![]() “This is one of the most joyous days for me, my family and my community-creating a postdoc fellowship at a great institution like Rutgers on Jainism in memory of my wife,” he said.Īttending the ceremony were representatives of the Rutgers University Jain Association, a student group that organizes volunteer activities and social events on the New Brunswick campus. Masschaele, SAS Executive Vice Dean Lytisha Williams, Associate Vice President for Advancement, and Gary Francione, Board of Governors Distinguished Professor of Law. Siddhartha Dalal thanked the Jain community for its support, and acknowledged Rutgers officials who played vital roles in bringing the program to fruition, including James P. “We will work hard to build on the spirit of this generosity and nurture a long-lasting bond between Rutgers and the great Jain community,” Jiang said. Tao Jiang, the department Chair, said the scholar will teach, conduct research, lead campus events, deliver public lectures and build connections to the Jain community in New Jersey, which is the largest in the United States. The Department of Religion plans to hire a post-doctoral scholar in Jain studies, which will add to the department’s strengths in Asian religions. “I want to thank you for your gift of love, and we receive it with the spirit and intent that you meant.” “To give a gift in honor of the memory of another-there is no greater gift,” Hopely said. Kimberly Hopely, the foundation president, declared that a gift such as Siddhartha’s is an expression of love. “It is the beginning of an exciting new partnership with Rutgers and the Jain community.” “Today is more than a celebration,” SAS Executive Dean Peter March said to the audience of several hundred gathered at the center in Franklin Township. The Rutgers program was officially announced last month during a signing ceremony at the Jain Center of New Jersey, with leaders from SAS and the Rutgers University Foundation sharing a stage with Siddhartha, his daughter Preeyel, Jain community leaders as well as a representative from the office of Gov. Jainism, which has roughly 5 million followers worldwide, was a major influence on Mahatma Gandhi as he developed the nonviolent resistance practices he employed in South Africa and during India’s independence movement, which later inspired Martin Luther King Jr. The Alka Siddhartha Dalal Endowed Postdoctoral Fellowship in Jainism will place Rutgers among a small but growing number of schools providing in-depth teaching and research on Jainism, one of India's principal ancient faiths, along with Buddhism and Hinduism. “She would be smiling right now,” Siddhartha said. ![]() Alka, a devout Jain, exemplified Jain principles throughout her life, whether it was through philanthropy, her artwork, or simple kindness to those around her. Through a generous gift from the Dalal family, the School of Arts and Sciences is establishing an academic program in Jainism, a faith tradition that emphasizes nonviolence toward all living things. Now, Rutgers is helping to fulfill Alka’s final wish. “Be charitable,” Alka Dalal told her husband, Siddhartha, and two children, Preeyel and Nemil, before dying of complications related to ALS in the fall of 2016. "She would be smiling now" - Siddhartha DalalĪ Rutgers University alumna was on her deathbed when she made a special request to her family. ![]()
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