Post-Purim 2024

Please note Time Change: Shabbat dinners now start 8:00pm. Prayers 7pm, Dinner 8pm – until the clocks change back again the Fall.

3/29: FRIDAY NIGHT AT SHABBOS HOUSE
Candle-lighting 7:01pm. Prayers 7pm, Dinner 8pm at Shabbos House. No special theme this week, just good ‘ol Shabbat! Fitting actually, because this week US Senator (and once VP Candidate) Joe Lieberman passed away, known for his Sabbath observance and widely recognized for being a “Mentsch”. He wrote a book titled: “The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of Shabbat”. And speaking of candidates, while we do not endorse specific candidates, we do welcome them to meet the community, and we may have a candidate or two for SA President come speak on Friday Night.

3/30: SHABBAT DAY
Prayers 10:30am. Let’s try to be prompt because some want to get to the 1pm Lacrosse Game. We read Parsha Tzav (about sacrifices, and flour-meal-offerings, about the altar’s eternal flame, etc) and a bonus short reading titled “Parah” about the Red Heifer. It’s a 2-Torah Shabbat. Shabbat Lunch at 12:30pm. We’ll do a light near-end of Shabbat meal at 7pm.

3/30: SAT NIGHT PIZZA AND FIREPIT
Shabbat ends 8:02pm. Kinda late but we will still do 9pm Pizza as some asked for it. There’s also been a request for an outdoor fire-pit. We’ll do that, too. It’s supposed to be 45F and dry.

3/31: SUNDAY MINYAN BRUNCH
It’s been a while, coming off of 2 weekends of Spring Break. 11am Minyan, Tefillin and Brunch with a little Talmud. Set your alarms for it!

4/1: KOSHER ON FULLER DINNERS – MON, WED & THURS

4/2: RUN FOR THEIR LIVES AT NYS CAPITOL
“Run for their Lives” are running/walking groups that sprouted up all over after October 7th in an effort to raise awareness about the hostages. Some of our students have joined the local group. They’re planning a gathering at the NYS Capitol starting with the 12:30pm press-conference at the “Million Dollar” Western Staircase inside the Capitol, followed by a 1-134 display of hostage posters down in the Empire State Plaza Concourse. If you are interested in attending or have more questions be in touch with Maya Rotman or Hanna Slavsky.

4/2: CHASSIDIC DRINKING SONGS AT TORAH-TUES
This is class #2 in a series we’re doing on Jewish Song/Music. This week we’re exploring the layers, meanings and messages of Chassidic Drinking Songs. Find out more about this at the 6pm or 9pm Torah Tuesday session, both with dairy dinner.

4/3:  CAMERA BRINGS ADIEL COHEN TO SPEAK
Adiel is a social-media influencer, activist, and also recently served in Gaza, as many young Israelis did and do. This is a valuable opportunity to hear in-person his first-person account and hear his perspective on important issues and much-talked-about situations that are highly relevant in our time. The talk will be 6pm on Wednesday and it will be held at Shabbos House. Nice spread of refreshments will be served. Camera-on-Campus is an Israel advocacy and media accuracy organization that is sponsoring this event.

4/5-6 – REGIONAL PEGISHA IN MONSEY
We’ve hosted every four years in Albany since 2014! This year the regional Chabad on Campus Pegisha Shabbaton will be hosted in Monsey NY. We’ll leave here Friday noon-ish and return late on Sat Night. Speak to us for more info, but it is by registration only. Let us know if you need some help subsidizing part of the $36 cost per student or if you have other questions. Register via Chabad on Campus at: https://chabadoncampus.org/regional/ Registration closes THIS WEEKEND! Registration closes with March.

Hillel Shabbat! There will be Hillel Shabbat Dinner in CC 375 and there will be Shabbat Lunch (no Minyan) at Shabbos House for the April 5-6 weekend.

4/9 – SHABBOS HOUSE L’CHAIM STUDENT E-BOARD ELECTIONS
This is the Application Form for E-Board (elected) and G-Board (appointed), both use the same form. Elections will be held between the 2 Torah Tuesdays on April 9th. All interested in serving on SH Lchaim Board must fill out this form, whether it is for elected E-Board position or for the appointed G-Board positions, and both those already on Lchaim Board as well as prospective/interested new board members.

THE PASSOVER LETTERS  (& YOUR PESACH PLANS?)
We’re doing more letters this week but only based on this Passover form. You can change your mind and form entry later about which parts of Passover you are staying or going home for, but for writing religious letters it is easiest for us to work off the form. FYI: We will have Passover Seders, holidays meals etc for all who are staying up here. More details later..

If you know of a Jewish professor or TA, please let us know on the Passover form, as we bring Shmurah Matzah to professors this time each year.

PRESIDENT HAVIDAN’S LETTER
You should have all gotten President Havidan’s very meaningful letter to your inboxes this week, it was addressed to all students and faculty. AMEN! to the language there and the message. We’re grateful to and proud of our students who have lived up to this standard of conduct and human decency expectations even in very challenging times, and hope that all can do the same.

A SUMMER STUDY OPPORTUNITY
Feel like you missed out on a Jewish education? Want a friendly supportive atmosphere to catch up on skills and texts and knowledge? MyJSF –  Jewish Summer Fellowship pays significant stipends ($1800-$3600 or so) for 40 days of quaity learning for beginniners (those without Yeshiva education) in the Hudson Valley/Catskills region. Reach out to us with questions or for more info.

There are Israel study and volunteering opportunities as well – with varying degrees of subsidy.

AND A WORD ABOUT PURIM… See our family costume below just above the signature. Purim fell this year on the last day of Spring Break so many were still away or just coming back. We had last-Megillah of the day and a festive meal in the evening, all present shared Purim messages or a wish for the holiday or semester’s end. We didn’t do a masquerade this time as it was the tail-end of break, but we did have some in costume including two students dress up as Mendel and Raizy, and did quite a good job of it!

The other big Purim news here was the snow! Not sure how much was expected but it was icy at first (all the bare trees glazed over) and then a few inches of very heavy snow. Many trees or branches fell, on campus, and around town. A big branch fell in our backyard, a huge tree truck fell in our neighbors yard into ours, and another big tree across the street. Many were without power (including local synagogues). Trees were heavily weighed down until it warmed up and melted.

A quick message from the snowy-icy weighed-down trees: Most of the heavily weighed down evergreens did bounce back after the heavy snow and ice melted. Trees are often resilient like that! But such weight exposes and exacerbates hidden vulnerabilities. And there’s a limit of how much weight and for how long a tree can handle it and still be able to bounce back. Years ago we heard a speaker who balanced a 2×4 beam between two spaced chairs. Then he put a brick in middle of the 2×4 which made it bend a bit, then another brick, which made it bend further. But taking off the bricks in time allowed the wood to bounce back. Leaving it there too long will cause the wood to warp. Look, we all get pushed or pulled down at times, but need to be sure we pick ourselves up, get back in shape, and bounce back frequent enough to keep resilient!

Love,
Mendel and Raizy

PS: Our Purim Costume theme this year was “Lots in STORE at Shabbos House!” Mendel = Restaurant Depot, Raizy = Instacart, Sara = Trader Joe’s, Rivka = Target, Chani = BJ’s, Esther Miriam = Walmart, Moshe = Bingo, Bluma  = Price Chopper/Market 32. All these costumes were homemade and cricuted by Chani and Sara! And yes, there are more stores we shop at or order from, but we did have fun with this!

May everyone have only good things in store! Well-stocked with blessings!

Love,
Mendel and Raizy