As the sun sets on Oct. 1, Yom Kippur Eve begins. Across the street from campus, the Chabad house at CSUN will host temple services and students who come to fast.

Yom Kippur concludes the Ten Days of Repentance, a period of reflection and renewal that begins with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. During the holiday, Jews seek atonement for past wrongs and refrain from food and drink for 25 hours.

At Chabad CSUN, Rabbi Chaim Brook describes his role as his “whole life.” Alongside his wife and children, Brook said he strives to make the house a warm and welcoming place for students.

Omer Dahan

After his morning class, Omer Dahan stopped by the Chabad House across from campus, where Brook greeted him warmly.

Brook helped Dahan put on tefillin, two small black boxes worn during prayer, explaining that they are placed near the heart and mind “to commit ourselves to God and remember the miracles that happened.” Dahan, a freshman at CSUN and a member of the basketball team, was surprised to find Chabad CSUN so close to campus. He spent Rosh Hashanah at a temple near his home, and plans to fast at the Chabad for Yom Kippur.

Since moving to Los Angeles from Israel at the age of nine, Dahan said he felt “different” and had not met many friends who were Jewish. Now, alongside his role on the CSUN basketball team, he’s beginning to find a sense of belonging at Chabad.

“I wouldn’t say it’s hard,” Dahan said in reference to being Jewish on campus. “I’m always very proud, like, to be Jewish. Always.”

Noa Burchis

When Noa Burchis first visited the Chabad House at CSUN during the High Holy Days in 2019, she was a shy freshman overwhelmed by all the festivities. Now, six years later, Burchis is taking lessons learned at Chabad and bringing them to Texas.

“My Chabad at CSUN community really taught me to say yes to every opportunity and every experience,” Burchis said, “because you never know who you’re going to meet, what you’re going to experience and the impact that it’s going to have on you.”

Burchis graduated from CSUN in May of 2023 with a bachelors in child and adolescent development. During her time as a Matador, Burchis served as board president for Chabad CSUN. She later attended Johns Hopkins University, receiving a masters in nursing, and recently accepted a position as a labor and delivery nurse in Austin, Texas.

Growing up, Burchis said she was not very religious and found herself more involved in Israel, rather than with the Jewish community. Through Chabad CSUN, the alumna said she met her closest friends and found the connections she had been searching for.

“I literally always felt like I had a place to go, regardless of the time, which is a very special and unique experience,” Burchis said.

This year, Burchis celebrated Rosh Hashanah surrounded by family and friends, per their yearly tradition. For Yom Kippur, she is looking to hit reset.

“I’m really looking forward to just kind of being able to reconnect and really set, like, a better mindset for this upcoming year,” Burchis said. “Hopefully, you know, start this new year off with a bang.”

Leah Krasnoshtein

During Rosh Hashanah, food is eaten not only for sustenance but for its symbolism. Current board president of Chabad CSUN, Leah Krasnoshtein, ate an abundance of apples and honey while celebrating Rosh Hashanah, hoping the sweetness would carry into the year ahead.

“For me, I’m always looking for my year to be good,” Krasnoshtei said with a chuckle.

Krasnoshtein went a step further and ate pomegranate seeds, which represent the 613 mitzvot, or acts of service that can be done – a reminder of the good she seeks to accomplish.

Beginning in elementary school, Krasnoshtein said she found it hard to connect with others. Finding Chabad at CSUN has given her a home away from home. Krasnoshtein now serves as the board president while simultaneously double majoring in business management and marketing.

Her position with Chabad CSUN provides Krasnoshtein with a new perspective of the Jewish religion. “It means everything to me, if I can be so bold,” Krasnoshtein said.

Through connecting with other students, Krasnoshtein said she is able to learn more about the different customs within other cultural backgrounds. She also enjoys being a part of the preparation each holiday, admiring the hard work that comes with producing elaborate meals without technology.

Her advice to students on campus interested in joining Chabad at CSUN is to not be afraid and attend an event, which are promoted through the group’s Instagram page.

“If I let the nerves talk me out of going, I never would have met the people I’ve met and created the memories I created,” Krasnoshtein said. “I’m a big advocate for people to just go and say hi, because you never know what will happen after that.”