Danyil Ladyzhenskii (Lauder Business, 2020), together with his Phi Eta colony brothers, recently hosted an event in Vienna to collect more than 154 lbs of clothes to donate to Caritas Österreich, an organization of some 40,000 volunteers working at 1,600 locations throughout Austria to assist those in need.

“At first, I thought it was going to be impossible to reach our goal of 50 kg (110 lbs), but by the end of the event I was surprised to see we had donated almost 70 kg (154 lbs). I don’t have words for how happy I am.”

The importance of doing mitzvahs was impressed on Brother Ladyzhenskii as a child, so it was natural to seek out ways to help others after moving to Austria. He worked with a local establishment to host the event and invited family and friends of Phi Eta to come support the cause. “My brothers have helped me grow a lot. While I came up with the idea and executed it, it was really a chapter event. I truly appreciated their support and I’m thankful for them getting me to my goal.”

Finding the brothers and joining AEPi has truly enhanced his experience at Lauder Business School. Moving to campus, he found a vibrant Jewish life. “I value having a Jewish fraternity in Vienna. Together, the 18 of us in the colony are more than a brotherhood.”

In November 2017, Brother Ladyzhenskii attended Pegisha’s Shabbaton in New York City. It was his first visit to the United States and one he’ll never forget. “When I was in New York, I met AEPi brothers from all over.” Though they were shocked to see a brother from Vienna, he was happy to have made connections and cannot wait to meet more people at leadership opportunities like AEPi’s 105th International Convention in Phoenix, AZ.

Moving forward, he would like to create similar events like this donation drive in the future to help organizations like Caritas Österreich and the campus shul. He hopes to plan a marathon run next. The hardest part in planning this drive was getting people to attend, but now he is confident in his ability to host another.

Mazel tov to Brother Ladyzhenskii on hosting a successful event! Keep up-to-date on what’s going on with the colony by following them on Facebook or Instagram.