Joined by their families from Switzerland, Germany, Hungary and Ukraine—and their friends and fraternity brothers from around the world—five young men from the Lauder Business School in Vienna were called to the Torahand celebrated their bar mitzvahs last month for the first time.
The young men studied over a seven-week period with Rabbi Boruch Sabbach, co-director of the Jewish Heritage Center on the school’s campus with his wife, Chaya Mushka. The lessons covered Judaism and various areas of Jewish practice, including the observance of tefillin. The bar mitzvah program is a joint project of Chabad on Campus International and the Alpha Epsilon Pi International fraternity, of which they are members.
The Lauder Business School, founded in 2003 with the assistance of philanthropist Ronald Lauder, is especially welcoming to Jewish students from Europe and abroad. Operating as a university of applied sciences in the Austrian education system, it is the one of the only universities in the European Union to be closed on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. In addition, the Jewish Heritage Fund scholarship program grants stipends to students that cover up to 80 percent of their housing and dining costs.
Dani Markus of Hungary spoke about why he decided to have a bar mitzvah nearly 10 years after the traditional age of 13: “In my family, Judaism was never a core subject of conversation. But since I arrived at the business school, I felt that I needed to know more. During the preparation period held by the rabbi, we got to know the how’s and why’s of Jewish customs and traditions.”
The students were still savoring the experience weeks after they were called up to the Torah in the presence of 60 family members and friends. The next day, they prayed in their new sets of tefillin—arranged by the rabbi with the help of the Chabad on Campus International Tefillin Bank—and then shared a celebratory meal.
For Peter Vandor, also from Hungary, “knowing about my roots and getting closer to them was the main purpose” for participation in the program.
“But even in my wildest dreams, I never thought it would be this successful,” he said. “I feel like we, as five Jewish students, made a huge step forward with our Jewish identity. I give a huge shout-out to Rabbi Boruch for guiding us as our mentor and making this program possible.”
Although studies at the Lauder Business School are in English, the emotions associated with the event were distinctly European. Magdolna Várkonyi, an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor who came from Hungary, wept as she described how moved she was to see her first great-grandchild, Benjamin Pretzer, have a bar mitzvah celebration.
Sabbach said the success of the program exceeded his expectations. “It was extraordinary to guide these five young men through this important Jewish milestone. They showed a real commitment to the lessons, and their questions demonstrated a seriousness about the subject and their Judaism.”
Equally important, he emphasized, was the impact on the participants’ families: “Several of the parents spoke about a new commitment to Judaism and a desire to send their younger children to Jewish schools.”
Six students have already signed up for a similar program for next year.
