We hosted the regional Chabad on Campus Upstate NY Shabbaton here at UAlbany in March 2014. It was an incredible weekend, memorable and meaningful. Chabad at Oneonta is hosting it this year, first weekend in April 2016, and we look forward to participating with a nice group from UAlbany. While we do focus primarily on building our own Jewish campus community – especially for Shabbat – at home at UAlbany, here’s a bunch of reasons (in no particular order) that make this getaway regional Shabbaton weekend special and worthwhile. And you can signup here: www.upstateNYshabbaton.com

THE HOSTS. Rabbi Meir and Fraidy are an incredible, energetic, fun and Mitzvah-loving and indefatigable team. In a few short years at Oneonta State, they’ve made a huge impact, with large-scale Friday Night dinners, a whole host of events – all in just a couple of years. It’s hard to imagine how they did it, and are doing it, until you meet them and see them in action.

OneontaChabadBuildingA UNIQUE VENUE. It’s huge, on the corner of Chestnut and Academy in Oneonta NY. It’s Chabad’s first year in this place – so it’s new to them. Not long ago it was a Church, today the cavernous hall and surrounding rooms and areas have been transformed into a vibrant center for Jewish life. Help make those walls echo with Jewish songs and spirit. Students jokingly call it now the First Church of Pesto Pasta, for Fraidy’s delicious pesto-pasta dish – yet another reason to head over to Oneonta for this weekend.

OneontaRabbiSimchaRABBI SIMCHA. His first name means joy, and indeed, Rabbi Simcha is full of laughter and fun. He’s a superhero maven, having written a book on the subject titled “Up, Up and Oy Vey!” and also wrote a book on humor titled “Shtick Shift” and even a book on parenting and children. He’s light but deep, engaging and entertaining, self-deprecating and unstuffy but serious about life. And he has that British accent. He was dubbed NYC’s hippest Rabbi. Rabbi Simcha will be the scholar-in-residence (he probably can’t stand that title) and will be presenting and engaging students throughout the weekend.

ONEONTA, CAMPUS AND TOWN. If Albany is SmAlbany, then Oneonta is… small. Just 13,000 inhabitants, so the student population is a huge percentage of the city. It’s nestled in the mountains, set off on its own, about halfway between Albany and Binghamton on the I-88. It has a scenic charm, a beautiful campus feel. Get away from the concrete for a bit. Get a feel of someplace different.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS. The Shabbaton has enough going on all Shabbat and Saturday Night into Sunday morning, but you might want to think of exploring some nearby attractions like Cooperstown and its famous National Baseball Hall of Fame, or the Ommegang Belgian Beer Brewery (if you’re of age). The 88 itself is kind of boring, but go off just a little bit for some great spots and scenic roads and vistas. Route 30 through Schoharie is a nice rural road.

OneontaStateSchoolsOTHER CAMPUSES. Hey, a chance to meet and celebrate Jewishly with students from way up in Plattsburgh, Oswego and Syracuse, or down from Rockland CC, City College of New York or Adelphi, some of this year’s participating campuses. And also the students at Oneonta themselves, of course!

WORKSHOPS. A couple of Shabbos afternoon sessions with choices of presenters and discussions. Nothing finalized yet, but some cool ideas being bandied about. Chilled out atmosphere with a nosh bar to socialize around in addition. Games are also an option. And then see about Table Rock…

TABLE ROCK. There are some nice short mountainside hikes all around Oneonta State campus, one special view can be seen from Table Rock. Weather-permitting, there are plans for some Shabbat afternoon walk/hike options. Or hit it up on Sunday.

SAT NIGHT EVENT. There are plans for a lively and happening Sat Night event beginning with Havdalah, followed by activities and entertainment and of course, more good food. Stay tuned for details on this.

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE AT ONEONTA? Chances are you probably do, or at least have a friend or two that does. Maybe even a transfer to or from UAlbany. There are far fewer than six degrees of separation when it comes to New Yorkers and SUNY Campuses, especially once you start playing Jewish Geography. This is as a good time as any to make that visit.

WE’RE FUN AS A GROUP. Look, we do value building campus community and Friday Night dinners at home at UAlbany. But it turns out we’re also fun to getaway with. We come back more rejuvenated and energized as a result. We saw that when we went as a group to the big NYC Chabad on Campus Shabbaton (our shenanigans and spirit on the subway and Times Square are unforgettable). Going together as a group makes it all the more special.

HAKHEL! The year of gathering and Jewish unity! This year is a time we seek additional opportunities for gathering and connection (think back to Shabbat360, the Mega Havdalah and HakhelHalftimes etc) so this Shabbaton is a perfect Hakhel opportunity!

SIGNUP for UAlbany students is $20 (unless you procrastinate until the last minute when it goes up to $36). We’re going to arrange carpools for our group going down, and housing (either at Chabad or with students on campus) will be arranged as well. Hope you can join us! www.upstateNYshabbaton.com