Student Spotlight: Zac Kitay
“I’m hoping that the more Jewish people I meet, and the more connections I build, the stronger my love for Judaism will become.” - Zac Kitay (KU ‘24)
As the second semester of this school year begins at the University of Kansas, many freshmen are continuing to get involved in the campus community. Zac Kitay, a freshman from Stamford, CT, has used his experiences with KU Hillel and the rest of the Jewish community to get involved and take advantage of the wide-ranging opportunities at the KU.
To get some insight into how his experiences have been thus far, we asked Kitay a series of questions related to his Jewish journey to KU. Here is what he had to say:
Why did you choose KU? I was looking for somewhere outside of the East Coast that was different from what I was used to. After coming to the Midwest and touring KU, the hospitality and comfort left a lasting impression.
Coming from a large Jewish community in Stamford, did you have any worries coming to KU? I wasn’t too worried about the size of the Jewish community here compared to back home. I knew there were active Jewish programs throughout Lawrence, and being welcoming is a trait of Jews everywhere, no matter how the demographic relates to the rest of the community.
How have you gotten involved with the Jewish community since being here? I’ve been to a few programs with Hillel and joined AEPi, too. Meeting other Jews and sharing a connection with them has made it easy to stay involved.
How have you enjoyed being a Jewish college student so far? I've enjoyed being a college student at KU in general. Being Jewish has just given me more opportunities to meet other like-minded people through a special relationship.
What has been your favorite KU experience so far? Living in Lawrence and seeing the pride that every student has for KU has shed light on a general contentment and love for the school. Being a part of that family has been a very rewarding experience.
What has been your favorite KU Hillel experience so far? The Welcome Back Shabbat on the baseball field last semester was a great time. Meeting with different people and then sharing the moment of celebrating Shabbat all together in the nice weather is a fond memory.
I know you’re in AEPi; what went into your decision to join a Jewish fraternity? AEPi was welcoming and had a familial aspect to it. My decision to join a Jewish fraternity stemmed from that comfort, as well as a sense of belonging that Jews everywhere convey onto others so well.
How do you hope to further your Jewish KU experiences throughout the rest of your college career? I’m hoping that the more Jewish people I meet, and the more connections I build, the stronger my love for Judaism will become. As long as I stay involved in the community and keep learning from it, that will absolutely further my Jewish experiences at KU.
How has COVID-19 made acclimating to Jewish life at KU, and KU as a whole, difficult? The hardest part of acclimating during the pandemic has been the sense that nothing is running at its full potential. A lot of classes and programs, Jewish or not, involve the phrase “it will be better once COVID is over.” While my anticipation to see how much better things can get has grown, my curiosity has also grown to how much better it could be right now if everyone were healthy.
How do you find yourself best interacting with other people involved with KU Hillel? I interact with other people in Hillel through the other communities I’ve grown attached to. From finding my Hillel peers in the dorm, to the fraternity, and just classes in general, it’s always nice to see a friendly face and have a meaningful conversation with them.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Reported by Paul Samberg, KU Hillel Intern
