by Levi Margolin, lubavitch.com
Students and faculty at Florida International University were hosted two weeks ago for a Shabbos at the home of FIU’s president, Dr. Mark B. Rosenberg.
The occasion: Chabad campus representative Rabbi Levi Friedman‘s 30th birthday.
“The Rabbi and his wife are recognized community leaders, as well as good friends,” said Rosenberg, who presented the Shliach with a gift on behalf of the university’s faculty and students.
The Chabad Jewish Student Center at FIU, known as the Tabicinic Chabad House, was founded by Friedman and his wife, Sashie, in August of 2004.
“With the relationship we have and the President’s strong desire to personally engage the students–we knew that hosting Shabbat dinner at his home was just the sort of setting the president and his wife would love,” Friedman said.
So on Friday evening January 22, as Shabbat descended upon South Florida, students and faculty arrived at the Ronald Reagan Presidential House, the president’s residence on FIU’s campus.
Some 45 guests were greeted by their hosts, Dr. Mark and Rosalie Rosenberg, and led to long tables decked out with a traditional, formal Shabbat kosher dinner.
The evening began with the recitation of the Kiddush by Friedman’s father, Rabbi Yosef B. Friedman, who had arrived from New York with his wife, Sheine, for the event.
Dr. Jeffrey Knapp, director of the Academy for the Art of Teaching at FIU, followed by leading the hamotzie.
Past student presidents of Chabad FIU, Aaron Margolis, and Sholom Neistein who now serves as president of the Student Government Association at the Biscayne Bay Campus, joined the dinner.
Maxime Komornik, representing the student body, delivered a talk on the weekly Torah portion.
During the dinner, students shared their own sentiments of appreciation for Chabad at FIU as their home away from home, and spoke of the Friedmans’ support and friendship they have come to cherish.
your proud cousins in Mission Viejo, CA. You guys are the best.
Levi and Sashie, you are the best!
Levi,
keep up the great work of enlightening FIU with spirituality. . .
how do i get a hold of one of those yarmulkes?
This may be off topic, but the current student- president of FIU is a Lubavitcher himself and the Chabad on campus holds testament to his support of them. Way to go Sholom Neistein!!!!
Levi, keep on teaching and inspiring people with Basi Legani!
Way to go Levi!!!
FIU is blessed to have the Friedmans.