One Student, 26 Mezuzahs, and a Jewish Network Across China

When Owen Roubeni arrived at NYU Shanghai, he quickly discovered that keeping Jewish life going there required real effort. No kosher cafeteria, no on-campus Jewish organizations, and just a few Jewish students out of 2,000 students total. He responded the way someone from Great Neck, New York, apparently does: he organized.

The full story was reported by Chabad.org.

How an NYU Shanghai Student Raised Funds for 26 Mezuzahs and Distributed Them Across China

The Jewish population at NYU Shanghai is small, making the Jewish students quite the minority. But that didn't stop Roubeni from taking initiative on campus. "I quickly realized that there were halal and other dietary options at the university cafeteria, but there was no kosher option, so I emailed the board and petitioned for one to be added," he said.

The mezuzah campaign came from the same instinct. "A mezuzah is so small, but what it represents for a Jewish student is huge," Roubeni shared. So he launched a grassroots campaign to raise money to acquire mezuzot for his friends and classmates. Generous individuals from around the world quickly donated funds for the project. They blew past their goal of 20, ultimately raising enough to acquire 26 mezuzot.

Rabbi Greenberg organized their arrival to Shanghai and immediately supplied them all to students who eagerly awaited them. "It has been amazing to see how much of a difference these have made in the lives of fellow students," said Roubeni.

Rabbi Shalom Greenberg has led Chabad of Shanghai for over 25 years, building Jewish infrastructure in a city that once sheltered thousands of Jewish refugees from Europe during the Second World War. As for Rabbi Greenberg, he has found himself inspired and motivated by Roubeni's mitzvah campaign. "Who ever would have thought when we arrived over 25 years ago that we would be in a position where a student would take charge of a project like this?" he said.

In Shanghai, Roubeni is actively involved with Chabad, where he attends Shabbat services every week. "I'm way more active in Shanghai than when I'm home," he said. "They need me to make a minyan."

What a Mezuzah Means When You Are Far From Home

A mezuzah contains the words of the Shema — the declaration of Hashem's unity that anchors Jewish identity across every geography and generation. For a Jewish student in Shanghai, far from community, family, and the infrastructure of Jewish life they grew up with, a mezuzah on the dorm room door is not a decorative gesture. It is a declaration: this is a Jewish space, I am here, and I am not hiding it.

That declaration, repeated across 26 dorm rooms and apartments scattered across China, is also something more: a network. Each doorpost is a point on a map of Jewish students who now share something visible and concrete — a mitzvah, a connection, and the knowledge that someone cared enough to make it happen.

The Scroll That Makes Each Doorpost Complete

A mezuzah campaign that crosses continents still depends on the same halachic foundation as any other: the scroll inside must be written by a certified sofer on proper klaf, checked for errors, and valid according to Jewish law. Rabbi Greenberg organized their arrival to Shanghai - ensuring that what went up on those doorposts was not just a symbol, but a kosher mezuzah.

Kosher Mezuzah offers scrolls written by certified soferim, double-checked by expert magihim, and backed by OU endorsement — with every scroll fully traceable through a unique QR code. Whether the doorpost is in Brooklyn or Shanghai, what goes inside it matters.

Twenty-Six Doorposts, One Jewish Student at a Time

Owen Roubeni set out to get mezuzahs for his classmates. He ended up building something harder to quantify: a visible thread of Jewish identity running through a small, scattered community of students in one of the world's largest countries. One doorpost at a time.

Inspired to put up a mezuzah wherever you are? Kosher Mezuzah makes it simple — OU-endorsed scrolls written and checked by certified experts, ready for any doorpost in any city. Find your kosher mezuzah scroll here.

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