From College Basketball to Chassidic Life

Ahead of the annual CYP Encounter Crown Heights this weekend, one young professional reflects on how the Shabbaton became an anchor point in a journey that led from the basketball court to Torah, mindfulness to mitzvos, and ultimately, to marriage.

Solomon Berezin came curious.

His journey toward deeper Jewish connection had already begun, quietly and gradually, long before he ever set foot in Crown Heights. But it was during those 24 hours of Shabbos at the CYP Encounter Shabbaton, fully immersed in Jewish experience, that something clicked in a way that stayed with him.

Like many young professionals, Solomon grew up in Houston, Texas, with a strong Jewish identity but without a roadmap for where it might lead him. His family celebrated the holidays and valued tradition, even though Jewish life around him was relatively small and scattered.

There were only a handful of Jewish students in his school throughout high school, and while Judaism was present, it wasn’t something that demanded daily engagement. What did inspire his daily attention was basketball. Passionate about the sport and determined to play professionally, Solomon went on to play college basketball at the University of Dallas, a Catholic school he chose for the opportunity it offered on the court.

Jewish events and programming weren’t part of his focus then, not out of disinterest but because his life revolved around training and performance. With basically no other Jewish students on campus, Jewish life and activities were not present for him to be a part of.

A connection began through a relative who introduced Solomon to Rabbi Tzvi Drizin, who was involved at the university. Through that relationship, Solomon found his way occasionally to Chabad of Dallas with Rabbi Levi Dubrawsky and Chabad Intown in Dallas, joining Rabbi Drizin and Rabbi Boruch Hecht for a Friday night meal or a Shabbos day visit when he could.

That relationship became more important after his body forced him to slow down. A series of injuries in college reshaped his basketball career and pivoted his trajectory. As he searched for ways to strengthen the mental side of the game and recover physically, Solomon was introduced to mindfulness and meditation.

What began as a tool for athletic performance opened a new awareness of the idea of inner work, of presence, of a soul. After a second injury and graduating from college, his focus turned increasingly toward healing, personal growth, and spirituality. He attended meditation retreats and explored different paths that emphasized holistic wellbeing, higher awareness, and healing

Through this journey, Solomon found himself increasingly drawn to Judaism. Discovering the Rebbe and Chassidus was a turning point. It gave language and structure to the inner world of a Jew that he had already begun to explore and experience. It framed spirituality not as an escape from life, but as something meant to be lived within it. Even more, Chassidus helped him understand the uniqueness of being and living as a Jew. Slowly, his interest in Torah and mitzvos grew, along with a desire to learn and be more involved with the Jewish community.

After college, upon moving back to Houston, Solomon got connected with Rabbi Yitzchak Shmukler of Bay Area Houston, Shliach where his parents are. Also, in 2020 he joined the CYP Encounter Shabbaton with Rabbi Chaim Lazaroff of CYP Houston. What stood out immediately was the Shabbos environment itself.

The Shabbaton offered something profoundly different from the meditation retreat he had attended one month prior in December 2019. Instead of separating from the world to find peace, Shabbos unfolded in the middle of it, within the pace, noise, and demands of real life, and yet created an unmistakable sense of peace.

For 24 hours, time slowed, and a feeling of clarity settled in. It was about experiencing how Torah and Shabbos bring alignment and calm to reality, and how a person can find peace within them.

That experience became a central anchor in Solomon’s journey. He credits the Shabbaton with helping crystallize the depth of what a life of Torah and Chassidus offers. The spark ignited during those 24 hours translated into a stronger commitment to learning, to Mitzvos, and to living a more consciously Jewish life.

Following the Shabbaton in 2020, Solomon eventually continued his growth through learning at Mayanot, Morristown, and then Hadar HaTorah, where he’s been the past three years. Additionally, Solomon has been a part of several CYP experiences, including the CH Encounter nearly each year since 2020, one year as a volunteer, as well as CYP Guatemala in May 2022.

Rather than abandoning his past experiences, he learned how to channel them through a Jewish framework. Having just gotten married two months ago to his wife Batia, who was also connected through CYP in Santa Clara, Solomon continues to live that integration. “It was a warm feeling at my wedding to dance with guys I met and became close with through CYP, like my Rabbi Chaim Lazaroff, Rabbi Beryl Frankl, Rabbi Avi Winner, Rabbi Zev Gesinsky, and more.”

Solomon loves to explore the intersection of holistic wellness and Chassidic wisdom – through his writing, podcast, Ebb and Flow, and YouTube videos – and reflecting on the journey that brought him from the basketball court to Crown Heights, and ultimately, to a deeper sense of purpose.

For more about Solomon’s (or Shlomo), click here

Registration closes for CYP Encounter at 12:00 PM EST Monday, Jan 12th. CYPShabbat.nyc