What Caused Three Lives to Change Forever

Samantha Byrd grew up as one of only fifty Jews in a small town in Arizona. Her Judaism was nothing more than a nuisance. In fact, she was ashamed of it.

Matthew Denton was raised Catholic. He knew nothing about his Jewish roots, and had no plans to change that.

Taylor Shlessel was deeply committed to her long-standing relationship – with a non-Jew.

What do Samantha, Matthew and Taylor all have in common? Each one had their life changed when they joined Sinai Scholars.

The Sinai Scholars Society is a joint project of the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute and Chabad on Campus International. Thousands of students in hundreds of schools across the globe participate in this immersive and interactive Jewish experience each year. More than just a course, Sinai Scholars reframes the way that students from all backgrounds relate to their Yiddishkeit, creating strong foundations and proud Jews.

150 Sinai Scholars from 62 schools were carefully selected out of hundreds of applicants to join the National Jewish Retreat in Miami this year. After a powerful and packed week of sessions, workshops, friendships, and farbrengens, students were on a high, with several inspired to begin teaching a Torah class on their own campuses.

In front of an enthralled crowd, Samatha Byrd, Matthew Denton, and Taylor Shlessel shared the story of their Jewish journeys, and how Sinai Scholars opened them up to a whole new world of meaning and community.

In an emotional moment, Taylor was joined onstage by her beautiful Jewish family – husband Seth and baby Jack- as she thanked Sinai Scholars for helping her make the choices that shaped her life.

After sharing the strides that they are personally taking to grow in their Yiddishkeit, and their firm resolutions to build Jewish families and continue to inspire others, Samantha and Matthew proclaimed together: “I love being Jewish!”

Social media was buzzing with students’ excited accounts and reflections of their incredible Retreat experience.