Psychology junior Chloe Presti in front of the bookshelves at the ASU Student Chabad in Tempe, which houses a small library of sacred Jewish texts. She has been involved with Judaism her entire life. (Photo by Dominic Valente)This is the second in a series of six articles profiling individual students and their religions to coincide with this week's centerpiece story.
It’s Friday evening at the ASU Chabad House. A few women sit on couches, catching up on one another's lives before services begin. The dinner, already prepared and ready to be shared after the service, scents the room. The changing color of the sky can be seen through the windows as the sun gets closer to setting.
Chloe Presti has been in and out of the room, alternating between chatting and setting up for services. She comes over to the couches to ask for the time: 10 minutes until sundown. She wants to return a call to her mother before it’s too late.
When she returns, her phone is off and put away. It won’t be turned on again until after sunset the next day. She is ready for Shabbat.
Presti, a psychology junior and vice president of ASU Chabad, was raised in Reform Judaism.
“I don’t love to use that word because I felt stronger than that,” she said.
At ASU, she joined Chabad, a Hasidic branch of Orthodox Judaism.
Her faith has gotten stronger in college, though Presti said she has never had doubts about Judaism.
One of the strongest experiences she’s had with the faith happened during her sophomore year, and Presti describes it as “kind of like a miracle.”
When Presti’s grandfather died, a gardenia plant blossomed. The gardenia had been the flower that he always gave to his wife for special occasions.
This particular plant had not bloomed the morning before and had never bloomed in the last five years. The plant was also out of season and was growing in a region that was too warm to produce flowers.
Presti said this event was a miracle that has strengthened her beliefs.
“It was a sign that he is still with me,” Presti said, “And if he is still with us, then there has to be an afterlife and there has to be a God.”
Religion has stayed important for Presti. The commitment affects all parts of her life.
“It’s not just when it’s an event,” she said. “It’s every day.”
Being so deeply involved has taught Presti to manage her time wisely. She attends classes for her psychology major, works a job as a Starbucks barista, serves as vice president of Chabad and is a member of Chi Omega sorority.
Presti said the sorority events can be hard to balance, because many of them are on Fridays and Saturdays, which conflicts with Shabbat.
Her beliefs require her to rest and keep the day holy from sundown on Fridays to sundown on Saturdays.
But Presti said she knows what she needs to do.
“I’m here to make a difference for God, to serve God,” she said.
Shabbat at the Chabad House is a mixture of reverence and joy.
During the service, some prayers are said silently to oneself. Others are recited loudly and with spirit.
At one point, the congregation begins to dance, and Presti leads the women with a huge smile on her face.
After services, the congregation sits down to dinner. Presti helps serve and clear the meal, making her way around the large table, talking and laughing with the other Chabad members as she goes.
She is totally at ease in this community that brings her such happiness.
“Chabad is my home,” she said. “It really is.”
Reach the reporter at ammedeir@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @amy_medeiros.
