The Kosher Eater Nation Blog - The Rohr Chabad at UC Irvine

Toy Drive

Monday, November 29, 2010 - 5:57 PM

By Ashley Saba

The holiday season is widely known as the season of giving. Throughout October all the way to late December, wherever one goes, one is surrounded by lighting, decorations, holiday sales, and much, much more. Though these are meant to get everyone in the holiday spirit, one cannot forget how expensive they are too, thereby making it fairly difficult for certain families to indulge in this “holiday spirit”. So in order for the children of these families to not feel left out, Chabad of UCI decided to step in and put together a holiday toy drive. Our goal was, to buy dozens of toys, take them on campus and sell them to any and all individuals that would pass by for a mere dollar.

We set up our tables on “ring road,” the main route used by students and faculty to go to and from classes, in order to gain the most attention. On one tables we had all the toys spread out along with the jar where all the donations would be put in. The other table was filled with colored cards and markers, where the people that made the donations could write a little note to a child and then attach it to the toy itself. Once the cards where attached to the toys, they were placed in containers in front of the tables and each donor would take a homemade cupcake of their choice with them as a “thank you” for their help. We attracted all sorts of people, from students to professors to even parents who had come on campus to visit their children. All in all, in a period of less than three hours, we were able to not only sell every single toy, but to also raise over $100.

After the toy drive was over, the next thing we had to do was find an organization or a hospital where we would be able to deliver the toys to the children ourselves. We found a clinic in Santa Ana that would not only take the donated toys, but also would allow us to come in and give the toys personally. Overall, the holiday toy drive was a huge success; we sold all of our toys and were able to put smiles on the faces of children who are probably going through a time in their life that almost none of us could imagine. The holiday toy drive was a group effort and unquestionably something I believe should be done every year possible because no price can be put on the happiness of children.

Lunch N’ Learn

Monday, November 29, 2010 - 2:51 PM

By Joe Wolf

Rabbi Zevi Tenenbaum of Chabad at UC Irvine often hosts Lunch N' Learns, where undergraduates and graduate students gather for Kosher lunches in order to discuss different topics on Judaism. Rabbi Zevi prepares sheets of information as outlines for what often turns into hour-long discussions.

While these lunches don't delve as deep as the one-on-one study sessions that Rabbi Zevi encourages us to partake in, they allow us to hear other people's questions on subjects such as what constitutes Kosher, how we're supposed to prepare for certain holidays, the importance of tzedakah (charity), and why Shabbos is guarded so carefully. They also allow us an ability to connect with other Jewish students who are interested in learning more about our common roots. Often, these discussions continue later in the week during Shabbos dinner.

Other Jewish programs on and around campus often focus on the social aspect of Judaism. Not only does Chabad do this enthusiastically, but it also encourages us to look deeper in order to better understand not only the 'how', but also the 'why'. Chabad is an acronym for "Chochmah, Binah, Da'as", which translates to "Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge." For any student who wants to take the next step in applying their intellect to their Jewish heritage, Lunch N' Learns and/or One-on-One Torah Study with Rabbi Zevi are highly recommended programs!

Shabbat

Friday, November 26, 2010 - 2:48 PM

By Aaron Elias

Who says Friday nights in Irvine have to be a drag? Chabad of Irvine provides a Shabbat dinner every Friday night at the house of its more-than-hospitable Rabbi Zevi and Miriam Tenenbaum. Speaking as a student who frequents their dinners most Friday nights, I can attest to the delectability of Mrs. Tenenbaum’s cooking. And in true Jewish fashion, there is always way too much food for everyone to finish. Chicken, green beans, matzoh ball soup, cholent… Mrs. Tenenbaum has yet to repeat herself in her menu.

The guest pool at these dinners is always large and diverse. More religious students attend Chabad Shabbat dinner to keep in touch with their Judaism. Many brothers from UC Irvine’s Jewish fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi, have a habit of stopping in after their weekly football game. Grad students from all over Orange County are also frequent guests, as are UCI students who are “just Jewish.” On some nights, a bottle or two of vodka will even find its way to the table. Whether you’re looking for a religious scene, a Jewish scene, or simply a social scene, Chabad dinners never disappoint for a Friday night.

Challah Baking with Chabad

Monday, November 22, 2010 - 2:44 PM

By Eliena Mahgerefteh

It’s been a long week andyou’ve spent countless hours studying for that midterm you’ve been dreading since the first week of school. You even managed to write a paper for one of you GE classes, and while things started looking grim, you managed to attendto what some may call having a LIFE, a.k.a (getting some food into your body, showering, spending time with friends, etc.). As a current UCI student, I’ve been one to experience this many times, and when the week reaches Thursday, my friends and I look for the best place to be that night. Sometimes it’s a party, other times it’s a kickback, but when we really want to just relax and enjoy each other’s company and warmth, it’s Chabad. Yup, not where most people would imagine being on a Thursday night, but if you think about it, how could you not?

You first walk into the warm Rabbi’s house, with the smell of fresh risen bread dough awaiting you, along with an array of sweet munchies and an assortment of chocolate, rainbow sprinkles, and lots of other little condiments just waiting for you to add to the dough. Then as we all gather around the table, with the guidance of Miriam, we are able to hand braid the dough, and turn it into our own challah creation. Not only do I enjoy hand crafting what is to be some yummy bread, but there’s more to the night than that. Gathering around the table with other Jewish girls, we are able to share together a piece of our tradition. Way back during the times of the Temple, Jews would bake bread every week and give it to the Kohanim as a thanks for their service to the Jewish people. Although that has changed over the years, we are now able to gather and remind ourselves of the rich heritage we have, intertwined with the warmth of baking challah, or what I call: modern day “soul food.” Let’s not forget that part that comes after the braiding, when it goes into the oven and the “magic happens,” where soon you start to smell fresh baked bread, mmmmmmmmm sooooo good! When you eat one of your challot and put a smile on someone’s face it’s only half the fun, but when you put piece of that fresh, hot-off-the-oven, sweet bread into your mouth it’s the best.

Looking back at the time I have spent at UCI, I won’t hesitate to say that many of the best times I’ve had here have been with Chabad. I don’t know of very many other places I can go near campus and feel such warm hospitality where I feel as though I’m at home, and not only have the opportunity to bake one challah for myself, but also to bake another one for a friend. It’s that overall feeling of standing around the table, sharing stories from the week, talking about an important topic, laughing with your friends, meeting new people, and best of all creating your very own braided bread that keeps me going back for more.