Binyomin Abrams isn’t your typical university instructor.
As a member of the chemistry department at Boston University – he teaches theoretical physical chemistry and chemistry education – Abrams has cultivated a reputation for being accessible to and nurturing of his students. But as a Chabad-Lubavitch rabbinical student, he’s also become known for offering support and Jewish learning opportunities to people from across the campus community.
Many of those who walk into his office may have never before stepped foot into a synagogue and Abrams exposes them to Judaism in the most unexpected of ways.
“It goes well together,” Abrams says of his dual roles. “My job as a chemistry instructor affords me the opportunity practice Judaism in an unusual setting.
“I’m probably the only religious person that many of them have ever interacted with,” he adds. “They get to see that we have families and careers and this strong belief in G‑d.”
Raised in Montreal, Abrams attended a non-religious Jewish day school before working on his bachelors and masters degrees at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. He was drawn to pursuing Jewish studies while working on his doctorate in physical chemistry at New York University, and began learning about Jewish law first in Manhattan and then in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn.
He completed his doctorate in 2008, and is still working on his rabbinic ordination.
“That’s what I do in my free time,” he jokes, as there’s very little to his schedule that is free.
A Jewish girl once emailed him to say she was going to be in his class and wanted advice about being religious in an academic setting, since it was new for her.
Amongst other challenges, two weeks after school starts this year, students have to take time off for the Jewish High Holidays. So Abrams helps students that reach out to him navigate such concerns.
Even non-Jews come to him and ask about being religious on the one hand and a professional academician on the other.
Abrams says that his very presence sends a message: “A lot can be accomplished just by being there.”
When students ask Abrams about getting involved in Judaism on campus, he refers them to the Chabad House run by Rabbi Shmuel Posner.
“Some of these students have become leaders in our student group on campus,” says Posner, whose institution serves not only Boston University, but other area schools, including Northeastern University and the Berklee School of Music, as well. “Every semester, we have Professor Abrams talk to our Sinai Scholars class about Torah and science. His knowledge of both subjects, coupled with his clarity of presentation, has the students listening with rapt attention, crowding around him to ask questions long after the class is over.”
Abrams frequently invites former students for Sabbath meals and learns Jewish texts with students a couple hours each day, delving into the 18th-century foundational work of Chasidic thought known as the Tanya and other philosophical treatises. He also, like Chabad-Lubavitch rabbis and rabbinical students around the globe, helps Jewish men he meets don the prayer boxes known as tefillin and gives students the opportunity to make a blessing on the Four Species during the holiday of Sukkot.
He’s known for being a charismatic and caring professor, but his class is also recognized as one of the most difficult on campus. A website that rates professors has dozens of comments from former and current students remarking on the difficulty of his class as well as the strength of his character, and his overall likeability.
He and his wife Liorah Abrams have been married for five years and are raising two daughters, Golda Lieba and Chana.
Prestigious Prize
On any given day, he can be seen studying Jewish texts with former students during the brief gaps in his official schedule. Students come and go from his office, getting advice and asking questions about life as well as chemistry.
“The longer I’m there, the more students I get to know, and the more I learn with,” says Abrams. “Sometimes I think that my job is to [interact] with students more than it is to teach them chemistry.”
Former student Sammy Rubin has been a frequent guest at the Abrams home for dinner and study sessions.
“Professor Abrams has been an outstanding role model and a great professor. He has made time to learn Tanya with me each week, even with his very busy schedule,” relates Rubin. “He also has given me advice whenever I had questions about things related to school or when I needed to explain to a professor why I cannot take an exam because of [a holiday or the Sabbath]. He has really improved my overall experience at Boston University.”
Another former student, Zachary Lepore, remembers Abrams as one of his favorite professors.
“He is a fantastic teacher who genuinely cares about his students and works very hard to help them not simply succeed in the class, but to learn the material as well,” he explains. “He has been a great personal role model for me.”
“He’s very good with students,” affirms Rabbi Mendel Krinsky, who directs the nearby Chabad Shul of Brighton where Abrams serves as a lay leader. “He has a very good way of connecting with them.”
Abrams recently received the prestigious Templeton Prize from Boston University for excellence in student advising. He received heartfelt letters from students who nominated him, many who noted that they hadn’t necessarily come to him solely for advice. He had just taken the time to answer all of their questions.
An unassuming man, Abrams says simply that he was gratified by the outpouring of support. “It was very touching.”
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