Rabbi Eliav came back with another group of students from Emek Jezreel College in Israel’s center-north near Afulah. It was a beautiful Shabbat together, they enhanced our Shabbat and spent quality time formally and informally with our students, and they in turn, left enriched and inspired from this Shabbat with us as well.

Some of the takeaways from their Fall 2025 visit:

BODY AND SOUL WORKOUT AND THERAPY
Bar and Ariel are both in school for Social Work. But with a twist. They are both muscular and athletic, the working-out types. Their business plan is to come up with a social-worker therapy model that addresses both body and soul, to exert and strive both mentally and physically. They feel that rock-climbing and other vigorous strenuous exercise complements and supports the mental and emotional climb and the two are best intertwined.

Hey, that jives with Chabad thinking! The two sides of each mitzvah are spiritual and physical, and its best with both fused together! As Rebbe speaks of in “Coin of Fire” or Tanya 25’s two sides of a mitzvah and many other such Chabad texts teaching that Mitzvot and Judaism are best when it brings our best in both body and soul – together!

EACH SURPRISED BY THE OTHER
The Israeli students were surprised to see such a spectrum of UAlbany students, from all walks of life, levels of observance, types of backgrounds, streaming in for Shabbat dinner. They couldn’t believe this degree of Jewish interest and involvement out in the diaspora, in some ways, even more than they experience in Israel!

It seems some were a little surprised and uplifted by the beautiful rich mentions of Zion in the old Haftorah blessings and the heartfelt prayers of the Mishebayrach – which we had them meaningfully recite. They aren’t regular synagogue attendees and given the intimacy of our small Shabbat morning Minyan got a closer look at the prayer texts and the Torah reading.

And our students were taken aback with the visiting Israeli students familiarity with Jewish songs and traditions. They appeared secular and didn’t seem to be particularly religious, yet they could belt out a flawless “Adon HaSelichot” song with familiarity, appreciation and even a little devotion.

THE LANGUAGE BARRIER
Rabbi Eliav himself spent years abroad, he was Chabad rabbi in New Zealand for a time, and his wife is South African – so his English is fine. But it was harder for some of the guests to express themselves and articulate in English. Yet, somehow – the message comes through. There are ways to communicate that transcend vocabulary. Between our Hebrew and their English, it worked out. And some sentiments come through loud and clear without even saying a word!

SONG AND DANCE
Continuing on that theme, and connecting to the surprising message about that – the lively singing and dancing ’round the Bima at the prayers was in and of itself a mode of communication and connection that overcame language barriers, a shared language of Jewish song, melody and joy. It’s said that the circle dance is a unifier, and indeed, that’s how it felt!

WALMART!
It’s a big deal for them! The vastness and variety and price, they couldn’t get over it. They went there before Shabbat AND after Shabbat. Remember we happen to have America’s largest Walmart right here in Albany NY. It’s just so interesting how so many of our students love Israel’s shops and markets and Shuks filled with character, and here they come from Israel and they are so excited about Walmart. Hard to imagine that! Probably not a case of “the grass is greener at the other side” but more so of you are more excited and eager for something you don’t usually have. That which is a “chiddush” (has newness, or novelty) is of extra interest and joy.