Our first Torah Tuesday of the Fall 2015 semester fell on Chai (18th of) Elul, the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Chassidism (as well as the birthday of the Alter Rebbe, founder of Chabad).

We titled the … Read the rest

Recently, at an alumni wedding, the father showed me the letter he received from the Lubavitcher Rebbe for his engagement in 1988. He was especially enthusiastic about “Betach” the first word of the letter. A little while later, his wife … Read the rest

Have you ever been down to a scrap metal yard? It’s quite the experience.

Sometime this summer we began filling the back of our station-wagon with metal junk we have around. Broken bed-frames, kitchen-ware we can’t kosherize, all kinds of … Read the rest

by visiting alumnus Steve I. (Class of 1998)

This week’s Freshmen Move-In weekend coincides with Parsha Shoftim where we read a lot about the laws of Jewish kings and judges, how to know whom to trust as a true prophet … Read the rest

by a visiting Israeli attorney Avner H.

This week’s Torah reading of Shoftim speaks of a “Mishpat Tzedek” which translates as a just law. This implies that not all law is just, since the Torah has to emphasize that the … Read the rest

This summer (5775 / 2015) we visited D. a UAlbany / Shabbos House alumnus of 1998 who was sitting shiva for his father. It was the last day of Shiva (week-long period of mourning after losing a loved one), actually … Read the rest

Our daughter Bassie turns ten just after the first of the Hebrew month of Elul. We were on the road all Thursday before Shabbat with little time to make a homemade cake, so we stopped at a Jewish bakery on … Read the rest

This is the front page letter in our Spring/Summer 2015 “What’s Cooking” Update Newsletter

JOIN THE CROWD – IT’S HAKHEL YEAR!

Generally speaking, at Shabbos House we’re not that focused on numbers. We pride ourselves on appreciating each individual student, … Read the rest

“The Money in the Honey” is a story told about young David is King Saul’s court. There’s a children’s book by this name, retelling this story, written and illustrated by Aidel Backman.

Back in ancient Israel, long before banks, a … Read the rest