This weekend was a Hillel dinner on Friday Night in Campus Center Room 375 with a tropical theme and linen pastel colored tablecloths. The Hillel board was introduced, Dvar Torahs were about multiple meanings of a “Welcome Home” sign and also about “The Flat-5” and announcements for upcoming events included the Hillel Havdalah with location clue, Midnight Selichot Jam and Labor Day Minyan Bagel Brunch at Shabbos House, Tuesday-Shmoozeday, and Rosh Hashanah.
Shabbos Day we had a really nice Minyan, starting with a lively “Shachar Avakeshcha” and special “Sos-Asis” Haftorah by Professor Herman Prins-Salamon. We had 3 special guests from Queens: Melanie, Tzipah and Ruth (who are friends of Shabbos House alumni) and Melanie happened to know Herman from his holiday participation at the Mikveh Israel synagogue in Philadelphia (small world!). Eliot and Zach were Chazanim, and Rabbi Mendel read the double-but-short-Parsha. Moshe was away with friends at a Shabbaton in Saratoga. We did Mincha right after Lunch, which seems to be the best arrangement for now.
Before the end of Shabbat was Seudah-Shlishit with our last Pirkei Avot Ding-a-ling Hotline for the season. Participants scanned chapters 4 and 5 of Pirkei Avot for Mishnas that popped off the page, seemed interesting, relevant, intriguing etc… We had some great calls from Gabie K, Avi S, and others – and a insightful question from Isaac H. that sparked a long Shabbos House story from Rabbi Mendel.