Dear friends,
As Move-In Week is already underway, here’s our first weekly student email with this week’s events and info – for the Fall 2025 semester! As this is the first student email for some of you, see below for (1) upcoming events (2) a few things to know (3) and links to join one or more of our Whatsapp groups for better communication (in addition to this weekly email).
THE BIG BIKE – Bluma and students will be taking turns riding our Big Bike (essentially a tricycle or traveling-table) approx twice a day with free refreshing drinks and freeze-pops on the good weather days of Move-In Week. Flag ’em down if you see them coming by!
8/18-21: DINNERS THIS WEEK – For those interested in Kosher there should be packaged Kosher meals available upon request this week but Indigenous Kosher Dinner Dining doesn’t open until the first day of classes on the 25th. We will be having hot Kosher dinners this Move-In week at Shabbos House, 6:30-8pm (let us know if that time doesn’t work for you, or if you need a ride/walk over). In general for those interested in Kosher be sure to join the Kosher Whatsapp group, see link further below in this email.
8/22: OPENING WEEKEND SHABBAT DINNER – Quite a few (but not all) students will be moved up by then and this first Shabbat is a special time to step into a new semester (or college experience!) of Jewish campus life. As some people are new here, we do Walking Groups from the Indigenous and State Quad (main entrance) Archways at both 6:45pm (for those coming to 7pm prayers) and 7:45pm (for those coming for the dinner at 8pm). You don’t have to be religious or observant to come for Shabbat dinner, and you can dress as you wish, come and go when you want, no RSVP is required and no attendance taken. Just come to celebrate with fellow Jewish campus community, and your presence and participation helps create that special vibe and atmosphere. Shabbat Candlelighting time in Albany this week is: 7:28pm (you can light Shabbat candles here). Prayers 7pm, Dinner 8pm.
8/23: OPENING WEEKEND SHABBAT DAY: Not everyone is back yet, but we’ll still do prayers and shoot for a Minyan starting 10:30am on Shabbat morning. We have Shabbat Lunch at 12:45pm. If you can’t make Minyan prayers please still do come for lunch. And late is fine, too. People will be here for lunch until about 2pm and some hang out even later.
8/23: SAT NIGHT HAVDALAH AND PIZZA: Shabbat ends at 8:29pm, we’ll have Pizza and Havdalah ready approx 9:15pm or so. We do fresh homemade pizza and bake up fries and it’s a weekly Sat Night ritual. It gets earlier as Shabbat ends earlier, usually around an hour after Shabbat ends.
8/23: A VISITING GROUP LATER SAT NIGHT: A group of Manhattan and Montreal Chabad Young Professionals are downtown for Shabbat and coming to Shabbos House for food and a Sat Night program starting closer to 10pm.
8/24: SUNDAY BRUNCH: Usually we have Minyan at 11am, Bagel Brunch at 12pm. We’ll do Tefillin and maybe have Minyan this week, but there’ll be brunch either way. It is Rosh Chodesh Elul, so if we get Minyan we also get a Sunday Torah reading in, with a little Hallel singing.
8/24: SUNDAY NIGHT WELCOME (BACK) EVENT: Annual tradition at Shabbos House on the night before classes, 7pm. Walking Group from both Quad Archways at 6:45pm. Weather-permitting we’ll do an outdoor firepit and outdoor games, but we’ll have a BBQ either way, and if it rains we’ll do activities indoors. This is a nice social event, more students should be back by then. This event sponsored by alumni Victoria (’19) and Jake (’19) who met at this event and are married now with a little girl, and by alumnus Adam Kris (’09) in memory of his uncle Bernie Weinberger who loved when people get together.
8/25: LOOK FOR OUR TABLE AT SMALL FOUNTAIN – FIRST DAY OF CLASSES PHOTOS!
Chani will be out for “first day of school” photos, plus we have mood pencils and notebooks… 11am-2pm at the Small Fountain
8/25: KOSHER OPENS AT INDIGENOUS QUAD DINING
Hot Kosher dinners 4-8pm at Indigenous Quad Dining. Starts Monday, first day of classes! (Kosher packaged lunches are available in Campus Center East, at the East Cafe, and other campus locations. Ask for them!)
8/25: HILLEL’S WELCOME BACK EVENT – FIRST DAY OF CLASSES
Hillel’s Welcome Event is on Monday, the first day of classes, and will be held 8-9pm in the Multipurpose Room (at the Dutch Quad side of) Campus Center West.
8/26: HILLEL’S TUESDAY-SCHMOOZEDAY
This is a weekly Hillel drop-in or hang-out event in the Interfaith Center on 3rd floor of the Campus Center. 11am-2pm with bagels and shmears, convos etc.
8/26: THE FIRST TORAH-TUESDAY OF THE SEMESTER
We do Torah-Tuesday each week, a class with dairy (or pareve) dinner served, two times each Tuesday (to accommodate class schedules) 6pm and 9pm (6pm is usually better attended, the 9pm is for those with work or night classes). Class and dinner is usually 35-45 minutes approx. This week’s class is titled “Location, Location, Location” and will feature students sharing customs, traditions and tidbits from Jewish communities, at home or around the world.
THE NEW PHOTO BOOK – Juniors and Seniors especially will appreciate the new Photo Book Album of Shabbos House photos of 5784 / 2023-24 that we got back from the printer this summer. Look for the light-purple cover. Lots of great memories. Sara is working on last year’s 5785 / 2024-2025 now.
THE CHAYENU – DAILY STUDY CHAT
A good thing this summer is that we’ve gotten back into the regular groove of our Daily Study Whatsapp Group (message us to the join link). We share an insight or two, a message, usually in text, sometimes a voice note, sometimes an image. Something each day. It’s a way to keep up with daily study of the Parsha of the week (and select Rashi commentary) or sometimes a piece from the daily Tanya study. It’s most meaningful for those who follow the daily study, but regardless everyone should be able to get something from it.
Love and best wishes!
Mendel and Raizy
Rohr Chabad Jewish Student Center