The Chabad House hosts a Freshmen Fest BBQ at the University of Delaware last month.

Can you imagine hosting 80 college students at your house every Friday night? All the work it takes to prepare a Shabbat dinner? Growing up on a college campus, far from any Jewish school or friends?

Well, welcome to my life.

My parents opened up our Chabad House on the University of Delaware campus in 1992 with sanction by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the last dynastic leader of Chabad. When my parents first moved to Delaware with my baby brother, there were many problems in their small house. “We’d have prayers in the basement and about 20 people over for a Friday-night meal in our tiny living room,” my father said. Eight kids and 16 years later, our Chabad House has grown by leaps and bounds. In 1999, our family bought two houses adjacent to each other—one to serve as our home and the other as the Chabad House, where more space and a central campus location allowed for our ever-expanding crowd of Jewish students.

Now, over 80 people a week join our family for homemade challah, yummy food and an open and non-judgmental atmosphere. Services are short and chill; it’s not unusual for the boys to break into a boisterous parade with my little brothers on their shoulders during L’chah Dodi, or for me and my sister to lead the girls in conversation-punctuated prayer. Students love making our house their home away from home, enjoying the family atmosphere and its sincere simplicity.

I loved growing up on a college campus because there was always something to do, whether it was stuffing envelopes for a mailing or cutting bright plastic tablecloths on Friday afternoons. I feel like I’ve grown up faster being around the students, which isn’t something I necessarily regret. (I probably knew more about college parties than any other kids!) Even from a young age I loved joining prayers or teaching the Hebrew alphabet to college students. Now that I’m older, I play a more central role in the preparation every Friday night. On any given week I coordinate the menu, navigate grocery stores with my mother, set up chairs and tables and make salads, side dishes and desserts.

And as I near the age of a college student myself, I feel like I can relate to the students better. They always ask me how it feels to have so many brothers and sisters and whether we talk about Jewish subjects. I feel that I’m having a positive impact on Jews who are away from their own homes.

As the years go by, I see more and more how tikkun olam doesn’t always have to be about saving lives in Darfur or raising money for a prestigious organization. Just by being actively involved in giving Jews a place to eat and unwind, learn and study, shmooze and pray, I can make that much more of an impact. By being a friend and providing a warm, accepting home, we can model Jewish ethics and values, which create the knowledge and awareness that’s vital to perfecting the world.

To learn more about Chabad of Delaware, please visit forjews.com.

Chava Sneiderman likes sushi, photography, heart-to-heart conversations, fashion and family vacations. In her spare time she enjoys reading, writing, swimming and studying French. She’s also a member of the JVibe Teen Advisory Board.