MANY WILL BE HOME THIS YEAR
Many synagogues are still closed for in-person services, even those that are open have many limitations and restrictions. We know that many current students and alumni friends will not be able to celebrate this … Read the rest
Every year for Shabbos Shuva (between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) we ask students to each share a tidbit, message or reflection about Teshuvah, about the High Holidays, about the Machzor etc. Collectively, it makes for a long Shabbos Shuva … Read the rest
The UAlbany community has been anxiously eyeing the “UAlbany Covid Dashboard” watching its creep upward in concern over the NY State mandated “Pause” and pivot to all-remote once it hits 100 on-campus related Covid cases within a 2-week period. It … Read the rest
This year, due to Covid, we had all the big room windows and back doors open wide during the prayers and our Shofar blower stood a distance from others and blew the Shofar … Read the rest
One of the unique and difficult challenges of Covid-19 is that many who have it are asymptomatic and to some degree they can shed the virus without knowing they have it. Not to diminish this fact in any way, and … Read the rest
The Haftorah of the first day of Rosh Hashanah is the story of Chana, then childless, later to be the mother of the prophet Samuel. How she prayed in the Tabernacle for a son, how she was misunderstood … Read the rest
This concept touches upon a lot of really deep Chassidic thought. We’re not going to go into all of that right here, just a few snippets to tie the idea together.
Rosh Hashanah night is a limbo state before Shofar … Read the rest
Psalm 24 “L’David Mizmor” is said towards the close of the evening Rosh Hashanah prayers. In many congregations it is said after opening the Ark, line after line dramatically repeating the Chazzan. A big theme of this Psalm is “Lift … Read the rest
