Peretz Chein

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Jul 11, 2023, 7:30 AM

Being Seen for Those Dedicated to Seeing Others

Perhaps the greatest gift we can give someone is to see them, acknowledge their presence, and not ignore or look through them. If you’ve ever wondered what’s the secret sauce of Chabad, especially on college campuses, it’s to genuinely...

Jan 17, 2019, 11:28 PM

The Antidote to Narcissism: Investment

When Chanie and I married, 19 years ago today, the 11th of Shevat, we were committed to living our lives together and raising our future family as Shluchim (emissaries) of the Rebbe. In simpler terms that meant to be...

Jan 16, 2019, 12:47 AM

Kosher v. Doing Good

Place eating an exclusively kosher diet - no buttered lamb for instance- alongside giving one’s resources - fiscal or talent - towards a worthwhile cause. Then ask, “What measurable impact and value does each, observing kosher and doing good,...

Nov 27, 2018, 9:47 PM

Reclaiming our Chabad Authenticity

Neither publicly, nor for that matter privately, have I ever shared this; after fifteen years of leading the Chabad House at Brandeis I was burnt out and ready to seek an alternative. Chanie, my wife, also shared some of...

Nov 8, 2018, 8:48 PM

Your Thoughts on Women Becoming Orthodox Rabbis?

Everyone loves a juicy headline. Usually that happens when something unusual occurs and highlighted if someone is squirming in the story. When a Chabad rabbi converses with a young woman preparing to become an Orthodox rabbi -- that is...

Nov 7, 2018, 9:25 PM

Impressed by an Upcoming Female Orthodox Rabbi

The twinkle in her eyes were dancing with the same excitement I saw a decade ago when she introduced herself to Chanie and myself. Back then it was as a first year student beginning college. Now six years after...

Oct 16, 2018, 9:57 PM

Apathy or Fear; or Maybe a Bit of Both

There is no denying that on today’s college campuses there is a decrease in dialogue, especially group dialogues and particularly between those with diverging views. Certainly that is the case at Brandeis University where I’ve been living for seventeen...

Apr 29, 2018, 10:26 PM

At Brandeis, Lowest Denominator Connects | Leaving Orthodoxy | Proud Jew | Only Israel

The world of podcasts is cluttered like my grandmother's basement. Practically every item she comes across is stored there, from hair pins, to floppy disks, to vacuum cleaners. In the same way every idea, in any area, exists in...

Nov 2, 2017, 11:18 PM

A Student’s Voice: You Can’t Buy Me a Jewish Identity

This is op-ed is in response to one I published last week titled, “Our World is Changing and So Must We; Otherwise We Are Negligent.” By Jordyn Seri, ‘18 My Jewish identity has been developed through many different experiences. This includes seven...

Oct 26, 2017, 8:24 PM

Our World Is Changing and So Must We; Otherwise We Are Negligent

Since our arrival in Waltham in 2001, two drastic changes have occurred at Brandeis, though they are not exclusive to Brandeis. Firstly, tuition has gone up from the mid $30,000-a-year to close to $70,000 today. Fifteen years ago, that...

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About Me

HaShliach Rabbi Peretz Chein is co-director of the Chabad House at Brandeis University, which he co-founded with his wife Chanie in 2001. In 2021 they co-founded M54, an educational startup that shifts the learning content from text to participants' life experiences, allowing them to discover new language and voice from which increased vibrancy emerges.