Online Tool Brings Aggie Emissaries a Shabbat Welcome

Rabbi Yossi and Manya Lazaroff, co-directors of Chabad-Lubavitch serving Texas A&M University in College Station, had eight students show up for Shabbat dinner. Such a turnout might not be large by traditional campus Chabad House standards, but for the Lazaroffs it was tremendous, considering they had been in town barely three days.

The secret? Lazaroff is a dedicated user of the widely popular Facebook.com, the social-networking Web site begun in 2004. According to the rabbi, his profile already has 100 friends; the Shabbat guests were directed to the new Chabad House by Lazaroff's Facebook page.

Many more students have apparently pledged to attend future events after regular classes begin next summer. Besides A&M, the Lazaroffs and their three children, Menachem, Lazer and Leible, will also serve the nearby Brazos Valley Jewish community.