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Where I Was Standing on 9/11/2001 – & Flashbulb Memories

9/11 is one of those events that people tend to remember exactly where they were standing when they first heard the news.  

In my case, I was teaching that morning. One of the classes I taught then and still teach … Read the rest

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The Line Painting Truck

Our daughter needed proof of residency and it was due on Friday so we rushed out to Guilderland Town Hall all the way down Western Ave. The process took 5 minutes but the way back took forever. There were signs … Read the rest

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Thoughts on “Door Ajar” Theme

The 2024 Shabbos House giveaway, is a useful* Mason-Jar that reads “Our Door is Always A-Jar for You!”  — so here’s a thread of thoughts on this “door ajar” concept:

In the Midrash of Song of Songs 5, G-d tells … Read the rest

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Venue (& Horse) Uncertainty…

We’ve been working the last few weeks to arrange for the “Let HERE Be Light!” Tour coupled with a live Nissim Black concert to come to UAlbany. So many things had to align, Nissim’s schedule, the Chabad on Campus tour … Read the rest

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Two Lost & Found Stories

… in one week at UAlbany – and a message for us on Opening Weekend of a new semester:

THE LOST KEY FOB

One day this week a Toyota key fob appeared on our front porch table. Someone either put … Read the rest

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Five Wavelengths of Personal Relations

One of the mini-reunions this summer is once again hosted by 5WPR (a PR firm in NYC headed by Ronn Torossian, a UAlbany alumnus). They are now located on Park Avenue in Midtown. A few years ago when they were … Read the rest

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Shabbat Chazon in 5784/2024

The Shabbos before Tisha B’Av (always Parsha Devarim) is called “Shabbos Chazon” (Shabbat of Vision). It’s named for the Haftorah, “Chazon Yeshayahu” the vision of Isaiah.

Now, on a literal level, this Haftorah isn’t a positive one. Isaiah’s vision in … Read the rest

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Takeaways from Middle of Election Rhetoric 2024

This is not a political post. I repeat! Not a political post. But this stuff is noise all around us, hard to avoid it in the great hype of the election season, so this is an attempt to take some … Read the rest

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Brake Caliper Lessons

Today I learned (the hard way, and expensive way) about brake calipers.

An interesting thing: Two opposite problems were solved with the same fix! The car was neither braking nor accelerating properly.

Why? The calipers had frozen or seized up, … Read the rest

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Recaps of COC Israel Kinus Trip

BACK FROM ISRAEL
Mendel is back from a week in Israel, so much to share!
In short, the Chabad on Campus Kinus conference took them to visit Sderot and Nova, the Sheba Hospital, dance with troops in Leshem, and at
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