Eli Backman
College Park, Maryland
Votes for Eli Backman: 11413
Tell us about your nominee. Why should he or she be recognized as a Jewish Community Hero?
Rabbi Backman has taken the community of University of Maryland and made it into a happy Jewish community where students feel proud to be Jewish and to practice Judaism. He will speak at Fraternities and get them to do Chesed projects, he will talk to professors and school administrators on behalf of students, and he will listen to the problems of students and won't think twice about helping them out to his fullest abilities
What problem did your nominee identify in the community that needed to be solved? How has your nominee's efforts made a difference for others?
The community needed a stronger Jewish presence. There was a big presence on one end of the campus that was too far for Jews on the other to walk to or join in on activities, so he made sure that Shabbat meals were brought to the other side as well as activities and made sure people there were comfortable approaching him for Jewish questions and for meals at holidays.
