Elul is the (Hebrew) month of preparation before the Jewish New Year and High Holiday season. It’s a time of reflection and introspection, soul-searching and spiritual stock-taking. Chabad Chassidus call this time when “The King is in the Field” which means increased connection, user-friendly and informal access to G-dliness and spirituality, on our turf, in our own everyday lives.
We’re so proud of the guys who came out two mornings in a row, at 7:30am, at their own initiative, to make a Minyan for Rosh Chodesh (the firsts of the month of Elul) which has added bonus sections of Hallel, Torah Reading and Musaf. On the second day, Wednesday, Ben G. of the UAlbany Marching Band blew Shofar after the completion of the prayers. We blow Shofar each weekay of the month of Elul as a preparation for Rosh Hashanah, as a wake-up call, a jolt to the slumber of our ordinary routine.
Special at these Rosh Chodesh Minyans was that we had Professor Herman P. Salomon join us (as he usually does on Shabbat) and read part of the Torah reading, 
long-time Minyaneer Ben Z. came back for one day (he’s in back in town for as wedding) his first after leaving Albany – who is pictured here doing Hagbah with freshmen student Eliran wrapping the Torah – and that Mendel and Moshe could join since its still a week before Maimonides School starts up again (where Mendel teaches and Moshe and the Rubin kids go to school). Matt. H. who spent the summer in Yeshiva in Jerusalem, also shared some tidbits of his learning at the small breakfast following the prayer.