In the wake of multiple pro-Palestinian protests on the Auraria campus that effectively closed down some Jewish activities at was once a bastion of universal pride — the Golda Meir House and Museum. Chabad of Auraria is planning to move off campus, perhaps as early as March, 2024.
Chabad of Auraria is in the midst of a fundraising drive to purchase a townhome a little less than a mile southeast of the Auraria campus, at 1325 Elati St.
Rabbi Yisroel Ort told the IJN that Chabad has the townhome under contract and the group is now undertaking a fundraising campaign to raise $770,000 to purchase the townhome. Ort expects to close on the townhome on Jan. 30.
Following a series of pro-Palestinian protests in October and November in front of the Golda Meir House and Museum at the Auraria campus, the facility became closed to non-museum activities, partially out of safety concerns. Part of the facility has been closed due to long-scheduled renovations.
Auraria administrators assisted Chabad in finding a temporary location to hold Shabbat and holiday services and other events, at the Tivoli Student Center.
Ort was recently told that due to conflicts with scheduling with other Auraria events, Chabad would have to leave Tivoli in March.
“We’ve realized that we don’t have all the facilities necessary for us,” said Rabbi Ort.
“The students need a place where it’s always going to be open to them.
“This way there will no longer be any shuffling around, and we can increase our programs instead of decrease them. We’ve had trouble scheduling Shabbos day events, and we’ll no longer have to worry about leaving the Sefer Torah in a space that isn’t really ours.
“This would be easily under our control, accessible to the students near the campus.”
Ort’s planned exit from Auraria is not primarily motivated by a desire to to flee the protests and tensions at Auraria.
“All the way around, this is a good response to what’s going on,” said Ort. “We’ve been unable to stop the protests — in fact, we even did a counter protest at one point.
“This way, we can take things to the next level and go in a positive direction.
“You don’t give in to protesters,” said Ort. “By closing the Golda Meir House down, you basically gave in to their demands, because the reason they protested was to try to shut down the Golda Meir House.
“Now we have found a way to say to them that there is actually a Jewish place and you (protesters) have no say over it.”
Chabad has had a presence at the Auraria campus for the past 18 years.
Copyright © 2023 by the Intermountain Jewish News
