Dear Mendel and Raizy,
I wanted to write to say thank you! You welcomed my husband and I into your home and taught us so much about Judaism and what living a Jewish life could be like. We found who we were during our years spent in Albany. Without you and your family we might have turned out differently.
On our way home from the Bar Mitzvah we were talking and realized that we both came into college 10 years ago feeling like we didn’t want to have anything to do with Judaism. We wanted to be “normal” “typical” college students. Something changed in each of us when we came to Shabbos House. Since graduation, every time we come up to Albany and spend time with you and old college friends, we leave with a renewed sense of self and appreciation of our Judaism.
While we still struggle with Jewish observance, we know that living a Jewish life is really what we want for our family. I remember vividly a Torah Tuesday with Mendel that struggle is significant. I’m learning to live with the struggle, realizing it comes from Hashem to help me grow as a person & as a Jew
Thank you for welcoming me and my now husband into your home all those years ago. Thank you for teaching us and being our friends. Thank you for being there for us during the best of times and during the worst of times. Thank you for what you continue to do for all the students who do not yet know the long-term impact you will truly have on their lives.
May we share many more Simchas together and may our friendships be life-long…