When I came to San Diego State (SDSU), one of the things that drew me most to AEPi was the feeling that this was where I belonged. Even before I rushed, I could tell there was something different about being around a group of guys who understood what it meant to be Jewish and to build real brotherhood around that identity. As a freshman and now the Jewish Identity Chair for our chapter, that sense of belonging has become even more important to me. That is why hosting a Shabbat dinner for our chapter and the wider SDSU community meant so much.

For the past few years, people in our chapter had talked about doing something like this, but it had never fully come together. This year, the timing finally made it happen. Our campus Chabad is going through renovations, so they have not been able to host Shabbat the way they normally would. Before that had to stop completely, we worked with the rabbi to bring Shabbat to our chapter house. Looking back, I really think it was exactly the right moment for us to step up.

With the help of our AEPi staff representatives, we applied for a grant from the AEPi Foundation to host a campus-wide Shabbat. The grant helped us cover the costs to put this program on and it gave us the extra incentive to make sure the program came together and that it was a credit to AEPi, both the Sigma Delta chapter and AEPi chapters everywhere.

We transformed our courtyard with rows of tables, tablecloths, chairs, plates, food, drinks, and snacks. The Rabbi came over with trays and trays of food, and a bunch of us helped move tables and chairs from Chabad to our house to make it all work. What started as an idea turned into something huge. We had around 100 people there. When I looked around, all I could see were full tables, brothers talking, people eating, and a community coming together in a way I had honestly never seen before at our house.

What made the night so powerful for me was not just the turnout, but what it represented. One of my biggest goals in this role has been to bring our brothers closer together through Jewish life. I never want Jewish events to feel like they are only for some people. I want them to be something that brings the whole chapter together. That night, I felt that happen in real time.

Hosting Shabbat in our own space made it easier for more people to come. Chabad is amazing, but it is a little farther away, and on a Friday night that can be enough to keep some students from showing up, especially when everyone is balancing homework, stress, and busy schedules. By having it right in our own backyard, we were able to bring in not just our brothers, but also other Jewish students around campus, people who had never been to our chapter house before, and friends who might not otherwise have made it out. That mattered a lot to me, because it showed that when you make Jewish life accessible, people want to be part of it.

It also strengthened our relationship with Chabad in a really meaningful way. The rabbi was smiling the whole night, and his family was there too. You could tell it meant something to them that our chapter was willing to help carry that tradition forward while their building is under renovation. To me, that is what AEPi should be doing. We should not only be showing up for ourselves but also taking on a bigger role in the Jewish community around us.

There is another reason this Shabbat stood out to me. At a time when there has been antisemitism on campus and when being visibly Jewish can feel complicated for some people, I think one of the most important things we can do as a fraternity is be proud of who we are. Politics aside, being Jewish should never be something we feel like we have to hide. And even the brothers in our chapter who are not Jewish should feel proud to be part of a Jewish fraternity that stands for something real. Hosting Shabbat publicly sent that message. It showed that we are open about our Judaism, proud of it, and not afraid to celebrate it.

Some of my clearest memories from that night are the little moments. Before the rabbi and his family arrived, everyone was gathering, music was playing, and the house was full of energy. Then, once Shabbat started, everything shifted into something more meaningful. People were crowded around the tables talking to each other, reconnecting with friends, meeting new people, and just enjoying being together. There were guys who had not seen each other in a while, students who had never been to our house before, and people smiling everywhere I looked. For me, that was the best part. It was not just a dinner. It was a real feeling of community.

That night reminded me why I wanted to be involved in Jewish life at AEPi in the first place. It showed me how much impact one event can have when it is done with intention. It brought our brothers together, welcomed in the larger SDSU Jewish community, strengthened our partnership with Chabad, and made me even more excited about what our chapter can keep building.

I am proud that we hosted that Shabbat, and I am even more excited that it does not feel like a one-time thing. It feels like the beginning of something bigger. For me, that is the real importance of hosting a Shabbat dinner at SDSU. It is not just about one Friday night. It is about creating a space where Jewish students can feel at home, where our chapter can lead with pride, and where our brotherhood becomes stronger because of it.

(Editor’s Note: Please consider making a donation to the Alpha Epsilon Pi Foundation and/or a specific chapter fund to provide resources for chapter programming like Shabbat dinners.)

(Final Editor’s Note: Do you have something to say or a story to tell? Submit your own Voices piece for consideration to [email protected] and we’d be happy to work with you and publish your story!)