culture here and so this might be a good exchange of ideas and thoughts on all things Jewish, religion, politics, culture, food etc.

Come on guys, who is interested and who has any ideas on how we can make this fun and interesting to all of us here on campus

Thanks,

(Insert your name here)

Hope that helped

GOOD LUCK!!!!

Good luck! I go to college in Southeastern Ohio (I'm from Chicago actually) and there are not many Jews here either. However, there is an AEPi chapter and a Hillel. I would start by wishing them a happy new year. See how far University of Illinois is because they've got a HUGE Jewish population and might be able to help you guys get off the ground...

I think I'd try and make it light, even a bit humorous, you could even open with a Jewish joke if you can find an appropriate one? (I'll email you any I come across that might work).

How to start it...

'Dear fellow members of the Tribe...' ?

Good post and GOOD FOR YOU for taking the initiative. Jewish Unions are vital in countering the MISinformation that often exists in colleges etc about Judaism and Israel.

GO LADY SURI! :)

TO CAPTAIN NEBULA

Since when does spending time with fellow Jews, equal 'segregation'?

Do you say the same about the other groups on campus, such as the Christian Union? No?

I would concentrate on why the group is needed and what students can expect to gain from a recognized Jewish group on campus.

I think this paragraph from U.Va.'s Hillel website is a good model:

"Hillel provides resources to student groups, empowering them to connect students to Judaism in meaningful and diverse ways. Students build relationships with other Jewish students at community social events, celebrate the holidays with their friends, learn about Judaism and Israel in mini-courses, participate in social justice opportunities, and travel the world with their peers. Quite simply, Hillel provides the University of Virginia students with a pluralistic, welcoming, and thriving Jewish community."

http://www.uvahillel.org/NewSite/index.php?Page=Al...

There are usually a few forms to fill out and you might need a faculty advisor or sponsor.

After you have it established you can do some advertising on message boards and the in the college paper or on the bulletin boards

I wish I could give Feivel's answer more than the one star. I'd respond immediately to an e-mail worded like that.

Good luck - I really hope you manage to get something off the ground.

Don't forget to charge people for membership status. Hint, hint.

So, your going to choose to segregate yourselfs from others?

So in a few weeks we can have a 'everyones picking on us' question.