We always look forward to Freshmen/Opening Weekend, eager to meet the new students who will help shape our Jewish campus community at UAlbany. The walking groups from State and Indian Archways welcome students to our services and Friday Night dinner, and we try to meet everyone, get to know them a bit, and begin wonderful individual and communal relationships many of which last throughout college, and indeed beyond!
This year some alumni were reminiscing about who led their walking groups freshmen year to Shabbos House, amazing how many remembered, and one alumni referred to these walking groups as “The Boats to Hogwarts” which prompted Mendel’s Dvar Torah on Friday Night.
We can’t write or record names on Shabbos, which is always a challenge for us, but we did remember (a joint effort) 25 first and last names on Saturday Night. This group of freshmen/new students included a number of nanotech undergraduates, two students from LA, a graduate student in atmospheric sciences, a group from Yeshiva of Flatbush, some Great Neck folks, one student who knew our tennis guest (see his Gedalia Goomber Tennis story here) from home, there are students from Long Island and the City of course, but also two from Rochester and a few from New Jersey.
It was nice to see a few freshmen come out to Minyan on Shabbos morning. For one it was his first-ever Aliyah so we threw some candy and danced Siman Tov. It was encouraging to have new student Yonatan step up to the plate and lead the Mincha prayer service with Sephardic flavor on his very first week on campus! It was also Scott S’ last Shabbos with us, after 6 years of undergrad and grad school, so we did a special dance on Friday Night and were sure to give him the Levi aliyah for Shabbos morning. Zack G who graduated this past May was up for a visit and read the Haftorah.
The highlight of Shabbos Lunch was Eliot H’s “Siyum” (celebratory completion of Torah study) on an entire Order of Mishna (multiple tractates, hundreds of Mishnas) that he learned in memory of his grandfather. He shared a Mishna, and said the words of the conclusion and the special Kaddish. We served sparkling cider for each lunch participant to offer Eliot a Lchaim toast on this milestone achievement and also to wish one another the best as the new semester begins. Rabbi Mendel was amazed with the meticulous, clear and diligent notes and translations Eliot wrote into his Mishnayos book, and insisted many take a closer look as an inspiration!
It was a pleasure to welcome back Rebecca P. from her semester abroad in Australia (filled with adventure!) and Michele F. from the Washington Semester where she interned for the Smithsonian. Both Rebecca and Michelle are graduating this December, so we look forward to one last semester with them (and other dear friends graduating in December).
There were other non-student guests as well, that added spice and flavor to our Shabbos. In addition to the Gedalia Goomber Tennis story, the Herman family of Brooklyn was enroute to a camping trip up in Schroon Lake in the Adirondacks when traffic kept them back and it was too late before Shabbos to head up north. We invited them over, and had them and their kids for Shabbos.