In the wake of a deadly shooting at Florida State University, Chabad-Lubavitch of the Panhandle-Tallahassee—which serves university as well as the area Jewish community—became a place of refuge and comfort for students seeking solace during the ongoing Passover holiday.
The shooting, which occurred in the same area of campus where Chabad regularly hosts its weekly “Lunch & Learn” Torah classes, has struck at the heart of the tight-knit community. The Chabad center, directed since 2000 by Rabbi Schneur Zalman and Chanie Oirechman, sits about a mile away.
“We started by checking in with the students we know to make sure everyone was safe and accounted for,” she said. “As the situation escalated, students started reaching out to us and to their families, as well as from other Chabad centers across the world who have community members studying at FSU.”
Less than a week earlier, Chabad of the Panhandle hosted 250 students and community members for the second Seder.
As students continue to process the traumatic events, the Oirechmans say they are encouraging students to “increase in Torah and mitzvahs,” noting that illuminating the world with goodness and kindness is the only way to cope with such a dark event.
