Student Spotlight

Natalie Kogan-White

By Tori Luecking

Jewish people love to nosh, but how much do we know about where the food we eat comes from? For Natalie Kogan-White, this is an important question. While grasping a hot cup of tea, Natalie sat down to discuss her passion for environmentalism, social work, and her Jewish spirituality.

Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Natalie grew up active in the Reform Jewish community. She attended Sunday school, sang in the synagogue choir, and became a Bat Mitzvah. However, as it sometimes goes with adolescents, Natalie’s affinity for her formal Jewish education waned when it came time for Confirmation. In spite of this disinterest she traveled on a high school trip to Israel and in her words, “rediscovered the different layers of being Jewish…and realized that Judaism would always be in [her] life.”

This realization rang true for Natalie’s college search, as it was the ever-growing Jewish grapevine that lead her to KU. Prompted to visit the University by Jewish family-friends, Natalie visited Lawrence and fell in love with the town. She began her freshmen year in the fall of 2016.

Once settled on campus, Natalie found a connection to KU Hillel in celebrating the holiday of Rosh Chodesh. The holiday’s association with women and female empowerment piqued her interest.

“Rosh Chodesh gave me an opportunity to do some self initiated discovery on how I’m Jewish…I felt like I was growing and that I was connected to the Hillel community,” she said.

Read More about Natalie and the exciting things she is up to at KU Hillel!

Scott Albaum

"I had heard that Hillel and Chabad on campus were cool so I decided to try it and it just stuck," Scott said. "All of my friends always say 'Scott you're so Jewish,' but I've never really been super, super Jewish -- I think just the attraction of learning more about Judaism brought me back."

“All you need flour, sugar, water, yeast and oil. It’s very easy.”

While making challah is easy, starting up an organization on any college campus is not. But that’s what freshman Adena Leon set out to do at the beginning of this school year, starting KU’s very own Challah for Hunger chapter.

Max Gendler has always loved music. He’s always been around music.

“So, I guess music has kinda been my calling,” Max said. “I love music to death, I don’t know what I’d do without it to be honest.”

More Past Spotlights: Jonathan Bush, Becca Levine, Hannah Gilgus, Jacob Pellegrino, Micah Stiel, Nicki Stoller, Daniel Gewirtz, Melanie Edwards, Josh Kaseff, Evan Traylor, Haley Seldin, Samantha Agranoff, Zahava Davis