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 5th Annual NYC / 5767-2007
UAlbany / Shabbos House Alumni Reunion
Sunday, July 15th 1-3pm

at the Chabad Loft - 182 Fifth Ave (bet 22nd & 23rd) 10010 - across the historic Flatiron building.

Approximately Sixty-five alumni attended this year's reunion, with classes represented throughout the years, as far back as 1995 and 1999, great representation of 2001-2004, as well as graduates of this year's class of 2007. Scroll down for photos and details of the program and presentations.

This year's alumni reunion group photo.

Most attendees at the event made it for this photo. In addition to those who had to leave earlier or came afterwards, we were pleased to welcome Raizy's sister Nechama Dina (who took this picture) her husband Rabbi Sholom Ber Hendel, and their newborn Levi Yitzchak and Rabbi Mendel's newlywed sister Devorah Leah and her husband Rabbi Mendy Mathless.

We got so busy talking with people, we didn't have time to take enough photos. Many attendees are not pictured below, but your participation is recorded in the good times spent with dear friends...

Ari Gilbert, now a chiropractor in Brooklyn and Mitch Greene. Lisa is headed to NYU grad school and Lauren works at a NYC law firm. Big Dave came after the group picture, but not too late for great camaraderie - here with Ed & Arie.
This year's reunion souvenir was a new Shabbos House Pushka (color) with a chocolate, Enjoy Torah! sticker and Simchat Torah shotclass inside. Dan Marzouk is always looking for a new angle. Mike Lowenstein is now doing his clinical rounds, Scott Weber is working for a new NYC agency this year.
Abby and Nechama Dina catching up on the old days at Shabbos House, and about nowadays teaching. Melissa Gardonyi brought us up to date on alumni in Israel - here speaking with Stacey and Abby. Dan Marzouk lives in NJ, Sarah Faillah works at Harvard.
Jesse (lives near Albany), Ben (lives in NYC) and Mitch (Rockland but works in NYC). Jeff (first Hillel President in the Rubin's tenure) speaks with Raizy. Craig Brimmer, now back in school, and Mike Landsman - Mike L.  graduated Albany twice: '05 & '07.
Ephraim (Fred) Lotwin holds up his Rochie and Menachem. He was a freshmen on the first freshmen weekend the Rubins did in 1997! Little Menachem is caught in a conversation between his father Ephraim (Fred) and Matt F. Jason and Roni. Jason is responsible for setting up this website in 1999 and teaching Rabbi Mendel how to do it.
Gabe's remembering Yom HaShoah dawns on Campus (for a moment of Jewish pride on campus). Sarah Faillah thoughtfully coming up with an answer for the question on her card. David still umpires games, as he finished grad school and looks forward to teaching.
AJ's favorite UAlbany holiday memory? That's an easy one. Eyal shares his most unexpected discovery about Shabbos House (Rabbis Mathless & Hendel on left) Mike Kashani stands in front of two of ten photo collages made for the occasion.
At the end of Raizy's talk (see below) she introduced the question-card game which involved everyone and brought out the great atmosphere in the room.
This table was the first to fill with arriving alumni.
Brunch Buffet
Throughout the afternoon a delicious buffet brunch (catered by Raizy) of bagels, lox and whitefish, chip-salad and veggie platters, quiches and a variety of baked desserts, was served.

Rabbi Mendel on Pushkas and Pictures
Rabbi Mendel Rubin welcomed everyone with the Pushka theme (new Shabbos House Pushkas were the reunion souvenir). Charities benefit from checks written by major benefactors but Pushkas symbolize the accumolated power of pennies and nickels. The atmosphere at Shabbos House is a product of many students' investment over the years. So, too with the photo collages that lined the walls, it's each person's individual contribution - different faces - that makes it special.

Raizy on Meaningful Journeys
This week's Parsha was Mattos-Maasei, which enumerates each of the travels in the Desert. The Torah could have saved wording by listing all the journeys together, but instead spells each one out separately, to teach us the importance of each individual step, and the need to fulfill and complete that step before moving onward. Each student/alumni has their own individual journey, part of which takes place at Shabbos House, and collectively, Shabbos House is on a journey as well. Looking around the room, and at the various years you represent, we recall and appreciate all the different steps of our journey.

The Question-Card Game
Sixty cards were prepared with hand-written questions highlighting different facets of the Albany experience. At random alumni were given cards and we went around the room, each person introducing themselves, their year, the question on their card, and the best answer they could think of. Lots of laughter and cheers accompanied the thoughtful, imaginative and clever answers.

Mushkie and Chani on Memories and Appreciation
On the ride down from Albany, Mushkie and Chanie wrote up a short-list of student-memories for which they are most appreciative. They were brave enough to share it with everyone.

Arie Lipnick ('03) on Giving Back to Shabbos House
Shabbos House's continued growth is a wonderful thing, but is also an expensive proposition. Greater attendance, additional events and programs, all increase the cost. In addition to the ongoing Building Fund campaign, it's important that alumni support the operating budget. It's even easier now with Shabbos House accepting credit-cards, people can make monthly or annual contributions of $1 a day or 50 cents a day, or whatever they wish/afford. It really makes a difference.

Timing/Date
We recognize that no summer Sunday date will work for everyone, many alumni regretted that this date would not work for them due to Simchas, vacations and other reasons. This is why we look forward to having reunions each year - so that there will be opportunities for as many of us to get together as possible.

Special Thanks to...

  • Rabbi Yaakov Bankhalter of Chabad of Washington Square which operates The Chabad Loft, for allowing us use of their beautiful facility in trendy Flatiron/Chelsea.
  • Allie Newman ('07) and Adam Kofinas (Dec '06) as well as Mike Landsman ('05 and '07) and Rachel Serkin (L'chaim President '07-'08) for helping set-up before the event.
  • Alumni who in addition to the $20 charge to cover costs, contributed a sponsorship of this event.

 
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