UAlbany Opening Weekend Events at Shabbos House Rohr Chabad Jewish Student Center include:
Thursday Aug 22 Student Leadership Lunch 12:30pm
Thursday night Aug 22 dinner starting 7pm (as Kosher Dining isn’t open yet) cooking and Shabbat prep follows. Will do pickups from your Quad.
FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER AUG 23
Walking groups from Indian & State Quad Archways 6:45pm (for prayers) and 7:45pm (for Dinner)
Prayers 7pm, Shabbat Dinner 8pm at Shabbos House, 320 Fuller Road
Those going to First Night Fest on Science Library Lawn, it isn’t far from Shabbos House and begins at 9pm so Shabbat Dinner isnt a conflict. If your dorm is having a floor meeting, there are exceptions for religious services, such as Shabbat. Speak to your RA.
SHABBAT DAY LUNCH SAT AUG 24
Minyan Prayers 10am. Shabbat Lunch 12:30pm at Shabbos House. All welcome, whether you attend prayer services or not. That’s a general rule for all Shabbos and Holiday meals at Shabbos House: No dress-code, no RSVP, no need to stay the whole time, and prayer attendance is not required.
SUNDAY AUG 25 WELCOME (BACK) BBQ!
Instead of an evening firepit this year, we’re doing a midday Welcome (Back) BBQ 12-2pm for incoming and returning students alike. Come meet people, catch up with old friends, meet new ones. There will be walking-groups at 11:45am from both Indian and State Quad Archways.
Later that afternoon, look for the Shabbos House Lchaim Table at Great Danetopia (pick up a delicious treat). UAlbany Hillel will be tabling at Great Danetopia, too.
MONDAY AUG 26 – FIRST DAY OF CLASSES
Wishing all students: freshmen, transfers and returning students much success on the start of a new academic year!
UAlbany Hillel will be having a Welcome (Back) Event at the Alumni House (wooden building across from Dutch Student Parking Lot) 5-7pm Luau-Style on Monday evening, first day of classes.
TUESDAY AUG 27 FIRST TORAH-TUESDAY
The first Torah-Tuesday of the semester will be on “Time-Management from a Torah lens”. Good ideas to start the new year. The 40-minute class is over a (dairy) dinner, and twice each Tuesday: 5:45 and 7:45pm to accommodate class schedules. See the weekly topic listing here, come for the classes you want, if your schedule allows.
Hillel’s first weekly “Tuesday Schmoozeday” with bagels and shmears & coffee etc is 11am-2pm in the Campus Center Interfaith Center, 3rd Floor (CC 344)
SOME FAQ’s:
Why walking groups?
We don’t keep these going all year but for the first week or two it helps incoming students navigate their way around a confusing campus to find Shabbos House and UAlbany Hillel events.
Is it OK if I leave early, I want to come but can’t stay long?
Yes and yes. Don’t worry about it. Feel very welcome to come when you can, leave when you need to, no worries. We don’t take attendance, there’s no pressure.
Is everyone religious? I’m not observant and don’t want to stick out.
No. The crowd at Shabbos House is a very mixed and diverse crowd of all levels of observance and all types of backgrounds. Religious denomination percentages vary by the year but either way it’s a very nice mix and we don’t even keep tabs of these things.
Do I have to come to the prayers? Is just dinner OK?
You don’t have to come to anything! Come when or what works for you. The majority of students come just for dinner (which is a great sense of community, celebrating shabbat together), but there is a also very solid group of students that do come to the various prayer services offered and they keep it student-friendly and meaningful and that’s why we have walking groups for both prayer and for Shabbat dinner.
I need Kosher! And Kosher Dining doesn’t open until the end of the weekend!
That’s why we have dinner here this week on Thursday night, Friday Night Shabbat dinner, Shabbat Lunch, and a BBQ on Sunday. If you need anything else or something in between, please be in touch with us and we can drop off at your dorm (not on Shabbat) or you come over to Shabbos House. No shortage of Kosher food here.
Is Shabbos House Chabad?
yes it is! The Shabbos House name was coined back in the 1970’s when Shabbos House was established at UAlbany (one of the first Chabad Houses on campus!) and the name has stuck ever since. But yes, we are a Chabad House and affiliated with the international Chabad on Campus. BTW, our name notwithstanding, Shabbos House isn’t only open on weekends! We operate all week long, with many weekday events, programs, activities and study opportunities.
I’m a little overwhelmed and would appreciate someone to talk to…
That’s what we’re here for! We live on-site, we’re right here. Shabbos House’s tagline is “Home Away From Home”. And being that this is our 22nd year at UAlbany we do have some experience with both students and with the campus. Please reach out to us.