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Shabbat Pinchas between July 2nd and July 4th

This year (5781/2021), Shabbat Pinchas is on July 3rd, sandwiched between July 2nd which commemorates the vote on the (Lee) Resolution (the act) of Independence and July 4th which celebrates the Declaration (the explanation) of Independence.

So, too, the end … Read the rest

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NY Times Front Page: Beautiful, Heartbreaking

The front page New York Times image of two women saying Psalms in prayer for those missing and buried under the layers of rubble in the nearby Surfside Champlain Tower South building collapse is both beautiful and heartbreaking. 

There are … Read the rest

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Why Water in Front of Fan Works

We’re in a scorching heat spell now in Albany (late June 2021) and since not all students and others have A/C in (or throughout) their summer apartments, I thought to share a little tip that also has a message. Because … Read the rest

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The Surfside Building Collapse, the 17th of Tammuz, and all of us

Today (Sunday, Jun 27, 2021) is a Jewish fast-day (a long day, as the summer day is long, and hot – as we are now under a heat advisory), called “The 17th of Tammuz” which commemorates the attack on &
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Changes at UAlbany Basketball Courts

Since so many of you have played on the outdoor basketball courts – situated on campus on the way to/from Shabbos House – here’s an update and insight from those courts as we drove to school one day soon after
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Meeting the Motorcyclist before Shavuot

This post comes off a short tweet thread I wrote after meeting this motorcyclist at a long stoplight a few days before the Shavuot holiday of 5781/2021:

A well-endowed motorcycle, loaded with suitcase & bag compartments pulled up alongside me
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Why always Bamidbar before Shavuot

There are many reasons given (the significance and meaning) as to why #Bamidbar (the Torah reading titled “in the Wilderness/Desert”) is always read before #Shavuot, the festival of the Giving of the Torah:

One is that Torah wasn’t given in
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Ordering & Picking Up

We love to find relevance and connection between current events and life experiences and the Torah portion(s) of the week. So first, here’s something important that happened in our Jewish campus community this week and then we’ll connect it (albeit … Read the rest

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Tazria-Metzorah Takeaways

Tazria and Metzorah are two Torah portions that are often read together as a double-Parsha. The bulk of both these Torah portions speaks of “Tzaraat” some biblical form of a physically manifested spiritual affliction that could affect skin, clothing or … Read the rest

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Favorite Israeli Foods

Sometimes we ask deeper questions, sometimes lighter ones. This conversation “going-around” question was about Israeli foods and snacks or eateries. Can’t remember what everyone shared or exactly who said what, but here’s what we did remember. If we missed yours Read the rest

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