Spiritual leaders often have more responsibilities than just leading services. Often, they are mentors and guides who lead by example, and this is especially true on a college campus. The leader in question has to speak to a larger community that is under almost constant stress and pressure, and faces a multitude of questions unique to that community. The unique challenges faced by spiritual leaders can understandably be overwhelming for some. However, thankfully this is not a problem that can be seen at Brandeis due to the extraordinary chaplains that we have on this campus, especially Rabbi Elyse Winick.
Rabbi Winick is a Brandeis alum who graduated in 1986 and returned to Brandeis in 2008 to serve as the Jewish chaplain. She has consistently demonstrated her ability to be an extraordinary leader, in both a spiritual and secular sense. From speaking on the need of Jewish students to support the Ford Hall 2015 protest, to imploring those who attended services this Rosh Hashanah to become politically involved and actively bring forth the change we want to see, to leading the founding of Brandeis Bridges, Rabbi Winick has time and again been a community leader who has always promoted positive change for Brandeis, and beyond our campus.
On Nov. 16, Senior Vice President of Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel sent a campuswide email stating that Rabbi Winick had accepted a new position with the Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) as the director of adult learning. First, I want to congratulate Rabbi Winick on her new position with the CJP. The CJP does incredible work, such as their anti-poverty initiative that has provided immediate food and financial assistance, support with emergency services and their social justice and volunteerism branch, which helps charities ranging from Family Table, which assists kosher food banks, to the Greater Boston Jewish Coalition for Literacy. There is no doubt in my mind that Rabbi Winick can continue doing incredible work with CJP and have a much broader outreach there than she had at Brandeis.
However, as happy as I am that Rabbi Winick is going to have this incredible opportunity, I am immensely saddened to see her go. Yes, she has been a guiding voice for the Jewish community at Brandeis, and has never hesitated to speak up when the situation required a voice of reason, but more than that, she is an incredible human being. Few times have I witnessed someone so selfless, so impassioned about what she believes and so dedicated to those around her.
Judaism teaches us that certain people, referred to as either a tzadik or tzadeikes, have a merit which surpasses their iniquity, and have no evil inclinations. It is my opinion, and I hope everyone who has ever met her would agree, that Rabbi Winick truly embodies the Jewish tzadeikes, or righteous person. There are few whose impact on the Brandeis campus has been as immense as the impact she has had, and I sincerely wish Rabbi Winick the best of luck on whatever journey life takes her on. However, first, I want to personally thank Rabbi Winick for being an incredible leader, and an even better person. Thank you, Rabbi Winick, for all that you have done for us.
