About 30 brothers of the old AEPI in the 2000’s at UAlbany came up for a reunion visit in February 2015. They sponsored Shabbat Lunch (and then some) and we asked each of them to introduce themselves and share a little something, what they are doing today, or a reflection from their Albany years. While we had opportunity to meet up and visit with quite a few of these alumni, for some its been a decade since we’ve seen them last!
Some of these guys lived in the old 320 house before its demolition, read books to our kids when Mushky and Chani or Moshe and Sara were the preschoolers, played away with passion and abandon at Jammin Nights, and danced the night away on Simchat Torah. This is the group of guys that initiated Rabbi Mendel as an honorary brother. In their own words: they were enmeshed and embedded in campus life, active and in the leadership of Hillel and Shabbos House, Student Association, varied clubs and honor societies.
Here are some of the Shabbos House reflections they shared at Shabbos Lunch:
One sensation I distinctly remember from the old Shabbos House was walking over in the freezing Albany weather and as you opened the door, the warmth of the packed room inside rushed right out at you. It may be a new building, but its nice to come here today and get that same feeling years later.
Over my four years at UAlbany I lived on campus and off-campus, my grades went up and down, there were all kinds of variables. But there was a constant, a dependable stability throughout my Albany college years, and that was Mendel and Raizy and the Shabbos House.
In 2005 I was going through a hard time, there was a lot going on in my life. I remember I went to speak to Mendel and we had a meaningful talk about life’s challenges and prayer, what’s in our hands and what’s beyond our control, and about G-d being there for us especially when the going gets rough. I won’t forget that conversation.
One of my favorite memories was speaking to Raizy’s father Rabbi Galperin over Sukkot and Simchat Torah when they would come up to visit.
I remember when Andrew shlepped me to Shabbos House on a cold December night. I did USY in High School and it was good and all but I wasn’t sure if and how I wanted to continue that in my college years. But once I came that Friday Night, I kept coming. And today I teach 4th grade in a Yeshiva.
One sensation I distinctly remember from the old Shabbos House was walking over in the freezing Albany weather and as you opened the door, the warmth of the packed room inside rushed right out at you. It may be a new building, but its nice to come here today and get that same feeling years later.
I’m not very religious and my mom even less so. We had this old prayerbook from my grandmother and figured that Shabbos House would be the best place for it. I remember bringing it up to Shabbos House and how warmly Mendel appreciated it, and we knew it was in good hands and my mom felt really good about it.
I always felt comfortable coming, always felt so welcome. Its amazing that coming back here years after my graduation I feel the same way.
It was on Shabbos, so its hard to remember what everyone said, and of course we took no pictures. But very warm memories and great feelings to reconnect and feel so close after so many years. Thank you!