This Fall 2025 the Jewish holiday season comes very soon at the start of the year, Rosh Hashanah begins the night after Labor Day, two weeks from the start of classes. And all the holidays fall mid-week which takes up a lot of days (in festive ways!) at the start of the semester.
Click on calendar image to enlarge the image or click here for the same handy half-page in a crisper PDF calendar view of the Jewish holiday season at UAlbany, all the prayers, festive meals and celebration at Shabbos House, this year all in the month of September 2025.
There is no cost to students for any holiday meals or prayers. There’s no dress code, no attendance, no expectations. Prayers are traditional but explained and student-centered and student-friendly.
These are wonderful times of Jewish celebration, student-centered and student-friendly, with good food, good friends, good times. Each holiday offers a special flavor and atmosphere and creates a special set of memories. Sukkot and Simchat Torah are especially rich in celebration, connection and are very memorable times at Shabbos House.
CLASSES ON THE HOLIDAYS
UAlbany does not give off for the holidays anymore, there will be classes on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, though some teachers may cancel. All faculty are notified that religious holidays (and they have a University list of them) are excused absences and if there are tests or such on those days students are very much entitled to ask to have them rescheduled.
Obviously, out of respect and courtesy, students should not tell this to the professor last minute, it is best that they are told of your observance dates and observance level at least a week or more prior. We write explanatory religious letters for students to share with professors, please use the RSVP form and/or contact Rabbi Mendel to request such a letter.
Not all students observe the holidays the same way. Some will go home to be with family, some will miss class to attend services and holiday meals, some will attend class but not write or take tests – whatever your or your family’s observance level or style, this is something UAlbany is committed to respect.
If there should be any issues with any professor in this regard please contact Rabbi Mendel and the Deans Office and they will promptly address it.
ROSH HASHANAH 2025 AT UALBANY
Pre-Rosh-Hashanah Events:
9/14: Midnight Selichot Sat Night 12am food and music, 1am Selichot prayer
9/15: Goodyear Shana Tova Fair 11am-3pm at Small Fountain
9/17: Challah Babka Bake 8pm at Shabbos House
Your RSVP isn’t required but is very helpful. Please use this High Holidays 2025 at UAlbany RSVP Form. It helps us be better prepared.
Also on RSVP form is option to request religious holiday letter for professors/classes. Please do this ahead, and please use this RSVP form, as it is easier for us to work off one form for all the letters.
ROSH HASHANAH AT UALBANY 2025
9/22: Monday night, first night of Rosh Hashanah
Prayers 7pm, Holiday Dinner 8pm
This is the night of symbolic foods: apple & honey, pomegranate, carrot-stew, plus a delicious meal of salmon and meat, sides and salads and more!
New this year – an alumni sent us a honey tasting sampler of a variety of local honeys from throughout the United States!
9/23: Tuesday, First Day of Rosh Hashanah
Prayers 10am, Shofar Services approx 12pm, Holiday Lunch 1:30pm,
Sesame Noodles, Salads & Dips, Pineapple Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and more…
nearby waterside Tashlich follows
Shofar Express at Small Fountain 3-5pm,
Tashlich 5:15pm at Parker Pond
9/23: Tuesday night, Second Night of Rosh Hashanah
Prayers 7:30pm, Holiday Dinner 8pm
This is the night of the Exotic Fruits, lots of variety – just after Kiddush, followed by a delicious meal of Sesame Chicken, Rice, Broccoli, Ramen Slaw & more…
9/24: Wednesday, Second Day of Rosh Hashanah
Prayers 10am, Shofar Service approx 12pm, Holiday Lunch 1:30pm
meat and chicken and a variety of sides and salads and more!
Shofar Express at Small Fountain 3-5pm
Holiday ends: 7:30pm
YOM KIPPUR AT UALBANY 2025
10/1: Wednesday, Yom Kippur Night
Pre-Fast Meal 4:30-5:45pm at Shabbos House
Kol Nidrei Service 6:30pm at CC Room 385
10/2: Thursday, Yom Kippur Day
Traditional Morning Prayers 9:30am-2pm at CC Room 375
Mincha Prayers 5:15pm in CC Room 375
Neilah Closing Prayers 6:15pm in CC Room 375
Shofar & Hillel’s Break-Fast 7:16pm in CC Room 375
SUKKOT
Sukkot is all about atmosphere! There are lots of meals in the Sukkah, opportunities to shake the Lulav and spend quality holiday time together.
Sukkot is filled with vibe and atmosphere! It is a special time of togetherness, uplift, good food and good times. It’s a light and chill holiday, pleasant and accessible, outdoorsy and nature-oriented, it has a really good feel to it. And it all leads up to the joyous Simchat Torah!
SUNDAY, OCT 5:
Sukkah Building BBQ following Minyan Brunch, starting 12pm.
Hot Dogs, Burgers, Corn-Salad, Tri-Color Pasta Salad, and more
FIRST NIGHT IN THE SUKKAH, MONDAY OCT 6:
Holiday prayers 7:30pm, first dinner in the Sukkah 8pm
Challah & Dips, Soup & Salad, Pepper-Steak, Rice, Roasted Broccoli, Chocolate Chip Cookies…
FIRST DAY OF SUKKOT, FIRST LULAV SHAKE, OCT 7:
Prayers 10am, with Lulav & Etrog, followed by holiday lunch in the Sukkah 12:30pm
Challah, Shnitzel & Salad Bar, Make-Your-Own Salad with toppings, dressings & more, Peanut-Butter Bars etc.
SECOND NIGHT OF SUKKOT, TUESDAY OCT 7:
Holiday prayers 7:30pm, 8pm dinner in the Sukkah
Challah & Dips, Olive-Chicken, Broccoli Quiche, Pumpkin-Pie, S’mores Pie
SECOND DAY OF SUKKOT, WEDNESDAY OCT 8:
Prayers 10am, with Lulav & Etrog, followed by holiday lunch in the Sukkah 12:30pm
Challah & Dips, Salmon, Sushi-Salad, Diced Sweet Potatoes, Cookies & Ambrosia
Light meal at 6:30pm
Havdalah and holiday ends 7:06pm
Sukkot is a long holiday, but its middle/intermediate days are more like weekday days of the holiday.
LOOK FOR SUKKAH BIKE ON CAMPUS
Making its rounds on Thursday and Friday, flag us down or schedule us for accessible Lulav shakes!
This year FALL BREAK falls over the mid-Sukkot weekend, October 11 thru October 14, with classes resuming on the last day of the holiday, Wednesday, Simchat Torah day.
We will have holiday meals and prayers here throughout, but it will be much smaller considering it’s Fall Break.
SHABBAT DINNER IN THE SUKKAH, FRIDAY NIGHT, OCT 10:
Always a special night in the Sukkah, 7pm prayers, 8pm dinner in the Sukkah
Challah & Dips, Chips Salad, Garlic Pasta, Hot Cider, Roast Beef/Brisket, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, + Special Birthday for Esther Miriam!
SHABBAT DAY OF SUKKOT, SAT SEP 25:
Prayers 10am (no Lulav on Shabbat), Lunch in the Sukkah at 12:30pm
Challah & Dips, Gefilte Fish, Salad, Cholent, Deli-Roll, Rugelach and more
Shabbat ends 6:55pm
Musical Night in the Sukkah – Community Welcome, in memory of Esther Aidel (Rubin) Cohen.
SUNDAY OCT 12, MORE LULAV, SUKKAH PARTY…
HOSHANA RABBA, LAST DAY FOR LULAV, MONDAY OCT 13:
Hoshana Rabba Prayers TBA.
But it doesn’t end here and goes straight into the finale of Shemini Atzeret and SIMCHAT TORAH! (see next tab)
These incredibly special and opportune 48 hours (of Shemini-Atzeret and Simchat-Torah) climax the whole long holiday season, that climaxes everything that began on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and takes it spiraling both upwards & downwards to totally new levels that spin off off into the whole year!
Friends don’t let friends miss Simchat Torah (especially Tuesday night… even if you/they can only come for a short while). It’s a once-a-year type celebration, an incredible ourpouring of the joys of Judaism and of being Jewish. We dance with our feet (any old way, fancy steps not required) and closed Torahs, Simchat Torah celebrates the heritage, the core connection, it’s not about knowledge or specifics.
It is FALL BREAK this year… but we’re thinking some students will be up here and more will likely be returning to campus that night of Simchat Torah, so perfect time to come by for dancing and food and good Jewish spirit.
MONDAY NIGHT OCT 13:
SHEMINI ATZERET, LAST DINNER IN SUKKAH
Prayers & mini-Hakafot 7pm, 8pm last holiday dinner in the Sukkah
Salad, zucchini soup, meatballs & spaghetti, roasted cauliflower, etc…
TUESDAY OCT 14:
SHEMINI ATZERET DAY
Prayers 10am followed by 12:30pm the last lunch in the Sukkah
Pita & Falafel, fries, salad-bar, stuffed cabbage, etc.
TUESDAY NIGHT, OCT 14:
****SIMCHAT TORAH NIGHT!****
The Big Night of Lively Spirited Jewish Celebration!
Don’t miss it – even if you can only come for a short 15 minute or half-hour window, come anytime between 8:30pm and 11:30pm… 8:30pm Hakafot dancing start, hopefully until midnight! Food buffet all night, dancing, singing, uplifting vibe and energy, annual collectible souvenir. TBH, especially from a Chabad lens, the SImchat Torah celebration is more of a celebration of the Jewish people and our core essential connection to G-d, the Torah and our heritage, than it is about the Torah or any of its particular teachings..
Prayers and Ata Horaya 7:30pm, Hakafot Dancing and Buffet starts 8:30pm
eggrolls, bourekas, franks & blanks, sesame chicken, rice, matzah-ball soup, mocktails, veggie-platters, desserts and more….
WEDNESDAY, OCT 15:
SIMCHAT TORAH DAY,
9:30am Prayers, more Hakafot, reading, completing and restarting the Torah cycle… Lunch by 2pm
Holiday ends (and with this the whole long holiday season) at 7:22pm
Subs/deli sandwiches, kugels, and Kiddush buffet etc…
THURSDAY OCT 16:
Sukkah Take-Down…
Rosh Hashanah prayers and festive meals will all be at Shabbos House. Yom Kippur prayers will be in the Campus Center Assembly Hall with pre-fast at Shabbos House and Break-fast by Hillel in the Campus Center. All Sukkot holiday meals and prayers climaxing with the joyous Simchat Torah will be at Shabbos House.
Stay tuned for updates and details – best way to get the full info is to be on the weekly student email list from Shabbos House. The Shabbos House Whatsapp student list is also helpful way to keep informed with any last minute updates or changes and such (especially in this Covid period).