Our OU-JLIC Couple:
Rabbi Avi and Sara Schwartz
Rabbi Avi Schwartz was born in Queens, but grew up in Sharon, MA, and West Orange, NJ. He is an alumnus of Yeshiva University’s Yeshiva College, Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, and Wurzweiler School of Social Work. After working for Bnei Akiva and NCSY for many years, he studied in RIETS’ Gruss Institute in Jerusalem for three years. During the week, Rav Avi is a social worker, providing mental health support for youth, adolescents, and their families. He loves football, NBC sitcoms, Sefaria, and Israeli and Jewish pop music.
Sara Schwartz grew up in West Hempstead, NY and is proud graduate of North Shore Hebrew Academy High School. She attended MMY, followed by Queens College where she received her BA in Psychology. In 2015, she married R’ Avi and 10 days after their wedding, they moved to Jerusalem, Israel while R’ Avi learned in the Gruss Kollel. During her time in Israel, Sara kept herself busy by attending the Yeshiva University Midrashia where she studied Taharat HaMisphacha in depth, working part time, and eating her way through Machane Yehuda. In 2018, Sara graduated from Bar-Ilan University’s S. Daniel Abraham International Business School with an MBA. After moving back to the US, Sara and R’ Avi settled in Teaeck, NJ, where they currently live. When she is not on campus at Rutgers, Sara works for another branch of the OU, New Jersey NCSY. She enjoys spending time her kids, and scouring the internet for the best shabbos recipes.
Rav Avi and Sara live in Teaneck, NJ with their two kids, Noam (3) and Kiki (1). They are all devout New England Patriots fans.
Sara Schwartz grew up in West Hempstead, NY and is proud graduate of North Shore Hebrew Academy High School. She attended MMY, followed by Queens College where she received her BA in Psychology. In 2015, she married R’ Avi and 10 days after their wedding, they moved to Jerusalem, Israel while R’ Avi learned in the Gruss Kollel. During her time in Israel, Sara kept herself busy by attending the Yeshiva University Midrashia where she studied Taharat HaMisphacha in depth, working part time, and eating her way through Machane Yehuda. In 2018, Sara graduated from Bar-Ilan University’s S. Daniel Abraham International Business School with an MBA. After moving back to the US, Sara and R’ Avi settled in Teaeck, NJ, where they currently live. When she is not on campus at Rutgers, Sara works for another branch of the OU, New Jersey NCSY. She enjoys spending time her kids, and scouring the internet for the best shabbos recipes.
Rav Avi and Sara live in Teaneck, NJ with their two kids, Noam (3) and Kiki (1). They are all devout New England Patriots fans.
The Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus (OU-JLIC) is a partnership between Hillel and the Orthodox Union (OU), a program that helps Orthodox students navigate the college environment and balance their Jewish commitments with their desire to engage the secular world. In addition, OU-JLIC provides avenues for spiritual development and exploration for Jewish students from varied backgrounds; JLIC presents a positive, sophisticated and welcoming face for Orthodox Judaism on campus.
OU-JLIC places Orthodox Rabbinic couples to serve as Torah educators at Hillel. At Rutgers, we are blessed to have Rabbi Tzvi Wohlgelernter and his wife Tali as our campus JLIC educators. They offer weekly Shiurim and classes, bring guest speakers and events to campus, and help make key Orthodox necessities, such as kashrut, eruv, chagim and Shabbat, easier to observe and more meaningful.
The Wohlgelernters and their 4 young children live right on campus, and frequently host students at their home for Shabbos and other events. They learn one on one, B’Chavruta, with students, and love to just get together and talk about whatever issues are important to students. See below for their bios!
OU-JLIC places Orthodox Rabbinic couples to serve as Torah educators at Hillel. At Rutgers, we are blessed to have Rabbi Tzvi Wohlgelernter and his wife Tali as our campus JLIC educators. They offer weekly Shiurim and classes, bring guest speakers and events to campus, and help make key Orthodox necessities, such as kashrut, eruv, chagim and Shabbat, easier to observe and more meaningful.
The Wohlgelernters and their 4 young children live right on campus, and frequently host students at their home for Shabbos and other events. They learn one on one, B’Chavruta, with students, and love to just get together and talk about whatever issues are important to students. See below for their bios!
