Florida Atlantic University's First Jewish President Begins Day One With a Mezuzah

On March 10, 2025, Adam Hasner became the eighth president of Florida Atlantic University — and the first of Jewish faith. His first act in office was to affix a mezuzah to the doorframe of his office, with a blessing from Rabbi Boruch Shmuel Liberow of Chabad at FAU.

The original story was reported by Chabad.org.

How FAU's First Jewish President Marked His Inauguration With a Mezuzah in Boca Raton

When I became the eighth president of Florida Atlantic University, and the first of Jewish faith, I began my first day by affixing a mezuzah to the doorframe of my office with the blessing of Rabbi Boruch Shmuel Liberow. It was a small, personal act, but also a public statement: Jewish life belongs at our university.

"I was honored that Rabbi Boruch Shmuel Liberow stopped by to bless my office as I affixed a mezuzah to my door frame," Hasner shared on Instagram following the inauguration. "The mezuzah is an important reminder of my Jewish faith and identity at my new home away from home."

Rabbi Liberow's relationship with President Hasner stretches back nearly two decades. The two first met when Hasner began his political career as a member of the Florida House of Representatives. Hasner brings decades of advocacy for the Jewish community and the Land of Israel to his new role, earning recognition as Florida-Israel Institute Legislator of the Year during his tenure as Majority Leader in the Florida House, where he successfully secured funding to reestablish and develop the Florida-Israel Institute at FAU.

"This appointment sends a clear message that FAU stands firmly against antisemitism and in support of its Jewish community," Rabbi Liberow said. The rabbi, who has served as a Chabad emissary at FAU for 20 years, noted that while Jewish students at prominent universities across the country report feeling threatened or intimidated, FAU has emerged as a safe haven — approximately 1,000 Jewish students attend the university, and they "have always felt safe on campus."

The mezuzah on the president's office doorpost was not a symbolic one-day gesture. Since taking office, FAU has implemented several initiatives to strengthen and enhance Jewish life on its campuses, and the university has risen to an "A" grade from the Anti-Defamation League on its 2026 Campus Antisemitism Report Card.

What a Mezuzah Declares at a University President's Door

A mezuzah contains the words of the Shema — the declaration of Hashem's unity that has anchored Jewish identity across every generation and geography. Placed on a doorpost, it marks the space as one where Jewish values are present and Hashem's presence is acknowledged.

On the doorpost of a university president's office, that declaration carries additional weight. It says that Jewish identity is not hidden or set aside when someone enters public leadership — it is brought in, openly, on the first day.

It was a small, personal act, but also a public statement: Jewish life belongs at our university. In a campus climate where that statement is not always made, and not always welcome, affixing a mezuzah on inauguration day is its own kind of leadership.

The Scroll That Makes the Statement Complete

A mezuzah on an office door — whether at a police headquarters in New York, a congressional office in Garden City, or a university president's suite in Boca Raton — fulfills a mitzvah only when the scroll inside is written by a certified sofer on proper klaf and carefully checked for errors. The gesture is meaningful; the parchment is what makes it halachically complete.

Kosher Mezuzah offers scrolls written by certified soferim, double-checked by expert magihim, and backed by OU endorsement — with every scroll fully traceable through a unique QR code.

A Doorpost That Set the Tone for a Presidency

Adam Hasner's first act as FAU president was not a speech or a policy announcement. It was a mezuzah on the door — a quiet declaration that Jewish identity belongs at the center of his leadership, and at the center of this university. One year later, FAU earned an A grade from the ADL. The mezuzah was still on the door.

Every new beginning deserves a mezuzah. Kosher Mezuzah makes it simple to fulfill the mitzvah properly, with OU-endorsed scrolls written and checked by certified experts. Find your kosher mezuzah scroll here.