My best friend Dr. Daniel Rubin passed away in February of this year. His whole life was changed and shaped when, as a 21 year old UCLA medical student, in 1969, he met Rabbi Shlomo Cunin for the first time, on the UCLA campus. Rabbi Cunin was approaching male students to put on tefillin.
Rabbi Cunin helped Dan put on tefillin for the first time. According to Dan’s wife Brenda, Dan was very excited about putting on tefillin and considered it a very emotional and spiritual experience. Rabbi Cunin saw how excited Dan was so he went to his car, and brought back a pair of tefillin which he gave to Dan.
Rabbi Cunin then offered to take Dan with him the following day to the Brandeis Bardin Institute where he was planning to talk to, sing with, and put tefillin on the men and give out Shabbos candles to the women. Dan was thrilled to join him, even though he himself had just learned how to put on tefillin.
Dan spent the day with Rabbi Cunin at Brandeis, helping the campers put on tefillin. He found it to be a very fulfilling experience, helping others connect with their Jewish heritage. This was the beginning of his journey into a Jewish orthodox way of life. He never missed a day of putting on tefillin from that day on.
Dan started going to the Westwood Chabad House to pray and learn every Shabbos while he was in medical school. Rabbi Cunin told me that Dan’s reconnection to Judaism was special and Dan consequently influenced many others to do the same.
Dan always had a Jewish text in his hand so that he could study when he had a free moment. After Dan’s passing, Rabbi Cunin suggested that I study the holy Tanya daily in Dan’s memory. This is Dan’s copy of the holy Tanya that he studied from daily and that I now use daily.
Rabbi Cunin also suggested that my wife Carole should ask a woman to start lighting Shabbos candles once a month in Dan’s memory. A friend has now undertaken this mitzvah.
Dan continued his relationship with Chabad, praying and learning with them at the Chabad near his home. He always gave commentaries on the torah based on the Rebbe’s teachings.
Dan and Brenda raised four children who are religiously committed, as are all their grandchildren. He left a wonderful legacy. It all started with a so-called ‘chance’ meeting on the UCLA campus with Rabbi Cunin, but is anything really caused by chance?
