By Gary Glancy
gary.glancy@shj.com
Spartanburg Herald-Journal
Published: Wednesday, April 22, 2009

While many believe there is strength in numbers, Kelsey Leahy's cause has no such luxury. Instead, the potential success of Leahy's efforts comes in the strength of her conviction.

Leahy, a junior from Myrtle Beach, is attempting to organize Wofford College's first-ever Hillel, a Jewish student group supported by the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. According to Leahy, there are only about 10 practicing Jews at Wofford - seven students and three professors. That hasn't deterred her, nor has Wofford's historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church.

Leahy's determination to seek her own religious expression on campus began in her first semester when she was required to attend a mandatory Christian church service as part of freshman orientation.

"I understand traditions, and I like tradition because as a Jew, our entire religion is based off of all our traditions." Leahy said. "But I would just rather not be forced to go to something that I don't agree with."

Wofford Perkins-Prothro Chaplain Ron Robinson said Wofford needed to mature as a college in addressing the needs of students like Leahy in keeping with the values of the college and the Methodist church.

"Methodists have long supported positive relationships with Jewish folks," Robinson said. "Methodists are not exclusivistic evangelicals; Methodists are very inclusive people.

"From our perspective, a New Covenant does not negate an Old Covenant. Jews have a special place as God's people, too. But aside from that, we're open to various expressions of religion."

Honoring Sandor Teszler

Leahy said the entire campus - from President Bernie Dunlap to fellow students - has been overwhelmingly supportive of her cause, and that was shown Tuesday during Wofford's observance of a Holocaust Remembrance Day, in which Dunlap and several faculty members gathered in Leonard Auditorium to read selected excerpts from the memoirs of the late Sandor Teszler.

Teszler, whom Dunlap called "a man of immense intellect, great compassion and extraordinary courage" in his opening remarks, was a Holocaust survivor who became a fixture on the Wofford campus in the final decade of his life.

Among the readers was Robinson, finance professor Andrew Green - Leahy's faculty advisor - and history professor Philip Racine, who in 1990 along with student Amy Henry recorded and transcribed Teszler's amazing story of survival and forgiveness.

"He was a great man," said Leahy, who organized the event, "and I'm glad we can honor him in this way."

With regard to the memoirs, Leahy added, "It was all very powerful and moving, but the last sentence, especially, was the most amazing thing. He said, 'I do not know why this is so, but in spite of all the tragedy in my life, I do know that whatever kindness I have shown others has been returned to me.' "

A growing presence

Tuesday's event served not only as a tribute to Teszler, Leahy said, but as an event to give Hillel some exposure and initial credibility on campus.

Through the group, Leahy said she's trying to better reach out to the Jewish population as a whole.

"My main goal is to get the Jewish presence on campus higher," she said. "We hope to get 20 to 25 Jewish students here in the next few years, instead of the seven that we have now. We know that's a reasonable goal for a school of our size.

"And we want to make it easier for students to practice their religion."

Leahy said she is working with first-year Wofford professor Patricia Nuriel, a practicing Jew, to create a non-credit Hebrew studies course next year, and that Dunlap - who "loves the idea of a Hillel," Leahy added - has talked with her about a possible Hebrew studies program within the next few years.

"That's the marvelous thing about this place," Robinson said. "Someone can have an idea and go with it, and people will mobilize behind that and there's not a lot of bureaucracy to prevent it from happening. And Kelsey just embodies a real warmth and embracing spirit, and she does that at the same time while seeing the necessity of perpetuating her own tradition."

Robinson said he also met with a group of students Monday who are trying to establish a Muslim student organization, for whom Leahy said her group has already pledged its support and collaboration, "to be the guiding light for the Middle East."

Said Robinson: "I wish the rest of the world could get along as well as folks around here are trying to."