Rabbi Yossi Winner stood in front of about 150 students, parents and community members to thank them for making the UA Chabad’s first Student Led Gala Dinner a success — and letting him help students connect to their spirituality.
Chabad is a Jewish movement with more than 200,000 followers, many of which hold chabad dinners.
“”Freshman, sophomore, junior, senior — this is a critical time in your life,”” Winner said at the Sunday night gala at the Tucson Marriott University Park. “”We thank you for the opportunity that you give us to do a mitzvah. To do something good, something right, something holy.””
The rabbi and his wife, Naomi Winner, cook weekly chabad dinners for students.
Chabad club member Josh Banayan, a senior majoring in management information systems, entrepreneurship and management, ate chabad dinner every Friday night with his family before coming to college, a tradition Chabad club revived.
“”Chabad is like a home away from home,”” he said.
Perri Jacobs, an education junior, said Chabad connects her to her family on the East Coast.
“”It’s nice to make the students feel at home even though they’re miles away,”” Jacobs said.
The gala’s focus centered on building strong Jewish communities in the future by strengthening students’ cultural ties at present, according to Winner.
The students “”are the leaders of tomorrow,”” Winner said.
The six-year-old club partnered with the Associated Students of the University of Arizona to help fund the event, where students could buy tickets for $15. A recognized club, Winner said he believed the event merited ASUA support. ASUA gave Chabad two-thirds of its funding request for the gala in January.
Aaron Elyachar, an interdisciplinary studies junior and ASUA safety programming director, volunteered to represent ASUA at the event.
“”Yossi is a great guy and I’m really excited,”” Elyachar said. “”I wanted someone to represent ASUA here.””
Winner appreciated ASUA’s role in the event.
“”This is something that ASUA played an instrumental role in making this happen,”” Winner said. “”And (the gala) is unbelievable.””
