Chabad at OSU Opens Landmark Home for Jewish Students

On a campus the size of a small city, the nearly 3,000 Jewish students at The Ohio State University have long gravitated to the local Chabad on campus. Housed for several decades in a small home right near the school, a gift from the Schottenstein family in the early 1990s, Shabbat tables often filled quickly and students squeezed into every room they could.

“We loved the house,” said Rabbi Levi Andrusier, who now leads Chabad at OSU along with his wife Aviva, and Rabbi Zalman and Sarah Deitsch. “It had a certain feeling you can’t replicate. But the crowds kept growing, and the question became how to create something larger without losing that warmth.”

The opportunity to build came in 2019, when the neighboring house went on the market. It was quickly purchased by a family close to Chabad at OSU, and later transferred to Chabad. From the outset, the vision had to match the scale of the university.

The project grew into a more than $10 million capital campaign, fueled largely by alumni who had passed through the original house. It culminated in the dedication of the Jerome and Geraldine Schottenstein Chabad Student Center, named by Jay Schottenstein and his siblings in honor of their parents.

Designing the building meant recreating the feeling of the old one. “The goal was to build something modern and spacious, but with that same warmth,” said Rabbi Andrusier. “Something with a lot of wood and natural light.”

For current students, the impact is immediate. “Now with this new house it feels like a real belonging on campus — a big representation,” said Jesse Cohn, a junior majoring in marketing who grew up visiting Chabad when his older siblings were in school. “Knowing they’re right there — if I’m not feeling well, if I need a warm meal — they’ll never turn me down.”

“For me, it’s not just a place for events or classes,” said second-year nursing student Ashley Podziba. “I’ll go there to study, to relax, to help Sarah cook for Shabbat. We can actually hang out there now.”

“The old facility could only host so many events each week,” added alumna Natasha Katsman-Sheridan, who attended Chabad throughout her undergraduate and dental school years. “Now they can have multiple things happening at the same time — for grad students and for undergrads.”

The grand opening, held on February 22 — the anniversary of Jerome Schottenstein’s passing — drew more than 300 people, including students, alumni, city leaders and university faculty. The program began with a ribbon cutting and the affixing of the mezuzah, followed by alumni and donor reflections that traced the journey from the crowded house to the new student center.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther presented an official proclamation, and university faculty joined community members in marking the milestone. Among the speakers was Ohio gubernatorial candidate and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who reflected on the meaning of community and personal responsibility. “G-d and His Divinity reside in each of us,” he said. “That is the heart of my faith — and it is what gives us the foundation for respecting one another. You are strong enough to protect what you cherish, and it is your responsibility to lift yourself up.” He called the Chabad Student Center a model for building community with pride, dignity, and fortitude, and pledged to support the growth of spaces like this across Ohio.

“I’m still walking around campus with a smile on my face, days after the opening.” reflected Cohn. “The energy has just continued to grow since.”