The Hamilton College chaplaincy has been dedicated to providing a well-rounded array of spiritual and religious resources for the Hamilton student body for many years. In an effort to expand these services, it was announced that Rabbi Peter Schaktman, rabbi for the Temple Emanu-El in Utica, will join the chaplaincy for several hours a week and provide further support to students.
Rabbi Schaktman will work with Jewish Chaplain Anat Guez to lead on-campus religious services and provide support to Hamilton’s Jewish community. However, he hopes to be a source of guidance for students of all spiritual backgrounds.
Rabbi Schaktman is no stranger to the Hamilton community, having met several members of the faculty and staff in his congregation. He has also visited campus in the past for events, including Hillel meetings and services.
Chaplain Jeff McArn expressed excitement at Rabbi Schaktman taking a more formal role in the school’s religious community.
“Rabbi Schaktman is a great addition to our chaplaincy team,” said McArn. “It’s great to have a rabbi for our campus community, even if only for a few hours per month, to complement the excellent work of our Jewish Chaplain, Anat Guez.”
In addition to serving as a rabbi for congregations all across the United States, Rabbi Schaktman has worked in a diverse series of other positions. He spent two years in an Israeli Arab village as a community worker as part of the Interns for Peace program. Schaktman also worked on the staff of the Union for Reform Judaism at its headquarters in Manhattan for nine years. In 2014, Schaktman was awarded the degree Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa, by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. These experiences provided Schaktman with a unique perspective on the ways in which spirituality can enrich lives.
Schaktman said he hopes to continue working with religious groups on campus to provide students with opportunities for community involvement and social justice work. He said that his primary aim is to help people appreciate the world around them.
“In a way, college is a training ground for the rest of your life,” said Rabbi Schaktman. “It’s where you gain a lot of important, guiding skills and one of them ought to be your spiritual development.”
Rabbi Schaktman looks forward to building relationships with the Hamilton community. The most rewarding part of his job is “forming connections with people and being there for the moments that are important and sacred to them.”
