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Chabad on Campus International is a division of Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, the educational arm of the Chabad Lubavitch movement. It is one of the largest Jewish organizations serving college campuses, with over 185 permanent branches on North American campuses, and an additional 250 globally.
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Mission
The Chabad on Campus International assists local Chabad Student Centers worldwide. This includes logistical support and staff training, as well as centralized programming such as national Shabbatons and student leadership retreats. The foundation provides grants to encourage creative local programming.
History
The first campus Chabad House, UCLA Chabad House, was established under the Rebbe's direction by Rabbi Shlomo Cunin on the UCLA campus in 1969. Since 2001 the Chabad campus presence has tripled (78 new centers).
In August 2015, Chabad on Campus announced that 19 "emissary couples" would be sent to schools across the United States to open up Jewish cultural centers. Target campuses include "the University of South Carolina, Louisiana State University, the University of Utah, Tulane University, Caltech and the University of Alabama.” Chabad mentioned increasing anti-semitism as a partial motive for its expansion. Chabad is generally more known for its outreach to non-religious Jews than for pro-Israel activism.