Meeting a Chabad Rabbi at Walmart

By Ariella Diamond

One of my earliest memories is of my dad excitedly rushing through the front door, dropping bags of groceries on our kitchen table, exclaiming to my mom, “Jill, Jill, there is an orthodox Jewish rabbi at Walmart!” and my Mom looking at him incredulously, one eyebrow raised. (The rabbi we later found out is Chabad Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz.)

My mom’s quizzical look was par for the course as Temecula, California, where I was raised, was a small, dry, farm town before it became an internationally known tourist spot.
Although I was raised in a Jewish family and was very proud of being Jewish, I did not have a strong Jewish education. There were not many options in our small town at the time, so like my parents, we were always excited to meet another Jewish person. I internalized the notion that although we were small in numbers, the Jewish nation was strong and special. Going to public school in a mostly Mormon and evangelical Christian community, the feedback I would get was from curious and celebrated to negative and anti-Semitic.

My father is not Jewish, but he is and always has been proud and supportive of his Jewish children. He would research the history of the holidays and read the stories to us and prayers to say. My father gave me the motivation and strength to discover more about my Jewishness while my mother blessed me with Judaism through birth, culture and heritage.

Our family became involved in Chabad after I returned from a Birthright trip to Israel. I came home from my Birthright trip inspired by Israel and Googled “Jewish Temecula.” What popped up was “Chabad Temecula” run by Rabbi Yonasan and Netanya Abrams, at the time new emissaries to Temecula, who came to work with the Hurwitzs when Rabbi Yitzi was diagnosed with ALS.

I showed up the very next Shabbat. An old family friend excitedly waved me over to sit with her and guided me through the prayer book. After the service, the rabbi introduced himself with a bright and welcoming smile. He asked me about myself and I explained my interest in enrolling my three younger siblings in Hebrew School. Rabbi Abrams invited my family to his home which began both a dear friendship and our involvement in the community.

Chabad welcomed our family with open arms. One of my brothers, 11 at the time, embraced religious life immediately and solidified his commitment and love for Judaism after an amazing summer camp experience at L’man Achai. (Today he is learning in Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon Chabad in Los Angeles in Shiur Beis.)

It took me several more years of deep questions and debate before I realized a life of observing Torah and mitzvot (commandments) was a life to which I could fully commit. It started with me eating Kosher and learning everything I could on Chabad.org, and countless questions for my rabbi.

Finally, in April 2021, I asked my rabbi to help me find a place to study and thank G-d he told me about Machon L’Yahadus Women’s Yeshiva. Initially, I took three weeks leave from my job as a caregiver at a hospital in California to come to New York. After just a week, I decided that I would continue until the end of the school year. I had found the place I was searching for. And when a few weeks later I mentioned to a teacher that I would like to continue studying in the summer, she told me with an impish look that she had already arranged a tentative spot for me at the Jewish Summer Fellowship. (Jewish Summer Fellowship – often referred to as “Ivy League” is under NCFJE and so is Machon L’Yahadus! ) After the summer I returned to Machon L’Yahadus, where I am continuing my studies this year.

I am so excited to be part of the incredible growth of Machon L’Yahadus this year. While I cherished living in the Machon dorm on President Street together with all of my Machon L’Yahadus “sisters,” I am now living in the “dorm annex.” I was asked by Rabbi Shloma Majeski, principal of Machon L’Yahadus, to be the “senior student” at the dorm annex for the new semester. (Thank G-d our student body has grown to the point where we couldn’t all fit in the dorm so an additional apartment was rented.) And very often our classes take place in the school’s multi-purpose room as we have outgrown our classrooms!

This weekend Machon L’Yahadus hosting our families for a special “Family Shabbaton” so our relatives can meet our teachers, friends and get to know the wonderful community of Crown Heights and world of Lubavitch. This year over 25 family members are attending!

Chabad has changed the trajectory of our family. This past summer, my youngest sister spent four weeks at Camp Gan Israel Poconos and returned with love, connection, and pride in her Judaism. Even my mother attended a Bais Chana retreat, returning with a deeper appreciation and connection with observing mitzvot and Shabbat. And my studies at Machon L’Yahadus have enhanced my Jewish journey and have given me tools to live a Torah life imbued with the teachings of Chassidus.

We students feel the love and support from the Chabad community here in Crown Heights when we’re invited into your homes and from Chabad world-wide through the dedicated shluchim who helped us get here. It will mean so much to us if you support us also in our upcoming Boutique Auction on Motzoei Shabbos, February 26 (25 Adar I) at Lubavitcher Yeshiva. There will be inspirational speakers, a live musical performance by Machon students & alumni, as well as delicious food. The Boutique Auction is a major fundraiser for Machon L’Yahadus. Please participate by buying raffle tickets, attending the auction and sharing with family and friends.

Click here to buy tickets. Thank you so much for your support!