Soccer Star Hosts Chabad Meet

By COLlive reporter

Israeli-born footballer Dori Arad won’t forget the 5 years he spend playing as a Defensive Midfielder for the Connecticut Huskies, the athletic teams of the University of Connecticut.

But it wasn’t only because he received Big East Academic All-Star recognition for three years in a row.

“After a hard day of athletic training, I come out of the shower at 11:00 pm to see a large plate of food from a Lag BaOmer BBQ,” he told UConn alumni at a summer event he hosted in his apartment in Manhattan.

“I couldn’t make it to the holiday event, so the rabbi naturally brought the joy to me,” he said, standing alongside his wife Idit. “From that time on, my perspective on Judaism changed forever.”

The rabbi he is referring to is Rabbi Shlomo Hecht, who with his wife Shaindel, directs Chabad Jewish UConn in Storrs which serves the needs of over 1,500 Jewish students at the Public Ivy university.

Dori, now playing for currently playing National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) for New York University (NYU)’s soccer team, serves as President of UConn Jewish Alumni.

The event began with a meet and greet of sushi and refreshments followed by a delectable dinner buffet and hilariously inspirational entertainment by Rabbi Simchah Weinstein of Chabad at Pratt Institute.

Mrs. Hecht articulated her inspiration from the Lubavicher Rebbe with stories of his unconditional love for all mankind. She also thanked all present for their friendship and support.