“I grew up in California in a traditional conservative family. I always had a strong sense of Jewish identity, but Judaism was never something I fully owned or internalized in practice.
When I got to high school, I started asking a lot of questions. My parents had already started going to Chabad of Camarillo. One week Rabbi Lang told me there was a new CTeen chapter having a kickoff event. I went, and I loved it. I became the first president of the chapter. I had already been involved in leadership roles in other school clubs, so it felt natural to take on that role.
I went on a leadership retreat that summer, and I met Rabbi Yossi and Manya Lazaroff from Texas A&M Chabad. I loved their personalities—they were so authentic. I decided I wanted to visit the campus just to see if I liked it as much as I liked them. I fell in love with the Texas atmosphere and with how warm the students were. When I got to college, I fully immersed myself. I took Sinai Scholars my first semester; I learned about Shabbat, kosher, modesty—and started observing them, slowly. I reached a point where I felt I understood it, I appreciated it, and I just needed to live it.
When I first started keeping Shabbat in college, I went home for Thanksgiving and my mom told me she wanted to keep Shabbat with me. She eventually started keeping Shabbat herself—and now she covers her hair and dresses modestly.
I had a job lined up for after graduation. At the same time, I was dating. At one point, Manya suggested I take some time to think about whether Shlichus could play a role in my life. I thought about how I could spend my life behind a desk, or I could give that same kind of impact I received to others. I told Manya I was open to the idea, even though I didn’t know what it would look like. She then said she had a match for me. He turned out to be my husband.
It’s really because of the guidance of those who know more than me—the Shluchot and mentors around me—that I got to where I am today. It helped me navigate family dynamics, my own growth, and everything in between.”
– Talia Voskoboynik Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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